Disclaimer: No claim to Voltron: Legendary Defender or Naruto. Support the official release!

Significance

I: War Never Changes

The sky was black, there weren't any stars that night.

The Bad Fire spread throughout the village as the monsters attacked. I tried to run, but the smoke hurt my eyes, and the screams hurt my ears, and the stars were gone. Why were the stars gone!?

"Come on!" Mommy urged. Her hand crushed mine. We ran to find Daddy. To find Brother.

We went to Auntie and Grampa's, but it had been taken by the Bad Fire. Mommy screamed at it, while I cried. I wanted Daddy. I wanted Brother.

"Urr-grach!" The snarl had us turn. Mommy pushed me away and her eyes came out.

"Run, Himawari!"

I couldn't. I remained frozen. I watched.

Mommy lunged at the Monster, and it lifted its Bad Fire weapon.

"MOMMY!"

Blue eyes snapped open at the scream. The owner groaned and rolled to the side. The numbers on the clock set on the nearby sidetable came alive with light at the briefest touch.

"4:00...Almost a full night." A deep voice rumbled in his head.

The blue-eyed person hummed in agreement, still far too tired to give a coherent answer.

"Daddy!"

Resigned to the duties of parenthood, the blue-eyed man pulled off his sheets. He pushed himself upright and set two bare feet on the cold floor. A whimper escaped him, the unwelcome chilliness put a dampener on his willingness to rise. The thin T-shirt and boxers did little to prepare him for the morning's temperature. Peach-skinned fingertips reached up and raked through short blond locks as he made his way to his daughter's room. A yawn stretched his whiskered cheeks wide as he shuffled past her door.

"Ma, Hima-hime. It's too early to be so loud, ne?" He mumbled as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

His little princess was cocooned in a mixture of blankets. Her milky-white eyes rimmed with tears stared at him as her black hair parted around her rounded face.

"D-Daddy…" She reached out for him with both hands. A plea that was unneeded, but answered.

"Shh, Hima-hime," he said. He pulled her from her bundles and let her curl upon his lap. Her arms wound around his thick neck, while his protected her from the morning chill. A bandaged palm rubbed her back as a soothing lullaby clunkily hummed out of his lips.

"...I miss them." She whispered into his ear. His hand stopped, and he squeezed her gently. Affirming that he was here. That he wouldn't leave her, like they had been forced to so long ago.

"I do too," he said.

"...Daddy?"

"Yes, Himawari?"

"...I don't want to go back to sleep…"

Of course you don't. He lamented with a sigh. A gentle peck on her whiskered cheek that resembled his own, he leaned back and smiled at her through tired eyes.

"Well, then I guess we should make breakfast, shouldn't we?"

"Hokage-sama, it's time to wake u-Oh?" Crimson eyes blinked and peered around the room. Empty. How strange. The raven-haired woman scratched her head.

"I know he went to bed tired, but how'd he wake up before me?" She walked to the stairway and ascended into the Hokage's living quarters. She found the man in the dining hall. He was half-dressed, still clad in his T-shirt, but now wearing pants, and judging by the slight darkening of his blond hair, he'd showered at some point. Currently, he was sipping from a crudely painted orange mug and flipping through the holographic Scroll.

Stacked on the table in front of him were plates upon plates of waffles. One to his right, hidden behind the others, was steadily shrinking in height.

"Oh? Yo, Mirai-chan! Want some waffles?" Hokage-sama smiled cheerily. He waved her over with his mug and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I got a bit carried away, he he he…"

"Of course. Thank you very much." She bowed properly and took the seat to his left. She looked around with pursed lips. "Is Himawari-chan awake?"

"UM!" A small hand wielding a large fork waved at her from the otherside of the waffle wall. It then returned to attacking the towers that sat in front of her.

Mirai looked at Hokage-Sama and leaned in. "Another nightmare?"

He inclined his head, but said nothing further as he continued to sip at his drink.

The clank of silverware followed by a low moan made both adults look in the child's direction.

"Tummy hurts…"

"And this is why you pace yourself, honey." Hokage-sama chuckled lightly.

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but aren't you being a bit hypocritical saying that?" Mirai asked, a hint of humor in her tone.

"What? No way! I'm a food eating champion. Hehe, no one can eat ramen like me, Dattebayo!"

"Of course, Hokage-Sama." Mirai smiled. She hesitated. "Hokage-sama? Has there...have we gotten any response?"

The Hokage closed his eyes and shook his head. Mirai sighed. It was a longshot, but she had hoped there would have been a response left for the beacon that their would-be star-travelling saviors had set up prior to succumbing to the wounds obtained in their attempt to rescue the Village. A beacon that was set up well over nine-thousand years ago.

"Ouu, Daddy. My tummy..." Himawari moaned again before a loud belch shook the room.

"Himawari…"

"Ah, s'cuse me."

Mirai chuckled and, using the skills of balance that she had honed over the years, pulled half of a stack off of a tray and set it on the plate before her. She began to dig in and share idle chat with the family of two, the upbeat father and daughter healing the hole left in her heart.

In the vast expanse of space, a good hundred thousand light years away.

"Princess Allura! Princess Allura!" A lanky man with orange hair and a positively dashing moustache slid through the automated doors as he came to a halt within the Castle of Lions' training room. A teenage girl with her white hair pulled up into a bun and clad in white armor that bore small amounts of pink highlights. She was overseeing the training of five teenagers in similar armor, but varying secondary colors.

"Yes, Coran? What is it?" She asked, blinking bright blue eyes at her trusted caretaker.

"Our systems have managed to pick up a derelict distress signal." Coran panted. He doubled over and braced himself on his knees. "Hoo...I should probably get a few laps in after the Paladins are finished…"

"Oh! We should have them hear this. It would be good to give them as much experience as possible before we try to attack Zarkon," Allura said. She tapped into a holographic control system and ended the combat simulation.

The Paladins in Yellow and Blue ran smack dab into each other. The sight caused the shortest of the bunch, the Green Paladin, to point at them and laugh. The Red Paladin dropped onto the ground from where he was being held by the simulation's foes, helped to his feet by the Black Paladin.

"Paladins, join us on the command deck," Allura said once the five warriors turned to face her. "Coran has discovered something he wishes to share with us."

"So, Princess, what's Coran showing us today? Another one of his videos?" The blue paladin, a hispanic teen with short brown hair, asked.

"Ooh! Ooh! Or is it a new recipe? Please tell me it's a new recipe for the space goop," the Yellow Paladin, a big-boned fellow with Samoan heritage, said. He smiled and drooled as he drifted off into a fantasy about a new food.

"Unfortunately not, my culinary craving companion! The ship has detected a derelict distress signal." Coran said as he stroked his mustache.

"Alliteration, much?" The Green Paladin, a short brown-haired caucasian with glasses, asked.

"Derelict?" The Black Paladin, a young man of asian heritage save the white patch of hair he bore, crossed his arms. "How 'derelict' are we talking?"

"Old. Weak. Barely hanging on." Coran said as he pulled up holo-keyboard and typed a few things. He stroked his moustache as the number popped up. "And here's the kicker, the signal is Altean!"

"There could be survivors." Allura said with a steady breath. She looked at the Paladins, the earthlings that risked everything for her and more. "I know that it is a far off chance, but I would like for us to investigate the signal. If nothing else, whoever sent it may need our help."

"Or it could be a trap." The Red Paladin, another boy of asian descent, drawled.

"Way to be a buzzkill, Keith." The Blue Paladin huffed.

"I'm just being cautious, Lance. Who's to say it isn't a tampered signal being used by Zarkon to lure us out?" Keith shrugged.

"From what I can determine, the signal is at the edge of Zarkon's territory." Coran said as he pulled up a map. A small blip flickered faintly, like a fading pulse.

"Well, I say we go for it!" Lance put his hands on his hips, then looked at the other Paladins, specifically the Green. "Pidge? Hunk? ...Shiro?"

"I'm in. Maybe we can find a lead to my dad, or my brother." Pidge, the Green Paladin, said.

"A distress signal is a distress signal. I think that we should check it out." Hunk, the Yellow Paladin, nodded.

"That's three-to-one, Keith." Lance grinned.

Keith rolled his eyes. "I wasn't saying we shouldn't check it out. I was just suggesting that it could be a trap."

"And I agree," Shiro, the Black Paladin, said with a nod. He crossed his arms. "The best way to beat a trap is to spring a trap. And even if it isn't a trap, like Hunk said, it's a distress signal. It's our duty as Paladins of Voltron to investigate."

"Well then! Coran, set a course for the Castle of Lions. We have a signal to follow." Allura turned back to the gathered Paladins once the other Altean saluted and began inputting coordinates. She smiled at them, gratefully. "Thank you, my friends."

Once The Castle of Lions had warped to the system, Coran continued tapping away at the controls.

"I'll see if I can't hail someone down there. Initiate some form of contact."

Down on the planet, deep beneath the surface, in a room next to a giant rod that protruded from a ruined monument, a young boy with black hair sat clicking away at computer screen. He sighed and leaned on his fist.

Boring...Boring...So boring...The boy, wearing a headband that depicted a carved leaf, thought to himself. I wish I could go look at the clouds...Bothersome.

A window opened on his monitor and a colorful cast of people were on the image.

"Great. Something new happened. Bothersome. " He muttered as they just stared at him. One tentatively waved at him and he rolled his eyes. Yes, treat me like a child... It's not like I can rip out your larynx for all you know. "Hello? We connected or what? Are you a relief squad?"

"Chrik-rke-rie."

"...Ri-i-ight. Aliens. What a pain." The boy turned and looked to the door behind him. "Oi! Whoever's on guard duty! Get Hokage-sama! We finally got contact!"

"Aha! And...Connected!" Coran cheered. The screen went black before an enlarged close up of a bored kid appeared in front of them.

"Why is there a kid on the screen?" Lance whispered to the group.

"He's not d-dead is he?" Hunk asked. The boy blinked at them and he sighed. "Oh, thank god."

"He looks kind of human," Pidge said. She waved at him.

"Menkudose…" The boy grumbled a slew of words that none of them understood.

"That sounded like a branch of Japanese." Shiro mumbled off-handedly.

The boy stared at them, muttered something else, and turned around to shout something at a door behind him. Then he turned back, eyes suddenly narrowed and alert.

"Oi! Yujin? Teki?"

"...Coran…" Allura sighed into her hand. "You did activate the universal translator…Didn't you?"

"I knew I forgot something. Annnd, clarified!" Coran grinned after he finished typing.

"...I asked, are you friend or foe? Don't make me ask a third time."

"Oh! Yeah, of course that's what you said…" Lance snorted. He put his hands on his hips. "Listen, kid-"

"We're friends!" Allura interjected, stepping forward. She placed a hand on her chest. "My name is Princess Allura, and these are the Paladins of Voltron."

"...Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"Uh, a little?" Hunk said, holding his hand up and keeping his fingers spread while smiling nervously.

"...This is too bothersome. I'll let Lord Hokage speak with you." The kid grumbled before he hopped off of the screen. Within seconds, the camera panned back to readjust as a taller blond man took the seat.

"Jeez, what do these people do? Bench mammoths?" Pidge gaped at the man's stature. Then, the man leaned forward and knocked on the screen.

"Hello? This thing on? You hear me alright?"

"Lord Hokage, just speak normally. We're connected." The kid sighed from off screen. The man, Lord Hokage, let out a sheepish laugh.

"Ah, right, right. Thank you, Shikadai. Dismissed." The Hokage looked back at them and grinned. "Sup?"

Pidge and Lance immediately turned away, so as not to laugh at the casual greeting.

"Um, hello to you, Lord Hokage," Allura said, trying to keep formalities. "As I said, I am Princess Allura-"

"Oh! Sorry. Ahem…" The man lifted his bandaged fist and coughed into it. Then he bowed his head slightly. "Bah-weep-graaagnah-wheep-ni-ni-bong."

"...What was that?" Keith, wide-eyed, murmured.

"He knows the Universal Greeting! Finally, someone with class." Coran preened. He stepped forward and bowed. "Bah-weep-graaagnah-wheep-ni-ni-bong, Lord Hokage!"

"...Wow, it really does sound silly in any language!" The man laughed.

"That simply means it works." Coran smiled. Then frowned. "Sir, if I may. I am Coran, caretaker, bodyguard and loyal consultant to Princess Allura. Might I ask how you know of the Universal Greeting?"

"Pleasure to meet you, Coran. To answer your question, I learned it from a few soldiers that resembled you and your princess." The Hokage's smile dwindled as he gathered his hands together and leaned forward. "Would I be wrong to assume that you are Alteans?"

"So there are other Altean survivors!" Allura exclaimed with joy in her voice.

The Hokage arched a brow. "...Other...survivors?"

And just like that, Allura's hope was dashed. The Paladins looked at her, apologetic, but unsure of how to help.

"Perhaps it would be best that we continue speaking in person. Is there anywhere we can land our ship? A platform or station? I can't seem to find any landing towers." Coran mused, displaying his holographic map. The Hokage stared at it for a moment before he sighed.

"Feel free to land wherever. Konoha was flattened by those Purple Bastards."

The hostility in his voice unsettled the Paladins, but they stood firm.

"Then we shall land within the decataed!"

"...The what?"

"Erm, we'll land shortly. Until then, Lord Hokage, 'til all are One."

"'Til all are One."

"Whoa…" Lance said as they flew closer to the ground. Signs of civilization being present were few, and the mountain they were landing near looked, at one point, to have faces carved in it.

"I'm not picking up any Galra signals," Pidge said as she looked over her computer. "The air is...Whoa, it's...it's…"

"What? What?! Is it deadly!? Oh, god, it's deadly, isn't it?" Hunk asked.

"No, it's ...perfect…" Pidge muttered. She looked out at the vegetation that surrounded the former civilization. "These people don't have any signs of air pollution…"

"That's good news for us." Shiro thought aloud. "Maybe they can teach us a thing or two that we can take back home."

"I see some Altean wreckage along the edge of the eastern forest," Coran said. He sighed at the sight of one in particular. "The Jowler crashed here then...I wondered what had happened to them."

"Set us down, Coran. We shouldn't keep them waiting," Allura said softly.

"Of course, Princess." Coran said. He set the Castle of Lions up for landing and brought it down near the base of the mountain. He remained at the controls, flicking a few more switches. "Now, a word of advice. These people know of Alteans, and of Galra. Looks like this planet was among one of the first systems to suffer in the war. Keep that in mind as we meet with their leader."

"We will," Shiro said. He looked at his fellow Paladins. "We won't cause them any more trouble, will we, guys?"

"Of course not, dad." Pidge chimed.

"If they do, I could take out the discipline stick!" Coran stage whispered to the leader of the humans.

"That won't be necessary," Shiro said as he and his team suited up.

"Hokage-sama, please! Let them come to us!" Mirai tugged at the back of their leader's jacket, struggling in vain to keep him back. Behind her, hugging her waist, were two other chunin. One with a bandage across his face and the other with a bandanna keeping his hair back. Izumo and Kotetsu, the former Gate Guardians

"Now, now, Mirai-chan, I should at least greet them personally. It'd be rude not to," the Hokage said, pulling along his determined guard and the unlucky chunin duo that decided to try and help her. He grinned at her over his shoulder. "Besides, they're Altean."

"We still need to screen them!"

"Maa, it'll be fine." The Hokage shrugged and finally came to a stop. He put his hand on the doorway and flared his chakra, which dislodged the three shinobi from his person. They landed in a heap, Mirai atop the other two. She rubbed her aching head, before blinking when she saw him leave through the tunnels' door.

"Gah, you are impossible Hokage-sama!" Mirai cried out in frustration as she rushed to join him at the elevator. He grinned at her, his appearance becoming mischievous and fox-like as he held up a victory sign.

"What I do best!" He slid to the side and let elevator door slide shut before she could jump in.

Izumo and Kotetsu got up and sighed in unison.

"Same ol' Hokage-sama…" The former mumbled.

"Ten-thousand years, and he's still a punk kid." The latter agreed. They shared a look before they began snickering.

"Grr, I'm so going to tattle to Himawari-chan!" Mirai shouted before she kicked the wall. She rounded with a huff and then headed off towards the living quarters. "Let's see him escape his daughter's unhappy pout. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha..."

Izumo and Kotetsu braced themselves against the wall as she stormed past.

"...Was her mother anywhere near that scary?"

"Only when her father smoked around her."

"The air is so fresh! And-gasp, look! Guys, look! An actual bird! Not an alien that sort of resembles a bird, not a cloud shaped like one, but an actual honest-to-god bird!" Hunk squealed. He flopped face first into the dirt, kissing it. He looked up, a smile on his face and dirt in his teeth. "The dirt even tastes like it does back home!"

"Hunk, please! This is a diplomatic mission. Act appropriately." The Princess ordered him sternly.

"Oh, yeah. Heh, sorry, Princess!" Hunk said as he jumped to his feet. While half covered in dirt.

Shiro rubbed his head. He could tell that this would be quite the test on his patience.

"Hey, am I the only one who sees the ground splitting?" Lance asked, pointing at the two perfect squares of dirt that were slowly separating.

"No. Not this time." Keith mumbled.

"Oh, goo-Wait, what is that supposed to mean!?"

"Ahh! They were underground, very clever." Coran nodded. He rubbed his chin with his hand. "I wonder, mayhaps they have some old Altean tech under there as well."

"Can't fault them for that. There's tonnes of the stuff to mess around with. And Galra tech, too. I wonder how different Galra tech is from then," Pidge said, looking at the far off remains of an alien ship.

"Stay together guys," Shiro said. He stepped over and put a hand on Allura's shoulder. "We've got your back, Allura."

"Wow! You guys have a big door," a voice said from behind them. The Paladins and Alteans turned around to see the Hokage standing on their landing pad, his back to them, as he investigated the opening. They looked back at the platform that was, sure enough, still rising.

"Whoa!" Hunk "Hey! How'd you get behind us?!"

"I think Kurama would love to nap in there." The Hokage hummed in interest and turned around to face them. Then, as if noticing them for the first time, he blinked and grinned. "Hey there, nice to meetcha!"

"How'd you get here?" Lance demanded as he looked back and forth between the underground door and their platform.

"Uh, I walked?" The Hokage suggested, smiling bemusedly.

"You-! That's-! You know what I mean!"

"Ohh! ...Well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much-"

"Lord Hokage! Please!" Coran slid in between the Hokage, the Princess and the Paladins. He waved his hands. "As much as poking fun at Lance is-"

"Why does everyone always say that?"

"We are here on serious business, are we not?"

"Ah." The Lord Hokage's smile dropped as he nodded. "Sorry about that, just a little fun on my end. Still, I guess I should welcome you to our planet…"

"...Your planet…" Hunk rolled his hand. Shiro elbowed him.

"Um, you want to know something funny?" The Hokage scratched his head. "We never really called it by anything."

"...You never named your planet?"

"It wasn't a priority for the most part. 'Our world' or 'the planet', we never really made it to the whole star travelling stage, so that's the main reason." The Hokage shrugged, as if not caring he hadn't left the ground. "But if it means anything, I think Alphon called our world Elmenta. He wasn't very original."

"El...Elmenta?" Coran suddenly withered. He looked around. "You mean, right now? Right here?"

"Ha! You look like Alphon did whenever he talked about it!" Lord Hokage grinned. He crossed his arms and surveyed the land. "Not that scary, though, is it?"

"Coran?" Allura looked at him in concern.

"No, erm, no I suppose it isn't. Forgive me, Lord Hokage."

"Maa, the Elmenta you knew is long dead. Has been for some time." The Lord nodded.

"That's nice to know, but uh, for those of us who aren't familiar with Altean history, can we get some backstory here?" Lance asked.

"Elmenta was a war-torn planet. Civil wars, territorial conflicts. It's people flinging around the very elements themselves like water balloons. Alteans saw vast potential in them and sent emissaries long before your father was even a thought as heir to the throne. Only one returned, and he returned quite...maimed…"

"Yeah, Shinobi aren't known for being welcoming. Er, well, most weren't." The Hokage shrugged.

"Wait, shinobi, like in ninjas?" Pidge asked.

"You betcha, kiddo!" The Hokage winked. He looked up. "Oh, speaking of…"

The Paladins, Princess, and Coran all found themselves at the mercy of sharp blades resting against their necks. Individuals with black and grey clothing stood behind them, white masks on their faces.

"Hokage-sama." The masked warriors intoned. The Hokage rolled his eyes and shook his head. The Paladins, princess and Coran were released and the warriors relocated to flank their leader. The leader whose attention was focused elsewhere.

"That wasn't very nice. You scared our guests, Mirai-chan~!" The Lord wagged his finger playfully as a beautiful young woman with striking red eyes marched up to him.

"Lord Hokage, we strictly said we need to screen them first. You cannot just go and talk with these people on your whim." She neutrally informed him. The Hokage looked over her head at the aliens, then back at her. At the newcomers, then back to the girl.

The Hokage shrugged.

"They seem alright to me."

"If you are sure. Himawari-chan will most certainly understand then."

The relaxed composure The Hokage had seemed to falter.

"...Eh?"

"Yes. After all, learning that Lord Hokage was acting very rash and reckless will make her so elated."

"M-Mirai-chan, that-that's blackmail!"

"I'm a kunoichi. I don't give a darn." The last bit of her sentence was corrected by a deep automated voice.

"Did she just censor herself?" Lance whispered to Hunk.

"No, that'd be your translators." Coran twiddled his moustache and preened. "Atop activating them, I also had the forethought to set in place the Purifying Linguist feature King Alfor programmed in a long time ago."

"Coran!" Allura hissed, her cheeks flushed.

"You're a blast, Coran. Still, hello beautiful." Lance whistled lowly as he eyed Mirai.

"Dude, she's out of your league." Pidge told him flatly.

"Alright, alright! Fine!" The red-eyed girl threw her arms up. Then she pointed at the Hokage. "The next time someone lands, we will be inspecting them. With or without your permission!"

"Sure, whatever. ANBU, dismissed."

"Hold it!" Mirai snapped, stopping the masked warriors before they could leave. Then, without caring if the newcomers could hear her, she added. "We will keep observations on them though."

"I'm not a total idiot, Mirai-chan. I thought that would be obvious." The Hokage chuckled.

"Wait, so, you're going to spy on us?!" Keith asked.

"What part of Shinobi didn't you hear?" The Hokage and Mirai asked flatly.

"Yeah Keith, way to be stupid." Lance needled.

"Oh, yeah. You're so winning brownie points with her." Pidge smirked.

"Pfft, jealous?"

"When you wake up with your throat slit, don't come crying to me."

"Wait, he couldn't though if that happens, right?" Hunk pointed out curiously.

"You'd be surprised how far people can get with a slit throat," The Hokage said, now closer than he was moments ago.

"Jeez! Whoa! ...You need a bell." Lance deadpanned, attempting to save face after being scared out of his skin.

"I could still move quietly with a bell on. Now fifty bells, that's the challenge."

"...You're joking. Right? ...Right?"

The Hokage grinned and said nothing. Allura, determined to put things back on track, stepped forward.

"Lord Hokage-"

"Naruto." The Hokage interrupted as he turned to her.

"...Beg pardon?"

"Call me Naruto please. We're all civilized people here." He glanced at Mirai, who crossed her arms and huffed. "I heard that!"

"You were meant to!"

"Smartbutt."

"Bigger butt."

"Darn straight!"

"Ten bucks says I can guess what they're saying." Hunk muttered to Pidge.

"You're on."

"Lord Naruto." Allura cleared her throat. "We have received your distress signal. How can Voltron be of assistance?"

"There's that word again. What's a Vole-tron?" Mirai asked as she came to stand beside the Hokage. He nodded in agreement.

"Oh you know, five robot lions. They fly around. Combine into one big robot. We kick Galra butt with it and save the Universe." Lance described their job as he walked forward and took up a Hero pose. He winked at Mirai.

She stared at him flatly, then looked at the Hokage.

"You're sure we don't need to detain them?"

"Only if he gets to Fanboy levels. Until then, no."

Mirai groaned while her commander chuckled.

"Wow. You've definitely got her on the ropes," Keith said as he came up to stand beside Lance.

"Thanks buddy. I'm just that good." Lance grinned and rubbed the underside of his nose.

"If you haven't called for Voltron, then why did you have an Altean distress signal?" Princess Allura asked. "Are you sure there aren't any other Alteans?"

The Hokage's smile became genuine and apologetic. "I'm sorry, but no. Alphon set it up, and he died several years ago just before the emergency stasis ended on our pods."

"Pods…" Coran blinked. He clapped a hand to his head. "Alphonse du Krie! The Refugee Relocator! That's who saved you!?"

"Yeah." The Hokage looked over at the Altean wreckage. "He tried."

"Sorry, but, again, we're not Altean. Who's Alphonse duffee?" Pidge asked.

"He made sure to aid as many species that the Galra tried to wipe out. He put the refugees in stasis pods and relocated them off-world. Heck, Alphonse analyzed most of the species that the Castle of Lions' database currently holds," Coran said matter-o-factly. "He was lost early on in the war, and because of it, a lot of known planets in duress were left forgotten."

"We would have rather not been bothered in the first place."

"Mirai!" Naruto gave his subordinate a stern glower.

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Lord Hokage." Mirai bowed her head, but her expression was set in stone.

"I'm not the one you should be asking forgiveness from."

"No, she has a right to be upset." Allura sighed. "The Galra only knew about half of the planets they attacked because of the alliance with Altea at the time."

"Though one utters a harsh truth, it doesn't mean they are forgiven for a rude delivery," Naruto said. He looked back at the red-eyed girl. "Jonin, I will not ask again."

"I apologize for my words." Mirai said, the upper half of her body bowed towards the Alteans and the Paladins. She sounded much more sincere and even looked a bit ashamed at her poor manners.

"I understand. You're forgiven," Allura said, making to bow, but stopping when she saw Naruto shake his head. She straightened up and he gave her a small smile.

"Well, now that the unpleasantness is out of the way, let me show you around! Oh, but make sure you lock up." Naruto pointed at the Castle with his thumb over his shoulder. "Can't be too careful."

"Ah, of course." Allura pressed a few buttons on her holographic wrist controller and then followed Naruto toward the elevator he emerged from.

"He sounds more like my father than he does a leader," Hunk hummed. The other Paladins mumbled their agreement. Lance, however, rushed off to follow Mirai.

"A leader is the parent of their people, Hunk. Trust me, I saw King Alfor do it all the time." Coran laughed. "I think the good King and our friendly Lord here would have gotten along famously in fact. Same sense of humor and whatnot."

"Welcome to our Village, Princess, Paladins, and...Which duty do you prefer most, Coran?" Naruto asked. Before the caretaker could speak, Pidge chimed in.

"He's the Castle's Gentle-Nanny."

"Oh, neat." Naruto blinked before he tilted his head. "Sorry, but if you five aren't Alteans, what are you?"

"We're Humans." Shiro said, removing his helmet. The others followed his example. "We're from Earth."

"...No you're not." Naruto slowly shook his head.

"Uh, yeah. My birth certificate says so-" Hunk began.

"No, not all of you are fully human." The Hokage moved to stand in front of the youth in red.

"Um, what?" Keith blinked and felt stock still as the tall blond's eyes landed on him.

"You're not human. Fully, I mean. Biologically, I mean." Naruto shook his head. "You're not fully biologically human."

"Okay, I don't know what game this is, but I'm not liking it." Keith frowned.

"Huh, most people I know would be happy to learn they're part alien." Naruto looked at Mirai. "Wouldn't you be happy to know?"

"Ecstatic, Lord Hokage."

"Oh, come on, don't be such a stiff, Mirai-chan!"

"Only when you stop acting so childish, Lord Hokage."

"...I always knew Keith was weird." Lance whispered to Pidge. She elbowed him in the side in response.

"Regardless, I was just pointing out that Kurama can sense your Galra blood." Naruto said, pointing at Keith. The pointed finger turned into an uplifted hand. "Also, hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, Hokage of The Hidden Village. And you are?"

"...I'm...I'm what?"

"Pleased to meet you, What. Weird name, but who am I to judge? You may not be purple, but you are a bastard, so it makes sense I guess."

"Lord Hokage!" Mirai snapped.

"Oops, said that out loud, didn't I? Must be the sleep deprivation. ...Or the caffeine…"

"I'm sorry, but can we back up several feet here? I'm a what?" Keith demanded.

"Oh, now I see it," Naruto tilted his head. He leaned into Keith's face. "You have a lot of anger in you. Like, almost Sasuke levels of anger. ...Eh, maybe a third of Sasuke's anger level. Definitely part Galra."

"I don't think Mister Uchiha can be used as a means of measure, Lord Hokage."

"Pfft, you didn't know him like I did, Mirai-chan." Naruto put his hands on Keith's shoulders. "Listen, What."

"Keith."

"Make up your mind. Listen, Keith, you have Galra blood in your veins. One of your parents was human, and the other wasn't. Get it?"

"No. I don't get it." Keith slapped the man's hands away and took a step back. "What do you mean I have Galra blood?! I'm a human!"

"You may identify as human, and certainly pull it off, but biologically speaking, you're part Galra." The blond man shrugged and slid his hands into his pants' pockets. "As for how I know, well...I'm not fully human either."

"...Wait," Shiro stepped forward. He looked between the two shinobi. "Y-You're ...Humans?"

"She is." Naruto nodded back to his trusted bodyguard, before he grinned. "I ain't. Kind of. I'm half-alien, but that's in a spiritual sense."

"Someone's been underground a bit too long," Lance muttered under his breath. Hunk and Pidge nodded, while the Alteans, Keith and Shiro stared at the man skeptically. The whiskered blond pinched the bridge of his nose.

"For the love of...Jonin Sarutobi, please alert the Sensors that I'm going to perform a brief demonstration," Naruto orderedMirai nodded and then vanished in the blink of an eye, a gust of wind blowing the Paladins' and Princess' hair. The blond waited a few moments before he took a step back from the Paladins. "Might want to shield your eyes real quick."

Before they could ask why, the Hokage lit up in a show of energy. Glowing gold wafted around his form and his eyes turned a blood red. Intricate runes and designs covered his glowing features. He stood there, watching their reactions.

"You just had to make a comment. You couldn't just believe him, huh?" Pidge snidely remarked to Lance, who answered in kind.

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE'D GO SUPER SAIYAN!?"

"Lance! Cool it!" Shiro snapped. He shielded his face from the glow until his eyes became adjusted. Keith stared, jaw agape.

"How are you doing that?" he asked.

"Like I said, I'm not fully human." Naruto shrugged. "It's complicated."

"...Forget being fully human. I want to do that." Hunk said.

"Trust me, it's not all this all the time." Naruto chuckled. He let the form go and returned to his non-glowing state. His eyes returned to the warm blues. "I'm the host to an ancient and powerful being that has resided on this planet for many years."

"The host? Is it some sort of parasite?" Allura asked.

"Far from it. Please don't refer to him like that again, he takes offense to it. He's more like a ...a roommate." Naruto grinned. "His name is-...Er, He is the Kyubi."

"Huh, not a Parasite, yet bonded on a certain level. You speak with him?" Coran asked.

"Sometimes. He likes to sleep. Didn't get enough of it when he was with my Mom."

"A hereditary bonding? Interesting!"

"Not as simple as that. It's a rather personal secret, and we just met. Give me a few days, yeah?"

"That's fair enough, Lord Naruto, but may I perchance deduce that it was this Q-B that detected Keith's latent blood?"

"Sure, something along those lines." Naruto said, his smile strained slightly. He reached out and put his hand on Keith's shoulder again, drawing the paladin's attention. "We can talk later if you want. I thought you knew and were trying to hide it. I'm sorry if I caused you any distress."

"...It's fine."

The Paladins could tell that the Hokage didn't believe it, but it said much about his character when he simply smiled and gave the boy another pat on the shoulder.

Allura looked at Keith with a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, but said nothing further on the subject. She instead looked back at the Hokage.

"Is there somewhere we can speak privately?"

"Word gets around in our small hole. Secrets get you killed." Naruto shrugged. "But I can take you to my office if you'd prefer."

"Yes. Thank you."

"Anyone else got anything they want to see?" Naruto asked, looking the others over.

"Kitchens. Please tell me you don't serve goop here!" Hunk interlaced his hands.

"You poor boy. You need ramen."

"You have ramen?" Hunk teared up.

"Oh, god, it's worse than I thought! You were deprived!" Naruto grabbed his head. Then he held his hands in front of him. The index and middle fingers crossed, before the Hokage was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. The smoke dispersed quickly, and revealed two of the blond men in place of one. One of them grabbed Hunk's wrist and pulled him along. "Quickly! We need to get to the ramen, stat!"

"I never want to leave this place!" Hunk cried his heart out.

"...Did...How...That's not possible…" Pidge pushed her glasses up and rubbed her eyes.

"He can multiply." Lance mumbled.

Keith was stunned silent, eyes wide.

"Oh my…" Allura's cheeks heated up.

"Uh...Wow." Shiro finally managed. He rubbed his head. "I mean...Wow. That's...word's can't express..."

"Are your people not able to manipulate life energy to create physical duplicates?" Naruto asked, looking at Coran.

"N-no. I dare say your people may be the only living ones who are able to." Coran managed.

"Bummer. I would've liked to learn space ninjutsu." The Hokage sighed, but perked up and grinned. A cross of his fingers and a cloud of smoke later, there was a clone for each member. "How's a personal tour sound to everyone?"

In the hanger bay of the Castle of Lions, Naruto sat on the head of the Black Lion. His legs were crossed and his eyes were closed. His hands rested in his lap, atop the statue-like creatures of metal. A silence permeated the hanger, serene and peaceful.

This was the original, who had left a reinforced clone to greet the proclaimed Alteans. His self-imposed mission to find information on the new visitors derailed when something called to him through Senjutsu. He sought out the origin and came across the Lions of Voltron. A simple leap and he sat on the Black Lion's head. Within minutes, he was in a mindscape, listening to the Lions' tales of their origin, their past, and who piloted them now.

"Well," he said, his lips curling into a smile. "I'll have to apologize for the deceit."

Black growled through their link, a flimsy but strong bond, and her communication was interpreted by another. This other was the creature mentioned by his clone, the massive chakra beast with nine tails.

"She says not to bother. Their Paladins are young cubs and still new to war. They wouldn't understand your ways."

"I appreciate your concern, but I figure it would best to be honest with them." Naruto smiled and crouched down to pat the Lion's head. "You're a good girl."

"Oh god, spare me."

"What?" A foxy grin spread across the man's face. "Jealous?"

"Naruto, don't make me hit you. I was napping and you woke me up to be a translator for a stupid robot."

"Don't listen to Kurama, he's always napping," he cooed to the large machine while rubbing the panel on its head. A rumble echoed through the area, and he grinned.

"Shut it and hurry up. I need my happy sleep."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto huffed and dropped down to the floor. He turned back and bowed to the Black Lion. "Pleasure meeting you."

He repeated the action for the other Lions before sprinting out of the bay. Returned to silence, the Lions waited for their Paladins to return.

AN: Just so it's clear, this chapter takes place before the two-part finale of season one. Shiro's still Black lion paladin, still Space Dad, and still got that bromance (or is it more?) with Keith going on. Keith's got no idea who the Blade of Marmora are, Katie's ID is out but I think still kind of under wraps at this point, Lance is still the comedy relief slash playa, and Hunk is...er, Hunk.

This one-off (?) is something that's been sitting in the back seat for a good year or so now. Still working on my other fics, but between finding a good job, dealing with the stress of my current one, and general mishaps of life, writing's been taking a bit of a back seat lately. Anything that does get posted will likely be something new(ish), or an update to one of my One-Off collabs or Readings. Focus on VA, SHDG, and my other fics is rare due to the chaos that is my life atm.

Major kudos to the man, the myth, and the legend Engineer4Ever for all his help on this and my other work.

REDEFENDTHEUNIVERSE!