Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > Primis
Chapter 18
0 reviewsA new land. A new place. Sure how he had gotten here was...bad. Which is an understatement. And, sure, he could whine and bitch about the unfairness of it all; but that won't change anything. All h...
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Primis
Chapter 18
11-years-ago.
An irritated red-head stalked through the shrubbery as she searched for her younger brother on the outskirts of Konoha. Beside her were her friends, a purple haired woman named Anko and a wild and unruly dark-haired woman with red eyes called Kurenai.
The red-head was informed by her friends and acquaintances that the person she was looking for had ventured out of the city towards the west.
In her case the person she was looking for happens to be her younger brother, Naruto Namikaze.
The red-head exhaled with annoyance. “Why does he always do this? He should know better than to go out alone!” she viciously ranted aloud.
“C'mon, Mine! Naruto is 13-years-old, the boy can handle himself.” Anko told the red-head with an air of indifference. While she didn't know much of the boy, the woman wasn't that worried about him. “You don't need to be worried or get stressed out over him.
Who would have the balls to fuck with a child of Minato and Kushina?
People who have a death wish, that's who.
“Anko, Naruto being 13-years-old is precisely why I'm worried.” Mine told her friend, “He's young and brash – he's prone to make some very stupid decisions.” like wandering outside of Konoha by himself. Where no one is around. Where no one can hear him if he gets into trouble.
“Anko, he's alone and is probably far enough away from ear shot. If he gets lost or worse, hurt, then no one would be able to hear him.” Kurenai flatly told her purple-haired friend, who proceeded to gave them a nonchalant shrug in return.
The three women kept walking down the path and as the minutes went from single to the double digits, they felt a chill run down their spine. They exchanged looks before picking up the pace.
They didn't know why... but they had a feeling something is wrong.
Several more minutes passed and the trio came to a stop. All three had wide eyed looks on their face at what they saw. Laying face down on the dirt, was an unconscious Naruto Namikaze. He had his right hand pressed against a boulder sized rock that had weird, and deep carvings on the surface.
There was an unnatural, orange glow emitting from the carving itself. And, somehow, it had electricity racing up and down the surface. The women quickly realised the rock was not natural, at all.
And Naruto's exposed skin was enveloped by the same orange aura, with arcs of lightening racing up and down the length of his body, going under his clothes.
“Naruto!” a horrified Mine shouted as she frantically ran over to him.
“Mine! Wait!” Anko tried to grab Mine, to stop the red-head from going over to her unconscious brother. But Mine was already a quarter way there.
Kurenai and Anko ran after her to stop the red-head from doing something stupid. Mine got to Naruto first and quickly pulled his hand away from the rock by the sleeve. The second the limb was lifted the aura and electricity died away; almost as if it had faded into his skin.
She grabbed at her brothers clothes and began dragging him away from the freakish thing. Mine looked at her friends, when they finally caught up to her. “Anko! Kurenai! Help me drag Naruto away from this thing! Right now!”
They didn't hesitate doing what she said after the glaring look the red-head gave them.
Once the unconscious blond was dragged away from the mysteriously glowing, and potentially dangerous rock, they stared at it. One in wonder, another in curiosity, and one with a look of bitter distaste.
Tearing her glaring eyes away from the thing, Mine looked down at her brother in concerned panic, before carrying him in a bridal carry. He didn't move, he didn't make a sound, if it were not for him breathing Mine would have thought her brother was dead.
She gave Kurenai and Anko a scared and nervous look and beckoned them to follow after her as she ran all the way back to Konoha. She had to tell her father about this! Right now!
X.X.X.X
Thirty minutes later.
Inside he office of the Fire-Shadow tower, Minato Namikaze was busy reading and signing paperwork. It was filled with bookshelves, a wall with hanging photographs of the previous leaders of Konoha, a single office desk with two stacks of paperwork.
And behind the comfortable swivel chair where Minato is sitting, is a large window which allowed the man a overlooking view of most of Konoha itself.
The man sighed as he stamped his seal of approval on the current one, and grabbing a new one to read. This one was a request to make a new plantation to grow wheat. It got his seal of approval as soon as he finished reading it. The door to his office opened and his assistant, Akari an average looking woman with her brown-hair done up in a bun, walked in to the room and silently took out the pile of papers that were signed.
Minato stopped what he was doing and stretched his arms over his head with a groan. He jumped when his office door was slammed open, and his second daughter, Mine ran in with his youngest child in her arms, with Anko and Kurenai coming in just after.
He immediately stood up upon seeing the panicked look on her face.
“Mine! What happened!” Minato demanded as he moved out from behind his desk.
“I don't know!” Mine exclaimed, and she quickly walked over and handed her little brother to her father. “I just found him, unconscious in front of this... rock thing!”
Minato adjusted his hold on his little boy and grasped his hand. His skin was cold to the touch. It was like he was touching ice... he felt anger welling up within him. How could have this happened?!
With narrowed eyes, he handed his son to Kurenai and gave his daughter a serious look. “Mine. Where did you find him?” Mine subconsciously straightened up, knowing this wasn't her father talking, it was her commander.
“I will take you there, sir!”
Minato nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. Mine saluted and led her father – her general – to the location she had found her little brother.
“ Akari, send a message to the military, I want a small platoon of grenadiers to meet me outside of the city.”
X.X.X.X
Another 30 minutes had passed, and Minato along with a platoon of 50 men and women were being led to the location, Mine had found his son.
Once they found the damn thing, everyone, Minato included, noticed how alien the rock looked. It was the size of a boulder, and had deep carvings on the surface where a faint orange aura could be seen from the inside.
The blond didn't know why, but Minato knew this was no ordinary rock. A plan began to form...
He turned to his daughter. “You can go now, Mine. I'll take it from here.”
His daughter nodded and left. Minato then looked to one of his soldiers and began to lay out his orders.
X.X.X.X
Same day, some time later...
As he stood back and away from the others, Minato Namikaze watched as his subordinates uploaded the rock inside of a large metal carriage. It was made with extra thick and reinforced iron. On the containers door had a turn-able wheel on it.
While he was worried about his son, who had not woken up from his coma after being found out here after god knows how many hours, he could not allow a potential asset like this go to waste.
After his daughter Mine and her two friends Anko and Kurenai came running into his house, with Mine carrying an unconscious Naruto in her arms, he was scared for him. Really scared. He was told where his son had been found.
Which is where he is now.
Officially, he'll be ordering this rock destroyed to set the minds of the people that would ask questions, such as his wife Kushina.
Unofficially, it's being taken to an underground, mountain bunker a few miles away from Konoha for research and production. To see if they could find a way to harness this mysterious rock to their advantage; if they could, they would be able to make powerful weapons, and other assets.
Speaking of weapons and assets... maybe this rock is the missing piece for that giant metal man they found buried under that mountain they used as a bunker?
It can't hurt to try.
X.X.X.X
Naruto sat in his room by himself. Laying on the floor face up to the ceiling the thirteen year old had his eyes closed; asleep and seemingly unaware of the world around him.
“Can't you see Minato!? There is something wrong with him!” Naruto twitched as he heard a faint, but familiar voice yell at someone. His mother. Why did she say that?
“There is nothing wrong with him Kushina. He's doing perfectly fine.” Naruto twitched again and moved his head slightly upon hearing the familiar voice of his father; and like his mum, Naruto's dad sounded a younger.
“Fine? FINE?! He can't remember what happened between the ages seven to twelve Minato! He's lost nearly a decade of his life thanks to that bloody boulder!” Naruto softly grunted when he heard the faint shouting of his mum and the failings of his father to try and keep her calm.
“It'll pass Kushina, don't worry.” was Minato's reassuring voice. “We're getting rid of it so no one else will share the same fate. Afterwards we'll try to see if Naruto can still do things other children can.”
“And if he doesn't? What then?” Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked towards the partially open bedroom door.
“If he doesn't, then it will be up to us to make sure he can.” The way Minato said that with such confidence made the young Naruto frown. Why were they talking as if something was wrong with him? He may not remember the past several years, but that didn't mean nothing was wrong with him.
“There's nothing wrong with you.” Naruto looked to his bed when he heard an old man speak to him in a kindly manner. White hair and a similar coloured beard, a receding hairline; clothes consisting of a dark green and red lined jacket with a blue buttoned shirt worn underneath, a pair of black fingerless gloves, black trousers and shoes.
“Ah ah ah, there's no need to speak little one. No one but you can hear me.” the man said as Naruto opened his mouth to talk. Slowly nodding to show he understood Naruto closed his lips and sat up cross legged and turned around to look at the man.
The question he was projecting was easy to see: who are you?
“I go by many names. But you can call me Doctor Monty.” the now named Doctor Monty answered.
Naruto cocked his head to the side; the question, 'why are you here?' was showing on his face.
Chortling to himself Doctor Monty groaned as he pushed himself off of the bed and walked to the window with his hands behind his back.
“You know you are not the first person to have lost their memory by touching that stone.” Monty said as he stared at the large town on the opposite end of the window and knowing he had captured Naruto's attention he continued. “You most certainly will not be the last either. The side effects it has on its victims will linger.” he suddenly turned around and gave Naruto a look full of pity. “Now don't worry the memory loss won't last. You will get your memory back. Eventually. But the side effects unfortunately will always be there. I am afraid your parents are fighting a lost cause.”
Naruto got upset. But he didn't cry. Instead he hugged his legs and tightly closed his eyes. He snapped his eyes open and looked up when he felt Monty thread his hands in his hair and rub them. Like a grandfather would.
He had a grandfatherly smile on his face. “Don't worry. While you may have lost a lot of things you have improved in one thing. Trust in this old man when I say it will help you in the future. But...I'll get you figure out what you're good at for yourself. There'd be no fun in its discovery otherwise!”
And then just like that he was gone. Startled Naruto quickly got up and wildly looked around his room. The man is just vanished.
It was here that Minato and Kushina, his parents, entered the room and when Naruto looked at them he saw Minato was looking at him with a patent smile, while Kushina looked like she was straining to do the same. She was upset but was trying to hide it.
The father gave his son a patent smile and as he offered his hand, Minato said. “Naruto please come with us for a moment. We need to check something.”
Not seeing anything wrong with that Naruto got up and walked over to his mum and dad. He took the larger hand of his father' and allowed him to guide him out of the room.
X.X.X.X
11-years-ago
Three weeks later
Inside his house, Minato Namikaze was watching his son trying and failing to do a simple task of playing catch with his oldest sister Fuyu, from the window of his bedroom. His hand eye coordination was spot on, like always, but for some reason Naruto had never, ever, managed to catch the object being tossed to him.
It was worrying. Very worrying. Fuyu kept her concern hidden away from her younger brother, but not him. Not her father. He could tell she was concerned, worried and afraid. It wasn't just him playing catch with his sister that Naruto was bad it. It was almost everything. Whatever had happened to his son, had made him... clumsy to the degree he could only preform basic human tasks.
Anything else, he would struggle with immensely.
“How is he?” Minato looked over his shoulder to see his former mentor, and father in all but name, Jiraiya entering the room.
“I don't know.” the man answered his mentor as he turned back to peer out of the window. “His reaction time is the same. His personality has not changed, he is still eating healthy. But he has gotten so clumsy, that anything he does outside of basic human tasks, is terrible. He's not making any improvements in any activity whatsoever. Nor is he getting worse in them. “ Minato let out a hollowed sigh. “I don't know what to do.”
To comfort the blond, Jiraiya put a hand on Minato's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“All we can do now is give him time and wait and see.” the man consoled his former student. “It's been three weeks and Mine told us how... unnatural that stone was.”
“Yes,” Minato nodded in remembrance. “Mine said Naruto's skin had a faint orange glow, and had electricity crackling up and down his skin when he was touching it. I wouldn't have believed her if I had not seen the rock for myself.”
“Speaking of that rock, what happened to it? Has it been destroyed?”
Minato answered the older man reassuringly, “It has been taken care of. There's nothing to worry about it.” he expertly lied through his teeth. Jiraiya didn't notice the blatant lie his son in all but blood had told him, and took his word at face value.
“Good.” the white haired man let out a sigh of relief. “Who knows what would have happened if it wasn't.” he did not know why but the description of that stone; of that glowing rock; it gave him chills.
Minato sighed and turned away from the window. “Have you receive word from your informers on what it is? What it's capable of?”
Jiraiya let out a sigh of his own; it was full of exhaustion. “Not as far as I know. I had my men combing through every archive we found and recovered from the previous era. The language, as you know, is close enough to ours. But none of the documents within have any mention of these... glowing orange rocks. And if there was, it's highly probable they are now long gone.”
Minato sighed again. “Disappointing, but not unexpected.” he said and grasped his hands behind his back. He would have liked to know just what the rock is capable of. The man thought the archives would have the answers to his questions.
It seems he needs to do this the old fashioned way.
Trail and error.
“How's Kushina taking this?” the elder asked him.
“Kushina...” Minato paused to gather his thoughts. “Kushina is always worried about him. She seems to think something is wrong with our son, that him still having trouble with as simple as playing catch isn't normal.” he rubbed the bridge of his nose and added, “I have to agree with her, Naruto and Fuyu have been going at this for an hour and he hasn't improved at all. If anything he seems to be getting worse than better.”
“He looks fine to me.” Jiraiya said, “He's breathing well; he looks healthy; while his... new found lack of talent for anything you find so far is worrisome, if you keep this up, and have him preform different tasks with varying difficulties then I am positively sure he'll be back to normal within 2 to 3 years.”
“Oh? Did Tsunade tell you that?”
Jiraiya snorted. “Call it an old man’s intuition, you brat.”
Minato chuckled, “I'll keep that in mind, and you updated on Naruto. If he makes any progress you'll be the first to know.”
Jiraiya gave his former student a patient smile, nodded, and left the room to leave Naruto's father to his own devices.
Had he looked back, Jiraiya would have seen a thoughtful frown on Minato's face as he just before he turned to face the window again. The man was planning something; something big. And it involved the glowing orange rock that is safely inside the mountainous bunker a few miles out.
X.X.X.X
9-years-ago
A fifteen-year-old Naruto took aim down the range with his musket. The blond didn't know why, even after using a musket for two years, it felt right; it was like he was meant to hold a weapon like this in his hands.
With one eye closed, he lined up the shot and pulled the trigger. He would never get used to the kick, not after what happened the very first time he fired the rifle.
The fucking kick was so unexpected for the, back then, 13-year-old that it knocked him on his ass and dislocated his shoulder. Setting the joint back in its place was an even bigger pain. Nothing ever topped that.
Naruto began the minute long process by loading the gunpowder into the tube inside of the rifle, and inserting the bullet inside of the chamber.
If there was one thing the blond hated the most about these muskets, it was the fact they could only shoot one bullet before having to reload. If only they had the more advanced weapons, like an M16 assault rifle. Or an M1A1 carbine? They had less reload time and had the capacity to shoot more than one bullet.
And don't get him started with the flintlock pistols and the flintlock blunderbuss, they were equally as bad since they shared similar setbacks. Still he liked the blunderbuss as a pistol.
“You've improved, Naruto.”
Naruto set the now-loaded musket down against the wall before looking behind him. His mentors, Kakashi and Yamato were observing him with crossed arms.
Kakashi is his dads old student; a grey haired man in his late 20s with the bottom half of his face covered up by a mask, with an eye patch over his left eye that served no other purpose other than to look decorative.
Yamato is another old student of his fathers; he had short brown hair and is also in his late 20s. Unlike Kakashi beside him Yamato did not have a mask or any decorative accessories worn. The two men wore similar clothes – a black military grade flak jacket, with a sleeveless jumper for Yamato and a rolled up sleeved jumper for Kakashi. They wore matching coloured gloves with leather guards over them, a kevlar vest that covered their entire torso, shoulders and their upper arms, almost like spaulders. some pants and steel-toe cap boots.
A bullet proof vest – or as Naruto liked to call them, 'bullet resistant' vest, was one technology they had managed to recover from the previous era and recreated it. Though they made some adjustments and improvements to it, such as adding more protection to the shoulders and arms.
Naruto chortled and looked back down the range. “I had some good teachers.” he said with genuine honesty.
“Have you found something you would like to do, after your done with your training?” Yamato asked the fifteen-year-old as he picked up the musket.
Naruto paused momentarily before pressing the butt of the rifle against his shoulder, and taking aim down the range. “Yeah, I did actually. I'm thinking of taking up a job as a security guard in a penitentiary near Konoha. They're recruiting, and from what I heard, they are not particularly picky in who they hire.” he took a deep breath and pulled the trigger, with the rifle bucking against his shoulder.
“They must have a shortage of men if that's the case.” Kakashi deduced, watching as his student began the minute long process of reloading the musket. “Still, it'll give you some experience under your belt; and having some is better than none.”
“Yeah, there's that. And what I will be doing the most, is standing guard and patrolling the parameter for hours. Easy money and non-life threatening.” the blond pointed out with a chuckle.
“...Are you sure you don't want Minato and Kushina to know about your skills in fights?” Kakashi suddenly asked; he was really concerned for his former teachers son. The man had heard talk that Minato was steadily getting more and more frustrated, at his son's lack of skill in nearly everything he tried to do.
Sooner or later something was bound to happen. And for this grey haired man, he had a feeling that 'something' wasn't going to be good.
Naruto snorted at the question. “Dad barely treats me as his own son; Mum is barely there and Mine and Fuyu are barely around. And when they are, they merely dismiss me or best. Ignore me at worst.” Both Kakashi and Yamato winced at the examples and the pure bitterness in his voice as he gave them; it sounds as if he wasn't telling them everything. “In my honest opinion, they don't deserve to be told about this. It may do more harm than good in the long run, but that's their fault.”
Kakashi and Yamato thought otherwise, but kept their thoughts to themselves. They knew how hard headed and stubborn Naruto is when it came to something – it was a trait he shared with Kushina. They wanted to get themselves involved in this family feud Minato had inadvertently made; but kept themselves from doing so.
It was a family thing – and as much as they wanted to just tell Minato and Kushina of their son's ability to understand, use and fire a musket and other flintlock firearms, the son and parents had to solve this by themselves.
Even if they thought otherwise.
X.X.X.X
8-years-ago
Deep within Mount. Houri, several miles outside of Konoha was Minato Namikaze. He was in the office of the bunker, which was more like an underground base and research facility than a bunker. The bunker was a thousand feet long and five hundred feet high. It was, in simple terms, the biggest bunker ever made on the face of the planet.
But there was a good reason. The bunker itself was not man made. Not really. The ground, nay, the entire mountain itself was grown around a giant metal man of a thousand foot long. They found the titan sized construct twenty-five-years ago, by pure luck. And the entire bunker itself was built around it. Mainly to see how it worked, what it was able to do, what it was capable of. And most importantly: could they get it to turn on.
Unfortunately, despite all the progress they've made in getting all the dirt, grime and dust cleared from its joints, and replicating the replaceable components such as gears, wires, and glass – they were simply unable to turn it on. They knew they were missing something; a key component; but they had no idea what it was.
Then that strange, and otherworldly orange glowing rock was placed inside the bunker 3-years-ago. No one knew what it was; but as far as they did know it could affect someone's functionality their general's son, Naruto Namikaze was a textbook example of it.
Never the less, they did everything they could to prevent themselves from ending up like him. Though that attempt was slowly proving to be... ineffective. While they weren't ending up like their leader's youngest child, those that were close to the glowing orange rock were getting sick.
It wasn't a severe or normal illness, it was a mild one, and a couple of days break and they were as good as new. They learned to not be near the rock for long periods of time. They went in shifts, lessening their chances of getting sick. And it was effective.
From the window of his office, Minato watched with a sense of pride as his men worked tirelessly to find a way to turn on the giant metal man. They had gotten a small chunk of rock from that stone they brought in three-years-ago and were about to try it out on the metal man.
They barely found anything out about it in those three years. Just that it made people sick the longer they were around it. No one suffered the same fate as his son, thankfully.
When they brought the rock to the inactive robot. Something happened. Something that took everyone by surprise. The rock when it was brought to the robot, sank into the metal and the giant machine whirred to life. They were lucky it didn't have enough juice to move or else it would have gotten up and flattened everyone inside the bunker.
It shut itself down a minute later when it no longer had any power to sustain itself, but Minato had a massive grin that threatened to separate his face. Finally! Finally they managed to do find and use something that would get the metal construct to turn on!
They were one step closer to achieving his goals.
X.X.X.X
8-years ago,
One month later.
Minato stared at the... guests, a word he is using loosely, with a stoic look. These men in black were off putting. He wasn't afraid of them, but he had a feeling there was something... off about them. Something sinister. All of them were garbed in black clothes from head to toe, making them look like ninjas. The one leading them was a bald man wearing a fedora and sunglasses.
Nevertheless, the man couldn't help but be suspicious of their arrival and incredulous of what they were asking for.
Minato laced his fingers together in front of him as he leaned forward on his desk. He gave a dark clothed man wearing a hat, their negotiator, a piercing stare. “Do you know what you're asking of me?”
The man smiled, undisturbed by the stare the fire-shadow was giving him and inclined his head. “I do. All I ask is for you to give us orphans, miscreants, people that no one knows or would miss. We shall even pay you in gold.”
Minato frowned even more. “And what would happen to them?”
“They will be cared for. They will be given new homes, new families, or if they want - they can be trained to become soldiers.”
It was a lie and a very good one. Minato, the leader of Konoha, had bought their word at face value instead of doing the reasonable, and smart thing. Like asking questions or where they even came from, since they were clearly foreigners. Then the man did something that would set off events that may or may not have repercussions in the future.
The blond nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Very well. You have permission to take orphans and other trouble makers. There is one more person you can take with you as well: my son, Naruto Namikaze.”
The reason he was allowing them to take his son is because the man thought the boy was useless. And as a soldier, a general, this was a blemish. He wanted his boy to be fixed of his problem and after trying everything for the past three years, he was at a ropes end. So he was putting everything in this one last opportunity.
The man before him tilt his head to the side, a curious frown pulling at his lips. “Your son? Are you sure?” The man in black didn't really care to be honest, but he wanted to avoid creating an enemy with this technologically advanced city. With their own war they've been fighting for centuries with no clear winner on each side, they simply could not afford making a new enemy.
Minato nodded. “Yes. My son is... it is hard to explain his condition – however, what happened to him three years ago has changed him. I'm hoping you're able to cure him of his... ailments, and train him to be the best soldier he can be.”
“I see...” the man adjusted his hat and smiled politely. “That will be of no problem for us. Is he here?”
Minato shook his head. “No, but my son is due to be back in the next couple of days.” the man then grabbed a piece of paper that already had writing on it, but with a few underlined blanks . It hadthe signatures of his advisor’s already on it; all that was needed was to write down what the declaration form is for and to add his signature to make it official. And that is what he did. Once he was done, he handed it to the man in front of him, who gently took it off his hands. “That is a declaration form, enabling you to take no more than 20 orphans. My son included. Simply show it to the orphanage. As for my son, I'll take care of that.”
“I see,” the man folded it and placed it in his inner pocket. “a pleasure to do business with you.”
With that the fedora wearing man left the room with his small contingent of men. Minato let out a heavy sigh when the door closed behind them and he leaned back against his chair. He really hoped he didn't make the wrong decision in practically selling his son to them.
X.X.X.X
8-years-ago,
One month, four days later
Minato let out another heavy sigh as the men in black left his city with their cargo of orphans. His unconscious son was amongst them, though he was in a carriage of his own. Already, he was regretting his decision in allowing his son to be taken away, but he can't turn back now. Not when he's already committed.
Thankfully no one was the-wiser to what he had done. As far as everyone else was concerned, Naruto Namikaze was kidnapped.
His son didn't even see it coming; didn't even see who his assailants are. He was bashed across the back of his head with a blunt object, knocking him out instantly.
Unfortunately for Minato, he had no idea what the men in black were really like, and what they were intending to do to those orphans and his own son. If he had realised, they never would have gotten out of the city alive.
X.X.X.X
Four years ago
Back inside of the mountainous bunker, Minato re-read the monthly report for what felt like the tenth time. He wanted to be absolutely sure he didn't misread anything. This machine of theirs was delicate; they had managed to remove much of the dirt and grime that managed to build up in its joints from centuries of isolation. Satisfied he lowered the report to the desk and laced his fingers together.
“Are you positively sure, that you are able to get the giant metal man working within the next three years?” he asked the scientist and officer who are currently in charge of the ongoing operation.
The scientist nodded with a gleeful grin.“Yes! We have the required source of energy needed to power it up; if we keep up the repairs within the next three years or so, we will have a new weapon to use in the defence against our enemies!” He informed Minato ecstatically.
The blond gave the man a respectful nod of acknowledgement. “Very well.” then he looked at the officer. “And what do you have to report, sergeant?”
The man in question handed Minato his own monthly report. The man took it and read through it all with a stoic look. While Minato did that the man gave this leader a brief overview of what the report had down.
“We had found two spies from our enemies in Stone and Cloud trying to find a way in the base. They were disposed of before they could find a way to gain entry.”
Minato nodded in approval. “Good. Very good.” he set the report down on the desk in front of him, intending to read it in full later on. “Dismissed.”
With that the two men left the room, leaving Minato to himself.
X.X.X.X
Present.
Two days before the arrival of Naruto, Helen, Deneve and the Primis Group.
Minato watched as his scientists inserted the glowing orange rocks into the giant metal man. It took them a lot of resources and manpower but at long last, they have reached this point. This moment - their moment - of triumph was close at hand! So very, very close!
And when the fifteenth, and largest sample of the glowing orange rock was inserted, the machine whirred to life. The sound of it powering up for the first time in 3 to 4 thousand years, strongly at that, had filled the entire room.
As everyone cheered and congratulated one another on a job well done, that was when things started going to hell.
The entire bunker started to shake and crack as the 1000 feet tall robot began to move. People started screaming and running as the entire bunker was being destroyed from the inside. The container that held the rest of the mysterious orange glowing rock
And from outside, the mountain began to crumble and rise up at the same time as the machine forced its way through several thousand feet of earth.
The movement of the giant machine was felt all the way to Konoha, at first they thought they were having an earthquake until someone brought their attention to the mountain in the distance when they heard it crack and collapse. Then, they saw it, the giant 1000 feet tall metal robot rising out of the mountain.
The rubble that was the mountain fell off of its rusty metallic surface as it rose to its full height. Then it moved, sending shock-waves into the ground with every step it took. Luckily for the civilians of Konoha, the robot didn't go near them as it walked; the environment around it on the other hand was not so lucky. Trees were crushed and uprooted, and deeply embedded footprints were left in its wake.
Back in what remained of the mountainous bunker/base, Minato hacked and coughed as he and several others shoved the rubble out of their way. They were beyond lucky they had managed to find a relatively safe place to take shelter in. The others were not so lucky.
Minato coughed as he and the others looked for a way out. They could hear the machine moving around outside. The sound of metal crushing and uprooting several hundred trees filled the air.
Minato stood up and pulled as many people as he could to their feet, and began their slow traverse up the remains of the underground mountain, before finding a corridor that led to the exit after several hours of walking and climbing.
When they finally got outside, they saw the amount of destruction the robot had wrought on their landscape. It wasn't even leaving the area! It was walking in circles, and ruining everything it touched.
What had they done?
Chapter 18
11-years-ago.
An irritated red-head stalked through the shrubbery as she searched for her younger brother on the outskirts of Konoha. Beside her were her friends, a purple haired woman named Anko and a wild and unruly dark-haired woman with red eyes called Kurenai.
The red-head was informed by her friends and acquaintances that the person she was looking for had ventured out of the city towards the west.
In her case the person she was looking for happens to be her younger brother, Naruto Namikaze.
The red-head exhaled with annoyance. “Why does he always do this? He should know better than to go out alone!” she viciously ranted aloud.
“C'mon, Mine! Naruto is 13-years-old, the boy can handle himself.” Anko told the red-head with an air of indifference. While she didn't know much of the boy, the woman wasn't that worried about him. “You don't need to be worried or get stressed out over him.
Who would have the balls to fuck with a child of Minato and Kushina?
People who have a death wish, that's who.
“Anko, Naruto being 13-years-old is precisely why I'm worried.” Mine told her friend, “He's young and brash – he's prone to make some very stupid decisions.” like wandering outside of Konoha by himself. Where no one is around. Where no one can hear him if he gets into trouble.
“Anko, he's alone and is probably far enough away from ear shot. If he gets lost or worse, hurt, then no one would be able to hear him.” Kurenai flatly told her purple-haired friend, who proceeded to gave them a nonchalant shrug in return.
The three women kept walking down the path and as the minutes went from single to the double digits, they felt a chill run down their spine. They exchanged looks before picking up the pace.
They didn't know why... but they had a feeling something is wrong.
Several more minutes passed and the trio came to a stop. All three had wide eyed looks on their face at what they saw. Laying face down on the dirt, was an unconscious Naruto Namikaze. He had his right hand pressed against a boulder sized rock that had weird, and deep carvings on the surface.
There was an unnatural, orange glow emitting from the carving itself. And, somehow, it had electricity racing up and down the surface. The women quickly realised the rock was not natural, at all.
And Naruto's exposed skin was enveloped by the same orange aura, with arcs of lightening racing up and down the length of his body, going under his clothes.
“Naruto!” a horrified Mine shouted as she frantically ran over to him.
“Mine! Wait!” Anko tried to grab Mine, to stop the red-head from going over to her unconscious brother. But Mine was already a quarter way there.
Kurenai and Anko ran after her to stop the red-head from doing something stupid. Mine got to Naruto first and quickly pulled his hand away from the rock by the sleeve. The second the limb was lifted the aura and electricity died away; almost as if it had faded into his skin.
She grabbed at her brothers clothes and began dragging him away from the freakish thing. Mine looked at her friends, when they finally caught up to her. “Anko! Kurenai! Help me drag Naruto away from this thing! Right now!”
They didn't hesitate doing what she said after the glaring look the red-head gave them.
Once the unconscious blond was dragged away from the mysteriously glowing, and potentially dangerous rock, they stared at it. One in wonder, another in curiosity, and one with a look of bitter distaste.
Tearing her glaring eyes away from the thing, Mine looked down at her brother in concerned panic, before carrying him in a bridal carry. He didn't move, he didn't make a sound, if it were not for him breathing Mine would have thought her brother was dead.
She gave Kurenai and Anko a scared and nervous look and beckoned them to follow after her as she ran all the way back to Konoha. She had to tell her father about this! Right now!
X.X.X.X
Thirty minutes later.
Inside he office of the Fire-Shadow tower, Minato Namikaze was busy reading and signing paperwork. It was filled with bookshelves, a wall with hanging photographs of the previous leaders of Konoha, a single office desk with two stacks of paperwork.
And behind the comfortable swivel chair where Minato is sitting, is a large window which allowed the man a overlooking view of most of Konoha itself.
The man sighed as he stamped his seal of approval on the current one, and grabbing a new one to read. This one was a request to make a new plantation to grow wheat. It got his seal of approval as soon as he finished reading it. The door to his office opened and his assistant, Akari an average looking woman with her brown-hair done up in a bun, walked in to the room and silently took out the pile of papers that were signed.
Minato stopped what he was doing and stretched his arms over his head with a groan. He jumped when his office door was slammed open, and his second daughter, Mine ran in with his youngest child in her arms, with Anko and Kurenai coming in just after.
He immediately stood up upon seeing the panicked look on her face.
“Mine! What happened!” Minato demanded as he moved out from behind his desk.
“I don't know!” Mine exclaimed, and she quickly walked over and handed her little brother to her father. “I just found him, unconscious in front of this... rock thing!”
Minato adjusted his hold on his little boy and grasped his hand. His skin was cold to the touch. It was like he was touching ice... he felt anger welling up within him. How could have this happened?!
With narrowed eyes, he handed his son to Kurenai and gave his daughter a serious look. “Mine. Where did you find him?” Mine subconsciously straightened up, knowing this wasn't her father talking, it was her commander.
“I will take you there, sir!”
Minato nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. Mine saluted and led her father – her general – to the location she had found her little brother.
“ Akari, send a message to the military, I want a small platoon of grenadiers to meet me outside of the city.”
X.X.X.X
Another 30 minutes had passed, and Minato along with a platoon of 50 men and women were being led to the location, Mine had found his son.
Once they found the damn thing, everyone, Minato included, noticed how alien the rock looked. It was the size of a boulder, and had deep carvings on the surface where a faint orange aura could be seen from the inside.
The blond didn't know why, but Minato knew this was no ordinary rock. A plan began to form...
He turned to his daughter. “You can go now, Mine. I'll take it from here.”
His daughter nodded and left. Minato then looked to one of his soldiers and began to lay out his orders.
X.X.X.X
Same day, some time later...
As he stood back and away from the others, Minato Namikaze watched as his subordinates uploaded the rock inside of a large metal carriage. It was made with extra thick and reinforced iron. On the containers door had a turn-able wheel on it.
While he was worried about his son, who had not woken up from his coma after being found out here after god knows how many hours, he could not allow a potential asset like this go to waste.
After his daughter Mine and her two friends Anko and Kurenai came running into his house, with Mine carrying an unconscious Naruto in her arms, he was scared for him. Really scared. He was told where his son had been found.
Which is where he is now.
Officially, he'll be ordering this rock destroyed to set the minds of the people that would ask questions, such as his wife Kushina.
Unofficially, it's being taken to an underground, mountain bunker a few miles away from Konoha for research and production. To see if they could find a way to harness this mysterious rock to their advantage; if they could, they would be able to make powerful weapons, and other assets.
Speaking of weapons and assets... maybe this rock is the missing piece for that giant metal man they found buried under that mountain they used as a bunker?
It can't hurt to try.
X.X.X.X
Naruto sat in his room by himself. Laying on the floor face up to the ceiling the thirteen year old had his eyes closed; asleep and seemingly unaware of the world around him.
“Can't you see Minato!? There is something wrong with him!” Naruto twitched as he heard a faint, but familiar voice yell at someone. His mother. Why did she say that?
“There is nothing wrong with him Kushina. He's doing perfectly fine.” Naruto twitched again and moved his head slightly upon hearing the familiar voice of his father; and like his mum, Naruto's dad sounded a younger.
“Fine? FINE?! He can't remember what happened between the ages seven to twelve Minato! He's lost nearly a decade of his life thanks to that bloody boulder!” Naruto softly grunted when he heard the faint shouting of his mum and the failings of his father to try and keep her calm.
“It'll pass Kushina, don't worry.” was Minato's reassuring voice. “We're getting rid of it so no one else will share the same fate. Afterwards we'll try to see if Naruto can still do things other children can.”
“And if he doesn't? What then?” Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked towards the partially open bedroom door.
“If he doesn't, then it will be up to us to make sure he can.” The way Minato said that with such confidence made the young Naruto frown. Why were they talking as if something was wrong with him? He may not remember the past several years, but that didn't mean nothing was wrong with him.
“There's nothing wrong with you.” Naruto looked to his bed when he heard an old man speak to him in a kindly manner. White hair and a similar coloured beard, a receding hairline; clothes consisting of a dark green and red lined jacket with a blue buttoned shirt worn underneath, a pair of black fingerless gloves, black trousers and shoes.
“Ah ah ah, there's no need to speak little one. No one but you can hear me.” the man said as Naruto opened his mouth to talk. Slowly nodding to show he understood Naruto closed his lips and sat up cross legged and turned around to look at the man.
The question he was projecting was easy to see: who are you?
“I go by many names. But you can call me Doctor Monty.” the now named Doctor Monty answered.
Naruto cocked his head to the side; the question, 'why are you here?' was showing on his face.
Chortling to himself Doctor Monty groaned as he pushed himself off of the bed and walked to the window with his hands behind his back.
“You know you are not the first person to have lost their memory by touching that stone.” Monty said as he stared at the large town on the opposite end of the window and knowing he had captured Naruto's attention he continued. “You most certainly will not be the last either. The side effects it has on its victims will linger.” he suddenly turned around and gave Naruto a look full of pity. “Now don't worry the memory loss won't last. You will get your memory back. Eventually. But the side effects unfortunately will always be there. I am afraid your parents are fighting a lost cause.”
Naruto got upset. But he didn't cry. Instead he hugged his legs and tightly closed his eyes. He snapped his eyes open and looked up when he felt Monty thread his hands in his hair and rub them. Like a grandfather would.
He had a grandfatherly smile on his face. “Don't worry. While you may have lost a lot of things you have improved in one thing. Trust in this old man when I say it will help you in the future. But...I'll get you figure out what you're good at for yourself. There'd be no fun in its discovery otherwise!”
And then just like that he was gone. Startled Naruto quickly got up and wildly looked around his room. The man is just vanished.
It was here that Minato and Kushina, his parents, entered the room and when Naruto looked at them he saw Minato was looking at him with a patent smile, while Kushina looked like she was straining to do the same. She was upset but was trying to hide it.
The father gave his son a patent smile and as he offered his hand, Minato said. “Naruto please come with us for a moment. We need to check something.”
Not seeing anything wrong with that Naruto got up and walked over to his mum and dad. He took the larger hand of his father' and allowed him to guide him out of the room.
X.X.X.X
11-years-ago
Three weeks later
Inside his house, Minato Namikaze was watching his son trying and failing to do a simple task of playing catch with his oldest sister Fuyu, from the window of his bedroom. His hand eye coordination was spot on, like always, but for some reason Naruto had never, ever, managed to catch the object being tossed to him.
It was worrying. Very worrying. Fuyu kept her concern hidden away from her younger brother, but not him. Not her father. He could tell she was concerned, worried and afraid. It wasn't just him playing catch with his sister that Naruto was bad it. It was almost everything. Whatever had happened to his son, had made him... clumsy to the degree he could only preform basic human tasks.
Anything else, he would struggle with immensely.
“How is he?” Minato looked over his shoulder to see his former mentor, and father in all but name, Jiraiya entering the room.
“I don't know.” the man answered his mentor as he turned back to peer out of the window. “His reaction time is the same. His personality has not changed, he is still eating healthy. But he has gotten so clumsy, that anything he does outside of basic human tasks, is terrible. He's not making any improvements in any activity whatsoever. Nor is he getting worse in them. “ Minato let out a hollowed sigh. “I don't know what to do.”
To comfort the blond, Jiraiya put a hand on Minato's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“All we can do now is give him time and wait and see.” the man consoled his former student. “It's been three weeks and Mine told us how... unnatural that stone was.”
“Yes,” Minato nodded in remembrance. “Mine said Naruto's skin had a faint orange glow, and had electricity crackling up and down his skin when he was touching it. I wouldn't have believed her if I had not seen the rock for myself.”
“Speaking of that rock, what happened to it? Has it been destroyed?”
Minato answered the older man reassuringly, “It has been taken care of. There's nothing to worry about it.” he expertly lied through his teeth. Jiraiya didn't notice the blatant lie his son in all but blood had told him, and took his word at face value.
“Good.” the white haired man let out a sigh of relief. “Who knows what would have happened if it wasn't.” he did not know why but the description of that stone; of that glowing rock; it gave him chills.
Minato sighed and turned away from the window. “Have you receive word from your informers on what it is? What it's capable of?”
Jiraiya let out a sigh of his own; it was full of exhaustion. “Not as far as I know. I had my men combing through every archive we found and recovered from the previous era. The language, as you know, is close enough to ours. But none of the documents within have any mention of these... glowing orange rocks. And if there was, it's highly probable they are now long gone.”
Minato sighed again. “Disappointing, but not unexpected.” he said and grasped his hands behind his back. He would have liked to know just what the rock is capable of. The man thought the archives would have the answers to his questions.
It seems he needs to do this the old fashioned way.
Trail and error.
“How's Kushina taking this?” the elder asked him.
“Kushina...” Minato paused to gather his thoughts. “Kushina is always worried about him. She seems to think something is wrong with our son, that him still having trouble with as simple as playing catch isn't normal.” he rubbed the bridge of his nose and added, “I have to agree with her, Naruto and Fuyu have been going at this for an hour and he hasn't improved at all. If anything he seems to be getting worse than better.”
“He looks fine to me.” Jiraiya said, “He's breathing well; he looks healthy; while his... new found lack of talent for anything you find so far is worrisome, if you keep this up, and have him preform different tasks with varying difficulties then I am positively sure he'll be back to normal within 2 to 3 years.”
“Oh? Did Tsunade tell you that?”
Jiraiya snorted. “Call it an old man’s intuition, you brat.”
Minato chuckled, “I'll keep that in mind, and you updated on Naruto. If he makes any progress you'll be the first to know.”
Jiraiya gave his former student a patient smile, nodded, and left the room to leave Naruto's father to his own devices.
Had he looked back, Jiraiya would have seen a thoughtful frown on Minato's face as he just before he turned to face the window again. The man was planning something; something big. And it involved the glowing orange rock that is safely inside the mountainous bunker a few miles out.
X.X.X.X
9-years-ago
A fifteen-year-old Naruto took aim down the range with his musket. The blond didn't know why, even after using a musket for two years, it felt right; it was like he was meant to hold a weapon like this in his hands.
With one eye closed, he lined up the shot and pulled the trigger. He would never get used to the kick, not after what happened the very first time he fired the rifle.
The fucking kick was so unexpected for the, back then, 13-year-old that it knocked him on his ass and dislocated his shoulder. Setting the joint back in its place was an even bigger pain. Nothing ever topped that.
Naruto began the minute long process by loading the gunpowder into the tube inside of the rifle, and inserting the bullet inside of the chamber.
If there was one thing the blond hated the most about these muskets, it was the fact they could only shoot one bullet before having to reload. If only they had the more advanced weapons, like an M16 assault rifle. Or an M1A1 carbine? They had less reload time and had the capacity to shoot more than one bullet.
And don't get him started with the flintlock pistols and the flintlock blunderbuss, they were equally as bad since they shared similar setbacks. Still he liked the blunderbuss as a pistol.
“You've improved, Naruto.”
Naruto set the now-loaded musket down against the wall before looking behind him. His mentors, Kakashi and Yamato were observing him with crossed arms.
Kakashi is his dads old student; a grey haired man in his late 20s with the bottom half of his face covered up by a mask, with an eye patch over his left eye that served no other purpose other than to look decorative.
Yamato is another old student of his fathers; he had short brown hair and is also in his late 20s. Unlike Kakashi beside him Yamato did not have a mask or any decorative accessories worn. The two men wore similar clothes – a black military grade flak jacket, with a sleeveless jumper for Yamato and a rolled up sleeved jumper for Kakashi. They wore matching coloured gloves with leather guards over them, a kevlar vest that covered their entire torso, shoulders and their upper arms, almost like spaulders. some pants and steel-toe cap boots.
A bullet proof vest – or as Naruto liked to call them, 'bullet resistant' vest, was one technology they had managed to recover from the previous era and recreated it. Though they made some adjustments and improvements to it, such as adding more protection to the shoulders and arms.
Naruto chortled and looked back down the range. “I had some good teachers.” he said with genuine honesty.
“Have you found something you would like to do, after your done with your training?” Yamato asked the fifteen-year-old as he picked up the musket.
Naruto paused momentarily before pressing the butt of the rifle against his shoulder, and taking aim down the range. “Yeah, I did actually. I'm thinking of taking up a job as a security guard in a penitentiary near Konoha. They're recruiting, and from what I heard, they are not particularly picky in who they hire.” he took a deep breath and pulled the trigger, with the rifle bucking against his shoulder.
“They must have a shortage of men if that's the case.” Kakashi deduced, watching as his student began the minute long process of reloading the musket. “Still, it'll give you some experience under your belt; and having some is better than none.”
“Yeah, there's that. And what I will be doing the most, is standing guard and patrolling the parameter for hours. Easy money and non-life threatening.” the blond pointed out with a chuckle.
“...Are you sure you don't want Minato and Kushina to know about your skills in fights?” Kakashi suddenly asked; he was really concerned for his former teachers son. The man had heard talk that Minato was steadily getting more and more frustrated, at his son's lack of skill in nearly everything he tried to do.
Sooner or later something was bound to happen. And for this grey haired man, he had a feeling that 'something' wasn't going to be good.
Naruto snorted at the question. “Dad barely treats me as his own son; Mum is barely there and Mine and Fuyu are barely around. And when they are, they merely dismiss me or best. Ignore me at worst.” Both Kakashi and Yamato winced at the examples and the pure bitterness in his voice as he gave them; it sounds as if he wasn't telling them everything. “In my honest opinion, they don't deserve to be told about this. It may do more harm than good in the long run, but that's their fault.”
Kakashi and Yamato thought otherwise, but kept their thoughts to themselves. They knew how hard headed and stubborn Naruto is when it came to something – it was a trait he shared with Kushina. They wanted to get themselves involved in this family feud Minato had inadvertently made; but kept themselves from doing so.
It was a family thing – and as much as they wanted to just tell Minato and Kushina of their son's ability to understand, use and fire a musket and other flintlock firearms, the son and parents had to solve this by themselves.
Even if they thought otherwise.
X.X.X.X
8-years-ago
Deep within Mount. Houri, several miles outside of Konoha was Minato Namikaze. He was in the office of the bunker, which was more like an underground base and research facility than a bunker. The bunker was a thousand feet long and five hundred feet high. It was, in simple terms, the biggest bunker ever made on the face of the planet.
But there was a good reason. The bunker itself was not man made. Not really. The ground, nay, the entire mountain itself was grown around a giant metal man of a thousand foot long. They found the titan sized construct twenty-five-years ago, by pure luck. And the entire bunker itself was built around it. Mainly to see how it worked, what it was able to do, what it was capable of. And most importantly: could they get it to turn on.
Unfortunately, despite all the progress they've made in getting all the dirt, grime and dust cleared from its joints, and replicating the replaceable components such as gears, wires, and glass – they were simply unable to turn it on. They knew they were missing something; a key component; but they had no idea what it was.
Then that strange, and otherworldly orange glowing rock was placed inside the bunker 3-years-ago. No one knew what it was; but as far as they did know it could affect someone's functionality their general's son, Naruto Namikaze was a textbook example of it.
Never the less, they did everything they could to prevent themselves from ending up like him. Though that attempt was slowly proving to be... ineffective. While they weren't ending up like their leader's youngest child, those that were close to the glowing orange rock were getting sick.
It wasn't a severe or normal illness, it was a mild one, and a couple of days break and they were as good as new. They learned to not be near the rock for long periods of time. They went in shifts, lessening their chances of getting sick. And it was effective.
From the window of his office, Minato watched with a sense of pride as his men worked tirelessly to find a way to turn on the giant metal man. They had gotten a small chunk of rock from that stone they brought in three-years-ago and were about to try it out on the metal man.
They barely found anything out about it in those three years. Just that it made people sick the longer they were around it. No one suffered the same fate as his son, thankfully.
When they brought the rock to the inactive robot. Something happened. Something that took everyone by surprise. The rock when it was brought to the robot, sank into the metal and the giant machine whirred to life. They were lucky it didn't have enough juice to move or else it would have gotten up and flattened everyone inside the bunker.
It shut itself down a minute later when it no longer had any power to sustain itself, but Minato had a massive grin that threatened to separate his face. Finally! Finally they managed to do find and use something that would get the metal construct to turn on!
They were one step closer to achieving his goals.
X.X.X.X
8-years ago,
One month later.
Minato stared at the... guests, a word he is using loosely, with a stoic look. These men in black were off putting. He wasn't afraid of them, but he had a feeling there was something... off about them. Something sinister. All of them were garbed in black clothes from head to toe, making them look like ninjas. The one leading them was a bald man wearing a fedora and sunglasses.
Nevertheless, the man couldn't help but be suspicious of their arrival and incredulous of what they were asking for.
Minato laced his fingers together in front of him as he leaned forward on his desk. He gave a dark clothed man wearing a hat, their negotiator, a piercing stare. “Do you know what you're asking of me?”
The man smiled, undisturbed by the stare the fire-shadow was giving him and inclined his head. “I do. All I ask is for you to give us orphans, miscreants, people that no one knows or would miss. We shall even pay you in gold.”
Minato frowned even more. “And what would happen to them?”
“They will be cared for. They will be given new homes, new families, or if they want - they can be trained to become soldiers.”
It was a lie and a very good one. Minato, the leader of Konoha, had bought their word at face value instead of doing the reasonable, and smart thing. Like asking questions or where they even came from, since they were clearly foreigners. Then the man did something that would set off events that may or may not have repercussions in the future.
The blond nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Very well. You have permission to take orphans and other trouble makers. There is one more person you can take with you as well: my son, Naruto Namikaze.”
The reason he was allowing them to take his son is because the man thought the boy was useless. And as a soldier, a general, this was a blemish. He wanted his boy to be fixed of his problem and after trying everything for the past three years, he was at a ropes end. So he was putting everything in this one last opportunity.
The man before him tilt his head to the side, a curious frown pulling at his lips. “Your son? Are you sure?” The man in black didn't really care to be honest, but he wanted to avoid creating an enemy with this technologically advanced city. With their own war they've been fighting for centuries with no clear winner on each side, they simply could not afford making a new enemy.
Minato nodded. “Yes. My son is... it is hard to explain his condition – however, what happened to him three years ago has changed him. I'm hoping you're able to cure him of his... ailments, and train him to be the best soldier he can be.”
“I see...” the man adjusted his hat and smiled politely. “That will be of no problem for us. Is he here?”
Minato shook his head. “No, but my son is due to be back in the next couple of days.” the man then grabbed a piece of paper that already had writing on it, but with a few underlined blanks . It hadthe signatures of his advisor’s already on it; all that was needed was to write down what the declaration form is for and to add his signature to make it official. And that is what he did. Once he was done, he handed it to the man in front of him, who gently took it off his hands. “That is a declaration form, enabling you to take no more than 20 orphans. My son included. Simply show it to the orphanage. As for my son, I'll take care of that.”
“I see,” the man folded it and placed it in his inner pocket. “a pleasure to do business with you.”
With that the fedora wearing man left the room with his small contingent of men. Minato let out a heavy sigh when the door closed behind them and he leaned back against his chair. He really hoped he didn't make the wrong decision in practically selling his son to them.
X.X.X.X
8-years-ago,
One month, four days later
Minato let out another heavy sigh as the men in black left his city with their cargo of orphans. His unconscious son was amongst them, though he was in a carriage of his own. Already, he was regretting his decision in allowing his son to be taken away, but he can't turn back now. Not when he's already committed.
Thankfully no one was the-wiser to what he had done. As far as everyone else was concerned, Naruto Namikaze was kidnapped.
His son didn't even see it coming; didn't even see who his assailants are. He was bashed across the back of his head with a blunt object, knocking him out instantly.
Unfortunately for Minato, he had no idea what the men in black were really like, and what they were intending to do to those orphans and his own son. If he had realised, they never would have gotten out of the city alive.
X.X.X.X
Four years ago
Back inside of the mountainous bunker, Minato re-read the monthly report for what felt like the tenth time. He wanted to be absolutely sure he didn't misread anything. This machine of theirs was delicate; they had managed to remove much of the dirt and grime that managed to build up in its joints from centuries of isolation. Satisfied he lowered the report to the desk and laced his fingers together.
“Are you positively sure, that you are able to get the giant metal man working within the next three years?” he asked the scientist and officer who are currently in charge of the ongoing operation.
The scientist nodded with a gleeful grin.“Yes! We have the required source of energy needed to power it up; if we keep up the repairs within the next three years or so, we will have a new weapon to use in the defence against our enemies!” He informed Minato ecstatically.
The blond gave the man a respectful nod of acknowledgement. “Very well.” then he looked at the officer. “And what do you have to report, sergeant?”
The man in question handed Minato his own monthly report. The man took it and read through it all with a stoic look. While Minato did that the man gave this leader a brief overview of what the report had down.
“We had found two spies from our enemies in Stone and Cloud trying to find a way in the base. They were disposed of before they could find a way to gain entry.”
Minato nodded in approval. “Good. Very good.” he set the report down on the desk in front of him, intending to read it in full later on. “Dismissed.”
With that the two men left the room, leaving Minato to himself.
X.X.X.X
Present.
Two days before the arrival of Naruto, Helen, Deneve and the Primis Group.
Minato watched as his scientists inserted the glowing orange rocks into the giant metal man. It took them a lot of resources and manpower but at long last, they have reached this point. This moment - their moment - of triumph was close at hand! So very, very close!
And when the fifteenth, and largest sample of the glowing orange rock was inserted, the machine whirred to life. The sound of it powering up for the first time in 3 to 4 thousand years, strongly at that, had filled the entire room.
As everyone cheered and congratulated one another on a job well done, that was when things started going to hell.
The entire bunker started to shake and crack as the 1000 feet tall robot began to move. People started screaming and running as the entire bunker was being destroyed from the inside. The container that held the rest of the mysterious orange glowing rock
And from outside, the mountain began to crumble and rise up at the same time as the machine forced its way through several thousand feet of earth.
The movement of the giant machine was felt all the way to Konoha, at first they thought they were having an earthquake until someone brought their attention to the mountain in the distance when they heard it crack and collapse. Then, they saw it, the giant 1000 feet tall metal robot rising out of the mountain.
The rubble that was the mountain fell off of its rusty metallic surface as it rose to its full height. Then it moved, sending shock-waves into the ground with every step it took. Luckily for the civilians of Konoha, the robot didn't go near them as it walked; the environment around it on the other hand was not so lucky. Trees were crushed and uprooted, and deeply embedded footprints were left in its wake.
Back in what remained of the mountainous bunker/base, Minato hacked and coughed as he and several others shoved the rubble out of their way. They were beyond lucky they had managed to find a relatively safe place to take shelter in. The others were not so lucky.
Minato coughed as he and the others looked for a way out. They could hear the machine moving around outside. The sound of metal crushing and uprooting several hundred trees filled the air.
Minato stood up and pulled as many people as he could to their feet, and began their slow traverse up the remains of the underground mountain, before finding a corridor that led to the exit after several hours of walking and climbing.
When they finally got outside, they saw the amount of destruction the robot had wrought on their landscape. It wasn't even leaving the area! It was walking in circles, and ruining everything it touched.
What had they done?
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