So here's the next chapter - it's going to be another of those 'short ones' I believe. But I am currently very busy with a bit of everything lately.

To not make this summary as long as some 'other' writers - I am informing while I finally updated my Naruto/MHA fic that's still ridiculously popular, I am also close now to updating my Naruto/Star Wars fic - but I've been watching now for the past few weeks Bleach.

And let me say, I am hooked. So hooked I might start a project of that crossover soon but first finish all the arcs before I go full-on thinking mode.

Let's enjoy the fic first. Leave a review/comment if you liked it and don't forget to follow or favorite the story to support it.

Enjoy

In the busy streets of a Sabaody shopping district, Naruto moved through the crowds in his disguise, blending seamlessly among the unsuspecting populace. None of them realized that one of the world's most dangerous men walked among them. For the past two years, Naruto had carved a path of destruction across the seas, instilling fear wherever he went. His notoriety had earned him a hefty bounty, marking him as the leader of a renegade group of former Foreign Legion soldiers. His military background, participation in the Summit War, and various alleged crimes—whether true or fabricated—only added to his infamy.

Walking beside him was Nico Robin, equally unnoticed by the local population. She felt safe with the former officer she had known since she was young. The World Government wanted both, yet they strolled through the district like an ordinary couple preparing for departure.

"It certainly has been a while since I walked down these streets," Robin remarked. "It's much rowdier now, but there are fewer Marines." She glanced at Naruto. "And you? Is this your first time in Sabaody?"

"No, but it's been a while," Naruto replied, reminiscing. "The last time I was here legally was when it served as a stopping point for demobilized units."

"You mean when the Foreign Legion was ordered to disband?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, but also other units, like the army from Alabasta and those poor guys from other kingdoms on this side of the Grand Line," Naruto said with a sigh. "Including some friends of mine…"

Robin's expression softened. "My apologies."

Naruto stopped and turned to Robin, taking her hand and smiling. Despite their height difference, she could see that his smile was half-forced.

"It's alright. What's done is done. I had the chance to meet and go with some good folks after the war. It helped a lot," Naruto reassured her. Changing the subject, he asked, "So you've been with the Revolutionary Army, right?"

"Yes, I have," Robin replied, smiling. "They've been taking care of me. They're good people."

"Koala too?"

"Especially Koala."

"And how is Asuka?" Naruto inquired.

Knowing exactly who he was asking about, Robin smiled. "She's as wild as ever. Never a dull moment around her. You taught her how to prank; she can even trick the Commanders."

Naruto smirked. "That's what I like to hear."

Flashback

On the edges of an island…

"FIRE!"

Several shots were fired in the air, a gun salute was just made with four rifles going off all at the same time. For they were in the middle of a funeral - one of Portgas D. Ace who was being put to rest in front of a crowd of hundreds if not thousands of attendees who were silently mourning.

The casket that carried Ace's body was with not only his belongings like his orange hat and dagger, but he also was being buried with the khaki uniform and officer's hat he had earned in his previous service, he was being given a respectable military goodbye with the members of his former unit being the ones to carry the duty out.

Lowered as his casket was to the prepared grave site, his belongings were to be set up on his tombstone that was now being prepared, the attendees were watching as his casket was finally put to rest.

One of those attendees was Naruto who stood next to Marco, who already had cried his eyes dry and was just looking with emptiness but noticed the stare Naruto gave, blank was it all.

"You doing alright?"

"Just burying friends…that's all." Naruto responded calmly, saying, "Just see for yourself…"

The area where they were was a large green plain filled with more tombstones and crosses in the tens of thousands at first sight of how far these stones stretched.

It was a cemetery—more precisely, a military cemetery. Situated on a sizable island on the shore of the Shinobi Continent, this location served as the final resting place for the war dead, serving as a memorial for the numerous individuals unable to return home.

"Every time I come here, I remember how many friends and colleagues I buried personally in this place," Naruto said, if not torturing himself with the guilt eating in the back of his mind of how many people he could name.

Marco nodded, understanding the blond as he just finished burying Pops and the others who didn't make it. He as a professional doctor knew what kind of state Naruto was in now - one that came very frequently with those like Naruto.

"You were diagnosed, weren't you?"

Naruto removed the officer's cap from his head, scratching his back as he did not respond to the question verbally, but that was enough for the 1st Division Commander to know.

"You're not taking it seriously?"

"Perhaps I consider it as a form of punishment?" Naruto responded without knowing what Marco meant, shaking his head as he put his hat back on, "It's not like I deserve anymore better, unlike many others who deserve better than me."

"That you are wrong, boy."

When Naruto and Marco turned around, they saw that Inazuma, the Revolutionary who enjoyed a glass of wine, had just joined the group. This was different from who they had anticipated.

"Before you ask, please follow me to the nearby woods." Inazuma said as he turned around and began to walk away, "Someone wants to meet you."

As the two blond men looked at each other, they followed the flashy revolutionary scissorsman.

…

Walking into the forest, Naruto and Marco followed Inazuma through it, reaching the center of an open field that was a good spot to meet someone, or to ambush…

"Okay, Inazuma, tell me why you brought me here."

"Like I said, to meet someone."

Then the two stopped, Naruto standing a bit closer to Inazuma as he observed the calm tinted-glass-wearing man, seeing no change of demeanor.

"And who is that someone?" Marco asked, trying to break the tension, "Because we could've just done this at the cemetery-"

"YEEEHA!"

Out of nowhere, Ivankov caught Marco by surprise, nearly preparing to use his devil fruit powers at the sight of the large-faced man. Just for Naruto to hold his hand out to prevent such action.

"Ivankov."

"Naruto, good to see you!" The purple-haired Okama leader said excited to see the blond, then noticing the arm, "Oh, wanted to shake your hand at first, oh well."

The appearance of the two fellow escapees from Impel Down made Naruto at ease, lowering his guard.

"I didn't expect to see you this soon."

"And I didn't expect you to have your boys to aim for me," Ivankov said pointing his finger, "Very rude, gentlemen!"

Not even an exaggeration as multiple men appeared from the woods, some aiming at the Revolutionaries while out of the trees appeared Tatewaki, landing behind Naruto and Marco.

"Don't feel offended, Ivankov, they're just taking precautions."

"Hmm, guess I cannot blame you, you poor boys lost a lot lately. We've been watching the funeral of Ace Boy from a distance," Ivankov said shaking his head, "My condolences, of course."

"It's okay, we understand that." Naruto accepted it but asked, "But what do you mean 'we?'"

"Oh men, Inazuma…and her."

Appearing from the shadowy forest in brown heel boots, a woman with a crimson newsboy cap with gold goggles, walked towards the group.

The first person to see her was Naruto who looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Koala…"

Looking at him for the first time in a long time, the young woman with visible tears in her eyes smiled as she saw him.

"Naruto…"

Ignoring everyone else, Naruto's body moved on its own. Despite his calm appearance, the large strides he took showed the unconscious feeling of excitement that flooded his body.

She was here… she was really here… After all this time without hearing a peep from her.

Mistaking his calm façade for apathy, the young lady began sputtering out apologies.

"Naruto, I'm sorry," her tears flowed freely, "I'm so sorry!"

The blond didn't react to her words and went on to walk towards her. Seeing this, she felt nervousness and fear take root. Was he mad? Angry? Furious with her?

Nevertheless, she continued "I know we haven't corresponded since Alabasta, and I left you my information…but when the war began, I could not reveal my allegiance to the Revolutionary Army," she explained with a mournful look.

Naruto never slowed down his stride. He was almost upon her, and she feared the worst.

"I… I heard about what happened in Konoha… I'm so sorry about your wife and child. I-I wanted to contact you but-" She was cut off as a strong arm pulled her into a firm, muscular chest.

She expected harsh reprimand, even violence from the man whom she'd unwittingly abandoned, and yet…

All she could feel was warmth.

Despite how strange it felt to be held by one arm alone, Naruto's head soon buried itself into her shoulder, as if to complete the embrace.

"I'm so glad to see you again Koala…" the soft words froze her in her tracks, "after all these years, it's good to see you again."

Any and all apprehension left her. Her tears of regret became tears of joy and relief as she felt a great weight leave her shoulders.

And thus, she obeyed her next impulse.

"I missed you too…" The blond had no chance to respond before he felt Koala's gloved hands on his cheeks.

Soon, he felt his lips meeting another's, as the two former comrades reunited properly after all their time apart.

Koala's arms encircled him, holding him tightly, as if afraid he would escape her and run, as she poured her feelings into the kiss. Her passion, loyalty, regrets, hopes, and love for the blond adventurer turned into a single physical gesture.

"Mommy?"

The moment of kissing was short-lived as Naruto's eyes widened even more in shock at the sound of a youngster calling for her mother.

Emerging from the forest, accompanied by another person who wore a tophat, a little girl came out holding the man's hand before she let go and stood there confused. She had brown hair like her mother in her younger days, but had blue eyes and wore some kid's shoes - but what surprised him was the light yellow dress she wore and the whisker-like birthmarks on her cheeks.

Those birthmarks…

"Who is this?" the blond asked softly, as his heart began thumping in his chest. Koala disengaged from their embrace and walked toward the new arrival.

With some coaxing from Koala, a young girl emerged from behind her hiding spot, and the more he took her features in, the louder Naruto's heart thumped.

'Why does she look like…' his eyes roamed over her short brown hair, the same shade as Koala's, and her small button nose, only to stop at the familiar pair of whisker marks on her cheeks.

"...Me?" The man verbalized the last word, unaware he did so, as he took steady, careful steps toward the young lady and the girl.

He didn't even notice the tall blond man holding the little girl's hand and wearing a top hat, who stood behind the pair.

His heart thundered in his chest to a painful degree.

"Naruto, I'd like to introduce you to Asuka," Koala began before he had the chance to speak. As she gently pushed the girl in his direction, the Uzumaki idly noticed that she wore a sundress the same shade as his favorite color.

Koala smiled at him and kissed the girl on the head.

"Asuka Tigress Uzumaki…your… I mean our daughter," the revolutionary fighter emphasized firmly while the stranger standing behind her smiled softly.

The world around Naruto ground to a halt. His ears filled with the sound of his own heartbeat as understanding of the situation dawned on him.

"My…daughter?" the words barely came out of his mouth, before Naruto felt his knees give out from under him as he dropped to eye level with the newly introduced Asuka.

His daughter. His flesh and blood!

"Mommy?" said the girl looking at the man and then at Koala in confusion.

The woman, understanding her child's question, once again gave her a small kiss on the head and then softly explained to her.

"Asuka baby… meet your father. You daddy," Koala said, her purple eyes glistening with unshed tears.

The little girl's eyes shot to her father's, widening just as his own did as she mirrored his shock.

"D-daddy?" the girl's lip quivered as she asked the question.

Naruto felt his heart drop at the fear in her voice.

"Daddy?" she once again asked and this time, the blond pirate hesitantly nodded. Not trusting his voice, he opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.

Tears formed in Asuka's eyes as she got her confirmation.

Like a brown flash, the girl crossed the distance between them in a couple of steps and leaped into the man's waiting arms.

"DADDY!" the girl blubbered into the man's chest, wiping tears and snot into his shirt.

Naruto didn't care though, his face was just as messy as he held onto his newly discovered family.

A crying Koala looked at the silent blond man, and as he nodded to her encouragingly the young woman ran towards the father and daughter and jumped into the embrace.

Soon, sadness turned to joy, and the coastline echoed with the laughter of a reunited family.

Flashback ends

…

*Bang!*

A gunshot was heard from the other side of the town, causing Naruto and Robin both to turn to the cause, with them suddenly feeling a surge of power that the two could recognize…

'It's Luffy.'

'Yes, he's causing some trouble, that brat. But no need to worry he just happened to run into some idiots.'

'Marines?'

'No, his cosplayer to be exact. Knocked the idiot down easy.'

"...Hmm, I think we better split up for now," Naruto said turning to Robin, "You planning to go directly to your ship?"

"I was planning to, but I found this poster," Robin said as she pulled one out from her jacket - more precisely from between her breasts for Naruto to see, swearing he saw a smirk on her.

'She's testing you.'

'Mind your own business.'

'Oh please, I've seen you fall for this trick dozens of times. And you will fall for it more and more.'

Unfolding the poster, Robin handed it over to Naruto who then read what it was - a concert of a skeleton that looked eerily familiar to him until it clicked.

"Soul King Brooks…Yeah, I've met him once."

"Oh? From where?" Robin asked, curious, "How do you know him?"

"I just happened to meet him once on his world tour, likable guy." Naruto said as he put the poster away and nodded, "I'll keep my eyes out for him so you can go to your friends. Maybe anybody else I should keep an eye out for?"

"Oh, there is one, he's our ship's doctor but quite young." Robin smiled, "His name is Tony Tony Chopper, a reindeer who can talk and loves sweets."

"A talking candy-loving reindeer, sure." Naruto said to her, "I'll keep my eye out for him-"

*Kiss!*

Naruto didn't get to finish the kiss sentence when he suddenly got pecked on the cheek by Robin, who then turned around and began to walk the other way with a smile she gave.

"Thank you, and that was for being a good gentleman," Robin said waving off as she departed, with a little sway in her hips she showed through her long skirt hugging her and signaling him more indirectly.

With the smile that appeared on his face when he saw that, Naruto turned around and walked off to find that reindeer for his friend. He was starting in the center of this town.

"These women are going to be the death of me."

Radiator here!

While walking through the streets of Grove 47, Naruto had already encountered three Straw Hats in less than an hour, one indirectly. He was on his way to find another Straw Hat who, according to Robin's description, should stand out. He continued walking until he had to stop, spotting a crowd ahead watching something.

A fight had broken out between some pirate crews, brawling for some obscure reason. The public sounded worried, repeating the same complaints Naruto had heard for the past couple of years.

"I thought the pirates would settle down after Whitebeard died…"

"It's the opposite! They're coming from everywhere, and the whole island has become lawless!"

"Hey, you! Stop them!"

Naruto noticed a couple of wealthy-looking people pointing at a man in a uniform, a khaki one that looked very familiar beneath the worn brown coat he wore over it, with black boots and brown pants. The overall attire had seen better days, and the person wearing it was supporting himself on crutches. The young man had a short beard and smoked a cigarette while watching the chaotic scene, his hood pulled over his head.

"Hmm?" The man said, turning to the rich folks. "What?"

"You heard us, do something!"

The young man shrugged at the panicking folks demanding he take action. He dropped his cigarette, crushed it under his foot, and began to walk away.

"Fight your battles; I've fought mine years ago."

"Hey! You ungrateful brat!" The rich man yelled at him, scoffing under his breath. "I feel sorry for your family—"

*BANG!*

A shot rang out, striking the leg of the badmouthing noble and causing him to collapse to the ground, crying in pain. The wound was clean, a neat hole through his leg. The young man was holding a pistol, having just fired the shot.

"You better watch your mouth, old man... I'm in no mood."

With that simple warning, the young man walked off, leaving the scene even more chaotic.

Naruto was about to pursue him when—

"Hey, look, there!"

Four more figures appeared, causing the local populace to scatter. More fake Straw Hats had arrived.

One was dressed in a white shirt, wielding three swords, obese with green hair. Another was a slim man in a black suit with a blue shirt, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, looking bleak. There was also a small, tanned woman in a purple dress with a squarish face, holding a leash connected to a light brown fox with black-furred legs, wearing a purple hat. These were the fake Zoro, Sanji, Robin, and the mistaken pet Chopper.

'Isn't that a man?'

'Hmm?'

'The person who fakes Robin - is that a man?'

'...Why?'

'This bothers me…deeply!'

"Hey, what's that man doing?"

It just so happened that the unknown man who had shot the noble started walking down the same path the fake Straw Hats were coming in, causing a little scene between the two parties.

"Hey, what's that guy doing?" one of the pirates said, raising his sword. "Is he going to fight them?"

"One man against all those Straw Hats? He must be suicidal."

The man with the crutches walked directly in front of the fake Straw Hats, with the fake Zoro and Sanji looking irritated as they reached for their weapons.

"Out of the way, you're messing with the—"

*KICK!*

*KICK!*

Using the crutches, the unidentified man knocked out the fake Sanji and fake Zoro with quick hits to their heads, dispatching them with ease. He then looked straight at the fake Robin and issued a stern warning.

"Get out of my sight with these fakes."

Taking the message to heart, the woman grabbed both fakes and ran off in the blink of an eye, with the fake Chopper fox growling at the man.

"Down, boy!"

The fox, all bark and no bite, fled as well, leaving the man with crutches to walk off, leaving more people in shock.

"H-He just scared them off?!"

"Who is that guy?"

At this point, Naruto began going after the man to see who he was. Unbeknownst to him, a small creature with antlers poking out from under a blue cap was following him, pulling on his pants with one hand.

"Those were fakes?!" Chopper shouted in surprise. "WHAT?"

"Chopper!" Naruto exclaimed.

About to walk into one of the many alleyways, the man on crutches stopped and sat on a crate, groaning in pain that emanated from his back. He clenched his fists and began cursing.

"Damn it…" he gasped in pain. "It won't go away…"

"You're not getting away from me either."

Hearing the voice, the man turned around and spotted someone—Naruto—whom he then greeted.

"Good to see you, Luca."

Luca Vincenzo Cocchiola, a former Foreign Legion Lieutenant and the previous commander of one of its finest units, stood up straight and clicked his boots together, saluting his commander.

"Captain."

Naruto approached the man, smiling, before saluting him back and then offering his hand.

"Good to see you still breathing."

…

Somewhere else, Foster and Reiser were making their way in the opposite direction to where they initially planned to go, moving through Grove 46 with some equipment they were dragging with them.

"Cannot believe that kid decided to go there," Foster said, carrying ammo bundles and a metal tripod, irritated at the situation. "And that disguise—who decided to give him a fake mustache and glasses?"

Carrying the machine gun wrapped in a cloth, Reiser joked, "It worked. Those fakes fell for it."

"And now we are heading to a meeting where hundreds of pirates are going to be, with a possible assault by Marines," Foster said, shaking his head. "And we've got no contact with the captain. We're going in blind."

"Not like it's the worst-case scenario," Reiser mentioned. "Remember Wave?"

"You mean the first time we met? Yeah, how could I forget? Your officers were brutes."

The two men then reached the top of a hill, overlooking a large area that was supposed to be the meeting point for the Fake Straw Hats. Seeing it was still early, they placed themselves near a few bushes and began preparing their position.

Setting up the tripod and lowering it, Foster placed the ammo belts next for Reiser to put the Vickers MG on it.

"I know, that was before I joined the Legion," Reiser said, opening the MG and placing an ammo belt inside its chamber. "Are we good here?"

"We're a good distance away; they won't see us here," Foster said as he took out his binoculars to check the area. "As long as we keep ourselves down…"

The hidden MG nest now lay in the furthest corner of the valley, preparing for the big confrontation when the first people arrived for the recruitment drive that was going to take place soon.

Very soon.

That's it for today, have a nice evening and till next time.