Yo, this is a new story i've written. The idea has been running through my head for a while, so i decided to give it a go. It starts during Mass Effect 1. Almost every Mass Effect/Naruto story starts during Mass Effect 2. I don't get it. Oh well. Hope you enjoy.
P.S. The viewpoint will be switching between Naruto and Shepard.
Jane Shepard was getting annoyed with her team. She finally snapped, "Okay, I get it. I don't want to be here either, but the council gave me an order. With no current leads on Saren, I don't have a choice on whether to do this or not. So will you please stop complaining and just help me do this so we can go back to searching for Saren." The shuttle they were using went quiet following her outburst. Liara immediately started to look contrite, but Garrus turned his head away. Shepard could practically feel his frustration about to boil over into full blown anger. Shepard sighed before continuing, "Look, I'm sorry. I get what you guys are saying. I want to go after Saren as much as you, but, as a Spectre, I have to listen to the Council. Let's just check this planet out as quickly as possible, and get back to chasing Saren."
Garrus sighed before nodding and muttering, "Okay, commander. I'm just frustrated that even a Spectre seems unable to do anything without having the council hamper it."
Shepard nodded before muttering, "I know. I feel the same way."
Shepard put leaned against the wall as she felt her ship shake slightly as they approached the atmosphere of the unknown garden world that she was tasked with exploring. The council had sent the message two days ago. An Asari probe being sent to unexplored star systems had found a perfect garden world in a star system which was being referred to as the 'Shinno System.' Unfortunately, the probe scans revealed extensive life forms. With the chance of advanced life forms being so high, Shepard had been directed to explore the planet. Depending on what she found, the future of the planet could be determined. If no intelligent life was found, the planet would immediately be included on a list of colonization prospects. If life was found, well…that would get complicated.
As if in response to her thoughts, the ship suddenly jumped and everything turned off. With the mass effect field and boosters off, they immediately started a free fall. Shepard clutched the seat for a handhold and barely heard Liara exclaim, "The ship hit an electromagnetic field. Trying to reboot the systems. Main engines not responding. Engaging emergency systems. Prepare for impact."
Shepard said the only thing a normal person could say, "Fuck!"
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Naruto felt calm. The nature chakra was flowing through his body in a comforting flow, combining with his normal chakra to enhance his body. He knew that his eyes would currently be colored to indicate his Sage Mode. Yet the calmness superseded himself. Nature was around him. Everything was functioning in complete order. It was so completely relaxing to feel at one with nature, where everything performed a purpose.
His calmness was ruined though when he felt an ominous feeling of impending doom settle in his stomach. Naruto opened his eyes and looked around to check for danger, despite being able to sense everything for miles around. He quickly confirmed that there was nothing around to threaten him, but the feeling only intensified in his stomach. Naruto slowly rose out of the meditating position he had been in before, and prepared to confront any threat to appear. He remained perfectly still, every muscle tensed to react for several seconds as the feeling continued to grow.
He sensed it right on the edge of his sensing ability. His head snapped up and looked upon a giant projectile heading towards him at an insane speed. His complete astonishment froze him for just a moment, but it was enough for the speeding asteroid to close the distance. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw the metal meteor about to hit him. Even he couldn't dodge it at such a close range. That was the last thing he thought before he was hit.
The massive asteroid ripped a large furrow through the forest as it slowly came to a stop. It left a smoking trail of torn earth and trees in its path. It came to a stop after almost a hundred meters. Once it stopped, complete silence reigned.
It lasted almost three minutes before the door to the shuttle opened. The door slid open to reveal a trio. The one in the center was clutching her head as she exclaimed, "God damn that hurt. That's why I wanted to take the Mako. It handles the impact far better."
Another one of them, a beautiful blue woman immediately replied, "The Mako wouldn't have handled it any better. The only reason we even survived was because the emergency systems managed to slow our descent at the last second."
The first woman replied in an annoyed manner, "Well, we're still banged up. I think several of my ribs are broken. We're going to have to message Joker to come pick us up once the connection clears up. Until then, lets get the first aid an-what the!"
She was cut off after the remains of their shuttle started to shake. The three tipped back into the shuttle right before the shaking turned into something more serious. The shuttle flew into the air to reveal a dirt covered Naruto. His clothes were completely shredded, revealing his skin which had turned dark brown. His eyes had the typical bar pupil which signified his Sage Mode, and the entire eyes, iris and the usual whites of his eyes had turned red with the usual tomoe filled rings of when he accessed the chakra of the Ten-Tails.
As the shuttle crashed back into the earth well over twenty feet away from Naruto, he pointed at it and yelled, "What the hell was that? I almost died!" Which was true. It was only due to him instinctively acting that he had survived. He had used Kakazu's technique of Earth Grudge Spear to harden his skin to that of stone or metal, and he had harnessed the power of the Ten-Tails that the Tailed Beasts had bestowed upon him years ago. That atop his already active Sage Mode had basically made Naruto as indestructible as they come, and it had barely been enough. Apparently several tons of metal crashing into you at several hundred miles an hour was dangerous. Who knew?
Naruto stopped fuming and raised his head as he sensed life within the metal. Almost at the same point, he heard a groan coming from it. He hesitated for only a moment before leaping into the opening of the asteroid/ship. He peaked in and saw an unconscious trio laying on the floor, no doubt losing consciousness when he threw it.
Naruto immediately acted to help them. He released his Tailed Beast chakra and the earth technique before creating several clones. The clones jumped in and grabbed the three people and carried them outside. The clones laid them on the ground nearby before going into the forest to get wood for a fire. The original Naruto took the opportunity to examine the three people who had ridden in the thing that almost killed him.
He'll start by describing the normal one first. It was a woman. She looked to be several years older than him. She had red hair that barely reached her eyes in the front, but was about shoulder length in the back. She was wearing a black and red armor suit with N7 on the front.
The next one was a little harder to describe. It was another woman, he thought. The problem was that she was blue though, and instead of hair, had weird tentacle. The white and pink suit she was wearing clearly showed she had breasts. So he categorized her as a woman.
The third one was possibly weirdest of all. It's face was a weird lizard-bird hybrid. A carapace covered the front, and it had mandible things around its mouth. Other than that, its waist was thinner than any human's could, and it only had three fingers per hands. One thumb and two fingers, all of which had claws on the end. This one was wearing a black and blue armor.
Naruto noticed that all three were injured. The lizard thing looked to have a wound in its side, and a quick scan showed that the human had several broken ribs. Although the blue woman was too confusing to be precise, she also looked to have several injuries. Naruto scratched his head as he prepared to start working on them. He was interrupted though when the human looking woman's arm was covered in a orange apparatus. A voice started speaking. Naruto couldn't understand what was being said, but he distinctively heard 'Shepard.'
Naruto slowly approached and lifted up the woman's arm so that Naruto's mouth was by the orange tool. Figuring it was like a radio, Naruto spoke into it, "Hello, is anyone there? Can you understand me?"
The tool started beeping for several seconds before suddenly Naruto could understand the voice on the other end, "Commander, come in. Shepard, please answer. Our scans show your ship crashed. Please report condition. Shepard, come in."
Naruto spoke again, "Hello. I think your 'Shepard' is unconscious right now. Her life doesn't seem to be in danger though."
The link went silent for several moments before the same voice spoke with surprise clear in his voice, "Who is this?"
Naruto scratched his head as he answered, "I'm Naruto."
The voice continued to speak in astonishment, "Are you a native? The Omni-tool records show that your language hasn't been recorded before."
Naruto scratched his head again before saying, "I think so. Your metal ship thing hit me, and when I checked it out, I found the three passengers unconscious."
The voice immediately repeated incredulously, "The ship hit you! Never mind. I'm not sure what to say to a newly discovered intelligent species…I'm Joker, pilot of the SSV Normandy…What's up?"
Naruto sweat dropped as he replied, "I was almost killed by a hunk of metal falling from the sky. What do you think?" When Joker gave an uneasy laugh, Naruto continued, "Listen. I have no idea what's going on. You clearly have no idea how to explain it to me. I'll take care of whatever these people are. Hopefully they can tell me what the hell is going on? Bye." Naruto dropped the unconscious woman's arm and prepared to start taking care of them.
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Jane Shepard tossed her head as she felt the pain of her ribs greet her as she gained consciousness, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it should be. A dull ache where it should be agony. Finally remembering what had happened before she fell unconscious, she sat up quickly and pulled out a handgun. She pointed it in front of her as she tried to get her bearings. Her eyes moved through the trees surrounding her as she looked for any threats. Seeing none, she examined her surroundings closer. She had been laid on a blanket surrounding a fire. Garrus and Liara were on either side of her, still unconscious.
Realizing her situation, she immediately used her Omni-Tool to contact Joker. She reported, "Normandy, this is Shepard. Repeat. Normandy, this is Commander Shepard. Shuttle crashed, and team unconscious. Evidence indicate natives found us. Request immediately evacuation and support."
The response only took a second to arrive. Shepard had never been so glad to hear Joker's voice. "Commander. Good to hear from you. You've been unconscious for half a day. Unfortunately, evacuation will have to wait."
Shepard immediately questioned, "Why?"
"The electromagnetic field around the planet which caused your shuttle to crash. It's weird, captain. Initial scans didn't pick it up, but it is strong enough to do the same to any ship we send down there. We're trying to reprogram the Mako to take it, but it might take up to a week, commander."
Shepard responded as her eyes continued to scan the surroundings for any life, "That is unacceptable. Something found us here. Liara and Garrus are out, and the natives might return any second."
Joker paused before explaining nervously, "I don't think that's a problem, commander. When you were out, I was trying to contact you. One of the natives picked up."
Shepard's eyes widened as she questioned, "What? What did it say?"
"Nothing much, commander. He said his name is Naruto, well I think it's a he. Anyways, he said he was going to take care of you guys while you were out. I think he's friendly. I already sent a message to the council about it," Joker claimed.
Shepard prepared to respond, but was cut off when a voice behind her announced, "Relax. I'm not going to eat you. If I wanted you dead, you would be."
Shepard spun around and pointed her gun towards the voice. Her eyes widened as she looked at the person. He looked human. Well, there were some differences, but she could easily believe the person was human. His hair was a bright blond, and while it was spiky, the back was tied into a ponytail that reached about to the top of the man's bottom. The bangs partially covered his ambidextrous eyes. The right was a deep cerulean blue, and the left was a violet color. He also had weird markings on his cheeks, like whiskers. Otherwise, he seemed completely normal. He was about six feet tall with the figure of an athlete. He was dressed in a bluish-gray long sleeve shirt with red swirls on both shoulders. His pants were the same color, but had multiple pockets. His shoes looked to be black sandals. He also wore gray fingerless gloves. In his hand, he had a line of fish.
The person's eyes narrowed, and then moved. Shepard wasn't really sure what happened, but the next thing she knew, she was on the ground. She blinked several times only to see the person standing over her, her gun in his hands.
He examined it for a moment before stating, "While I'm not sure what this thing is, your bearing seems to indicate that it is a weapon of some sort. As I already stated, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead. So I don't want you pointing a weapon at me."
Then to her shock, he tossed the gun back to her. As she grabbed it, she saw him watching her. She hesitated a moment before putting it away. She didn't want to make him her enemy. That she could tell.
The man nodded before walking to the other end of the fire. He sat down and calmly started to skin the fish. Shepard waited a minute before she opened her mouth to ask something. Before she could though, the person spoke, "Not right now. I healed the three of you the best I could. You're awake first because I haven't ever seen whatever those things are, so I couldn't risk messing with their wounds too much. They should be awake soon though. I'd rather we wait till they're awake to start asking each other questions." Despite the questions running through her minds, she nodded.
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The other two of them started stirring right as the fish was about to finish. The woman quickly started tending to them, thankfully breaking her unrelenting stare she had fixed him with. The blue woman seemed confused, but quickly calmed down. The other thing not so much. He also pulled out a gun and cast many suspicious looks in Naruto's directions as the woman spoke to it.
Naruto forced himself to stay calm though. He continued to cook the fish till it was ready. He then handed them to the three. The two woman scanned it with the orange tools on their arms before slowly starting to eat, trying to hide their discomfort with eating with their hands. The other thing just put it on the ground after scanning it and pulled out a package of stuff, which it proceeded to eat. Naruto held in his curiosity as he ate his own fish. Once he finished and saw that the two woman seemed to have stopped eating after a few bites, he prepared to speak.
Finally he asked, "Since you are all awake now, let's talk." Naruto held up a hand to stop the first woman from speaking, Naruto continued, "I believe I have a right to get answers first since I cared for you after your ship thing almost killed me. So, who the hell are you, and what are those two?"
The first woman thought for a moment before answering slowly, "I am Commander Jane Shepard." She pointed to the blue woman and continued, "This is Liara T'Soni." The other thing, "And this is Garrus Vakarian."
She waited a moment before continuing, "We are part of a Galactic civilization. A society of multiple sentient races who have achieved space flight. This includes the Asari," pointing at Liara, "the Turians," pointed at Garrus, "And Humans." She pointed to herself. She continued, "There are many others, but it is difficult to describe them all. Basically, an Asari probe found this planet. I was sent with my ship to scout it out."
Naruto nodded as he thought. A galactic civilization. It was a lot to take in. He finally asked, "And what happens now that you know this planet is occupied?"
Shepard responded immediately, "That would depend on the level of this species' technology, but you will probably be brought into the galactic community."
Naruto nodded once again. He thought for a moment before asking, "I don't suppose that you can just leave and pretend this planet doesn't exist, huh?"
The three were in shock for several moments before the woman asked in a completely shocked tone, "What?"
Naruto just raised an eyebrow at them before explaining, "You know what I mean. Is it possible that this planet can stay out of your galactic community?"
The woman once again seemed too shocked to come up with an intelligent response, so only asked, "Why?"
Naruto just gave a heavy sigh before fixing them with a stare and explaining, "This planet has been embroiled in wars for as long as anyone can remember. Just three years ago, everyone came together, forgetting their hatred and differences, to confront a threat that threatened the freedom of every living thing on this planet. We prevailed. We have achieved a true peace, but it is a fragile peace that could still crumble after this generation. The revelation of a galactic community and our subsequent immersion in it could spell disaster for the peace everyone has sacrificed to achieve."
The human and Turian just looked confused, but the Asari looked interested. The human responded, "I'm sorry, but Joker told me that he already sent a report to the council informing them of intelligent life on this planet. Anything we find out would just add to the report. They would still send several other ambassadors here, regardless of what more I sent."
Naruto sighed and leaned back to look at the slowly darkening sky. This could put everything at jeopardy. Oh well, it was too late to try and prevent it. Naruto looked at the trio again before motioning, "Okay, I've got a lot to think about. Please ask any questions you want to before night falls. Although I treated your wounds to the best of my ability, a good night sleep is still a good idea."
The three nodded, and with the apparent invitation, Liara immediately questioned, "What form of government does this planet use, and how did it come about?"
Naruto nodded before answering, "Officially, the land is split into multiple nations which are all headed by a civilian daimyo. In reality though, ninja's rule."
The Turian quickly asked, "Ninja's. Like the dudes wearing black and performing assassinations."
Naruto shrugged before clarifying, "Even though they're called ninja's, they don't usually fit that description. Basically they are warriors. We do quite a bit of sneaking and assassination, but most prefer to fight face to face."
Shepard was the one who questioned, "You just said 'we.' So are you a ninjas."
Naruto just nodded and said, "Yes, I am. Anyways, ninja's truly rule the land. Ninja's are part of Ninja villages. Although there are many spread throughout the land, five villages, called the Five Great Shinobi Villages, hold the most ninjas and power. Each of these villages is headed by a powerful ninja, called a 'kage.' Each village is located in a nation, and in return for funding from the daimyo, agrees to protect the country and follow any direct orders of the daimyo."
Liara quickly asked, "So why do you say that ninjas really rule if they follow the orders of the daimyos?"
Naruto nodded in understanding before elaborating, "That was the original agreement. That agreement was made about a century ago when ninjas were separated into warring clans. After the establishment of the ninja villages, much of the violence between ninjas lessened. Ninjas quickly grew in power, while samurais, the soldiers of the daimyos, weakened in power. Eventually ninjas were the only real armies of nations. The only way the daimyos controlled the ninjas was due to the funding they provided, but even that lessened as ninja villages started performing services for those willing to pay. It was only due to the intense conflict between the villages that daimyos even had a measure of control. The ninja villages stayed militarized even in peacetime, and lead sabotage and espionage missions against the other villages. They needed the money of the daimyo, but the daimyos didn't really have much power over the ninja villages anymore. In essence, they became figureheads, and that was about ten years ago."
Naruto looked at the three of them to make sure they understood before continuing, "So even ten years ago the daimyos had basically no real power. Then came the war three years ago. To cut things short, all the ninja villages united and managed to defeat a man who wanted to enslave the entire world. We succeeded in that, and the bonds we made during the war have persisted. Relative peace has followed, along with a demilitarization of all the villages. Without the threat of each other, each of the ninja villages have lost any real need for the funding of the daimyos."
Shepard was the one who now asked a question, "You said someone wanted to enslave the entire planet. How would he do this? You didn't even recognize my gun earlier. I really doubt you have any weapon which could be capable of taking over an entire planet?"
Garrus replied in a surprised tone, "They haven't even developed guns yet. This must be a really primitive civilization." Liara seemed slightly disappointed at that.
Naruto developed a tick mark on his forehead after hearing that. He looked at Shepard and commented, "So that was a weapon earlier. Well there is actually a perfectly reasonable explanation on why we wouldn't have developed something like that. Our warfare isn't based around technology. If any village had tried to develop weapons like that, the other villages would have done everything in their power to stop it. What technology I've seen is rather spaced out and exclusive. Spring Country has trains, heat generators, and several other things. Sky Country developed flying machines. The only widespread form of technology I've seen though is medical. There are complex processes we are capable of. The most complex I've seen would be gene manipulation, genetic recording, and vaccine creation."
Liara quickly started muttering to yourself, "Amazing. Limited combat oriented technology. Industrial age transportation, but highly advanced medical sophistication. For an apparently warlike situation, that is unheard of. I'd expect the complete opposite based on similar cultures like the Krogan or Turians."
As Liara continued to mutter to herself, Garrus asked, "You said that warfare isn't based on technology. So what is it based on? Considering your other technology, I seriously doubt you use bronze weapons or anything?"
Naruto hesitated here. Using his Sage Mode, he had been able to sense that these aliens were entirely absent of chakra. They even lacked the sealed chakra system that civilians did. However, he did sense that Shepard and Liara had a different form of energy that seemed to be generated from certain nodules within the body. It was rough and uncoordinated though, with the Asari having better control. Just from that Naruto could tell that it was far inferior to chakra. If he had judged their intentions wrongly, and their galactic civilization was intending to attack, explaining what chakra was could have far reaching consequences. Oh well, he seriously doubted he had judged them wrong. Between his telepathy abilities from the Ten-Tails, and his own gut, he was about as sure as anyone could be.
Naruto held out his hand and created a weak Rasengan, which glowed in the encroaching darkness of night. As the three looked at it in awe, Naruto explained, "Ninjas and samurais harness an energy called chakra. Chakra is the combination of physical energy, taken from every cell in the body, and spiritual energy, taken from one's mind which is strengthened through experience and meditation. Using chakra, we can perform many supernatural feats, from super strength to walking on water."
The two women immediately started scanning the Rasengan with those orange tools while the Turian scoffed and exclaimed sarcastically, "Are you joking? You really expect us to believe you can walk on water. That just looks like biotics."
Naruto just raised an eyebrow and claimed, "And a whole lot more than that."
Before Garrus could reply, Liara exclaimed, "Goddess. The readings are amazing. No Mass Effect field, no indication of Eezo, no spatial distortion. It even has mass. I've never seen anything like this, even in the Asari Archives."
Naruto shrugged before admitting, "While I have no idea what you just said, I'll even give a demonstration." Naruto stood and started walking towards a tree. Naruto mentally smirked as the group gawked as he walked up the side of the tree till he was hanging upside down from a branch. Now he felt what it was like showing this to a group of genin.
Chuckling to himself, Naruto jumped and flipped in the air to land on his feet. He then announced, "Okay, that's enough questions for now. You guys should get to sleep. Since your ship is destroyed, I assume you're here for a while. Considering you are basically representatives of the entire galactic civilization, I'll take you to Konoha. It's the nearest major Hidden Village. You can talk to the five kages there."
Shepard nodded before asking, "How long will it take to get there?"
Naruto thought for a moment before stating, "At civilian speed, about a week and a half."
Shepard blinked for a moment before exclaiming, "I'm sorry, but we don't have that much time. Is there anywhere closer?"
Naruto shrugged before claiming in a light hearted manner, "No, but I guess I can speed it up. You'll have to deal with the uncomfortable ride though. Just go to sleep."
She looked like she wanted to ask something, but eventually acceded. The trio started to uncomfortably settle onto the blankets he had given them. He watched them settle down. He made no move to settle himself down. Since gaining the power of the Ten-Tails, combined with his natural Uzumaki vitality, he hadn't had the need to sleep as often as before. He only needed to sleep maybe two or three hours every several days, and that was about the maximum amount he could sleep. Ninjas were trained to manage on little sleep, but performance gradually decreased. It took at least two weeks without sleep for Naruto to even feel it anymore. It was actually quite annoying. Oh well, Naruto settled himself down to prepare to watch over the sleeping trio.
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As the sun started peeking over the horizon, Shepard stirred. She sat up and looked around in slight confusion before remembering what had happened the previous evening. She sat up, and blinked when she didn't feel any pain from her ribs. She gently felt them, but there still wasn't any pain. She shook away her confusion and activated her Omni-Tool.
She quickly started constructing a report of all they had learned about the natives of this planet, and her immediate plans. She sent it to Joker, who would then send it to the Council. As soon as she deactivated her Omni-Tool, a voice spoke up, causing her to jump.
"You realize it's rude to report on someone when they are present, right?"
Shepard turned to look at Naruto. She jumped again when she saw how close he was. He was crouching within feet of her. She felt her face heat up at her reaction to him. She stood up stiffly, firmly ignoring his amused face. She then cleared her throat before asking him, "So when do you think we should set out?"
Naruto shrugged before nodding at the other two a before clarifying, "Whenever they wake up. I can get you to Konoha within several hours. You'll have a better meal there, and a proper medic to look at any remaining wounds you have. I've only picked up a few things here and there, so I'm hardly what you call an expert. The Turian especially. Since I didn't know his physiology, I just bandaged his wound."
Shepard nodded before she started looking around the area while she waited for Liara and Garrus to wake up. She paused and looked at one of the trees. It looked a lot like the pictures she had seen of trees on earth. Although it was hardly surprising. The atmosphere was similar enough for her to breath, the planet was of a similar size to earth, and had similar temperature. For all intents and purposes, this was basically a second earth. The only real difference preliminary scans had shown was high levels of an unknown radiation emitting from the planet. Although they had basically no information on this radiation, what they did have told them that it wasn't harmful. Maybe that was the reason for this species incredible powers. Although she was disturbed by the human appearance of Naruto. No matter how similar to earth, it was impossible that his species could just naturally be that human like.
She was interrupted from her thoughts when she saw that Liara and Garrus were stirring. She quickly explained the plan, and within moments the group was ready. Shepard turned to Naruto and asked, "So how can we get to this 'Konoha' so quickly? Do you have a vehicle nearby?"
Naruto just gave an amused smirk which made Shepard slightly annoyed before he replied, "Of a sort." Naruto ignored her confusion and proceeded to bite his thumb. He then made some weird signs with his hands and then slammed him down on the ground. Shepard practically had a heart attack when an explosion of smoke happened. She jumped back and tried to blow the smoke out of her face, but froze when she heard a loud voice.
"Yo, Bro. Been a long time since you summoned me. What do you need?"
Shepard's jaw dropped as the smoke cleared to show Naruto standing on top of a frog that must be at least twenty feet tall. It was orange with several purple markings. Not to mention it was also the one who spoke. Shepard watched as Naruto patted the frog's head and told it, "Yeah, sorry about that. Been a while since I needed any of the toads help. Anyways, you see those three?"
The apparent toad looked at Shepard now and leaned down to examine them closer. Finally it yelled, "While I'm fine with the two hot chicks, what is the other thing? Some experiment by Orochimaru to mix a lizard with a human or something?." Shepard and Liara had to hold in their chuckles at the look on Garrus' face.
Naruto just chuckled before declaring brazenly, "Nope. Their aliens. Their ship fell out of the sky yesterday and almost killed me?"
Somehow the toad managed to give a skeptical look to Naruto, who was perched on his head, before asking, "Aliens! Really? I thought that was just some fairy tail."
Naruto shrugged before replying, "I know, but they are aliens. The ship is just over that way a bit, although it's basically just a hunk of metal now."
The toad went silent for a moment before suddenly exclaiming excitedly, "Sweet. Things have been so boring lately. It's just like you to find something like this to make things more interesting. I can't believe you even went for three years without getting into some sort of trouble."
Naruto just chuckled before explaining, "Well they need to get to one of the hidden villages. Konoha is the closest, and they want to hurry. Think you can give them a ride. I'll run along side you."
Gamakichi nodded before claiming, "Sure, I could use some exercise, but it will be an uncomfortable ride if they can't use chakra to keep from flying off."
Naruto gave an evil smirk before saying, "Don't worry. That's their problem."
Four hours later, when Gamakichi stopped his hopping, Shepard slipped off his back to land on the ground heavily. She didn't care at all about appearances or the fact that she was an elite agent. All she cared about was having solid ground under her. She distinctly heard Garrus and Liara fall down next to him.
Then she heard an infuriating sound. The amused laugh of Naruto, who then spoke, "Well you guys are the ones that needed to hurry. Don't tell me a little rough travel is too much for you."
Garrus quickly groaned, "Great. He's sadistic."
His response was another laugh before Naruto claimed, "I'm not sadistic. I have just developed an enjoyment of watching people be in a certain amount of pain."
Liara was the one who replied in a groan, "That is the meaning of sadism."
Naruto gave yet another laugh before he exclaimed, "I know, but considering how I used to act, I doubt anyone else could believe I have a sadistic bone in my body. So keep it a secret."
Before they could reply, Shepard saw several …clones of Naruto pop into existence. When she was frozen, the three clones all walked up to each of them on the floor and put glowing green hands over their bodies. Shepard let out half a moan before she clamped her mouth shut with her face heating up again. She couldn't believe she just moaned out loud, but one could hardly blame her. Whatever he was doing, it felt good. All the pain left to leave a pleasurable tingling sensation. She heard Liara give a short moan also, but Garrus actually started grumbled about it feeling weird.
The Naruto clone disappeared, and with it the pleasant sensation. With it gone, Shepard felt all the bruises that had developed and the motion sickness disappear. She stood up slowly before looking at Naruto in confusion before asking, "Okay, what was that?"
Naruto just waved a hand and replied briefly, "A healing jutsu. It's nothing." Shepard was about to demand more of an explanation, but stopped when she saw the thinking expression on Naruto's face. She asked, "What's wrong?"
Naruto replied without any consideration, "The jutsu made you and Liara aroused." Shepard and Liara immediately blushed before both denied it immediately. Naruto didn't seem to hear them. He just closed his eyes and took a thinking pose. Finally the two of them quieted down. Naruto immediately opened his eyes and fixed them with a stare so intense both of them couldn't interrupt him as he spoke, "You were, but it isn't something to be ashamed about. It seems to be an unintended consequence of my chakra being injected into you. Every living thing on this planet has chakra to some degree. While a healing jutsu isn't painful to us, we are able to feel the intrusion into our chakra network. Although the pain leaving is nice, there is a distinctly uncomfortable feeling to it. Your bodies reacted differently. Since you don't have chakra, it…changed how the chakra reacted. It still performed its purpose, but only because I controlled it to do it. If I had faltered in my control though…well I can't guess what would happen. Just the residual effects made you feel enough pleasure to actually become aroused, I don't want to see what would happen if I injected unrefined chakra into you. Might cause your mind to break from pleasure or may even disintegrate your flesh it touches. Healing chakra specifically heals, regular chakra can just as easily destroy."
Shepard didn't quite understand all of what he meant considering she still didn't quite understand what chakra was, but she did manage to ask, "What does that mean?"
Naruto just looked at her before stating, "It means that it isn't a good idea for me to use anymore healing jutsu on you. In fact, I think only Tsunade-baachan should be able to. She might be able to explain what is happening. I'm not really a medic, so I'm just not suited for figuring this out."
Shepard decided to get away from the topic of him somehow arousing her by asking, "So are we near Konoha?"
Naruto nodded before claiming, "Not even half a mile away. I don't usually ride a toad into the village itself cause civilians get excited. It should only take us a minute to reach the gate. I already warned Tsunade that we will be arriving."
Shepard frowned before asking, "How? I didn't see you pull out a radio or anything."
Naruto lifted up his sleeve to show a tattoo on his right shoulder. It was a weird symbol she didn't understand. Naruto explained though, "This is called fuinjutsu. The art of sealing. This symbol is made up of dozens of small seals. I pumped chakra into it when you dropped of Gamakichi. The five 'kages' are the only ones with the same seal. Theirs will have burned when I activated mine. It is a message that I'll summon them in an hour for a meeting. They are also able to feel their relative distance from me. Tsunade-baachan will be able to tell were nearby. Now come on, let's get to the gate. It will be in view in a minute" He then rather firmly ignored Liara who tried to ask him more questions about this 'fuinjutsu.'
True to his word, the trees ended to show a huge gate moments later. Shepard was amazed by the sight of the gate. It must have stood at least a hundred feet tall, and was flanked by a stone wall of the same side. Naruto didn't stop walking, leaving them behind slightly. She walked slightly faster to catch up as she saw Naruto approaching the guards.
One of the guards immediately raised a hand in greeting before saying, "Naruto, good to see you again."
Naruto just smiled before exclaiming, "It's good to be back. Not a surprise though that you two are still on gate duty."
The guards laughed, but before they could reply, several figures appeared. Shepard jumped back as the people wearing masks appeared literally out of nowhere. Naruto didn't seem surprised though and waited till the lead figure announced, "Uzumaki. We are to welcome you to Konoha and express the wishes of the Hokage that you meet with her immediately."
Naruto nodded before answering, "Of course. Tell her I'll be there in ten minutes." The figures nodded before disappearing once again.
Shepard asked in shock, "Did you guys just see that?"
Garrus nodded and fiddled with his head gear before saying, "Yep, but I almost can't believe it. I slowed it down. It wasn't teleportation. They just moved at a speed our eyes couldn't detect or follow. Shepard…"
Shepard gulped before asking, "Yes?"
Garrus responded, "I think we don't even understand what sort of force we unleashed on the galaxy, and how much this might affect the future."
Shepard nodded and sighed as she admitted sadly, "I know."
Their discussion was interrupted by Naruto who yelled from twenty feet away, "Hey, come on." Naruto motioned for them to follow him.
Shepard waited till they were past the gate before asking, "Why did they know you? They talked as if you were friends."
Naruto turned to her before nodding, "Yeah, they know me. Kotetsu and Izumo. They're good guys. We know each other because Konoha was my village. I was born here, raised here, and fought for here."
It was Garrus who asked, "Why the past tense?"
Naruto shrugged before replying briefly, "Because Konoha isn't my village anymore."
The three quickly sensed this was a subject Naruto didn't want to elaborate on. The three turned their attention to their surroundings. Liara looked the most excited, but even Shepard and Garrus couldn't deny how interesting the 'village' was. The entire village seemed to be positioned in a huge crater. It also seemed to be a weird mix of technology and rustic features. The buildings were all well crafted, there were numerous streetlights, their were quite a few TV's in shop windows, and the clothing of the people walking around was remarkably modern looking. On the other hand, metal didn't seem to be widespread for buildings, they were using carts to move things instead of any vehicles, and most of the roads weren't paved. The people were also behaving curiously. You'd think Garrus and Liara would be drawing all sorts of looks, but most of the people saw them and just shrugged before continuing their business like normal.
The three were so captivated by the scenery that they ran into Naruto when they stopped. Naruto chuckled before pointing at a building and informing them, "This is the Hokage's residence. This is where she does most of her work."
The three looked at the building. It was right at the base of the giant mountain with faces carved into them. It was easily the biggest building they had seen yet in the village. It was at least seven or eight floors, slowing narrowing into a dome shaped roof. The building was painted red, with two characters on the side. One meant 'Fire,' and the other was the same symbol that Naruto had on his shoulder.
Liara quickly questioned, "What does that symbol mean? It can't just be coincidence that it matches the seal on your shoulder. Also, why did you say 'Hokage' just now. I thought the leaders were called 'kages?'"
Naruto nodded and answered as he lead them in, "The Hokage is the leader of Konoha. Each leader of the five major shinobi villages takes the name 'kage,' They are all different though, representing the unique characteristics of each village. Suna has the Kazekage. Kumo the Raikage. Kiri the Mizukage. And Iwa has the Tsuchikage."
Naruto lifted his sleeve to show the seal on his shoulder again. He then continued, "This is the kanji meaning 'shinobi'. It is also the symbol used by the Allied Shinobi Forces in the Fourth Shinobi World War. Each village has its own symbol, but the villages all agreed to keep the organization running in the name of peace and cooperation. Now each Shinobi wears two symbols, on of their home village, and this one. It shows their dedication to stopping anymore wars. "
Liara quickly spoke, "Amazing. Can we please know more about this war you keep speaking of?"
Naruto shrugged as he lead them up some stairs before claiming, "There really isn't a whole lot to tell you. Bad guy tries to take over world, we united to stop him, and a lot of people died in the fight. Otherwise though, we might be stronger than ever. We've had several years to recover, and all the villages didn't bring the younger shin obi into the war, so many of them have grown and filled the space of those lost. Our forces are all coordinating to take care of any threat with more efficiency as well. Trade has increased. Given a few more years, and we'll be on a whole different level of strength as before. The war itself was ugly and brutal though. Not much else to I can tell you."
Garrus spoke up now with purpose, "Really. I doubt that. I think you have a lot you could tell us about the war."
Naruto looked over with a rueful smirk as he commented, "So you picked up on it?"
Shepard was confused, but was saved from having to ask by Liara, who quickly asked in confusion, "What are you two talking about?"
Garrus tuned to them before he announced to them, "I think that Naruto here is more important than we have been led to believe. I've had a gut feeling about it since I woke up. He was too calm and sure of himself when he was dealing with us. This isn't a random civilian. This is someone who is used to leading and is in a position of power. I'm certain of it now after watching him. Firstly there is that seal. He can apparently contact the five 'kages' and summon them when he wishes, whatever that means. These are the leaders of the country. It's like someone being able to call the council into session whenever he wants. There were also people watching him with awe. I also heard several talking about him being 'THE Naruto.' He isn't just anybody." Liara and Shepard flushed slightly at not realizing it before looking at Naruto.
Naruto turned to them and gave a sheepish grin as he scratched the back of his head. He spoke up in an embarrassed voice, "Yeah, I was hoping to keep that secret for a while. I'm unique, you could say. The best thing you could call me is that I'm a war hero. Let's leave it at that for now. We need to speak to the Hokage now." He ended by gesturing to the door they had stopped by.
The three reluctantly agreed, to Naruto's clear relief. Shepard watched as Naruto opened the door without knocking. She then was left with a slack jaw as he yelled in the room, "Hey baachan. Couldn't wait to see your breasts again, so I decided to drop by for a visit." He was then interrupted when a paperweight collided with his face.
The three aliens were left to watch as they peered in the door to see a beautiful blonde woman, who must be this Tsunade, scream, "I'm going to kill Jiraiya in the afterlife. He infected you with the pervert disease."
They then turned as Naruto literally peeled the paperweight from his face, revealing a large red mark on his face, as he said as if he hadn't just been nailed in the face with a projectile, "While I can't say that Jiraiya isn't completely at free of fault, I've decided it is part of being a male. Jiraiya and me are just part of an extremely small group of awesome males who don't feel the need to lie and hide our nature of manliness. If anything, open perverts are better than everyone else who hides their nature, and tries to act like he isn't interested in the female body." Once he stopped speaking, Naruto had to duck to dodge another projectile.
Tsunade immediately yelled, "And stop defending it. You're too damn persuasive. I won't let you spread the idea that being a pervert is okay."
Naruto now calmly dodged more projectiles as he replied calmly, "It is okay though, and I dislike how you call me a pervert. I'm interested in the female form. That's all. Does me telling you that each of your breasts deserves to be one of the wonders of the world make me a pervert?"
Realizing that Naruto could dodge anything she threw, Tsunade leapt out of her seat to land a punch to the surprised Naruto's face. Shepard now thought she must be hallucinating when she saw Naruto fly through several walls. After the punch, Tsunade screamed, "Yes! That definitely makes you a pervert! Especially when you still call me baachan!"
Garrus spoke in a scared whisper, "Shepard, I don't think this was such a good idea."
Shepard could only nod, but couldn't speak before she heard a voice that once again left her frozen in shock, "Damn, baachan. I still can't believe I ever would have preferred that flick of yours over something else, but those punches really hurt." Despite his words, Naruto walked through the opening in the wall looking as if he hadn't just been used to create the hole. He cracked his neck, completely relaxed before he pointed to the trio and continued, "But we can't put on such an embarrassing show now, can we? We have guests."
Tsunade looked at the trio for the first time. While she was examining them, they got to look at her closely for the first time. Shepard had to admit that this Tsunade was a beautiful woman of unnatural quality. She was light skinned and had long blond hair which was tied into two ponytails in the back. Her eyes were a light amber color. She was wearing a green robe over a gray kimono styled blouse which left her sizable cleavage showing. Even Shepard had to blush slightly at the view. She then subconsciously crossed her arms over her own breasts. While certainly not small by normal standards, compared to this woman in front of her, they were. The cleavage the woman was flaunting just seemed to enhance this feature. She quickly accepted Naruto's interest in the woman, Shepard saw Liara ogling the woman's breasts in awe, and even Garrus looked to be sneaking peeks despite the females of his species not having mammary glands. What Shepard couldn't understand was why Naruto called the woman baachan. The woman looked to be at most thirty.
Tsunade seemed to calm down. She looked away from them down to the large amount of papers on her desk. She then told Naruto calmly, "I just knew that you were going to find some trouble, Naruto. Let's just wait for Kakashi to arrive before we head to the Kage Council Room."
Naruto nodded and turned his head. Shepard realized that there was actually another person in the room. It was a demure looking girl with brown hair and wearing a kimono. He smiled before announcing, "Nice to see you again, Shizune. I have to say once again. Motherhood has made you even more beautiful."
Shizune smiled. For some reason she remained completely immune to the compliment before she said, "Thank you, Naruto-kun. Kakashi-kun tells me the same thing everyday."
Naruto just chuckled before asking, "So where is little Sakumo-kun?"
Shizune quickly answered, "He's over at Kurenai's with little Asuma. He goes there whenever I come to work."
Naruto looked at Tsunade before asking, "When did you tell Kakashi-sensei to be here? I don't feel like waiting several hours."
Tsunade gained a tick mark on her head as she announced, "I sent him a special message telling him to be here, but he still always insists on coming at least a few minutes late. He should be arriving in…three…two…one."
Immediately a man leapt through the open window. He landed silently and said simply, "Yo." Shepard decided to ignore the fact that he had jumped through a window several stories off the ground, since it seemed this species seemed to perform impossible acts as if they were simple. Instead she looked at the man. He had whitish gray hair that seemed to naturally spike upwards. He also had a blue mask that only showed his eyes. One of which was covered by a headband. Otherwise he seemed to be wearing clothes similar to all the other ninjas Shepard had seen. He also was holding an orange book in his hand.
Naruto smiled as he said calmly, "Hey, Kakashi-sensei. Right on time."
Kakashi just tilted his head and scrunched his only visible eye in a way that gave Shepard the distinct impression he was smiling before commenting in an aloof tone, "Really? I guess I should have waited a few more minutes then. Can't have people actually expect me to arrive on time."
Tsunade now yelled angrily, "Damn it, Kakashi. You were suppose to be here today anyways. You've been designated the next Hokage for two years, but you've yet to do any work preparing you for it."
Kakashi waved his hand as he exclaimed in a teasing voice, "But why? I don't want to do paperwork all day."
"You think I do!"
Tsunade stopped speaking when the calm Shizune suddenly spoke up in a sweet voice that sent a shiver down even Shepard's spine, "Kakashi-kun. What did I tell you about reading that book in public?"
Kakashi didn't seem affected though. He just claimed in the same aloof tone, "Ah, but this isn't public. The agreement didn't say that I couldn't read it in the Hokage's office, now did it?"
Shizune just replied in that scary sweet voice, "But you can't read when there are official guests in the office."
Kakashi finally seemed to see the three. Once again, they all absorbed Liara and Gurrus' appearance without batting an eyelash. He just sighed and tucked the book away. He then turned to Naruto and commented, "I figured you'd find some sort of trouble, Naruto."
Naruto's expression showed his annoyance as he exclaimed, "Why does everyone keep saying that?"
Kakashi shrugged and looked at them and asked, "So what business is this about?"
Tsunade shook her head and stood as she explained, "Too much for just one kage. Naruto's going to summon the other kages. He's already activated the seal. We were just waiting for you to arrive."
Naruto then lead the entire group out of the room and down a hall. Shepard and Garrus kept their distance from the ninja, but Liara was closer. Shepard could see Liara resisting the urge to ask them questions, but she also saw Liara sneaking peeks at the busty Hokage. Apparently Tsunade did to, as she turned and told her, "While this isn't the first time another woman would eye my breasts, it is the first time a blue woman has."
Liara looked embarrassed. Asari couldn't blush like humans, but Liara would be if she could. Liara explained awkwardly, "My apologies. My species is mono-gendered. Although we resemble females, gender doesn't really matter to us. This concerns other species genders as well."
Tsunade eyes narrowed as she muttered, "Your species…Never mind. I'll wait for the meeting."
The group continued in silence. Naruto held open a door, allowing everyone else to enter ahead of him. Shepard looked at the large room as she entered. It was a very large room. The walls were painted white. The only real decoration was the seating. There was a table shaped like half of a circle. There were five chairs spaced around the outside of the table. The half circle was arrayed around the kanji which they now knew meant shinobi. Before each of the seats were kanji for each element of the villages.
Tsunade immediately sat down at the seat labeled with fire. Kakashi and Shizune stood behind her to each side. Naruto motioned for the three of them to stand back. Shepard then watched as Naruto bit his thumb, and went through the same hand motions he had when he had summoned the frog. She realized what he was doing just as he slammed his hands down on the floor. Smoke filled the room. Shepard also felt that suddenly the large room felt more crowded. She watched as the smoke cleared to show a crowd of people had appeared in the room. The people didn't seem to be confused. They all calmly walked to the seats, with others standing behind those seated like Kakashi and Shizune.
Shepard watched as Naruto approach her. Naruto turned and pointed to each person as he announced, "Here, I'll introduce you. The large man there is A, the Raikage. The two standing behind him are Mabui, his assistant, and Darui, one of his body guards."
Shepard scanned each one as he spoke of them. The Raikage was a huge black man. He looked to be as big as a body builder. His muscles were clear even with the loose clothing the man was wearing. He also had platinum blond hair, and some facial hair. Shepard also noticed that his left arm looked to be amputated. Darui looked slightly similar. He was also black, but Darui's hair was shaggier and pure white. He also had a larger nose, along with a lazy look about him. He was dressed in mainly black, with a white vest that had only one strap over his shoulder. He also had a sword so large that common sense told Shepard it was too heavy to be useful, but she realized common sense didn't apply to this race. Mabui was another woman who instantly made Shepard self conscious about her looks. While not as dark skinned as the other two, she was still rather tanned. She also had light grey hair that was almost white. It was pulled back into a bun, with only two bangs framing her face. She was wearing a green dress and pants, which left enough showing to reveal that Mabui had just as large of breasts as Tsunade.
Naruto pointed to a different group. He continued, "That is Mei Terumi. She is the Mizukage. The short timid kid next to him is Chojuro. Don't let his appearance fool you. He can get scary in battle. The stern man is Ao. He's sort of a buzz kill."
Just seeing Mei got Shepard annoyed. How many woman of this species looked like freaking gorgeous models? This woman just seemed to release an aura of sensuality. She had long auburn colored hair which fell down her back. It also covered one of her eyes. She was wearing a blue dress with mesh under it. Once again, she also had large breasts, and the slit on the side of the dress showed her long legs. Chojuro was a short timid looking kid with pale blue hair and dark rimmed glasses. He also had a large wrapped bundle on his back. Ao was a middle aged man with his blue hair done up to look like a fin or Mohawk. He also had an eye patch over one eye. He wore a long blue robe and had his ears pierced.
Naruto continued and pointed to a new group, "That is Gaara. He's the Kazekage. Don't mind his stoic look. He's a really nice guy. The other two are his siblings. Temari and Kankuro."
Gaara was a pale kid with hair the color of blood and dark rings around his eyes. He also had a gourd on his back that Shepard couldn't imagine anyone being able to lug around everywhere. He was wearing a mix of red and bluish grey. He also had a kanji carved into his forehead and no eyebrows. His eyes were an unsettling green color. The girl, who she assumed must be Temari, while pretty, didn't make Shepard as self-conscious. She had blond hair which was done up into four ponytails. Her eyes were a darker green then her brother. She was wearing a black and red obi, and had a large metal thing positioned on her back. Shepard was starting to think that it was a fashion here to carry some heavy object on one's back. The other one was slightly more weird. He had a black body suit with a hood. He also had purple face paint on, and guess what, a large wrapped bundle on his back. She saw that he had brown hair under the hood as well.
Naruto pointed to the last group and finished, "The girl is Kurotsuchi, the Tsuchikage. The older one beside her is her father, Kitsuchi. The other one is Akatsuchi."
Kurotsuchi, Shepard immediately noticed, might be the most average looking of all the girls she's seen so far. She wasn't ugly. In fact, she was rather attractive, but she seemed to be a tomboy. Not the cared for beauty of Mei or Mabui. Kurotsuchi had short dark brown hair, and pink eyes without pupils, which Shepard had noticed several of the others had as well. Maybe she was finally starting to see the differences between this species and humans. She was dressed in mainly red. Her legs were mainly covered by mesh, only having short red shorts otherwise. She also had a longer cloth on the right side. She had a red shirt on, with only one side having a sleeve. It was covered by a dark brown vest. The other two made it clear that this species wasn't human. Both were large. Really large. They both also had large faces, with bulbous noses. Never had Shepard seen a human like those two.
The room finally settled down. The kages were all sitting with their aides behind them. The Raikage spoke first, "So why were we summoned here? We didn't have another meeting scheduled for two weeks."
Tsunade jerked her head at Naruto before pointing out, "I don't know much more than you. Ask Naruto."
The group looked at Naruto, although several focused on Shepard and her companions. Naruto stepped forward and calmly explained, "Sorry for calling you all here, but this is actually very important. See I was in the wilderness training when something happened. Well…a meteor hit me."
Mei quickly asked, "Are you all right, Naruto? You're important to the entire world. It would be devastating if we lost you. Not to mention there are too few handsome men around for you to die."
Shepard watched in amusement as Naruto blushed slightly. Yep, that Mizukage just oozed sensuality. Naruto coughed before continuing, "As you can see, I'm okay. It was a close call, but I came out relatively unharmed. Except a change of clothes was destroyed. Anyways, it turned out it wasn't just a meteor. It was a ship of some sort. I looked inside and found these three. It took a while for them to wake up, but when they did, they told me some very important news. I thought you all needed to know."
Gaara asked emotionlessly, "How important?"
Naruto replied without hesitation, "Life changing."
Tsunade nodded before ordering, "Okay. Then let's have the people in question tell us about this news."
Naruto stepped to the side and looked at Shepard. The instruction clear. Shepard gulped and stepped forward nervously to act as an ambassador for the entire council.
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Naruto watched intently as Shepard typed some buttons into that orange tool on her arm. He was anxious to get more details now. He had taken the day to accept what she had told him before , but now he needed more answers. The kages would be shocked and confused. He had to be prepared to help them.
Shepard finally straightened before announcing, "I am Commander Jane Shepard of the Human Alliance. Commanding Officer of the SSV Normandy, and Spectre of the Council. This also makes me the official ambassador to your planet, speaking on behalf of the council. First I shall brief you on the entire situation you are unaware of."
Shepard took a deep breath before continuing, "The Milky Way Galaxy is controlled by a galactic wide civilization. Headed by the Council, the civilization includes many different species which have achieved spaceflight. Although we rule the galaxy, the galaxy is a large space. Currently, only one percent of stars have been surveyed. We are constantly exploring further. Approximately six days ago, an explorative probe found this solar system. It found this planet, and further scans showed life. I, as a Spectre, was sent to inspect to see if any sentient life had developed. Unfortunately our shuttle experienced a powerful electromagnetic field which escaped our scans. It shut off the shuttle systems, and we subsequently crashed. We woke up to find us under the care of Naruto."
The group remained ominously silent. Naruto could tell Shepard was uncomfortable. She probably expected disbelief or yelling. Not a silent acceptance. Naruto had though. They were ninja. They readily believed the impossible could be done. They would instead react instantly to any threat, which Shepard had inadvertently stated. Naruto could see Shepard was feeling nervous. She would be even more nervous if she knew she could be killed within seconds if any of these people decided to.
It was Gaara who spoke first. He spoke in a firm voice of a leader who felt threatened, "You said that your civilization ruled the galaxy. Is that meant to be a threat against our people's independence and autonomy?"
Naruto watched Shepard blink before replying without thinking, "Of course not." Shepard shook her head at the careless thought. Naruto had to fight back a grin as she straightened and explained in slight embarrassment, "I'm sorry. I phrased that wrong. I'm a soldier, not a politician. I would prefer to leave this up to someone who knows how to speak better, but let me try to explain my purpose better. The Galactic Council is the major power in the galaxy, but they don't rule the galaxy. There are currently species and groups who choose to live separately from the council authority. The council is simply a gathering of different species with the intent to promote interspecies cooperation and prevent galactic wars. While certain species hold greater power, you could choose to have nothing to do with it. Unless you threatened Citadel Space, you would most likely be left alone."
Naruto felt the tension in the room drop slightly. They were still wary, but at least none were on the verge of killing the aliens. Shepard seemed to have felt it and continued more confidently, "I was able to contact the council earlier. They know of my discovery here, and have sent me an offer I'm suppose to give to you." She reactivated her Omni-Tool before continuing, "On behalf of the council, I am suppose to relay to you this offer. The Council will acknowledge that this planet is occupied by your species. Council Law dictates that the council cannot initiate any military actions against a sentient species without sufficient cause. So you could continue with your lives without any change from the council. They also offer you a different choice too. The council wishes to establish official relations with your species. This would include exchange of technology, opening of trade relations, and possible inclusion in Citadel Space. If you accept the opening of diplomatic channels, two different options are available to you. Either you can send a representative of your race aboard my ship to come and negotiate with the council in person or the council can send their own ambassador to this planet." The orange tool disappeared and Shepard straightened. Momentarily done.
Naruto looked at everyone in the room, judging how they were reacting. Naruto felt that they were split over what to do. Knowing that they needed more answers before deciding, Naruto turned to Shepard and asked, "Can you tell us more about this galactic civilization and council?"
Shepard nodded, but seemed confused on how to start. She finally motioned for Liara and Garrus to step forward. She then turned and explained, "I can tell you about the other species under the council. Liara here, is an Asari. They were the first species to find the Citadel and achieve spaceflight about 3,000 years ago. They are a mono-gendered race from the planet Thessia. They have a seat on the Council. Garrus is a Turian. A militant race from the planet Palaven. They joined the Council about 1,400 years ago after helping to stop a galactic war. They provide the main peacekeeping forces. My species, are humans. Despite looking like it, we are from different species. We only became part of Citadel Space under thirty years ago. We fought with the Turians briefly before the council negotiated a cease fire. We don't have a seat on the council, only an embassy." She typed on her orange tool before producing a hologram of a lizard like creature before continuing, "The Salarians. They discovered the Citadel forty years after the Asari. They hold the other council seat. They are a very scientifically minded people with short life spans. There are many others. The Elcor, Volus, Drell, and Hanar. There are other species not with the Council as well. The Quarians, Krogan, Batarains, and others, but I can't explain them all to you."
Tsunade now asked, "What do you mean a council seat?"
Shepard nodded before explaining, "The council is the ultimate power in Citadel Space, but only three species currently have a seat on it. To get a seat on the council, a species must perform a great deed for Citadel Space. The Asari and Salarians formed it, and the Turians stopped the Krogan during the Krogan Rebellions. If a species is part of Citadel Space, but doesn't have a seat on the council, they have an embassy on the Citadel. This makes them an associate member. Their ambassadors can bring issues to the council, but don't have influence on the final decisions."
Mei was the one who now asked, "What is this Citadel you have mentioned?"
Naruto looked to Shepard, also curious on this issue. Shepard used her tool to change the hologram to show a weirdly shaped ship or something. She then explained, "The Citadel is a giant Space Station constructed by the extinct Protheans over fifty thousand years ago. It is almost 45 kilometers in length and hosts a population of over 13 million. It is the center of galactic society."
A spoke angrily, "So if we joined we would have to follow your laws, but wouldn't even get a say in decision making? That's preposterous."
Shepard replied anxiously, "You don't have to become part of Citadel Space. You can simply open trade ways or likewise. If you joined however, you would officially be under the protection of the Council. As I said, I'm not a politician. Here, you can take one of our Omni-Tools. It is standard procedure to carry an extra. An Omni-Tool is a multipurpose tools with various functions. I am uploading a codex to it. A codex is basically an encyclopedia of the galaxy. You can research topics you want to know about while making your decision. My pilot estimates that it will take several days to modify a ship to withstand your planet's electromagnetic field."
Naruto grabbed the Omni-Tool and handed it to Tsunade. Tsunade handed it to Shizune before claiming, "I'll send it to Shiho for research. Her and Shikamaru can look it over. I'll have them draft a report on the info and given to all of you in several hours. Until then, I think we all need time to think this over. You all can stay in your usual residences. Naruto, you are to escort the aliens around Konoha and supervise them. Until then, I think everyone will agree this meeting is done."
Naruto nodded. They had all received a lot of information, and they needed time to think on it. Naruto had also already interacted with the aliens, so it was clear why he was in charge of supervising them.
He turned to the trio as the entire group stood up. He motioned for them to follow him. He didn't speak till they were outside the building. He turned to see the three of them trying to keep up with him. He muttered, "Sorry."
Liara quickly asked, "Why are you so anxious to leave?"
Naruto shrugged before explaining, "I just wanted to get you all out of there. The meeting could have gone better, and so it was best to give them time to think."
Garrus was the one who spoke up, "What do you mean it didn't go well? After that rough beginning, I thought it went well."
Naruto shook his head as he claimed, "I'm better at reading ninjas body language. The Raikage just expressed their thoughts. They all don't find the proposition of following other's laws too appealing."
Shepard quickly debated, "I thought I told them that it wasn't like that?"
Naruto sighed before he told them, "Yes, but they didn't believe you. Although this will definitely spark a change, no matter their decision, even I find what you say difficult to believe. You expect us to believe that your council will give us technology if we decide to not follow their laws, and if they did, they would have to expect to gain something in return. No, we either follow their laws, or have nothing to do with your species." Naruto saw the trio looking confused and slightly offended. He waved his hand at them carelessly as he claimed, "Don't worry. I think we should accept the offer. I'm just telling you why they might be suspicious."
Shepard now asked curiously, "You want them to agree? Why? I thought you just said you can see why they would be suspicious."
Naruto just gave them a huge grin as he declared, "I said I understand what they think. I don't have to agree with it." The trio seemed to be happy about his declaration. Naruto turned away as he added, "Plus, it sounds fun. Having a whole galaxy to explore."
Shepard slapped her face in exasperation before remarking, "I see why everyone figured you'd find some trouble. You'd fight a Krogan for kicks."
Naruto immediately asked with stars in his eyes, "What is a Krogan? Are they tough? Can I fight one?" He stopped when he saw Shepard thought he was serious. He now seriously told them, "Don't worry. I'll send clones to talk to them all and try to convince them. I'll wait for Shiho and Shikamaru to send out that report. Even I agree we should get more information before making a decision."
Liara quickly asked, "Clones? What do you mean?"
Naruto sighed before explaining, "A technique. I can create solid clones of myself. They are similar in every way."
Garrus now commented, "Normally I'd say that is impossible, but I really don't want to be proven wrong. Your species doesn't seem to follow common sense."
Naruto gave a shit eating grin before saying loudly, "Good choice."
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Shepard was impressed by their accommodations. They were given a suite in a luxurious hotel Naruto explained was built for the kages several years ago and other visiting officials. The suite had three beds, a kitchen, and a large bathroom with a shower. There was even the best TV's the planet had, with channels provided using radio waves.
Shepard looked at Naruto, who was currently looking out the window. Garrus was laying down on one of the beds due to his wound hurting, and Liara was in the bathroom. She finally asked, "What are you looking at, Naruto?"
Naruto looked at her before saying sadly, "Just watching the village."
Shepard knew this was a sore subject, but was too curious not to ask, "So why did you leave? You said this was your village? Why would you leave home?"
Naruto looked at her expressionlessly for several seconds. He finally shrugged before claiming, "The kages decided I was too powerful to remain part of a single village. Otherwise it would tip the balance of power."
Garrus turned over before asking, "How can one person be so powerful that he can't even be part of a village?"
Naruto sighed and walked over and sat down in one of the available chairs. He looked at them before he said to himself, "I guess it's time I told you a little more about this world. It is only fair, considering that you gave us your codex thingy."
Shepard sat down in a chair opposite him in curiosity. She saw that Liara had also come back, and was leaning against one of the walls. She turned back to Naruto and asked, "What do you mean?"
Naruto looked at them with an intensity that made Shepard realize that Naruto was very dangerous. She had realized it on some level all along, but it wasn't till now that she realized that she wouldn't want to fight Naruto in any way. She would not win. Naruto spoke up, "About the power of ninjas. I'm assuming that you are all basically civilians. Trained soldiers, but without chakra. Even our civilians don't realize the damage that we can inflict using chakra. Until I set it straight, you all won't understand."
Shepard held out a hand to stop Garrus from protesting his words. Naruto nodded at her in appreciation. He took a deep breath before he began, "I'll start from the very beginning. As in, the very beginning. Legend tells us that a monster used to wander the land. He gave off an energy so foul and full of hatred that all life died around it. This continued for centuries before a man finally confronted the monster. A priest. The priest had been exposed to the energy the monster gave off as a baby. Instead of dying, he adapted to it. His eyes changed to allow him many abilities, including the ability to see the energy. Using these eyes, the priest had discovered how to wield the same sort of energy as the monster. He then confronted the monster, but the beast was of unimaginable power. He couldn't defeat it. Instead, he did the only thing he could. He sealed the energy of the monster inside of himself. Doing this, he was able to stop it. He used that energy to create a cage for the monster's body, and then sent it into the sky itself. This cage became the moon."
Gaarrus now asked scornfully, "Are you kidding? You expect us to believe this? Moons are formed from small bodies which are captured in the gravity of a planet. They aren't cages for monsters."
Naruto stared at Garrus. Shepard could feel the anger he was giving off. Shepard turned to Garrus and informed him a little too harshly, "Garrus, don't be rude. Listen to his story."
Garrus seemed annoyed, but Naruto nodded in thanks at Shepard. He then continued, "So the priest had rid the world of the monster. He then spent years spreading peace, and teaching others the way to wield the energy. This energy is chakra. We now know the priest by the moniker of The Sage of Six Paths. Those he taught became the first ninjas. Peace reigned for a time, but the Sage knew it was only temporary. The beast was captured not defeated. Chakra is the combination of energy from the body, and the mind. So the mind of the beast still remained in the energy sealed in his body. He couldn't kill it before, and he couldn't destroy it after it was sealed either. He knew that when he died, the energy would be released, and it was so powerful that the energy could form a new body. So he decided to change the energy instead. He performed a jutsu to split the energy into nine different bodies. These became the Tailed Beasts. Each one had an increasing level of tails. Although they all came from the same source, they were basically children which matured. Thousands of years passed, and the Tailed Beasts grew up and changed in power. Despite common belief, the number of tails didn't determine the power of the Tailed Beast. There was Shukaku, the One Tail. Nibi, the Two Tails. Sanbi, the Three Tails. Yobi, the Four Tails. Gobi, the Five Tails. Rokubi, the Six Tails. Nanabi, the Seven Tails. Hachibi, the Eight tails. And the strongest by far, Kyuubi, the Nine Tails. The original monster also became referred to as the Ten Tails."
"The problem was the pure power of the Tailed Beasts, and the precedent the Sage had created by sealing one into his body. Ninjas started sealing the beasts into their bodies to gain power. These were called Jinchuriki, or Power of the Human Sacrifice. They viewed the Tailed Beasts as tools to gain power, and this changed the Tailed Beasts. They started to hate us. They started attacking ninjas. This in turn caused ninjas to believe the Tailed Beasts were mindless monsters of destruction. This started a cycle between ninjas and them. The Tailed Beasts cannot be destroyed. Their bodies are pure constructs of chakra. Even when their jinchuriki dies, the Tailed Beasts could reform. Their hatred of us made them attack us when they were free, and when they attacked us, we had to seal them to stop them. The more we sealed them, the more they hate us. Understand what this causes."
Liara was the one who remarked, "It means constant war."
Naruto nodded before continuing, "And there was constant war anyways. Ninjas split into clans. For thousands of years they were constantly warring. With the Tailed Beasts sometimes attacking one. This changed after the formation of the Hidden Villages. I told you it happened about a century ago. It all centered around Konoha. Konoha was formed by two powerful clans combining their power. The Senju and Uchiha. Both were headed by a the most powerful ninjas of their era. Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. These two were unique for their powerful bloodlines. Hashirama could control trees, and Madara had the Sharingan. Both gave them the ability to control the Tailed Beasts. They used this to their advantage. With the villages starting, it made the Tailed Beasts even more of a threat. Individual clans could run from them, and it didn't matter if one clan was eliminated anyways. There were always more. But the establishment of Konoha caused the same to happen elsewhere. The Hidden Villages formed. With the clans together and creating stationary villages instead of roaming bands, It would allow the Tailed Beasts to attack and cause even more damage. So Hashirama used his ability to control the Tailed Beasts. He also wanted peace, so he distributed them among the villages like objects. He hoped that each village having the power of a Tailed Beast would eliminate war."
Garrus nodded as he commented, "Seems like a good idea. That's how the Council operates. No one starts a war because they'll reply in overwhelming force in retaliation. Total war. That's how the turians have stopped many wars from happening. As long as the council stays the strongest in the galaxy, no one will dare start a war with them."
Naruto nodded before continuing solemnly, "Unfortunately, ninjas were trained for war. The Hidden Villages weren't afraid of suffering casualties, but that is later. Because of this, Hashirama eventually became Hokage, causing Madara to defect. Knowing he couldn't defeat the entire village of Konoha by himself, Madara decided to use the last free Tailed Beast. The Kyuubi."
Shepard now asked to clarify, "I thought all the Tailed Beasts were used in sealing. Why not the Kyuubi?"
Naruto looked at her as he explained, "I told you the Kyuubi was the strongest Tailed Beast. No one wanted to face it. Only one man was reported to have tried to control the Kyuubi before that. The eldest son of the Sage of Six Paths. Despite having the eyes of the Sage, he failed. It set a bad precedent. Plus, just to help you picture it. Kyuubi was the largest Tailed Beast by far. All of them were gigantic, but the Kyuubi originally stood over mountains. No ninja was willing to face it. Until Madara. Madara had the Sharingan, the bloodline originating from the Sage's himself. By unlocking a forbidden form of it, he managed to do the impossible. He was able to control the Kyuubi. He then used it to face down Hashirama and his wife, Mito Uzumaki. Their battle created a huge valley. Madara was defeated even with the Kyuubi. Hashirama used his bloodline to weaken the Kyuubi enough for Hashirama's wife to seal it into herself. She became the first jinchuriki of the Kyuubi in history. The two then defeated Madara. Hashirama died from his injuries later."
Shepard now asked, "While this is really fascinating, why are you telling us this?"
Liara looked at Shepard, scandalized, before saying excitedly, "It is more than fascinating. I've never heard of such comprehensive legends, and this one is real."
Naruto smiled at Liara before he announced, "While I'm glad you like the story, it actually has a different purpose. The Tailed Beast have caused the last great war, and defined my life. My mother was the second jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. When she gave birth to me, the seal weakened. It allowed someone to attack and release the Kyuubi in the middle of Konoha. The damage this caused is indescribable. Let me show you guys."
Shepard frowned in confusion. She then watched as Naruto's left eye changed. It went from a violet to a blood red with a weird design in the middle. Shepard couldn't look away. She heard Naruto whisper from within her mind itself, "Sharingan."
Then came possibly the most terrifying time of Shepard's life. She had seen her family and friends killed by slavers when she was a kid, but that was nothing compared to this. She saw a vision. Like that she had just experienced on Eden Prime. No, this was different. She couldn't truly understand the Eden Prime vision. This one…she felt the terror. The pain. The hatred. She watched as a gigantic monster stood over the entire village of Konoha. Its nine tails were whipping through the air. She felt the hatred it was exuding. Its desire to kill everything. For everything to be consumed in fire.
Then it was over. Shepard slumped back into her seat, completely drained from that vision. She saw Liara slump to the floor and Garrus lay down on the bed. So they had seen it too. She turned to Naruto, who's eye had returned to normal.
Naruto quickly said in an apologetic voice, "I'm sorry for showing you that. I just needed to express on you how powerful and devastating the Kyuubi was. Hearing it is one thing. Experiencing it is…"
Shepard nodded as she gasped out, "So much different."
Naruto nodded sadly before continuing, "The attack had come out of nowhere. Konoha wasn't prepared. Konoha was devastated. The Fourth Hokage managed to seal the Kyuubi into a child. He sealed it into his own son. The Fourth and his wife died in the attack from sealing it."
Liara raised her hands to her mouth as she gasped out, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Naruto."
Shepard looked in confusion at Liara before turning back to Naruto. Shepard was immediately struck silent. The cheerful Naruto looked…so forlorn. She immediately understood what Liara had picked up. Naruto nodded before continuing sadly, "Yes. I was the child used to seal the Kyuubi. It was…difficult. My parentage was kept a secret. My father had made lots of enemies in the Third World War. They wouldn't have hesitated to kill me in revenge, but it was known I was the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. You saw what the attack was like. Everyone was scared. They feared me. Feared what I held. Thought I was simply the Kyuubi put into a weak child's body. It was…hard to say the least. I grew up dealing with hatred and being ostracized. I didn't even know about the Kyuubi until I was thirteen."
Liara immediately whispered, "It must have been terrible."
Naruto shrugged before replying quickly, "Yes, but I got through it. Many jinchuriki were feared. We were treated as tools of war. A group came around that wanted to use that power. They were called Akatsuki. They set out to capture all the Bijuu and use them to rule the world. It was led in secret by a man who had a different plan. He had the Sharingan. He hoped to capture all the Bijuu and combine them back into the Ten Tails. He would then seal it into himself, and use its power to cast an illusion of unprecedented power. He was going to use the moon to reflect the illusion over the entire planet. He was doing this under the belief that it the only way to create peace was for him to control everyone. The villages united to stop him. While our army fought his artificially created one, I confronted him with the last other remaining jinchuriki left. The fight was…epic and horrible. He used the other Bijuu against us, eventually even reviving the Ten-Tails. We were fighting a losing fight from the beginning."
Shepard couldn't resist asking, "So how did you beat him?"
Naruto smiled before asking, "I told you that ninjas thought the Bijuu were mindless beasts right? I can testify that this was wrong. They had minds. They simply hated ninjas for treating them like tools. You want to know how I won…I became friends with them all."
Shepard blinked in shock before asking, "What?"
Naruto just had a serene smile on his face as he repeated aloud, "Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuo, Saiken, Chomei, Gyuki, and Kurama, Those were their names. Their real names!"
Shepard tried to imagine becoming friends with the vicious monster from her vision. She felt faintly sick to her stomach. She asked in disbelief, "Impossible. That…thing. That thing was pure evil. It deserved to be destroyed. Not befriended."
Shepard suddenly saw herself die in dozens of different ways. It was just as terrifying as the other vision. She watched in pure fear as she saw Naruto truly angry for the first time. She was helpless as he stood up and angrily yelled, "No, he wasn't. He wasn't evil. He was a person, just like you and me. His appearance or power shouldn't change that. It is thoughts like that that cause conflict in this world. If we can't accept other's faults, how can peace ever be achieved?"
Shepard had to hold back tears as she whispered, "I'm sorry."
Naruto stopped and took several deep breaths, as his limbs shook in anger. He finally relaxed. He sat down as he answered in an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that. You aren't the only one that thought that. I just don't like people disrespecting Kurama's memory."
Liara recovered the fastest of the three due to her overwhelming curiosity, "I thought that the Bijuu couldn't be killed. You spoke in past tense about the Nine Tails."
Naruto nodded before trying to explain awkwardly, "They couldn't be killed. Their energy was always regenerating, but it could be remodeled. Just like how the Sage split the Ten Tails up into nine. The Bijuu decided to use the remnants of their will within the revived Ten-Tails to combine their chakra and give it to someone else, despite it basically being their death."
Shepard finally connected all the dots. She looked at Naruto in awe, disbelief, and slight fear as she whispered, "You said you beat the man by befriending the Bijuu. They gave you their chakra."
Naruto nodded before announcing, "Yep. I helped cure the Bijuu of their hatred, and so they entrusted me with their power, and the dream of their father, the Sage himself. To create peace. I stopped being a jinchuriki. I am the Ten Tails, with power at my disposal to destroy…everything. So I'm feared for my power just as much I am loved for stopping the war."
Garrus was the one who asked, "So how powerful are you?"
Naruto shook his head before saying simply, "Pray you never need to find out. Because the only time I'll ever use all of my power is if the entire fate of the galaxy rests on my shoulders."
Shepard had the ominous feeling that Naruto's power was going to be vital sometime in the future.
There is the first chapter. I'm posting the second, but i should do a quick authors note.
I realize many of these things i've stated are unlikely to happen, but i'm not going to change it. Even if the kages die, i'm not going to modify this story. I also believe this is how the Ten Tails will be defeated. The whole true names thing. I'm assuming that they are simply giving Naruto a piece of their will, which will then allow him to take control of the Ten Tails or something.
Naruto will basically be godlike, but he isn't going to be throwing his power around. He's matured, and realizes explosions aren't the answer to everything. Yes they are. A big enough explosion can solve any problem. Shut up. Not in this story they can't...Anyways, so don't expect him to go Ten Tails on every opponent.
I know. Naruto shouldn't have told them all about the Bijuu and such, but i just felt like writing it. Getting it out of the way.
I think that is all that needs to be said for this chapter.