Hello!

So I doubt any of my usual readers were expecting a new story from me given how busy I have been but a close friend of mine who's birthday just passed put in a request for me to write a story or in this case at least the first chapter of a story for a crossover of Azur Lane and Naruto. Now I'm not one to disappoint so I've put something together for her even if I'm not fully sure what'll come of this or if its even any good.

As it stands, this is just a little something for them but I guess depending on the response I may keep up with it a smaller thing. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it or if not then I at least want to say thank you for giving it a chance and reading it. If you aren't familiar with Azur Lane I will also be leaving the list of character names as they appear so that you can easily search them up to get a clear picture of what everyone looks like.

Anywho, enjoy!

War.

A simple word but one that could inspire a myriad of complex and emotional responses within the core of those with true knowledge of just what war truly was. For those left safe far from the front lines, war was often just a facade pushed for by those who wished to further their own goals bereft of the suffering that came with sending young men and women to their deaths far from home.

To those hidden elites, the shadows with their hands in all pockets war was a tool, a means to an end. Be if for profit or influence the cause was irrelevant so long as when the dust settled their needs were satisfied and agendas forwarded. Some sought conflict merely for the sake of it, men and women whose only goals were to watch the world burn in a rain of smoke and fire. Some believe war is a necessity for progress, that conflict breeds perfection... the strong would be rewarded with a world devoid of weakness and would hold the strength to defend their way of life without burden.

And to those brave soldiers, those that gave their lives in hope that salvation might be birthed from sacrifice?...

War was just the crucible that would either make them or break them.

...

"Are you sure about this?"

Steely grey eyes stared hopefully at the pulsing cube rested within their grasp, delicate gloved fingers hovered almost lovingly over its smooth surface and the cube responded, in turn, humming to life with a soft purple glow. Those spectating would dare say the anticipation was shared by both despite evidence to the contrary.

"Can we ever really be sure when venturing into the unknown? To blaze a trail is to discard those fears in the name of progress."

Golden eyes rolled in exasperation. "Philosophy doesn't suit you, Commander. Stick to leading rather than speeches, nya~"

"Fufufu... Don't be so cruel Akashi, it's not every day we are gathered for such an event, let her indulge a bit." A busty beauty chided with amusement from her position off to the side, gloved fingers brushed away long flowing locks of ebony hair tucking it softly behind her ears. "Wouldn't you agree, Takao-chan?~"

"There is nothing wrong with caution, especially in circumstances such as these Atago." Another more serious voice chastised lightly not at all phased by her sisters teasing tone. "You do remember just why we are here after all?" She asked resting her hand upon the elegant sword sheathed by her hip.

Her sister gave a wistful smile and nodded. "Of course, but to greet a new sister in arms with weapons draw is rather cruel... it would be a shame to have one's first memories be tainted with fear of their comrades." She answered smoothly but none the less readied herself as well.

"That won't be needed." The commander's voice cut through the chatter reminding them of the gravity of their current situation. "All of our work comes to a head here, we've gone over the calculations hundreds of times." She assured with the utmost confidence in their work.

"Nyaa~, Calculations can still be incorrect Commander... Akashi would still suggest standing back just to be safe." Her fluffy ears twitched in a mixture of anticipation and worry, her inherent curiosity being tempered only by her concern for her comrades' safety. "Siren technology is volatile at the best of times on its own..."

"Very well." She sighed and placed the cube back onto the small pedestal it had once rested upon, the purple hum dying down slightly at the loss of contact fading back into an almost hypnotic lull that belied the potential danger hidden within its compact form. "Are we ready to initialize?" She questioned.

Akashi nodded. "Hai! We are set to go on your mark, nya!" Akashi made her way over to a nearby lever and waited for further instruction, her golden eyes locked onto the podium as a small bead of sweat made its way down her brow.

The Commander nodded and turned to her two guards for this event. "Although I do not think it will be needed, are you two prepared for the worst-case scenario?" She asked looking between the two sisters who quickly made their way to her side.

"Nothing will harm you on our watch." Takao assured tightening her grip on her blade but otherwise maintained her composure.

"Ara, what kind of big sister would I be if I let our dear commander be harmed?" Atago laughed behind her hand but she nodded in assurance that she would be ready at a moment's notice if the need arose.

"Then I put my faith in you two." She said giving them a brief smile, one full of the confidence they had come to expect from her before turning to a waiting Akashi. "On my mark!"

"3!..."

Akashi's hands fastened themselves around the lever, gripping the cold metally tightly between her 'fingers' as the count began, shivers ran down her spine but she remained firm with only the violent twitching of her ears revealing any real indication of nervousness.

"2!..."

Takao and Atago took a half step forward in preparation ensuring their commander was safely behind them, bodies tensed they waited for the final count that would see months of work realized. Though in what form it would take was beyond them.

"1!..."

The Commander narrowed her eyes but there was no anger in her gaze, no hatred or condemnation... only resolve. She had the utmost faith that the time they had spent working on this project would not be lost in vain but would bear the fruit that might help deliver them to the peace they so greatly craved.

"Go!"

"Nya! Get ready!" Akashi slammed the lever down and the room around them hummed to life with the sound of machines spinning up, monitor screens burned with various charts and diagrams while the crackle of electricity sparked in the air causing the hair on their arms to stand on end.

"Wisdom cube frequency matched, prepare for manifestation!" Akashi's voice called out over the noise as the podium beneath the object of their undivided attention began to spark.

They watched with bated breath as violet arks of energy began to billow from the now vibrating cube, the once tepid glow had progressed into a violent pulsing of purple light that washed over the assembled group like a tidal wave pushing them all back slightly but not deterring them in the slightest.

The cube cracked, a hairline fracture at first but it grew, spreading all over the surface as more light emanated from within. Once solid rays of purple flashed white, then blue, back to purple, and finally golden light poured out in a fantastical display of illumination blinding the parties who were forced to shield their eyes in fear of burning out their retinas.

"Manifestation process... success!"

Akashi shocked but positive response prompted the group to open their eyes once more. The blinding light that had once bathed the room was now gone, replaced by a softer glow of a humanoid shape floating gently to the ground and coming to rest softly on the cold tile floor below. They watched on in wonder as the remaining maelstrom of power began to dissipate allowing them to finally lay eyes on the result of all their work...

...

Rich ocean blue eyes cracked open slightly, squinting at the sudden influx of light while small pudgy fists rubbed irritably at their edges, tiny digits pawing at the stars lightly as if to banish them by force. Pouty lips fell into a small scowl at the sensation of cold flooring beneath even if it was not as bothersome as it might have first seemed.

"Commander?... Did something go wrong?" An amused but seemingly confounded voiced questioned softly causing sleepy blue eyes to snap slowly to attention, half-lidded eyes coming to rest on the figures looking down upon him

"Big..." Lips moved without thought but it was an apt way to describe the three watching him, they towered over him in size but oddly that did not bring him much anxiety... if anything he only felt curiosity at their presence. They seemed familiar... but how that could be was beyond him.

"Incredible..." The woman in the middle stepped forward, too lost in her own fascination to be stopped by the apprehensive looks her guards had sent her way. Within moments she was knelt before him and he was given a clear view of her as the pair inspected one another in mutual interest.

She had interesting eyes he noted, too light to be blue and nowhere near dark enough to be brown or black... grey was fitting and within those eyes, he saw things, things he felt he should recognize but at the same time escaped him. Her hair was a warm shade of black and tucked away under a pristine white cap though he could see small strands peeking out from the edges that hinted it was longer than he'd first thought.

She had a kind face, soft in all the right places but defined where it counted giving her presence, she wasn't pale but she wasn't tan either falling closer to fair-skinned... thought with her white suit and covered hands, it was hard to tell exactly. She looked at him in wonder and he felt oddly at peace beneath her gaze.

...

She couldn't help but find him fascinating, oh sure he wasn't at all what she was expecting but that was the entire point of this. To see what happened when the lines between Sirens and Humanity were blurred and now the first result of that question was standing right at her feet.

A boy, lord that was a question in itself since all records of manifested ships were female and even all encountered Sirens had taken female form so why he was the sole exception eluded her but it added to the mystery that she found herself being drawn into.

Pushing past those thoughts she ran over her first thoughts. Given his size, her first instinct was to type him in the Destroyer or Sub-class given their tendency to manifest in more childlike forms but she knew better than to assume since that was more so a trend than an actual rule. She did note that he was very cute and if the circumstances were different, she might have given him a head pat out of pure instinct as he looked up at her with those curious eyes of his.

She'd rarely encountered such a deep and vibrant shade of blue even in all her years at sea and it took a conscious effort on her part to break the line of sight to really inspect him. He had short but messy spiked blond hair with silver streaks that would fit right at home in the Eagle Union or even with the Iron Bloods if she could get her hands on a hair straightener, on his chubby cheeks were three whisker-like markings that faintly reminded her of a cat or a fox and idly she wondered if perhaps that was a side effect of using Sakura ships as the template for their research.

Leaving his face her attention was caught by his attire and in this regard, he clearly took after the Siren base they'd used seeing as he didn't wear very much at all. Dressed in a mixture of blacks and yellows the little blond sported a pair of black shorts with yellow tribal marks along the sides the hummed some mysterious energy. He wore no shirt but in its place, he instead had a small trench coat that stretched to his knees and sported the same tribal patterns. It was buttoned at the neck leaving his pale stomach on display as he shifted from side to side.

In place of shoes, he had two long mechanical socks that seemed to double as armor and contorted snugly around his feet giving him both flexibility and comfort while seemingly also allowing him so feel though them judging by how he'd wiggled uncomfortably upon touching the ground.

If his eyes had been the same sickly yellow as his attire she might have thought they'd just summoned a little Siren directly into their base...

Actually, they still might have just done that...

"What's your name little one?" She asked softly doing her best to appear friendly, she didn't want to frighten him. Some might find it hard to believe that humanoids who carried the firepower of warships could be frightened but she'd had the distinct pleasure of meeting some of the more timid ships and she'd learned it was better to start slow.

He looked at her for a brief moment as if not expecting the question before moving to respond.

"Designation... undefined?" He said the words before he'd registered them, he thought he should know who he was but there was a disconnect. Like there were two different answers and they were canceling the other leaving him to flounder at what should have been an easy enough question.

She frowned to herself at that, every ship should instinctively know their name and classification... was it because he technically was the first of his kind? Should she name him, was that even her right?

Seeing their leaders confusion Takao and Atago decided to step forward and introduce themselves to their new... comrade?

"Hello little one, my name is Takao." Takao bowed and gave a gentle smile in the face of his curious glance. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She greeted formally but there was a warmth to her words that the newborn could still decipher.

"Takao..." He repeated the word to himself and nodded offering his own subdued smile in return before feeling a gentle hand running itself through his hair.

"Ara ara... you are so cute, I'm Atago but you may call me Onee-chan if you'd like~" Atago giggled into her free hand as she played with his spikey locks and to her enjoyment he made no move to stop her merely nodding his head and allowing her to do as she pleased and even leaning slightly into her touch.

"Onee-chan..." He repeated storing the name away and turning back to the woman in white still kneeling before him. "What is your name?..." He asked taking the initiative in the conversation for the first time. Lazy but curious blue eyes locking back onto proud grey ones.

He reminded her a bit of Laffy, she wondered if the two would get along well? She just hoped he wouldn't adopt her drinking habits...

"I am the Commander but that is my title, not my name, my real name is Mirai Suzuki." She introduced with a smile giving him a moment to internalize the information before returning to the matter at hand.

"We still have to call you something, as well as figure out what to class you as." She hummed bringing her own gloved hand up to tussle his hair as Atago had done moments prior and quietly noting that he responded positively to physical contact. "Do you have something you'd like to be called?" She asked giving him the choice to choose, something no other ship had been given adopting the names of the namesakes of modern or antique warships.

He paused and thought, at once millions of names ran through his mind... information he'd never learned but yet somehow instinctually knew assaulted him and hundreds of thousands of names flashed through his mind before finally one settled above the rest and he nodded catching the attention of the overseeing trio.

"Naruto..."

"Naruto?" Takao couldn't hide the confusion in her voice as she ran the name past her lips. It was almost certainly a name that would be found with the Sakura Empire so she couldn't say it didn't fit but at the same time, it's not the one she would have expected.

Atago chuckled. "Perhaps he has a taste for ramen? It is possible that maybe the commander passed on some of her bad eating habits during development." The heavy cruiser laughed quietly at the less than amused pout her leader sent her way and offered a placating smile in return showing she meant no real insult.

"Haha very funny..." Mirai scoffed and turned her attention back to the newly dubbed 'Naruto'. "But I have to agree with Takao, why did you choose that name?" She asked quite curious as to what significance the unusual name held to the small blond.

He frowned a bit at the question, not because it was unreasonable but because he didn't truly know why himself... The name just felt right, or maybe Atago was right and he'd picked up something from his creator and it just stuck. He didn't think it had to do with ramen though, he actually found himself being slightly annoyed at the comparison.

"Maelstrom..." He muttered sending a petulant look towards busty swordswoman who giggled and nodded apologetically.

"Ah, my mistake." She apologized, rubbing his cheek with a gloved finger getting a soft sigh of content before gently tapping his nose and withdrawing her hand, any ideas of attacking him long since thrown out the window upon interacting with the quiet but seemingly kind young ship.

"It's a strong name." Takao nodded giving her own support causing him to smile briefly at the compliment. "That still leaves us in the dark about his classification thought." She pointed out.

"Then let him spar with one of us." Atago's answer was simple and to the point, even if it did draw a raised brow from her sister and commanding officer. "Some combat data will do us all some good and it'll get him used to his new role since I doubt he'll be a support ship." She reasoned already making her way towards the door as if certain the others would follow, the soft click of her boot heels fading into the distance as she made her way out.

"She has a point." Mirai nodded and gently took Naruto's hand in her own. "Come on Naruto, you'll be playing with 'Onee-chan' for a little bit." She said leading him out of the lab with a quick wave to Akashi who was off jotting down notes in the corner, something about new "skins" and "precious gems!".

She felt a phantom pain in her wallet and quickly picked up the pace leaving the cat like scientist to scheme in private.

Takao sighed in exasperation at her companions' methods but she had no choice other than to follow along lest things spiral out of control as they tended to do when she allowed her sister too much free reign.

-Training Cove-

"We're going to have a little spar okay Naru~" Atago gave the boy a kind smile as he stood next to her on the warm sands, the vast expanse of the open ocean that would be their training ground sitting just a few feet away from them. "This isn't a real fight so don't worry too much, Onee-chan just wants to see what you can do." She reassured placing a gentle touch upon his head.

"Okay." He nodded his eyes locked onto the waves crashing softly against the shore as he took in all the new sights and smells around him.

"Very good, now summon you riggings and we'll start on the commander's signal." She shot a wink towards said commander who nodded and stepped forward. "If you impress me I'll treat you afterward so give it your best~" With those final words of encouragement, she leaped into the air, the sand beneath her kicking up in a violent spray as bounded over the dry sands and hovered gently above the crystal clear waters.

With a flash of light, her riggings were by her side, her twin 203-millimeter guns in all their glory sat ready to be fired at her command while underneath her torpedoes were set to launch though she probably wouldn't need them for this, it was just a spar after all. She landed with a slight splash which was unavoidable given her 'Heavy' designation but she still pulled it off with all the grace she'd become known for during her time here.

Naruto watched with awe at his senior's display of strength, acrobatics, and grace and idly wondered if he'd ever look that cool...

Rather than try leaping after her, the small blond instead wadded his was over to shoreline, his small feet disappearing beneath the waves as the sensation of chilled water lapped at his skin through his 'shoes'. He took a breath and focused on calling his own rigging, he might not have known his true name but he understood war. Maybe not in an emotional sense, he was too young, too fresh... but on an instinctual level?

Light burst off his small frame like a beacon in the dark, waves of violent energy rippling the water at his feet as he summoned forth the power he felt locked away in his core. Life rushed to his eyes at the influx of vitality golden flecks bleeding into bright blue eyes as heavy artillery surrounded him in a shell of powerful armaments that threatened to crush anything in their path.

From the shore, Takao and the Commander watched with no small amount of awe and intrigue as the light faded away to reveal the full extent of the blond firepower.

"It's like looking at a perfect hybrid..." Mirai's eyes ghosted over the newly summoned battlements and immediately took stock of the comically oversized barrels aimed squarely at the Japanese cruiser opposite his position. She was reminded immediately of the new prototype 381mm AA Guns that had been making the rounds but these were in a class of their own.

Forgoing the distinct silver shine of the 381's, his guns were pitch black with the pristine almost chrome-like appearance most Siren weaponry adopted and it was accompanied by the infamous golden yellow trimmings of their kind as well, a melding of modern weaponry meeting more advanced technology... she couldn't help the small pang of anxiousness at the sight of such weaponry in the fashion of the greatest enemy of humanity but schooled herself, he was an ally not an enemy.

"So he's a battleship... he's in good company." Takao nodded in respect of the potential firepower on display, while she doubted he could use such weaponry efficiently just yet she knew that once mastered he could very well level entire fleets on his own.

-With Atago and Naruto-

"Those are some impressive guns, a bit big for my tastes but fearsome nonetheless." Atago smiled not showing any real signs of worry at the imposing sight if anything she found it a bit adorable to see the sleepy-looking child surrounded by a shell of earth-shaking weaponry. "Why not fire a round off into the distance to warm yourself up?" She suggested knowing sometimes it took a bit for a ship to adjust to their power, especially those with little combat experience.

"Kay..." He turned his focus to the horizon and his guns followed suit, sleek black metal shining menacingly in the light of the setting sun. "Preparing the first salvo." He intoned shifting his weapons to land somewhere off in the distance to avoid hurting anyone.

A familiar violet light began to build at the outer edges of his weapon barrels, the air sparking around him as deep within his core gears and pistons hummed happily to life, the gold flecks in his eyes shined and he pointed towards the infinite horizon with a soft expression that didn't do justice to surge of excitement that rushed through him in those brief moments.

"Fire."

...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Atago, Takao, and Mirai could only watch in shock as the sea trembled at the raw force of the blond's main gun, three compressed bolts of humming purplish energy flying like comets overhead leaving beautiful trails of sparks in the sky as they flew before crashing down off into the distance, accompanied by a massive spout of water and steam as they slammed into the depths detonating in a blinding flash of white.

If anything had been in that spot before, it sure as hell didn't exist anymore...

"Ano... Was that too much?..." He rubbed the back of his head in a gesture approximating embarrassment as he looked back towards the spectating audience who were a bit stunned at the display. It wasn't that they'd never seen ships capable of such potential carnage but it was always humbling to see the prowess of a Battleship in action and he was already more than a bit unique among them.

"He's almost certainly going to be a flagship isn't he?" Takao was the first to recover and give her observations, his firepower potential was just unreal and he wasn't even trying yet. "You may have really outdone yourself this time Commander."

Mirai couldn't help the proud grin that blossomed on her face at her subordinate's praise and the display of her newest fleet member. "He's meeting all my expectations and then some... as for being a flagship, well need to see how he handles himself in a fight first." Impressive firepower was nice but if he couldn't take a hit he would be a liability in battle.

"Atago!" She called out to the heavy cruiser who quickly turned to face her commanding officer. "Are you still up to test him or should I bring in someone else?" She questioned carefully, while Atago was by no means weak but it might be better to grab someone who could stand on more equal footing with the blond.

"I'll be fine Commander." Atago waved her off with a reassuring smile, he may have had the raw firepower but she had more experience which would take some of the edge off. "I don't think Naru-chan would try to hurt his Onee-chan to much, would he?" She cooed at the little Battleship who nodded and already they could see the glow of his weaponry fade as he reigned in his power.

"If you say so." Mirai nodded. "Then you may proceed when you are ready."

She grinned and drew her sword while opposite her Naruto merely tilted his head and pointed one small finger in her direction, his turrets locking onto his current target like hounds waiting to be unleashed. She allowed her own guns to match and knew that she would need to keep on her toes if she didn't want to end up in the shipward in need of repairs.

"Let's see what you can do, Naru-chan~"

"Hai..."

AN. Chapter Done.

This is much shorter than my usual chapter lengths but as I mentioned this was a request to see an idea brought to life, it really wasn't intended to be a proper story so I figured I keep it short. I also have to admit that I don't know much about the story behind Azur Lane so I'm working off what I remember from the games convoluted storytelling and some of the anime (though I am very behind on that).

Like I said this was at the request of a friend but do tell me if you enjoyed it and if you're a fan of Azur Lane (Game or the Anime). Maybe I'll continue this at some point if people like it enough.

I imagine if you know nothing about either then this story seems like utter nonsense and maybe it still does even if you know plenty about it lol. I will say that if I continue this I do have explanations planned out that will explain why we have a small Naruto (they wanted a chibi and I like a challenge lol), what he's doing here, and so on.

Anyway not going to be a long AN, let me know your thoughts and all see you all in either another story or perhaps even an update to this one.

List of AL Characters mentioned:

Atago

Akashi

Takao

The Commander (is the player so technically OC I guess)