Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Final Fantasy VII

"Hello folks. This is Arch-Daishou. Yes it's been a long while, and this is a new profile. Short version, my old computer went to shit. Spent 7 long months going into the depths of madness till today finally got a rebuilt computer.

But the entertainment did not stop there boys and girls, my old account got messed up and can no longer go into it. Fun, Fun. So will be republishing my stories onto this new profile. On one hand get to do some work on the chapters. So small plus.

Glad to be back, and hope you enjoy!"

Beta: Etheral-23

Action Scenes: Godospartan the kitsune

Normal talk

'Thoughts'

Demonic talk

Deity Talk

Fanon: = Strong/Smart Naruto

Fanon: = Rank: Jounin – Formerly Anbu Black Opts

{This starts four years after the fourth shinobi war & three years before the game story of FF7}

Prequel: Broken Kitsune

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

It was finally over…

Cerulean eyes gaze blankly upwards at the cloudy moonlit sky above. Their once normally brilliant shine flickering from between light to dull as blood drips from the edges of his mouth, and pool from countless wounds from his body.

Lying on the ground, he can feel his broken form growing colder as the twenty-one year old Naruto Uzumaki is serene as he felt the end coming. Even if he had failed the old sage, and the cycle of the brothers starts anew…

He can finally see her again. And truth to be told, it's all he actually cared about.

A serene smiles crosses his lips; 'I'm coming home…'

"Kit…"

"Ku… Kurama," Naruto voice dry, cracking, strained even to speak. "I... I'm sorry…"

Deep within the blond Uzumaki's soul, the ancient fox sighs; "You have nothing to apologize for. But do you seriously want to die beside the wretched Uchiha corpse?"

His cerulean shift left, not far away is the body of the man he once considered brother in all but blood. Together with Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura they were able to take down the mad goddess known as Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and ending the fourth shinobi war.

Or so Naruto and Sakura thought…

It has been four long years since he's last seen her jade eyes, her rosette hair, and the beautiful smile that warmed his soul. Her light erased from the world by a man he once called brother consumed by hate, vengeance, and madness.

But now, it no longer mattered. Even with his body broken, and Kurama himself too low on chakra to do anything, the final dark chapter of the Uchiha clan had now been laid to rest. In a way it was fitting it came to a close where it started for them, in the Valley of End.

Naruto's eyes drift back to the sky, barely registering the sound of thunder rolling and lightning flashing wildly in the heavens above. "Can I… just rest… partner..? I'm so tired…."

"Well you could…" A husky feminine voice make the blond Uzumaki weakly turn right. "But dying can be so damn boring~. I got my head cut off once, took my body five minutes to find it. FIVE MINUTES!"

A strikingly beautiful woman with long raven black hair, tan mocha skin, wearing a bi-colored dress with a very open low-cut on the front and back walked barefoot over to fallen Uzumaki. Her red lips smiled in a subtle yet demented way, her eyes were strange, one silver and the other golden.

"I actually got Haskill's eyebrow to twitch," the strange woman giggled in almost a maniacal manner. Naruto only blinked as the woman pounded her right hand in her left palm looking back to him. "Oh right, you're bleeding to death and I have a choice for you to make." She sat on her knees down beside the dying blond.

The young Uzumaki lifts a brow; "Ch… Choice…"

"I can heal and save you. But I have a price for this 'unique' intervention." It was now the blond Uzumaki took notice of the environment around them was frozen in place. He saw droplets of rain literally stood still in mid-air, the waterfall now frozen. As if time itself had stopped, as this very strange woman tilted her head.

"What price?" the blond asked weakly.

"It is very simple… The price is leaving Godaiyo, otherwise known as your world."

His tired cerulean widen as Kurama quickly spoke up; "A fresh start kit. Let's be honest, nothing is tying you down to this world anymore…"

The blond Sennin was quiet for a moment before turning his gaze to the paused skies. What was there really left for him here, despite an early grave, and her waiting on the other side? But, if Naruto truly knew one damn thing about his late wife…

'You'd kick my ass for giving up so damn easy.' He looked to the strange woman; "I accept…"

A smile crossed her lips as the woman placed her hand on Naruto's chest; "Call me Raven… You'll be seeing me again whiskers" The world goes black in the blonde's eyes as he vanished in a white light. Heaving a sigh, the mad goddess dryly glared over to the lifeless body of Sasuke Uchiha. Snapping her fingers a black gem appeared in her hand. "No more cycle for you~… OH you will just love the Soul Carin sweetie!" Raven giggled before breaking out into crazed laughter that echoed throughout the valley as time resumes.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

As his consciousness stirred, Naruto's senses were quick in feeling the soft fabric of the mattress he was laying on, and a pillow under his head. He also felt the intense and overwhelming soreness rolling through his body like a train from Yuki no Kuni had hit him. The strong scent of flowers invaded his nose as the blond Uzumaki opened his eyes. His cerulean eyes are greeted by a light tan ceiling over his head.

'I thought… being healed meant not feeling like Madara had come back and kicked my ass all over again.' Naruto mentally grumbled.

A familiar deep chuckle echoed in his mind; "Ah you're still breathing you pansy. Just walk it off."

'You are just a ray of sunshine as ever eh furball.' Kurama only scoffed as Naruto's eyes gazed about the room. Unlike the blond Uzumaki's square bedroom of his apartment, this was parallelogram in design, and a bit larger, now that he thought about it.

To the far left corner from the bed he saw a couch near a window. On the couch's right was a desk with a chair, and a dresser close beside that. A vase sat on top of the dresser with several yellow roses. The scent of flowers was quite overwhelming in this place.

Still, as he slowly sat up on the bed a relieved sigh escaped his lips seeing his katana, his collapsible costume made shuriken and his eight sealing scrolls on the couch. On the desk was his sage coat, cleaned and neatly folded, and finally hitai-ate beside it.

Gazing downward, Naruto saw his torso and left arm fully bandaged. Whoever found him took the time to care for him, but did he get hurt even more by just coming here? "Before you even ask me kit, I was too exhausted and fell asleep as we vanished from Godaiyo. I woke up just an hour ago."

'That's really the name of our world?'

He heard the old fox snort; "Well if you had actually paid attention to your geography in class brat you'd be amazed."

'Oh bite me!' Naruto mentally growled earning a few good natured chuckles from the Bijuu King. Shaking his head, the blond moved the blanket off him, seeing he was only dressed in his boxers. Getting up and out of bed was a chore as his body made certain every sore muscle protested in the attempt.

The young Sennin caught himself as a wave of light headedness and nausea flushed over, he took small steps over to the desk. 'Well I'm in no fighting shape for a few days.' Placing his hands on the desktop he heaved a sigh, 'But least it's over…'

His cerulean shifted to the closed door upon hearing footsteps coming up some wooden stairs.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Normally, her day usually consisted of tending to her beautiful flowers at the church and picking them to sell in the on the upper plate of Midgar, helping her mother with shopping, cooking, or avoiding them. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever even suspect another person would be falling from the sky and into her church, scaring the living daylights out of her… again. The life of twenty year old Aerith Gainsborough was never dull, though at times she wished it was; the heart could only take so many surprises.

She sighed slightly as she walked up the stairs inside her house, her dainty fingers lightly sliding on the wall. In her other hand there were some clean clothes she was able to get that could fit the blond, since his former attire was badly torn up and covered in blood. By Gaia she never saw anyone look that badly beaten in her life.

'The planet called him an 'outsider'. But what does that mean? Even still, I could feel nature itself at one with him.' This being one of the many thoughts that ran inside her head.

Reaching the top, she rounded the stairs and passed her own room. Stopping at the second room's closed door she went for the nob quietly not to wake their guest/patient. Inside the room, Naruto remained where he was as he felt zero malicious intent. Especially since whoever found him took the time to patch him up.

The door opened and he saw a young woman around his age stopping upon seeing him up. She was wearing a very elegant blue and white dress with a red camisole underneath and white wedge sandals with pink straps, the outfit fitting her hourglass figure just right. Her brunette hair having segmented bangs which framed her heart-shaped face and the sides, and was also pulled back in a thick plait with a pink ribbon tied around it.

Naruto also noticed a white orb within the ribbon which held a faint glow, he and even could feel a faint power coming from it. She had a beautiful fair skin tone and vibrant emerald eyes.

She blinked before looking wide eyed, seeing the young man she thought was close to death a mere day ago now standing. "You should be resting, how are you feeling?" the young woman's voice was soft and melodic to Naruto's ears.

"Well, now that you ask," the young man's voice deep and graveled, it was the first time Aerith heard it. The blond Uzumaki still feeling a touch of vertigo and nausea as shook his head; "Think I need to sit down."

Quickly walking over, putting the clothes on the desk. Aerith puts one of Naruto's arms over her shoulder, slowly helping him back to bed. He let out a sigh upon sitting back down, rubbing his eyes with a small groan. Though he could feel the beautiful brunette staring at him; "How long was I out?"

"A day. With your injuries I thought it be longer," Opening his eyes he saw her emerald orbs gazing to his unbandaged right.

Unlike the visible parts of his tan skin Aerith saw, from the elbow joint down of his right forearm and hand being pure white. She found it weird seeing where the young man's tan skin ended on his arm, and the pure marble white hairless skin began, even with the fingernails.

"I… lost my real arm four years ago. They called this thing a bio-prosthetic. Did not understand the science behind it, but gave me a new working arm," It wasn't really a lie per say. But he really did not want to go in detail to a stranger about how Baachan and the medics used old man Hashirama's cells in making his new appendage.

It still kind of freaked him out anyway just thinking about it.

"Least you got your arm back kit. Even if it looks like that wretch Zetsu's arm," the old kitsune was right, even the creepy part.

The brunette shook her head; "I'm sorry, my name is Aerith. I… I did not mean to stare."

"Naruto," the blond waved it off chuckling; "You're fine, got used to the weirdness a long time ago."

Turning around, Naruto saw the brunette go back for the men's clothes on the desk that looked about his size. Picking them up in her arms, she walked back to the bed. The blond nods taking them. "This is what I and mom could find around your size. Will you be alright in coming down for breakfast?"

Giving her the thumbs up, Aerith smiled as she left the room and closed the door. Looking down, the blond let out a sigh at the dark blue muscle shirt and black sweats; "Couldn't it have some orange?"

Kurama face palmed shaking his head. "Idiot…"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Walking down the stairs, Aerith saw her mother setting plates on the dining table. "So how is the young man?"

The woman noticed her daughter wide eyed looking her way; "He's actually awake." Those also made the woman look in shock as well. The young man was practically at death's door when she first saw him!

Before she could continue, both mother and daughter saw the person in question coming down the stairs in the clothes Aerith gave him. It was now the young brunette took notice of Naruto's physique. She could see the definition in his biceps and triceps of his arms. Even with through the shirt she saw the solid muscle that outlined the blonde's upper torso. And his bio-prosthetic now covered by fresh new bandages.

While definitely not the bulky build of the few body builders she has seen on occasions. Naruto has strong lean muscular frame matched by a towering height of at least 6'2 or 6'3 by her guess. He was quite pleasing to eyes, if the small blush on her cheeks were any sign. Aerith also took notice of the three horizontal lines on both of his cheeks on his angular face. In an odd way he kind of reminded her of a fox. Next to the natural spiky sun kissed blond hair, but his eyes drew her attention. Cerulean in color and enhanced by a unique if not a quite familiar glow to her she saw once before.

'Just like a member of SOLDIER… Could he…'

Her thoughts were interrupted as the blond spoke up; "Thanks for the clothes. And for saving my life. Naruto Uzumaki ma'am" The young sennin spoke to the middle aged woman in a green dress with an apron over it who waved it off with a smile. Her brown greying hair was in a short ponytail with a small bang on her right.

"My name is Elmyra Gainsborough. And thank my daughter, she found you and been at your bedside the entire time." The elderly woman giggled getting an embarrassed 'mother' from her daughter.

The blonde's gaze turned to a blushing Aerith who shook it off looking to him. "You fell out of the sky, crashing through the roof of my church. You were lucky to least landing on the flowers."

If his eyes went any wider, both daughter and mother thought they would have popped out as Naruto jaw went slacked; 'Are you fucking kidding me!? Yes save my sorry ass via free falling, is that woman out of her goddamn mind!?'

'Trust me kit you have no idea,' the Bijuu king mentally mused.

'And how the hell did some flowers smother my fall?!'

Taking a few deep breaths after mentally freaking out, the blond rubbed the back of his neck; "Sorry about that."

Shaking her head, Aerith waved it off; "I'm just glad you're alright. I just… have to ask, where on the upper plate of Sector 5 did you slip from?"

Mother and daughter saw a blond brow slowly rise; "Upper plate? Sector 5..?"

"…Sector 5… Of Midgar young man," Elmyra said delicately.

Again they only saw utter confusion of the blonde's face. Why did they feel like this was going to be a long day?

XxX ~ Gaia: εγλ 0005 ~ XxX

Midgar…

The central capital of Gaia, which was the name of this planet he found himself now a resident of. In regard to his old world, not even Amegakure or Yuki no Kuni come close to be as technologically advanced to this place. The Shinra Electric Power Company, who being the grand architects of this massive metropolis, this city actually was the central headquarters of their entire company with the largest building at the city's center. With eight massive Mako reactors that supply the power for the entire place.

Gigantic plates that were suspended hundreds of feet in the air by massive pillars, the 'glorious' city of Shinra is a sharp contrast to the slums beneath it. While those above get to enjoy all the comforts; with pristine buildings, clean streets, the finest attire, and food, anything one could desire. Those below paradise of the 'pizza plate' above held life with anything but.

Homes made from pieces of metal that lay about the slums like an enormous scrapyard. While other houses and buildings came from broken down mobile-homes, buses, anything people could get creative with. Even though Naruto had zero idea what the hell a 'Mobile-home' or 'buses' even were to being with.

Still, as Aerith and Elmyra commented despite the bleakness and poverty of the slums, were they lived as well, this place held a unique blending of cultural diversities that one would never see anywhere else.

But how the rich loomed over the poor still made Naruto sick to his stomach. He wanted to do something about. However he also knew he was just one man, and if he tried anything it would bring an entire army coming for him. His younger self would not have cared about the odds, and charged in by the seat of his pants.

The blonde was so damn glad he was not as stupid as he once was. Nor was he willing in gambling people's lives that would get caught in the crossfire. And he damn sure was not about to let his new friends here get hurt or worse by trying to be a hero.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Eyes closed, his breathing was steady as Naruto sat in a meditative position at the center of a ring of yellow flowers behind the house. The serene atmosphere only amplified by the waterfall which formed a lake with the house and two large flowerbeds being like small islands. While not as soothing as Mt. Myōboku or the crystal realm of the dragons, this place held an air of peace unlike most places he knew however.

After breakfast and the long explanation of Gaia, the blonde felt it was time for some much need air to clear his head with everything that had happened since leaving Godaiyo. In a way, it felt like a heavy weight he carried for four years was finally taken off of his shoulders, but he could say with pride he did not kill Sasuke out of revenge. He would not fall into that darkness thanks to his will and to those who love him back home.

He heard Kurama make a loud throaty noise; "Your loved ones will be fine on Godaiyo brat. The Uzumaki clan restored, no Akatsuki, the Uchiha filth is erased from existence, two dead snakes, and the Ōtsutsuki can never again set foot on that planet. Other than typical human stupidity, everything should be fine."

Still keeping his eyelids closed, it did not stop Naruto's brow twitching at the 'typical human stupidity' barb. Then again, the only human the old fox even gives a damn about was him. And even though he can be a cynical jackass he was right.

A small grin tugged his lips; "Can I help you Aerith?"

He heard an 'eek' as he opened his eyes. Shifting his head to the planks that connect this patch of ground to the back of house, a pouting brunette walked over; "How did you know?" Aerith sat down on her knees beside him, not caring if it dirtied her dress.

"Well I am ninja I recall telling you and your mother," the blond sennin still grinned.

"Who comes from a place that has never existed on Gaia," the brunette rolls her eyes at his expanding grin. She paused; "… You really certain you didn't hit your head when you fell?"

It's not that she felt Naruto was trying to deceive her or her mother; she got the feeling the blonde was not the lying type. But just the sheer concept of someone actually coming from a different dimension of space and time sounded like something from a book, or one of those manga things from Wutai.

A chuckle came from the blonde; "I think I would have recalled falling from there." Lifting his arm and pointed his finger upwards to the plate above.

Amusement shined in his cerulean orbs as he watched Aerith trying hard to think of some logical reason for his 'drop in' into her church. Defeat won out as her shoulders slumped forward; "…So you really did come from another world?"

"I'm not sure if you sound disappointed or shocked," the blond remarked incredulously.

This earned Naruto a very dry look from the brunette; "You have someone nearly fall on you. And then have him explaining they come from an alternate reality within space and time. That would be quite a lot to take in don't you think?"

A shrug came from the blond; "I got used to weird things when I was twelve." That being the first time seeing a mountain size nine-tailed fox inside of you, which followed by all the nightmares before and after the fourth shinobi war.

"…Any friends or family back home?" the brunette asked.

"My friends in Konoha will be fine. My clan or family as you call them is doing better than they have been in years now back together," it still felt good and proud in the revival of the Uzu with Saito-Otooji as the new head. And with Kakashi-sensei as Hokage now, he knew everything was in good hands.

Aerith was quiet for minute before speaking; "So what will you do now?"

"Not a clue," the blonde rubbed his chin. "It has been while since I had a chance to actually rest for a while and think on things."

She wasn't sure if it was his tone, or how he said it, but Aerith heard the hollowness in Naruto's voice. And she did not like it one bit; "Well, you can stay with me and mom."

To those words a blonde brow elevate; "You are letting a stranger, who may be potentially insane given his story on how he got here, to stay in your home?"

Getting to her feet, Aerith only smiled as she extended her hand to him. "Then we learn to trust each other. One day at a time."

That smile, he couldn't describe it in words. But he could feel the warmth and kindness from her simple gesture. A gesture he mimics taking her hand. "One day at a time."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

A throated noise came from the blonde as he opened his eyes. It had been a while since he actually had a good night's sleep. Glowing cerulean turned to the desk seeing the clock at 3AM. Getting out of bed, Naruto smirked after taking off the bandages from his chest and left arm his body was fully healed.

"Only beside those two green spandex clowns would you think of training after healing yourself," Hearing Kurama's voice the blond stops his thoughts.

'Come on, I am not as bad as bushy brow or Guy-Sensei. I just agree with Neko-taichou that a person should always be ready,' Naruto said recalling the words of his former Anbu captain. Who he later learned was his mother's sole apprentice.

'Can I ask you something?' the blonde appeared in his mindscape looking to the old fox that rested his head on his human-like claw hands.

"Am I familiar or have I ever heard of a realm called Gaia? Sorry brat, while I have known a few beings who hop dimensions from time to time. I myself have never done it… Had to keep a promise to the old man after all."

The blond conceded with nod at that; 'Then you least know why my eyes are glowing?'

"You have an active chakra network plus me in here. It's just a byproduct of being in a world with a high abundance of the planet wide chakra flowing through, this 'lifestream' as they call it. Want to know more, go figure it out."

'Stingy old furball...,' Naruto's eye twitched as he heard his friend snort in return. With that conversation tucked away, the blond went to the couch for one of the scrolls.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Her long brunette hair laid over her bed sheet like curtain as Aerith slept quietly on her bed. Her breathing even and steady as her nose crinkled as a warm smell invaded. The brunette's closed eyes twitched as she opened them with several blinks.

A cute yawn escaped her lips as she sat up on her bed. The smell of cooking food again invades her senses as she gets out of bed. Wearing a simple sleeveless nightgown, she stretched as she opened the door of her room. Assuming her mother was making breakfast Aerith walked over to Naruto's room.

"Naruto," the brunette says softly knocking on the door. "Time… To…" Opening the door she pause mid-sentence upon seeing the bed empty and made. Lightly frowning, her ear twitched hearing humming downstairs.

Going down as the door of the main bedroom under the stair opens, Aerith stopped seeing her mother looking her way; "You're not cooking?"

"I thought you were."

"Nope," they both turn their heads; "That would be me dattebayo," they heard Naruto's voice in the kitchen.

'Dattebayo…' Mother and daughter lift a brow as they notice plates and silverware already on the dinner table. Both soon shrug as they took a seat, Aerith's eyes lean to the kitchen seeing their new roommate wearing a black long uniform jacket with that bandana on his head, with dark burnt orange pants with sandals. She blinked when she swore she saw one of the metal pans moving on its own.

Within a few minutes Naruto brought over blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausage. He gave everyone equal portions; "Thank you. I did not know you could cook" Aerith smiled as Naruto took his own seat.

"Thank my cousin Karin and my friend Ino, those two literally forced me to learn the culinary arts," the blonde sennin snorted as he started eating.

Cutting a small portion of the pancakes with her fork, Aerith took a bite. Her emerald eyes widen as a satisfied moan came from her throat as she chewed. Swallowing, the young brunette sighed; "Thank you Cousin Karin and Ms. Ino."

That got a chortled sound from the blonde as he ate.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

After waiting for his new friend to take a shower and put on new clothes much like from the day before, Aerith decided in showing Naruto around the Sector 5 slums. Makeshift homes crafted from scraps of steel that lays all over the area as explained to him. A few of the 'mobile homes' were also around made into places for people to live. Several stands selling goods liter the area as well, with lastly a massive television screen high on a pile of metal.

From their patched up clothing to their dirty faces, he did not need Kurama's chakra cloak to feel the despair around him. In a way it reminded him of his year alone on the streets trying to survive. But that did not even compare to these people living their entire lives impoverished.

It was like Nami no Kuni, just on a bigger scale. And the thought made him sick to his stomach as it did then.

Still, humanity was a stubborn race. As he saw people finding what little happiness they could here. Several children playing happily beside their parents. Naruto also took notice how people were receptive to Aerith with warm smiles and happy waves with light small talk.

Though the looks in his direction were just the opposite. "Not too fond of outsiders are they?" While it wasn't outright hostility or hate he saw, it was nothing he was not use to back when he was brat.

An apologetic smile came from the brunette; "They don't know you yet. Give it time."

"Time's all it takes," the blond shrugs as Aerith restarts giving him the tour of Sector 5. Passing through a massive open gate she shows him the broken wall leading to Sector 6. Naruto tilted his head as he followed his new friend down on a dirt path. "So where we going?"

The brunette spun around with her hands behind her back; "We're going to the place we first met. And it's a place very sacred to me." She spun back around humming lightly as she walked on.

'Strange girl…'

"All the women in your life are fucking strange if you haven't noticed brat." That comment earned an eye roll and a mental snort.

With several strides, Naruto caught up with Aerith as they traveled the dirt path. Squinting his eyes, the blond saw a large cement building that the blond saw in his Aunt Lyn Uzumaki's photos during her and Kya's travels in the western continent close to the Elemental nations.

"That's the church huh?" Naruto spoke up his thoughts.

Aerith nods, "Yep, my favorite place in sector 5."

The structure was impressive in size, made of stone with stain glass windows. Two bell towers on each side of the double wooden doors with the right tower top broken. He saw the roof was slanted with tiles. A massive hole at the far end of the roof, with smaller ones close to it.

The right wooden door creak loudly opened with Aerith's dainty hands. Both walk in as Naruto takes the view of the interior. Six unique pillars, three on the right, three on the left go up the church rafters as old wooden pews are lined up in rows on either side. Behind the altar he also saw the church's religious symbol.

Aerith's sandal covered feet creak on the floorboard while Naruto's remains silent as ever thanks to his Shinobi training. Nearing the alter he spots another hole in the roof that lets in sunlight onto a large area of dirt with yellow and white flowers growing out of it.

An amazing sight in all honesty. This one area defiant compared to the hard dry ground just outside. Aerith only smiled as walked over to the flowers; "Welcome to my flower garden." Spoke as she slowly spun around with her hands behind her back to look at the tall blonde. "I sell these around the slums and up top."

"And… these things stopped my fall?"

"Yep"

"…Okay" 'You know what? I won't even bother trying to make sense of anything anymore…' The blond shook away his thought; "Honest pay for honest work" It was more than what he could say from some of the things ninja did.

At his words the brunette just shook her head. "My dream is to one day see Midgar full of flowers."

Maybe it was the infectious smile, or just positive aura about her, but a small grin crept on Naruto's lips; 'Never hurts to dream.' He heard Kurama make a grunting sound but went silent. Gazing around, his glowing cerulean stop over a particular object beside one of the pillars, his new friend tilted her head at him.

She watched him as melancholy shined in her emerald orbs at the item her new friend found.

"Your flower cart," Naruto crossed his arms looking at the push cart that looked like something a patellar would use back home. He did not miss the dust coating over the cart with the wheels broken. "Needs some fixing. You made it?" The blond Uzumaki turned to his friend.

Aerith shook her head; "Someone… made that for me…"

Neither Naruto nor Kurama missed the distant tone in her voice; "Boyfriend?"

"He was… But I haven't seen him in years." The brunette looked to her flowers for a moment before looking back. "Do you have… someone special?"

An unreadable chuckle came from the young Sennin as his eyes gaze up to the hole where the patch of sunlight came through. "I had a wife… She died four years ago…"

"Oh Gaia I'm so sorry!" Aerith stammered waving her arms a bit. "I shouldn't have asked."

"It's alright. How the hell could you have known?" the blond waved it off. "So, how bout I fix this for ya?" He stuck his thumb over to the broken cart. "Be a lot easier to handle those flowers."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

After a few hours tending to the flowers, which to Aerith's surprised in learning of her new friend actually having a real green thumb in gardening. They closed the church doors to make their way home. "So you're a ninja, carpenter, and gardener. Like a jack of all trades."

With a smile from the blonde, she got a shrug in return. "Just capable when needed is all. Ino was a gardener, and I knew a bridge builder so carpentry wasn't too hard to learn when I put my mind to it."

He half wondered what that old bastard Tazuna was doing besides getting drunk as hell. No doubt probably pestering Inari for great grand kids. Both he and Kurama mentally snort at that as the blonde and brunette walk the dirt path.

However the former Anbu's danger senses flared as he slowed to a stop, which made a confused Aerith stop beside him; "What's wrong?"

"Well boys look what we have here," a gruffer male voice than Naruto's spoke up. Shifting her eyes, Aerith saw at least eight men in hard leather clothing and bandannas over their mouths. All brandishing some blunt weapon in hand.

His glowing cerulean never leaving the men, Naruto stealthily put his hands in his pockets quickly, grabbing a few Kunai he stuffed in various places for quick access. "Can we help you? We're kind of late as it is, and we'd like to not cause a scene."

The man holding a baseball bat with barbwire wrapped around it waves it off; "We won't take much of your time pal. We just want all the Gil between the two of you... And your woman... You see we've had an eye on her for a while, and we want her."

Narrowing his eyes, the blue eyed ninja analyzed the situation. Buying just a few seconds more time, he warned the bandits. "Well, keep looking, because if you try and lay a single finger on her, you'll find out just how painful it is to lose a finger. It won't be quick..." Gripping as many kunai as he could from his pockets, he prepared for their strike, if they did after his warning, and he suspected they would still attempt it regardless.

Aerith looked between the men and her new friend; "Naruto" she barely whispered.

"Just stay right here," he whispered back.

The man with the bat shook his head; "Sorry friend... Guess you get to watch what we do to her. Before we slit your throat." Snapping his fingers with his free hand two men charged.

Before they could get halfway to the duo, they were impaled with three Kunai each, one to the head, another to the neck, and a third to the heart with precision and speed that nailed them to the ground shortly after. Glaring at the leader, Naruto's eyes flashed crimson for moment. "Sorry, 'friend'. Guess you'll have to enjoy that torture you oh so wanted it seems."

The head thug looked wide eyed; 'When the hell did he move?!' He looks to rest of his boys who were obviously now wary of the cold glare given by the tall blond. "Kill him or I kill you all myself!"

Though hesitant to move on command, the group managed to do as they were told and with battle cries stormed the duo. Naruto was upon the front in the blink of an eye and with a single hand snapped the neck of the nearest bandit with a single palm blow, twisting his head back with a snap. Not even with an effort, he shifted to the side of a sword attack coming down on him and tricked the attacker to the ground, his heel raising up to knock the sword up and into the attackers head, impaling him.

With four down and four to go, Naruto didn't let them get near Aerith, grabbing one Bandit coming past him and throwing him into his buddies attack, which cut his chest wide open, and with the dead man's sword hammer, slammed it down on the head of the woman who cut her ally, and smashed the head clean open on the ground. The last two surrounded him, but held steady and shook with fear. Naruto gave them one last warning. "Leave now and never come back, and you may keep your lives... Stay and die... You choose."

The man with the barbwire bat yelled as he tried hitting the blond. But only blinked seeing his weapon gone from his hands, that was his last thought as Naruto used the man's own weapon and stuck the man square on the side of the head.

Though not dead, the man was sent hard to the ground, knocked out for the time being. The last bandit still awake and alive ran for his life. Naruto grabbed a Kunai and kicked the bat wielding man until he awoke. Grabbing his jaw to quiet him, Naruto stepped on the bandit leader's hand and put his Kunai to the finger. "This is what you get for attempting such things on those you believe are your playthings."

Aerith only grimaced as she turned her head and closed her eyes as Naruto's kunai went through the man's skull. Slowly eyelids open with her emerald orbs looking over to the tall blond. "…You really are a ninja," her voice somber.

Gazing over as he pulled his kunai from the man's head, the blond sighed. "Sorry about that."

"When you live down here in the slums, you get used to nasty things like this. I just had been lucky to avoid the thugs who roam around down here." She walks over to her friend gently rubbed his arm; "You okay?"

At that Naruto snorted; "These guys weren't even amateurs, I've faced bears worse than these idiots." He slowly walks about getting his kunai and cleaning them off. Tucking those back in his pockets as he soon drags the corpses together. Aerith only watched as now lifting a brow seeing her friend going through odd hand movements.

Taking in a deep breath; Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! Aerith gasped as Naruto let out a steady stream of fire from his mouth that engulfs the pile of bodies. They turn to ashes in under a minute as the blond finished his jutsu.

"Magic!"

Naruto only chuckled as he shook his head; "Nope, that is a jutsu. Will explain later, I'd say we had enough fun for today don't you think?"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

For my FF7 series it has been a while yes. But after some long thought and some good friends advice I have decided to redo the entire thing. This time will keep the old one up for those who liked it. But not completing that one. Now with the right help and things as Chronological as I can get it, this feels better to me. Expect some Crisis Core scenes in this. Till then, see ya on the flip side.

Sheogorath belongs to the Elder Scrolls Series.