376If anyone is still reading this story, I must apologize for the delay. I will write the same I wrote on my other story (A demon in the Shadows) because it also applies here.
I've been too busy lately (I'm a teacher now) and I wasn't able to spend much time on this fic.
Now, I must say this: I was planning on doing another revision to this chapter (the eight one) but I didn't because I would have never published this chapter in that case.
The chapter is not perfect, but I did my best in fixing all the errors that I could find. If you continue reading the story despite that, then you, as a native English speaking person, will spot errors more easily.
I'm not asking you to be my beta reader; I'm just hoping you can bear with it (if you decide to continue reading the story). But I won't mind if you point out the errors.
With that, here's the chapter.
Organic being talking, "What's up?"
Organic being thinking, "Maybe"
Non-Organic being / Demon talking, "I don't understand your order."
Non-Organic being / Demon thinking, "He must be kidding."
Techniques. "Oiroke no Jutsu!"
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Mass Effect. Credits to their respective owners.
Chapter 11
Once Shepard and Naruto entered the communications room, the crew stopped their conversations and looked at them.
Inside the room was everyone but Grunt; he stayed because he wanted to get used to living outside a tank before doing anything too serious. Shepard agreed and that was that.
"At last," Zaeed expressed with a bored expression.
"What took you so long?" Kasumi asked.
Shepard didn't answer her question; she walked forward with some difficulty because of her body's weight and said, "A dangerous mission is ahead of us, one that could cost us our lives. I still don't know much about you, but I'm certain you have what it takes to stay alive."
Everyone nodded, and the commander continued, "We'll need the countermeasures... Mordin?"
The scientist stepped forward and gave one vaccine to each of them; he even gave one to Naruto.
When everyone used the vaccines, Shepard added, "All right, it's time to go. The Alliance will join us in this mission. Be careful where you shoot."
"The Alliance?" Jacob asked curiously.
Miranda added, "Did the Illusive Man agree? There will be tensions between the Alliance and the Normandy's crew, even if you are in charge, commander."
"Don't worry about that. Now, everyone, to the hangar," Shepard replied.
Before they could move, Naruto's clone did a seal with his fingers before saying. "Done."
All of them appeared in the hangar, which took everyone aback. They looked at him with an expression that said why he had done it, to which the Uzumaki replied, "We are short on time."
They all nodded and checked their weapons one last time while the commander said, "Joker?"
"We're through the relay in 15 seconds, commander," the pilot replied.
In the cabin, EDI's figure spoke, "Joker, I'm receiving an incoming communication from the Alliance."
"Got it," the pilot replied, pressing a button on his board. "Normandy, over."
"Copy, Normandy. The first fleet speaking. We will join you after crossing the Relay, over."
"Copy. Normandy over and out." Joker pressed another button to speak with the commander. "The Alliance will join us after we cross the Relay."
"All right. Everyone, get inside the shuttle," the blonde woman commanded.
Her small army nodded and everyone boarded the ship, waiting for the Normandy's arrival to Horizon.
When Hackett's fleet was assembled, each ship received Naruto's countermeasures and the admiral explained what they had to do with them.
The fleet was composed of 10 ships: a single dreadnought, seven cruisers, and two carriers.
Hackett couldn't and didn't want to bring the entire fleet because it would draw the Alliance's attention or cause panic back on Earth.
After that everyone got the countermeasures, the admiral walked to the command post to inform the fleet. "We just discovered that Horizon is under attack and our citizens are being abducted. Our mission is to rescue them and repel the enemy forces at all costs. The Normandy will join us."
The crew of each ship started to whisper. Some were excited, while others wondered how that was possible since the Alliance said that the Geth destroyed the Normandy two years ago.
They didn't ask questions, as he continued, "Commander Shepard is still alive, and because of certain circumstances, she is now collaborating with Cerberus."
People now whispered in confusion, worry, and even in outrage.
Hackett continued since he didn't want to cause a fuss. "That doesn't mean she has betrayed the Alliance. To make things clear, Shepard is still our best asset. That she's collaborating with Cerberus won't change this. She has her reasons, which I can't reveal. I'll only say she has my trust; that's all you need to know."
It had been more than enough; everyone's doubts vanished when he uttered those words.
Noting that everyone was calmer, the admiral continued, "Leaving that aside, I will continue with our plan of action. Once we arrive at Horizon, this ship will fire at my signal. The rest of the fleet will land. Some will board the enemy ship to free the abducted colonists while the rest will help Shepard to free the colony. You must be fast since we don't know how long the ship will stay on the planet. I'm counting on you, Hackett out."
After that, his pilot told him they were in front of the Mass Relay. Hackett told him to proceed, and therefore, all the ships of the Alliance moved forward, being surrounded by the element Zero of the core, sending them at FTL speeds to the Shadow Sea, to the Iera System, the place where the planet Horizon was.
Ten frigates of the Alliance appeared right behind the Normandy, which quickly advanced towards the planet in question once the ships had met.
Hackett ordered them to follow the Normandy, and in less than five seconds, they reached the planet's exosphere.
In the Normandy's hangar, the gate opened, and the shuttle made its descent to the colony, while the Alliance's ships accompanied it.
Inside the shuttle, almost everyone was looking at the commander with questioning expressions because of her tired countenance. The mortals looked subtly at the immortal man, sensing he was the cause. Most of them decided not to ask questions, but Garrus couldn't help it. "What's wrong, Shepard? Are you sure you can do the mission?"
Shepard sat down to catch her breath. "This is a piece of cake. I lost count of how many times I almost died when I was doing the N7 test; I can do this." She glanced at Garrus before bowing her head because of the fatigue.
The turian didn't feel satisfied with her response. "I'm not trying to belittle that test, but I doubt it included fighting against several enemies with advanced tech close to their mothership, right?"
The commander's silence had given her away, so Garrus looked at Naruto and added, "I know your objective is to turn Shepard into a super-soldier. However, she shouldn't be doing something so risky before such a dangerous mission."
Garrus looked at Shepard, who still couldn't raise her head because of the fatigue. Then he looked at the blond man, who listened attentively.
The turian continued, "So I think she should be in optimal conditions. We all know how dangerous she can be in that case, but she may not be the Shepard that we all know in her current state."
"Are you underestimating me?" the commander replied amid sighs.
Garrus shook his head. "You know that's not the case. I know how lethal you can be. Hell, we all know. However, you are about to face enemies who have already killed you once. Remember that you were at a disadvantage because you were in space, and this time you will be at a disadvantage because you don't have the complete mobility of your body. I'm trying to be reasonable."
Garrus considered Shepard her best friend, and he cared for her deeply. Thus, he didn't want anything bad to happen to her.
Almost everyone agreed, even Naruto.
Shepard didn't want to discuss the topic any further since she wanted to save as much energy as possible.
The Uzumaki reassured everyone. "You all know I'm here because of Shepard. Without her, you would have never met me. That's why I'll make sure anything bad happens to her, even if that means I have to reveal my presence to the collectors." He looked subtly at Shepard, who this time hid her head because of a slight blush on her cheeks.
The Jinchūriki looked back at the turian and continued, "But I don't think it'll be necessary. She'll think of a way to deal with this adversity, as she always has."
The crew was worried about Shepard as they knew she played an important role in uniting the galaxy to defeat the Reapers, and mainly, to keep Naruto around.
If they wanted their loved ones to survive, and the civilization as they knew it to remain, then they would need Naruto's help. If Shepard was the only thing that kept him around, it was no wonder that they were worried about her.
Shepard then stood up and looked at her team. "We're about to land. Let's save this colony."
As she said that, Naruto joined the fingers of his hands and whispered, "Henge."
The crew looked at him in surprise since his appearance had changed. His hair was now lank and red, just like his eyes. His body was thinner, the marks on his cheeks were no longer there, and he became shorter.
"Wow, you can also change your appearance," Kasumi said in surprise.
The 'redhead' looked at her before answering, "I do. I only changed my appearance because I'm sure the collectors would recognize me if I don't."
"Did the collectors also invade your world?" Zaeed questioned.
"No, it's not that. They are the puppets of the Reapers, as such; they have a puppeteer who controls them. That means the Reapers can control the collectors and see through them."
Before the rest could show their surprise, Shepard asked, "Could they indoctrinate us?"
Naruto shook his head. "No, they can't. However, if a Reaper assumes direct control of a collector, then it can increase its combat capabilities. When they attacked my world, I didn't notice much difference in their strength, but now, who knows? Be careful."
Everyone nodded, and the pilot said he would land a few meters from the colony and that they would have to break through.
"All right, is everyone ready?" The commander asked, feeling that the ship had slowed down considerably.
Her team nodded, so Shepard continued as the door opened. "Let's go!"
When the crew put their feet on the ground, the paralyzing seeker swarms flew near them, but the insects quickly flew away thanks to the countermeasures.
Before moving forward, they waited for the Alliance's shuttles to land.
On the Alliance flagship, Hackett heard the report of his second in command. "The rest of the fleet is landing near the collector ship. They are ready to board the enemy ship. Should we fire our main weapon, sir?"
Hackett didn't know what to say since Naruto hadn't told him how long it would disable the systems of the Collector Cruiser.
Before making a hasty decision, he consulted with the technicians of his ship. "Analyze the systems of the Collector Cruiser. If there are any signs that it'll take off, shoot our main cannon."
The technicians nodded and pressed the buttons on their consoles to start the scanning, projecting an image of the Collector ship on the Combat Information Center.
After analyzing the report, Hackett spoke, "They have no intention of taking off yet. You know what do if they try otherwise."
The crew nodded, and Hackett then requested the images of Shepard's team and of those who were heading to the enemy ship.
At the rendezvous point, Shepard watched an Alliance contingent approaching their position after their shuttles had landed.
"Platoons 4, 5 and 6 of the First Fleet ready to provide assistance, Commander Shepard," a tall and stocky man spoke, making a military salute like the rest of the soldiers.
Shepard returned the greeting. "I hope you didn't mind seeing me on a Cerberus ship."
"Don't worry, commander. It's an honor to serve with you," the same man stated, while his companions nodded to his words.
"I assume all of you are immunized." The blonde woman continued, seeing that the swarms were also ignoring them.
"That's correct, commander. Admiral Hackett gave us the countermeasures that you sent. We are ready for this mission."
Mordin tried to ask him how it was possible since he only made enough for Shepard's team. However, Naruto subtly told him that he did it.
"Very well," Shepard added, as she looked at the man in charge of the Alliance. "Divide your team into three groups. One will approach the right flank and the other the left flank. My team and the last group will take the middle. Can you do it?"
"Affirmative, commander," the one in command confirmed and quickly divided his team.
A group of at least twenty people approached Shepard.
Once the groups were formed, Shepard added, "They already know we're here, so we won't try to be stealthy. We will move forward as fast as we can to free the colony, and then we will join those who landed near the enemy ship."
Everyone nodded, and the commander ordered everyone to get in their respective positions.
Shepard then inhaled profusely, trying to ignore the heavy load she was carrying and the fatigue.
She then moved forward, being followed by her team and the Alliance soldiers, who were looking at her with confused expressions since she seemed tired.
They said nothing about it since they thought she had good reasons to be in that state.
In the distance, they saw that the entrance of the colony was empty, but they could hear strange sounds that resembled buzzes.
They soon discovered what it was since it forced them to take cover. Dozens of collectors were flying like insects to the entrance to welcome them with a rain of bullets that passed right above their heads.
Shepard and her crew took cover near the colony's entrance small wall.
The soldiers of the Alliance took cover on the other side of said wall.
The entrance was strongly protected; besides, the enemies continued arriving.
Shepard, knowing it would be difficult to move forward, looked at the leader of the Alliance and shouted, "Are the other teams in position?!"
The man activated his Omni-tool and spoke through it. "Delta Team, are you in position?"
"Roger, Bravo Team, we are ready to unleash a storm."
Above them, on the left and right flanks, the rest of the Alliance soldiers appeared, opening fire and throwing biotic attacks at the collectors, who were caught off guard.
Now the enemy had to concentrate their fire not only on the entrance but also on the higher positions.
Seeing the opportunity, the Bravo Team leader exclaimed to his team. "Go, go, go!"
The Alliance soldiers left their cover and moved forward, shooting back at their enemies and throwing their biotic attacks as they took positions within the colony.
"Let's go! Shepard shouted, leaving her cover and shooting as she tried to move forward, only to trip and almost fall to the ground, as she suddenly felt completely exhausted.
Naruto held her before she could fall, leaning her against the wall while the rest of the Normandy crew moved forward to support the Alliance soldiers.
"Are you okay, Shepard?" The Uzumaki asked worriedly. When seeing her face, he thought of decreasing the weight she was carrying so she could perform the mission properly.
Shepard was breathing heavily, with closed eyes and her head down because she felt exhausted. Besides, the commander felt she was about to pass out, the reason why she couldn't reply.
The immortal man put his hand into one of his pockets and said, "Shepard, listen. I'm about to give you something that will help you, but I warn you will feel worse once the effect is over."
The blonde woman opened her right eye slightly and saw through her visor a small brown ball in his right hand. "W-What's that?" She asked, closing her eye again.
"A soldier pill," the Uzumaki replied. "It'll give you enough energy to fight for three days straight. Once you eat it, you won't be able to sleep during that time and you'll have the urge to spend that energy. Do you understand?"
The commander nodded slightly, so Naruto removed her helmet and put it aside before saying, "Open your mouth."
The experienced soldier complied without protest.
The ball entered her mouth, and Shepard moved it from side to side, feeling a slightly bitter taste.
She finally bit it and swallowed it, feeling an overflowing sensation of vitality. The energy had been so much that her eyes widened as she stood up to scream. "This tastes like crap!"
"Hey, be careful!" Naruto yelled at her, holding her right wrist and forcing her to duck to avoid the bullets that passed above her head.
He saw her bringing her hands to her neck, spitting as she complained about the disgusting aftertaste.
The Jinchūriki sighed. "I already told you, I'm not good at cooking. Even the things I create with my mind don't taste well."
"Then you could have used your healing ability." She grimaced, sticking her tongue out and closing her eyes tightly while shaking her head because of the bitter taste that wouldn't go away.
Naruto stood up and took both hands behind his back to grab his bright reddish swords. "That wouldn't have worked. Anyway, stop complaining. Let's do it. And remember, 'up'." With that said, the 'redhead' jumped over the wall and ran to provide his help.
The soldiers of the Alliance and the crew of the Normandy observed Naruto moving in a zigzag at moderate speed. He didn't intend to do anything flashy; his idea was to attract the attention of the collectors and distract them with his agile movements so the others could move forward.
"Who is that guy? Is he insane?" One of the Alliance soldiers spoke.
"He seems to be part of Commander Shepard's team. But it doesn't matter; he's drawing their attention. Let's seize this chance!" Another one replied, and with that, the soldiers started to win more ground.
Meanwhile, the commander had remembered the modification that the Shinobi had made to her armor. She poked her head over the wall to observe the situation.
She saw that some soldiers of the Alliance were helping their peers because they were injured. She also saw the crossfire and Naruto moving from side to side with the agility of a feline.
"That guy; I can't believe anyone can move like that… Anyway, it's time to test it," Shepard thought, grabbing her helmet and putting it back on.
"Up," she whispered, hearing a strange sound coming from the back of her armor before feeling a sudden thrust that raised her about ten meters high.
Shepard cried out in surprise, causing several of those present to look in her direction. They saw her moving awkwardly in the air before falling back to the ground.
No one knew what happened, but they didn't have time to ask questions because of the enemy fire.
Naruto was the only one who knew, and he could only smile as he watched her fall. However, since the beams of the collectors' weapons hit his armor's barrier, the Uzumaki kept on moving from one place to another.
Meanwhile, the blonde woman landed with her hands on the ground, panting slightly because of the air she had expelled when screaming.
"Ugh, that was..., exciting," she said while a smile appeared on her face after getting an idea.
She focused on the area where the collectors were grouping up; she closed her eyes, breathed deeply, clenched her fists and slowly surrounded herself with the aura of her Biotic Charge.
Shepard then opened her eyes and the blue line of the attack became visible, which went in a straight line to its target, resulting in a thunderous impact that resonated in the surroundings.
The collector that received the impact crashed into the wall of a nearby building, breaking the wall and the one behind it as well, killing the collector instantly. The rest of the collectors had fallen to the ground because the impact had released a strong wind gust.
The Alliance soldiers stopped firing because the commander appeared in the middle of the enemy's concentration point. Although the strength of her Biotic Charge had surprised them, they quickly moved forward since the enemy was surrounding and pointing their guns at Shepard.
The blonde woman's allies tried to provide covering fire to give her time to get out of there, but before they could, the commander did something amazing.
Surrounded and in a situation in which the odds seemed to be against her, the commander had turned to the first enemy she had seen, activating her Omni-tool and giving herself an 'Adrenaline Rush', which turned her environment brighter and improved her reaction time.
She could see the collector slowly raising its weapon and moving its fingers to the trigger. The blonde woman had been faster; she had raised her right hand and surrounded it with her biotic power, sending a wave of energy that surrounded the collector and drew it close to her right fist, suspending it midair.
Then, she looked up and sent her right arm upwards, opening her fist and releasing the collector she had captured with her biotic power.
The collector was ejected like a cannonball until it seemed it got lost in the sky. At that precise moment, the effect of her Adrenaline Rush had stopped, and Shepard noticed that the environment had regained its normal brightness and speed.
The rest of the collectors had opened fire, but Shepard had thought of 'up', which caused her to take a big leap and dodge the rain of ammunition that would have hit her otherwise.
Both enemies and allies looked up; some of them wanting to know what she would do next and the others with the intention of shooting at her. However, Shepard wouldn't give the pleasure to the last ones since she had surrounded herself with her biotic energy.
Feeling she could use her Biotic Charge again, the blonde woman looked towards the collector she had thrown into the sky, and before it could move further away, she charged forward and hit it with devastating force.
The impact would have sent the collector even farther away. However, Shepard had used her biotic power to draw it close to her fist as she turned to the rest of the collectors, who were close to triggering their weapons.
Before they could do it, the commander sent the corpse toward them, forcing them to step aside not to receive the body.
Before the corpse could touch the ground, Shepard activated her Adrenaline Rush as she drew her rifle. "Hold on, hold on." This thought activated the improvement in her armor, suspending her in the air.
While time moved slower, Shepard shot at the collectors that were farther away from the point where the corpse would hit. At least fifteen collectors had fallen before the corpse could touch the ground.
Time regained its normal speed and her armor no longer held her in the air, so she used her Biotic Charge on the corpse that was about to touch the ground.
The impact was so powerful that it created a crater of considerable size and raised a large amount of dust and sand, throwing the rest of the collectors to the ground.
The jaws of those present fell to the ground, some of them even whistled, while others subtly looked at Naruto with expressions that said, "What kind of training did she have?"
The 'redhead' just watched with a serious expression as he analyzed Shepard's performance.
The blonde woman quickly stood up and drew her rifle to finish off the rest of the enemy forces that had fallen to the ground.
Smiling as she holstered her rifle, Shepard turned and exclaimed confidently, "Who's next?!"
Meanwhile, inside Admiral Hackett's ship, one of his subordinates informed, "Sir! We are receiving readings. The enemy ship is about to activate something. Orders? "
"Fire the main cannon! We can't let do what they have in mind."
"Roger, sir!" answered the people on the bridge, sending this information to the gunners, who shot the main gun once.
Outside, the flagship's 'nose' released a reddish ray that disabled the enemy ship's systems. This confused the crew of the Alliance ships since they didn't know the ship of Admiral Hackett had an EMP; the Citadel council had declared them illegal (because it would be inhumane to leave a ship without its vital functions in space).
They didn't ask questions about it; the people on the bridge informed him of the situation. "The systems of the collector cruiser are offline, Admiral."
Hackett nodded. "All right, now the rest of the troops must get inside and rescue everyone."
"Roger, sir," people on the bridge replied and sent the order to the leaders of each squadron.
However, the sensors of the Alliance dreadnoughts couldn't detect the capsule that the cruiser expelled towards Shepard's position.
Meanwhile, Shepard's team had approached her, and Garrus expressed everyone's astonishment. "When I said you were lethal, I didn't mean it like that."
Kasumi added, "I'm glad to know we are on the same team."
Jack continued, "Hell, why was your Biotic Charge so strong? Does the training of the cat..., I mean, 'Menma', had something to do with it?"
"Somehow," Naruto replied, moving closer towards them as the troops of the Alliance checked on their wounded. The crew of the Normandy had offered their help, but the soldiers told them not to worry.
The Uzumaki continued, "The ability you've mentioned comes from the user's weight, and Shepard currently weighs fifteen times more than before."
"Fifteen times? You are insane," Zaeed stated.
Naruto smiled but couldn't say anything since Miranda interrupted, "If that were true, then her abilities' cooldowns would have been multiplied by that same amount. However, it was as if her cooldowns were nonexistent."
The 'redhead' put his fingers on his chin. "I wouldn't know what to say. I think it had to do with the soldier pills... Huh?" He stopped as he heard something coming from the collector cruiser.
"What's going on?" Shepard asked, turning her head in the direction that the immortal man was looking, seeing that the Alliance flagship had fired at the collector cruiser.
"What the hell?" Jack whispered, believing the Alliance would destroy the enemy ship, but this one had taken no visible damage.
Those present murmured while Naruto saw something approaching in the distance. Calculating its speed and its current angle, he yelled, "Move away!"
Knowing that the Uzumaki wouldn't say something like that lightly, the Normandy crew moved away quickly, or so Shepard tried to do. Even though she was filled with energy and her biotic powers had increased considerably, she couldn't run because of the extra weight she was carrying.
Naruto looked up and saw that a capsule was falling rapidly, just inches from Shepard's location. The Jinchūriki ran to her, carried her in his arms, and jumped to a safe distance just as the capsule hit the ground, creating a moderate explosion that raised a large amount of dirt and dust.
The Alliance soldiers quickly positioned themselves around the capsule that was about two meters high and one of diameter.
As the men and women of the Alliance positioned themselves around the strange and steaming capsule, Naruto put Shepard down as he asked her, "Are you okay?"
"Yes, thank you." She nodded while sighing. "I just can't run; I thought I could, but it seems your medicine doesn't do miracles."
Both turned around and walked towards the capsule.
When they were close, the man who commanded the Alliance troops said, "That came from that ship, right? What should we do, commander?"
"We'll take no chances" she replied, grabbing her rifle and aiming it at the capsule. "Open fire at my command. Three, two, one…"
"Wait," Naruto interrupted, standing in front of her.
"What's wrong?" Jacob asked, moving his finger to the trigger of his gun.
They saw Naruto getting even closer to the capsule, shaking his head as he said with a surprised tone. "No, this can't be possible, it feels as if..." He stopped when the gate in the middle of the capsule opened slowly, releasing a cold and thick blue steam.
Those present stepped back when a blue hand with gray traits appeared among the mist.
"A husk?" Shepard thought, remembering the creatures from Eden Prime and the ones from Naruto's planet.
She turned her head towards him, and his expression of surprise made her think otherwise. "If it's not that, then what is it?"
She turned her attention to the capsule, watching the hand moving from side to side before it grabbed the edge of the gate and approached its other hand to do the same.
"Commander?" the captain of the Alliance spoke, moving with anxiety when seeing that two legs emerged from the mist.
The blonde woman looked at the Naruto one last time before deciding. "Let's wait." She wanted to know what could cause such a reaction in someone like Naruto.
"Here it comes," said Jacob when the thing inside the capsule bent its knees, showing that it was starting to get up.
"What the hell are we waiting for?" Jack asked impatiently as she surrounded both arms with her biotic aura, looking at the Commander and the Shinobi for answers.
Shepard also looked at the blond man. "Naruto, what are you sensing?"
The Jinchūriki replied in disbelief, "That thing has... Chakra."
Those who knew the meaning of the word felt concerned, even fearful. If that was the case, did that mean it had the same abilities as Naruto? If so, what would they do to combat it?
They would have to wait for their answers, but not for too long, since the creature inside had finally appeared, revealing a familiar face that made the Normandy crew gasp.
"What the hell?" Jack whispered, stepping back like the rest of the crew.
"What does this mean?" Kasumi added.
"Fascinating," Mordin said while bringing his fingers to his chin.
"You've got to be kidding me," Zaeed spoke.
The commander looked at the immortal man and asked in shock. "Naruto?"
Said person didn't respond since intrigue, surprise, and fascination had eaten his tongue. How was that possible? How and when did they make it?
Had he been negligent? Had he underestimated the Reapers and their ambition of creating beings that resembled the species they harvested in each cycle?
In front of them was something very similar to a husk; however, this one had facial features different from the ones that were made with humans.
Although this 'husk' was gray and had blue tones around its body, it also had defined muscles and a severe expression that resembled that of a human being.
These differences weren't the cause of the commotion among the Normandy's crew; it had been a familiar face, the face of Naruto Uzumaki.
"This is giving me a bad feeling," Zaeed whispered, gripping his rifle when the husk with the face of the immortal man had stopped inspecting its body to turn in their direction.
The husk didn't move after that; it stood still, staring at the commander who spoke while looking at Naruto. "So, what should we do?"
"Defeat it." The immortal man didn't hesitate to answer.
Shepard grabbed her rifle and aimed it at the strange enemy, and the rest of the Alliance forces and her own team imitated her.
Despite the imminent danger, the husk didn't move, moreover, it seemed to be ready to receive each of their bullets.
Before they could open fire, Naruto made a stop sign to Shepard, causing everyone to stop. "Your weapons won't work against it."
"Why?" Garrus questioned.
The Jinchūriki looked at him and answered, "It has a strong Chakra shield." He paused, and this time, he looked at the blonde woman. "You must defeat it with your own fists."
Only Shepard and her team could hear this information since the Alliance soldiers continued pointing their weapons as they waited for the commander's order.
Shepard smiled and cracked her knuckles. "It'll be my pleasure. It's time to pay you back the beating you gave me the other day."
"But that's not me," the Uzumaki replied with a sweat drop on the back of his head.
"But it looks like you," the blonde woman responded, this time taking steps forward and signaling to the Alliance soldiers to stand down. They lowered their weapons and waited for new instructions.
The commander's opponent sensed her intentions, the reason it adopted a Taijutsu stance.
As they watched her approaching it, Jack asked, "What do we do?"
"Observe," Naruto replied with crossed arms.
The Normandy crew thought Shepard could deal with the strange enemy because the immortal man had an unconcerned expression. However, someone knew better, and this someone lived within the nonchalant Shinobi. "You know she has no chance, right? That thing has the Chakra of a Jounin."
"I know. I want to see her progress, and, besides, I want her to face this new enemy. Something tells me it's not the only one of its kind and that we will see more of them soon."
After hearing his answer, the Bijū observed in silence.
Shepard moved cautiously, measuring the distance between them since she knew her opponent intended to attack her with its fists.
Recalling the beating of the previous day, the commander thought, "This time, I won't use just my fists; I will resort to my strongest asset. Here I go..." The blonde woman took a deep breath, fixed her eyes on her objective and surrounded her body with her biotic cloak to start her attack.
The blue trail appeared and it quickly cut the distance with the husk that stood undaunted. The blue then trail came to a halt, but the impact didn't happen since the husk gave a step back at the last moment.
"Good reflexes," the Uzumaki thought impressed.
After that, the husk looked at the commander, who had a confused expression on her face because she failed an attack that always had perfect accuracy.
She focused on her opponent again, and with the reflexes of an arthropod, Shepard moved her head to the right to avoid a punch to her face.
Her opponent's attack didn't stop there, and this time, it had tried to kick her with its left leg, but the blonde woman had used her biotic power to freeze it in its place.
A bright blue aura was surrounding the husk, preventing it from performing the slightest movement.
Shepard took a step back as a precautionary measure, and without losing sight of her target, she raised her right arm to elevate her opponent.
Once the husk was at an optimal height, Shepard lowered her arm and yelled, "Sweet dreams!" making the husk plummet to the ground at high speed, perhaps too fast for her liking.
A second later, the ground exploded, raising a lot of smoke and dirt.
"Amazing," Kasumi whispered, thinking Shepard had caused that with her latest attack.
"Did Shepard do that?" Garrus added, with an expression similar to almost everyone.
"No," the Uzumaki answered with a serious expression as he looked at the impact zone.
The Normandy crew looked at the immortal man, who took a slight step forward before continuing, "She almost died... However." A half-smile crossed his face when he saw Shepard coming out from the smoke unharmed, but somewhat confused by the result of her latest attack.
Despite having dodged the husk's body, Shepard was still stunned and confused. Had Naruto's training been so good that it also increased her physical strength? Whatever the reason was, the blonde woman concluded that she would have to be more careful since her own attack almost killed her; she was lucky to survive the impact thanks to the improvement that Naruto had made to her armor.
The commander shook the dust from her face and hair, coughing slightly because she had sucked in some dust.
"It's over," the blonde woman thought while standing up, certain that her 'enormous strength' had finished off the strange husk.
She didn't feel tired, but she still felt the need to sigh, but that little moment of distraction had been enough to make her unaware of what happened next.
Before the incredulous gaze of those present, the husk had emerged unharmed from the thick smoke and ran towards the distracted blonde woman.
Only after hearing the warning shouts of everyone, Shepard paid attention, but it had been too late because she received a strong punch to her face. She went flying back, spitting blood as she moaned in pain, stopping only after she hit a building's wall.
"Shit," Zaeed said, looking in that direction with a look of surprise.
Naruto only paid attention to the husk, analyzing it to determine the extent of its powers so he could prepare Shepard and the others for their next encounter.
He left his thoughts when Garrus said, "It's too strong; Shepard won't be able to defeat it. We have to help her."
"You're right," Jacob added, ready to join the battle as well as the rest of the Normandy crew.
Before they could move, Naruto stepped forward and said, "No, don't do it; let Shepard continue as long as she can."
It seemed he trusted the commander too much, but they didn't think the same, and Garrus let him know. "Excuse me, but this isn't the time to analyze Shepard's skills. You saw what we saw. That thing is too fast, and its strength exceeds our capabilities. If Shepard receives another of its blows, she will die."
"Probably...," the Uzumaki replied, turning his head towards the turian. "But if she wants to continue, then I won't interfere." He finished, this time looking at the place where Shepard had crashed.
In that place, she was standing up with no difficulty since she still had plenty of energy, but she felt sore because of the last attack. The pain, however, wasn't enough for her to look away from his opponent. She was squinting and had a twitching eyebrow because of how annoyed she was feeling.
"That hurt," the commander mentioned, wiping the blood from her mouth and nose.
Her opponent returned to its previous fighting stance, ready to counter her attacks.
The fact that the commander could still move after such a brutal blow surprised the soldiers of the Alliance and the Normandy crew. Not only was her strength impressive but also her physical endurance. The soldiers felt anxious and privileged for watching a legend like Shepard being pushed to her limits.
Shepard was almost ready; all she needed to do was crack her fingers before saying, "Let's continue."
The aura of her Biotic Charge and the blue trail that it left behind became visible. It seemed she would use the same strategy of earlier, and those present asked themselves what she was thinking because her opponent had already countered that attack with ease.
The husk prepared itself to take a step back, and this time, 'it' would make sure not to miss.
Within the trail of blue energy, its user thought, "I hope this works; otherwise..., I'm dead." Although she seemed to have unlimited energy, she could tell she wouldn't be able to withstand another of its blows. The internal damage she received from the previous one had been considerable, and it was a miracle she was still awake.
She had to thank Mendori; thanks to their continuous confrontations, Shepard had strengthened her body.
The blonde woman stopped thinking about that and fixed her attention on her enemy, who was a few centimeters away. It was time to carry out her plan, which consisted of stopping at the last second to immobilize the husk and order everyone to open fire to finish it off.
When the commander thought she could execute her plan without disruption, she noticed that something gray and pointy began to sprout from the enemy's stomach.
Considering how fast the thing on its stomach was growing, Shepard concluded: "I'm dead."
In the blink of an eye, the commander noticed that she was no longer facing the enemy but rather was at a safe distance.
"That was close, huh? You did well." She heard a voice to her right, so she looked in that direction and saw Naruto, who was looking at her with a smile and a thumb up.
Shepard shook her head before looking at the husk's direction, seeing with surprise that a 2-meter-long spear had sprouted from its stomach.
Shepard's reaction was like the soldiers of the Alliance, although seeing her disappearing and reappearing next to the redhead surprised them even more.
They didn't know how she had done that. Was her speed as great as her biotic powers? They wondered.
The crew of the Normandy knew what happened although they were unable to see it: Naruto had used his extraordinary speed.
This made them believe he would take care of the rest, but after a few seconds, he didn't move a single muscle, not even when his hideous 'clone' had turned to them, intending to attack them.
They didn't know what he was waiting for, but they also waited.
The soldiers of the Alliance felt nervous since they thought that not even the commander would be able to defeat this powerful enemy, the reason why everyone raised their weapons and opened fire.
Shepard immediately yelled to a cease-fire, while Naruto sighed when seeing the thermal clips heading towards the husk.
Everyone heard several impacts, but not the ones that the soldiers had expected. Around the husk, a blue barrier that resembled the flow of a river had appeared, stopping each one of the bullets.
The soldiers were too surprised as to think of anything else, so they continued with their previous action, thinking that the barrier would eventually yield to the intensity of their shots.
Surprise, confusion, and fear were some of the mixed feelings when none of this worked. They concluded that they had to back off, or try to defeat it with their fists as Shepard had tried, but they knew it would be impossible if they did it individually, maybe they would have a chance if they all attacked at the same time.
However, they didn't dare to move a muscle because their bullets were still floating in front of the Chakra barrier while the husk stared at the commander.
After several seconds that seemed like minutes, the husk put the spear back into its body as it raised its right palm up to the height of its shoulder before pointing its hand at the soldiers of the Alliance.
When they saw that the bullets around the barrier started to glow, they assumed that the husk was trying to return them. The mere thought of it made them feel terror, as they knew their shields and barriers wouldn't be able to withstand that amount of thermal clips. If 'it' really did that, then they wouldn't be able to escape either; they could only wait for a miracle.
They knew that such a thing would be a lot to ask for, so almost everyone had closed their eyes in resignation. At that precise moment, the husk returned the thermal clips as they had predicted.
However, instead of feeling the impacts of the thermal clips, the soldiers instead felt a soft and warm wind blow. Confused, they opened their eyes, seeing with surprise that the clips had hit the ground just inches from their feet.
Shepard had an idea of what had happened since Naruto's arm was outstretched towards the Alliance soldiers. As she saw him putting his arm correctly, she inquired, "Did you use one of your techniques? You said you wouldn't do it because they could detect your Chakra."
"No," he replied as he turned to her. "It was just a wind gust I created with a blow to the air."
The blonde woman looked at him with a sweat drop and an expression that said, "Can you really do something like that?"
She couldn't say it since the 'redhead' added, "More importantly, I'll use this." With that said, Naruto grabbed the M-9 Tempest that Shepard had given him.
The commander didn't need to ask why since he continued, "That thing has telekinesis. I need to test its limit."
Shepard looked at the powerful husk that was now looking at them as it had noticed that Naruto had diverted its previous attack.
The commander shook her head and warned, "That weapon has less firepower than the rifles of the soldiers; it won't be enough."
"Don't worry about that," Naruto answered. "It will be more than enough." With that said, the gun glowed slightly, revealing it turned almost entirely red, with black parts at the edges.
The husk stood on guard as it felt the light and sudden peak of energy. It looked at the source, seeing that this one was pointing at him the same tool that the other humans had used to try to kill 'it'.
'It' didn't consider the weapon a threat, but the energy it had generated, one that its databases told it that no one in this galaxy should be able to use. It had to stop him before he did something with that energy; therefore, the husk bent its knees to lunge at him, but before it could move, it felt that something had hit its barrier.
It looked at the bright spot on its barrier and saw a solitary thermal clip. The husk would have smiled if it had any emotion, but it just stared blankly at Naruto, ready to return the thermal clip and thus finish him off.
Although the husk attempted to return it, the ammo had barely moved an inch, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to make it stay floating.
The husk could no longer hold it, which made 'it' thought the clip would continue its trajectory and thus be its end. However, the clip had fallen to the ground, quickly and heavily, creating a hole of about forty meters deep.
With Naruto, he had holstered the weapon before saying, "Done. I've got the information I needed."
"What? How?" The blonde woman didn't understand it.
"That clip had a seal equal to the ones you're wearing, and because of that, I can also increase its weight at my will."
"Did you do it to know the extent of his telekinesis?"
"Exactly."
"Now what? Will you take care of your defective 'clone'?" The blonde woman smiled because of the pout on the blond man's face after mentioning the last word.
"Hey, that thing and I don't look alike at all. At least I have some appeal."
Shepard laughed amusedly, starting to forget she was in the middle of a battle. It was hard for her to avoid it; she enjoyed talking to Naruto, and besides, she felt so safe near him that all worry, anxiety, and fear went away.
Even though both were getting carried away, someone reminded them of the situation. "Ahem, lovebirds. Let's handle this issue first and then you can return to your date."
Both turned around and saw that Zaeed was looking at them.
Naruto cleared his throat and this time he looked to the husk. "After this display, I'll decide whether I should intervene or not."
"Display?" Shepard asked.
"Just watch," the Uzumaki replied, looking at the husk.
In that place, a confused husk was looking around in an attempt to understand what just happened. 'It' had an idea despite its limited intelligence.
The husk looked at the suspect who was looking at him with nothing but curiosity.
Naruto's confidence made the husk feel threatened. 'It' had to end him before he could do anything that threatened its existence, and the only way of accomplishing that was by attacking him face to face. It stood in a fighting stance, seeing that the people next to Naruto quickly drew their weapons out, but the Uzumaki told them to put down their arms.
The husk decided to attack him, but it suddenly gave a ninety-degree turn and kicked its previous position since it had heard something there. The husk hit nothing, but it knew its hearing wouldn't deceive it.
"What is it doing?" the commander asked while the husk performed another ninety degrees turn.
The woman didn't receive a verbal response, but a visual one. There, where the husk was looking at, a man of medium height, with a Katana in his hands and wearing a Cerberus armor became visible.
The only thing that surprised those present was the Cerberus symbol. It especially surprised Jack, who then looked at that person with hatred. She did nothing else because Naruto put his arm in her way in case she tried something.
Subject Zero sighed, crossed her arms and looked at the newcomer who was standing up after dodging that kick, sheathing his sword as he analyzed his opponent.
Said opponent wouldn't wait for him since 'it' had found a greater threat. The husk charged towards its new opponent at a dizzying speed.
Most of those present could only see it after it appeared behind the Cerberus' agent, with its right fist heading for his neck.
It seemed that the end of the newcomer was near, but at the last second, this one had crouched down and given a turn, bringing his fist right to his enemy's stomach to make 'it' fall to the ground.
The husk, with its head on the ground, saw that its opponent was sending his right foot to its stomach. If the husk could convey feelings, it would have smiled at his reckless action.
Since it was incapable of such a thing, it decided to continue its attack, this time with something that could end the fight. Once again, a spear began to sprout from its stomach and it headed for the newcomer's crotch.
His end seemed to be near, but he pulled his foot away when the tip of the spear had barely touched it. Then he stomped the ground and unsheathed his Ninjato.
The husk could no longer react in time; it could only look at the metal edge cutting the piece of meat that had sprouted, causing the long metallic-flesh to fall at its right side.
Garrus stated in surprise, "I'd heard Cerberus had good agents, but this guy exceeded my expectations. Who is he and what is he doing here?"
"Kai Leng..." The crew heard Miranda whispering in surprise.
Shepard crossed her arms and added, "There's no reason to continue hiding it. The Illusive Man sent him to join the crew and help us in our mission." The blonde woman had an annoyed expression. After all, the newcomer had accomplished something that had been impossible for her despite receiving Naruto's training.
The revelation shocked the Normandy's crew, especially Miranda and Jacob, who were aware of the organization's ace.
However, it hadn't been a collective reaction, since a voice that intoned unhappiness expressed, "As if the cheerleader wasn't enough."
Before Miranda could answer and start a possible verbal fight, Naruto spoke, "Let's observe in silence, please." He could not think of anything else to prevent them from fighting, but he thought it would be enough to calm them down.
His deduction had been correct since both females looked straight ahead to observe the rest of the battle.
In that place, the husk had gotten to its feet, revealing a hole in its abdomen that released a viscous substance of a dark blue color.
It didn't feel pain, but it did feel tired because of the liquid leaking through the wound.
It had to end the battle as soon as possible since its new objective was to return to the ship and receive proper maintenance.
Moving at a speed that cut the wind itself, the husk appeared at the left side of Kai Leng, approaching its right fist that now had metal spikes at the knuckles.
It was its only chance, because moving at such speeds consumed much of its Chakra, and, in addition, it needed to reserve some of it to return to its ship.
The fist's spikes were just three centimeters away from the face of its stoic target, about to make contact to pierce his head.
This, however, didn't happen, since the newcomer had moved his head to the right side, causing the fist to pass over his right shoulder.
The husk tried to retract its arm, but Kai Leng grabbed it firmly and used his armor enhancer to lift his opponent and slam 'it' to the ground.
The impact was hard, but not enough to stun the husk. Therefore, it got up as fast as it could and scanned the area in search of its enemy. However, it didn't see him anywhere, so it thought that he had run away or was hiding among the crowd.
Then it remembered that his opponent had some kind of camouflage ability, so the husk concentrated on hearing the fluctuations in the air to get his exact position. Soon 'it' heard a disturbance a few meters ahead, so it charged in that direction not to give its opponent time to do whatever he had planned.
'It' threw a punch that hit something, but it hadn't been its opponent. The husk had hit the projection of a small circular drone that was moving around the ground.
"It's over..." The husk heard a whispering voice behind its back as it felt a twinge. As it looked down, the husk saw a sharp piece of metal protruding from its chest.
It ejected a large amount of blue liquid from its mouth, and the husk, in an attempt of surviving, turned around and tried to strike its opponent with its forearm.
However, the newcomer foresaw this action, so he drew his Ninjato out, crouched down, and when his opponent's arm was in the air, Kai Leng penetrated its elbow with his sword.
The husk seemed to growl in pain, and it growled once again when Kai Leng stabbed its other elbow. Both arms were hanging useless, but the husk still had no intention of surrendering. If defeating him with its own power was impossible, then it would have to use something that its creators had put inside of it for this kind of situation.
"It's over," Naruto stated with a smile.
Shepard asked with a surprised expression, "How? I couldn't even hit it, despite receiving your training..." Her voice sounded annoyed at the end, and her clenched fists indicated this. As soon as this mission ended, she would ask for more arduous training.
The Uzumaki chuckled. "Don't worry, Shepard. You did well despite having a great part of your speed reduced. Let's say the husk wasn't the right opponent for you. Now, if I had released your seals, perhaps the story would have been different. Although I have to admit that Kai Leng's fighting style is superior to yours."
His last comment didn't please Shepard, but she couldn't deny it either. Kai Leng's speed, agility, and perception were undoubtedly those of a prominent N7.
Now she had to train, specifically, one of her weaker points: hand-to-hand combat.
After Naruto's words, everyone watched the outcome of the fight in silence.
In that place, Kai Leng was trying to give the final blow, but although the husk had lost much of its speed and agility, it was still quite elusive, especially because now it was on the defensive, so Kai Leng could only inflict slight cuts.
This continued for several more seconds, and Kai Leng's patience was reaching its limit. However, he didn't need to put more effort into the battle, since his opponent had suddenly stood still. Kai Leng didn't miss the chance and stabbed the husk's head until its body fell to the ground.
"He killed it," Garrus mentioned with surprise, looking at the commander to see her reaction.
Shepard clenched her fists in frustration since she had failed despite all the training she had endured. Although Naruto had already explained the reason for her failure, she felt responsible for neglecting her physical abilities. She had always relied on her biotic powers and her weapons since she had never needed anything else to defeat her enemies. But now she could see that there were enemies that could only be defeated after a good blow on the temple.
Naruto could feel her annoyance, not because he had read her mind (something he had decided not to do anymore) but because her gestures gave her away. He wanted to reassure her, but a voice inside him said the following. "Hey, Naruto. Stop paying attention to the human girl. Have you not felt it yet?"
Naruto looked at the husk's body with a serious expression. "I did."
"Then hurry up before it completes whatever it has planned. That thing's Chakra is almost as big as the Ichibi's Chakra."
"I know; I just want to know how much it can increase its Chakra."
Such a minuscule amount of Chakra didn't worry Kurama, he was just doubtful about Naruto's possible reaction if Shepard ended up getting hurt.
Meanwhile, Kai Leng was cleaning his Ninjato as he analyzed his performance in the recent fight. He concluded it had been deficient because his opponent lost on purpose. Kai Leng had noticed it, and this had left him a bittersweet taste in his mouth.
Kai Leng then thought about introducing himself to Shepard, but before he could turn around, he noticed that the husk's body became dark, while yellow and glowing lines appeared around its body.
"What is this?" Kai Leng thought, bending down to look more carefully. He wanted to touch it but concluded it would be a bad idea.
The husk's body then vibrated and emitted a faint sound that resembled the whistling of a teapot.
"This is not good..." Kai Leng stepped back when the brightness and sound increased. He wanted to warn the others about what was about to happen, but suddenly, almost as if he had materialized out of thin air, a man with red hair appeared kneeling before the body on the ground.
"Well, well. This amount of Chakra reminds me of the Sanbi. Is this what they have accomplished? Impressive...," he whispered the latter, but the envoy of Cerberus heard him.
Kai Leng's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you Naruto?" His appearance didn't match with the descriptions that the Illusive Man had given him, but Kai Leng didn't know anyone else with a speed that exceeded all logic and reason.
"We'll talk later. Now I have to take care of this. Please, back off," requested Naruto as he placed one hand on the chest of the darkened and glowing husk.
Kai Leng complied with the order, and just when he was at a distance that Naruto considered optimal, the Jinchūriki placed a purple-transparent barrier of 10 square meters and 4 meters high around him.
"What's that?" The captain of the Alliance was surprised at the sudden appearance of the barrier.
"It looks like the barrier that covered Naruto's planet," Shepard commented, but only Miranda and Jacob knew what she was talking about since they were the only ones who were present at the time.
"Why would he need something like that?" Zaeed asked, and just as he closed his mouth, the barrier shone in its entirety.
Then a thunderous impact resounded in the surroundings, so powerful that it shook the ground itself.
Those present staggered as they looked at the barrier that was now completely dark.
"What the hell?!" Zaeed shouted, moving his arms from side to side to keep his balance.
The tremors and rumbling suddenly stopped, so everyone approached the barrier to see what happened.
Shepard had a worried expression on her face, but it had vanished when the barrier cleared out, revealing Naruto standing there undamaged.
The barrier then disappeared and only Naruto was there, without traces of the defeated husk.
"Naruto, what happened?" Shepard asked with the same expression of curiosity that everyone had.
The Uzumaki turned to the voice and answered, "It self-destructed, but I contained the explosion."
"How?" an Alliance soldier asked.
"How did you know that would happen?" questioned another one.
"Why didn't you get hurt?" Another inquired.
Many more people joined the interrogation, and Naruto looked at the commander with a nervous smile, "Shepard, can you give me a hand?"
After hearing his voice in her mind, the blonde woman nodded and cleared her throat to attract everyone's attention. "Leave those questions for another time. You still have a mission. Look around the colony and protect the civilians. Come on, move!"
"Roger, commander!" The soldiers of the Alliance shouted, saluting her before proceeding to carry out her assignment.
When they left, the Normandy crew looked at Naruto in search of answers.
"So, what was that? It looked a lot like you," Shepard asked.
"Honestly, I have no idea," Naruto confessed before sighing.
"Do you have any idea what it was?" Garrus continued.
"Well, it's a husk that looks just like me, although it's capable of using Chakra. Apparently, the Reapers were experimenting while I was sleeping. They've achieved something incredible..."
Naruto had already mentioned that the husk could use Chakra, so it didn't surprise them to hear it again. What they wanted to know was how dangerous that self-destruction had been, and the most unexpected person had asked the question. "How powerful was that explosion?"
The Uzumaki turned to his right and saw Kai Leng looking at him. All the others also turned to the newcomer.
"First, I must congratulate you," the blond man spoke.
"Why?" Kai Leng asked with a monotone voice.
Naruto smiled. "For defeating it. You reassured me."
The Asian clicked his lips. "I don't consider that a victory."
"Maybe the victory left a bitter taste in your mouth because the husk technically surrendered. However, think of it this way; you forced it to self-destruct in order to defeat you."
Kai Leng snorted and changed the subject. "How powerful was this self-destruction and how did you realize it would do it?"
"I can detect that kind of energy, and since its Chakra level had gone up, I thought it would try to do that. How powerful? It was strong enough to pulverize one or two mountains."
The people almost choked on their saliva, and Kasumi spoke, "You say that as if it's nothing."
"I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention. It's just the habit," Naruto apologized as he scratched his head.
The crew sweatdropped. How normal was to see such devastating attacks as to call them a habit?
"Anyway," Naruto continued. "Kai Leng has shown me it is possible to defeat that type of husks. With a little bit of my training, it would be much easier. Now, the only problem is their self-destruction, although I have some ideas in mind to deal with that matter."
"I guess you'll say that when we go to Earth," Shepard commented, seeing Naruto nodding. "Okay, I'll talk to Anderson to ask him when he'll be ready. For now, let's continue with the mission. But before that..." She paused and turned to the newcomer. "My name is Shepard and they are the crew of the Normandy. Who are you?" Although she already knew it, she was just giving him the opportunity to introduce himself.
"Kai Leng," the Cerberus's envoy answered, glancing at the other two members of his organization before taking a step forward and bowing at Shepard. "It's a pleasure to meet the great Commander Shepard." He had to pretend to be courteous not to arouse suspicion.
Shepard felt surprised, as she had thought he would be an arrogant and impolite person because he was the right hand of the Illusive Man.
Before Shepard could answer, Kai Leng raised his head and continued, "Although I expected more from you."
"Huh?" Shepard felt a twitch in her eyebrows. "What does that mean?"
"Who would have said that the great commander Shepard would use Red Sand to enhance her abilities?" The voice of Kai had a faint touch of mockery though his expression was the same as always.
Red Sand, a stimulant with biotic-enhancing properties, of illegal use within human domains because of its addictive characteristics.
The blonde woman crossed her arms while frowning. "And what makes you think that I use something like that?"
Kai Leng activated his Omni-tool before answering, "I am aware of your skills, abilities, and limits. Your recent performance exceeded the data that Cerberus obtained from your last mission. Such a disproportionate increase can only be explained by the consumption of enhancing substances."
From that point of view, Kai Leng's words made sense; however, he wasn't aware of the training to which Shepard was subjected.
"Oh," Naruto said as he put his right hand into one of his pockets. "I think it's because of my soldier pills." He then showed one of those pills.
"I remember that you mentioned something like that before the husk attacked us," Garrus commented. "But you also said you weren't sure if that had improved Shepard's abilities."
Naruto replied, "Since it's the first time that someone without Chakra consumes one of those pills, I'm not sure of its effects. Besides giving us, the Shinobi, a feeling of limitless energy, it also increased our Chakra slightly. However, since Shepard doesn't have Chakra, maybe it could boost a person's inherent abilities. I would have to do more tests...," he said the latter while looking at Shepard, who couldn't help but swallow some saliva.
Kai Leng wanted to get one of those pills for further analysis, but, for now, trying to get it could compromise him. For the time being, he would give priority to his original mission.
"If someone needs any, let me know, although I warn you that the taste isn't pleasant," Naruto warned.
The crew of the Normandy flatly refused since they didn't want to experience the extreme weariness that Naruto had mentioned.
Mordin looked interested in learning how it worked while imagining how to reduce its negative effects.
"So, it was that," Kai Leng commented. "It's a pity that the great Commander Shepard wasn't at her full potential to deal with that husk."
Shepard clenched her fists as she felt he was making fun of her. If he weren't an expressionless person, then the hidden meaning of his words would have been clearer.
What Shepard could understand was that, despite increasing her strength, she had been useless. Naruto had also noticed it, which made him think that things in the Normandy would become fun.
The commander decided to ignore his comment. "It's time to continue. If you want to get to know the others, you can do it when we are back in the Normandy. Now we have to rescue the colonists on the collector ship before it's too late."
The crew of the Normandy nodded, except for Kai Leng, who looked at no one in specific and asked, "I've been asking myself this from the moment I saw it... Does anyone have any idea what kind of weapon the Alliance ship used? I guess you had something to do with that." He looked at Naruto.
"That? Yes, it was me," Naruto replied before proceeding to explain the modifications he had made to that ship and what it had fired.
A few showed expressions of surprise while others didn't because they had already seen him doing things that were even more amazing.
Kai Leng nodded, while Shepard asked, "How long will the Collector ship remain disabled?"
"Another thirty minutes," the blond man replied.
"It's enough time to rescue everyone. Could you not hold back this time?" The commander inquired.
"No problem. With all their systems disabled, there's no way they can send messages to the Reapers or detect my Chakra if they have any means of doing it."
Those present had mixed emotions. From excitement and anxiety, to worry and fear. People who wanted him to perform more incredible feats, and people who didn't want to become collateral damage.
"Are you ready?" Shepard asked while looking at her crew, watching them checking their weapons before nodding their heads.
The commander then looked at the Jinchūriki, who showed her a thumbs-up. She was ready to order everyone to go to the enemy ship, but a sudden voice in her communicator stopped her.
"Shepard, can you hear me?" Hackett asked.
"I receive you, Admiral. What's going on?"
"The soldiers inside the Collector Ship request your immediate help. There is another of those husks inside." The admiral had been watching the recent battle from his ship, surprised by the capabilities of that creature that resembled Naruto.
Everyone had astonished expressions, even Naruto, who couldn't help wondering, "How? I can't feel its Chakra."
"Maybe the interior of the ship has Chakra inhibitors. That thing is probably fighting only with its physical strength. That's more than enough to give trouble to the people inside the ship."
"You're right, I have to hurry. I want to capture one of these husks in perfect condition... Shepard."
She looked at him and nodded. "Everyone, let's go to the ship. Follow..."
The following happened in an instant, and Shepard, just like the others, could only raise her eyelids as it happened.
A sudden bright spot in the place where they wanted to go, an intense and blinding brightness, which at the same time emitted a deafening sound.
They could do nothing, just see the glow grow, and then disappear, leaving behind deep and absolute darkness...
Moments before - Fehl Prime
Night had fallen in the colony, and most of the residents were already sleeping, except for Naruto and James, since both were standing guard.
Today was James' turn, and Naruto was doing it because it was his first day here.
They were in the control tower, eating dinner and drinking a few beers, although Naruto turned each sip into water, as he still didn't like its taste.
They didn't eat dinner with the rest since James had been trying to land a hit on Naruto. The Uzumaki saw his potential because he didn't yield to his blows.
"There's nothing better than an ice-cold beer after stretching your muscles," James stated with a bottle in his hand, taking a small sip before giving it to 'Menma'.
The Jinchūriki chuckled as he took a small sip. "You have a peculiar way of calling a beating."
James laughed as he swallowed some food. "Hey, don't remind me. I'm trying not to think about that," said the lieutenant as he rubbed his aching muscles.
"Sorry, it wasn't my intention," 'Menma' apologized as he waved his hands in apology.
James smiled. "I'm surprised we can talk like this despite you being my superior. It's also surprising to see someone so young with your rank. It seems your strength is not your only attribute."
Upon hearing this, Naruto looked at the insignia of his uniform. These corresponded to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, although Hackett was the one who gave him the idea of using it.
"The test I mentioned earlier helped me a lot," Naruto replied, referring to the 'program' that surpassed N7. "Reaching the Admiral rank wouldn't be too difficult after surpassing that test."
Such test was nonexistent, but he said it to continue with the facade.
"When that day arrives, I'm sure the fleets at your command will be exceptional, Menma."
Spending the day giving blows to each other had increased the confidence between them. James respected his strength and Naruto his perseverance. The immortal man still hadn't told him whom he really was just because he didn't want the Collectors to find it out by some chance and then report it to the Reapers. He would only do it when this colony was safe.
"I hope to have you there when that day comes," 'Menma' added, lowering the cutlery after finishing eating.
"I must hit you at least once before that," James replied with a defiant smile as he raised his right fist.
"Then rest so you can challenge me tomorrow. I'll cover you."
"I'm sorry, but I can't rest while you stay up all night. We can take turns."
"Don't worry," Naruto replied with a nonchalant smile.
"I insist...," James added with a serious expression since he didn't want to leave a bad impression.
'Menma' sighed, but before he could answer, the images of his clone on Horizon caught his eye.
"What is that?" Naruto asked himself when the husk got out of its capsule. "A husk?" He thought with a surprised tone.
Then he saw Shepard facing 'it', but she didn't get favorable results because the strange husk surpassed her abilities. He continued observing the combat in absolute silence, forgetting about James.
"This is bad," he thought. "This is for sure the work of the person that Shinigami-sama warned me about. Did I wait too long?" Then he saw his clone saving Shepard after she tried to charge at the husk to try to defeat it.
A few minutes later, Kai Leng (a person he had come to know after looking at the recent memories of his clone) had defeated the husk, and his clone then saved everyone from its self-destruction.
"Hey, are you there?" Naruto suddenly heard as he felt someone touching his shoulder.
He stopped observing his clone and looked at James with a serious expression, and he looked him back with curiosity.
Before the lieutenant could ask him anything, 'Menma' spoke, "Hey, James. Would you like to train now?"
James tried to tell him he was tired; he even thought it was a joke, but the intense look on his face made a "Yes" come out of his mouth.
"All right, there are still four hours left until dawn. For the next two months, you and I will train in an environment you could only describe as hell. Prepare yourself."
He only needed that amount of time, since, if they trained for a longer time in that place, then James' power would increase so much that this would draw the attention of the Collectors. He just wanted him to have enough power to deal with the special husks that could be in the Collector ship that was approaching the colony.
James felt somewhat intimidated, especially because Naruto had kept the serious expression at all times. However, he was confused about something. "Did you say four hours before dawn and two months of training? What do you mean? Besides, I can't leave the colony, much less that long."
"I'll explain it to you when we're in that place. As for the latter, don't worry." After saying that, Naruto crossed his fingers and pronounced, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Two smoke explosions on each side of the Uzumaki, which caused James to back off in surprise. His eyes widened, and he fell to the floor when the smoke disappeared.
His trembling fingers automatically pointed to the two Narutos that had appeared. "W-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh- Wha-What i-is t-that? W-Who are y-you?" He asked astonished, turning pale because of how scared he was.
The three Narutos (now with their true appearances) looked at him, but before getting an answer, one of the Shadow Clones raised his fingers and used a Henge to change his appearance.
This time, James almost lost consciousness after the clone had taken his appearance. The reason he didn't lose consciousness was that the original Naruto had stood in front of him and stretched out his hand to say, "They will cover us until we come back. Now, stand up and let's go."
The look on James's face was that of a boy who had seen his first magic trick and his first big scare. His mind was in chaos; he couldn't find the logic of what he had witnessed and perform coordinated movements to perform the request of the immortal man.
"Come on, James. What are you waiting for?" Naruto spoke as if his previous action had been the most natural thing in the world.
When the 'clone' of the burly man looked at 'himself', James almost went into a catatonic state, but he stood up and articulated the following words. "W-Wait! W-What are those?!" His trembling fingers pointed to the Shadow Clones, who turned slightly, which made James step back in surprise when confirming it wasn't an illusion.
"There's no time for that," the original Naruto replied as he cut the distance with the impacted Alliance soldier. "I'll explain everything to you once we're there. Now, we're leaving. I leave the rest to you until our return." He said the latter as he looked at his clones, and they just nodded.
Then, Naruto used the Kamui and disappeared from that place along with James, who screamed loudly after noticing that he was being dragged by some kind of portal.
Only the clones remained in the control tower, and both looked at each other as they wondered what they would do until dawn.
Notes
I'm sorry for the delay, but the new chapter is finally here.
Before everything, I will say that from now on I won't be depending on a beta reader anymore. I'll do the revisions by myself (in fact, I revised this chapter like eight times, but I know it's not perfect). I don't blame the beta readers since I know that they have their lives. Anyhow, I've made this decision for all of my fanfics. If you want to continue reading despite this fact, you are welcome. Eluguy, thank you for everything! Sorry for bothering you for so long.
This chapter wasn't revised by anyone but me. If you think it was ok, continue reading the story from now on. If you think it sucked, then you should probably stop reading because…
Oh, I'm not sure if calling the husk an 'it' was the proper term (it, its) I hope it wasn't too confusing. Or should I just call it "he, him"?
Anyway, I will do this as short as possible.
I'm not sure about this, but some people probably expect Naruto to do everything and shock everyone around him. I decided not to do this in this chapter, instead, I focused on Shepard and Kai Leng (Naruto did nothing beyond human limits).
Maybe those people didn't like that, but please understand that not everything can revolve around Naruto. Although that doesn't mean he won't do amazing things anymore.
Now, as you could see, Shepard was too strong, but she still couldn't defeat the husk. I hope you understood why.
About the husk, who are their creators? The Reapers or the person that the Shinigami mentioned?
Oh, I forgot, the modification to Shepard's armor is what you can do in Mass Effect Andromeda.
That would be all.
Until the next time!
