Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto Or Halo

(Zero) Thank you for the review, and for Naruto getting Mjolnir armor, I'm not sure yet. I plan on him and the Spartan IV's to be kind of standoffish with each other. Once the Infinity shows up I'll get more into his backstory with the simulation deck and you'll see why he doesn't like some of the Spartan IV's attitudes. Like Delmarco or Hoyas.

"Isabel, this Captain Cutter."

"I know who you are," Isabel said keeping her back turned to the Captain and the Spartan who had rescued her. "James Cutter. Captain of the Spirit of Fire. You're supposed to be lost with all hands."

"Not so lost, it seems. What happened down there? I need to know what we're up against." Cutter asked.

Isabel scoffed refusing to answer. Up against? Did they not know that what they were up against? Their foe had just manhandled three Spartans and literally crushed Mjolnir armor. The best armor the UNSC had.

"Isabel?" Cutter asked again. Leaning forward when he didn't receive anything but a half-hearted shrug from A.I. he used the UNSC commands that would override an A.I's freedom. He didn't like doing it since Serina hated but this A.I. wasn't her.
"Isabel. Report."

"Sir. Five months ago the portal from the Ark to Earth shut down without warning. That's when he arrived.

"He?" Cutter asked stopping Isabel's report, curious as to who had angered the A.I so much she wouldn't speak his name.

"The Brute. Their leader. His name is Atriox. During the war, the Covenant used his clan as expendable muscle. Told them dying in battle would speed their holy journey. Forty at a time they carelessly sent them in. Forty to break the frontlines...forty to die for beliefs not their own. None ever returned...until he did. And so, battle by battle...war by war...thirty nine brothers at a time Atriox was born. With every victory, his legend and his hatred for the Covenant grew. Eventually, both were impossible to conceal. And they tried to banish him. In everything, we know about the Covenants thousand year history. Atriox was the first to defy the Covenant...and survive. And his defiance inspired others. Atriox and his Banished raided Covenant resources, cutting a swath across the galaxy. Growing in strength with each attack. Gathering killers and mercenaries to his side. The Covenant had two targets in those years. Humanity and Atriox. They almost got us. But Atriox? They never came close. The whole damn Covenant couldn't contain him at the height of their power. That's what you are up against James Cutter. And all you've got is one old ship and half a crew to staff her. We need to run. As far, and as fast as we can."

The entire bridge was silent as Isabel finished her speech. No one knew what to say about that. The A.I had made a Brute sound like more of a monster than the species already was.

Glancing around at his crew who were all exchanging nervous glances Captain Cutter spoke up breaking the silence. "We are just one ship. And an old one at that. But here we are, thirty years past what anyone could ask of us. Our war is gone."

Cutter walked around the bridge meeting the eyes of every crew member on duty. He needed to get them to believe in themselves and not let stories and fear control what they did from this moment on.
"The lives we had our gone. The Worlds we knew have moved on. And now all that we may have left are those standing beside us. And the Duty that defines us battle by battle, fighting side by side. Together. Where you see half a crew, Isabel...I see family, courage. And a thousand heroes who swore to fight their way through hell before they'd ever... EVER turn their backs and run. And where you see one old ship. I see a home. And that is always worth fighting for."

Slamming his hand down Cutter hit the alarm button sending warning bells throughout the ship on the intercoms.

"Ooh-Rah!" the crew yelled moving to their battle stations.

"If we don't stop Atriox now, we leave the galaxy at the mercy of a monster. So no, Isabel, we won't be running anywhere today." Cutter announced as Isabel watched the 'Spirit of Fires' crewman their battle stations preparing for war.

It reminded her so much of the 'Wills' crew doing the same thing whenever Atriox attacked their ship. She couldn't let it what happened to her friends happen to this crew as well.
"Sir. Yes, sir." She said already going through the files on all personnel and equipment the 'Spirit of Fire' had that was still usable and useful.

Cutter nodded as one of the crew members notified him of Isabel's movements. "For a logistics A.I, she sure was moving quickly." He'd have to ask her what she had been doing for the past five months when they had more time to talk.

XXXX

(On the Ark)

"Identify yourself."

While on the 'Spirit of Fire' the crew and the Ark survivor were getting along down on the planet was a different story.

Guns pointed at each other Naruto and Alice stared off, blue visor against orange, ODST vs. Spartan. The decade's old rivalry.

Naruto dropped his gun reaching up to pull his helmet off. He had never bought into the who was the best rivalry that so many other ODST's did. Maybe it was because he was trained like a Spartan as well as an ODST so he knew both but he preferred thinking it was common sense that faced with the Covenant slaughtering their species personal issues should be pushed aside.
"Captain, Naruto Uzumaki of the UNSC. And you are?" Naruto asked setting his helmet on a nearby rock. He and the Spartan had run quite a distance before the super soldier deemed it safe enough to interrogate him.

"Senior Chief Petty Officer, Alice-130 sir." Alice lowered her gun and saluted.

"At ease Spartan. Seems kind of weird saluting me when you were just pointing a gun in my face." Naruto said sarcastically. "Anyway, we need to find a way back to the ship you came here one. The other Spartan on your team has my A.I."

"Negative Sir. Too many hostiles in the area they could trace our signal and be on us before reinforcements arrive."

"I know that." Naruto snapped irritated at being talked to like he was a rookie. He didn't dislike the Spartans but a few of them acted like they knew better than everyone else until you proved otherwise to them. "That's why I said we need to find a way. Let's get moving no use standing around here; we'll head back to my base."

Picking his helmet up Naruto led the way through the woods heading back to the 'Will of Fire' as Alice followed behind him. He'd have to apologize when they got there for snapping at her. It wasn't her fault Ramirez was nowhere to be found and Isabel was now in orbit even further away from him than before.

The duo traveled at a steady pace for half an hour dodging Banished patrols and silently killing the ones who were they couldn't get around.

Pulling her combat knife from an Elites neck Alice watched as Naruto did the same wiping the purple blood off on the black and gray camo cloth that was showing in between his armor pieces.

"Can I help you, Petty Officer?" Naruto questioned sheathing his knife. "You've been staring at me."

"There were more Spartan programs after the Spartan-II's right?" Alice asked. She had heard rumors of a Spartan-III program before being heading for the Shield world on the 'Spirit of Fire' but she hadn't put too much stock into it. But the Captain had been moving with speed and reflexes that she'd only seen from other Spartans. While he wasn't as fast as them he was still far above the average soldier.

"I'm not enhanced if that's what you're asking. But yes there was another Spartan program. Spartan-III and then Spartan-IV's." Naruto answered confused at the question. He had been asked if he was a Spartan before but the way Alice worded it was weird. "How come you don't know about the Spartan-III program? Most Spartan-II's and pretty much anybody with a half decent rank knew. And that was before the programs went public."

"The Spartan programs went public? Why?" Nothing was making sense to Alice. She was asleep for twenty-eight years and things were bound to change but the Spartan-II program was one of if not ONI's darkest secret. Why would they go public with it?
"I was stationed on the 'Spirit of Fire'. Sir. We've been in cryo-sleep drifting in space for the past twenty-eight years.

Naruto nodded despite the confusion he was feeling. He had heard of the Phoenix class colony ship turned war machine. It had helped win harvest back and protect Arcadia during evacuation but was lost with all hands afterward. "And now they're back."

"Once we get back to my ship I'll catch you up on what you've missed. I'm sure Isabel, is doing the same for the rest of your crew right now."

"Wait. Sir, look."

Turning around Naruto followed Alice's hand which was pointing at a Banished convoy that was moving slowly past them. Opening his mouth to tell her they didn't have time to fight he shut it when he saw what the convoy was transporting. Human prisoners. He didn't recognize any of them so that meant. "Your guys."

"Yes. I'm not leaving any of them to be eaten by those damn Brutes...Sir." Alice said.

"I wouldn't ask you to. Let's follow them. Find out if they have any more prisoners."

XXXX

After an hour of following the banished convoy, Naruto held up a fist silently signaling for Alice to stop. "Down there."

"I'm picking up at least a dozen prisoners inside," Alice said her visor displaying the red and green bodies of heat clearly for her. "Let's go."

Activating the boosters on her armor Alice leaped from the ledge they were on crashing down in the middle of a group of Elites and grunts the shockwave knocking them to the floor. The five aliens never got a chance to get up as the chain gun Alice kept barrels spun spitting out bullets that easily tore through the Covenant armor.

Up on the cliff, Naruto shook his head as he pulled the sniper rifle from his back setting up to cover the female Spartan again as more banished forces came from the base. "Alice we won't have much time until reinforcements arrive so let's get the prisoner and get moving. Quickly."

"Roger, sir." Alice walked forward into the base never letting up on the machine guns triggers cutting down anything that got in her way. She wasn't worried about the ones outside; the ODST Captain had proved he could handle himself.

Storming through the base her armored boots clanking on the ground only to be drowned out by the constant gunfire spewing from her machine gun she cleared the base of all alien life in minutes.

"Spartan. Oh, you are a sight for sore eyes." Trapped behind a red barrier squads of hell bringer's all rejoiced seeing the armored super soldier enter the room they were being held in.

"Just hang on. I'm going to get all of you out of there." Alice said as she pointed her machine gun at the generator creating the red force field keeping the squad trapped. Opening fire on the generator Alice was forced to hold the trigger down for almost an entire minute to cut through the generators shields and then actually destroy the damn thing.
"Everyone get down." She ordered as the generator began sparking. It wouldn't do her any good to release them if they were killed by shrapnel.

"Senior Petty Officer, where are you? More Banished forces are inbound." Naruto's voice said over the comms still loud and clear even as the generator blew up just feet in front of her.

"Copy that, Sir. Alright, everyone, we are moving out! Stay close to me and we'll all get out of this together." Alice said already moving through the old outpost again. "Captain, get inside. I can use what's in here to send an encrypted message to the Captain."

XXXX

(Spirit of Fire)

"Spirit of Fire actual, this is Alice-130 reporting in."

"Good to hear from you, Alice. How did you make it out?" Cutter asked as Isabel began tracing the transmission. It was encrypted and since Alice didn't know the new codes yet it as a little harder to find but she was a Smart A.I and a few seconds later she sent the Captain a thumbs up.

"Had a little help from one of the locals, sir. We've rescued some of our troops and we are ready to get back in the fight."

Isabel cut in before Captain Cutter could talk. "What was their name? Did they ask about me?"

"Isabel-" Cutter began.

"Please Captain, someone I know could still be alive," Isabel begged. She didn't think anyone had survived the bombing on the 'Will of Fire' except Ramirez and he wouldn't be stupid enough to try and get on the ship she was on after what he pulled. He had to know she would let Captain Cutter know what he had done right away.

She didn't think anyone had survived the bombing on the 'Will of Fire' except Ramirez and he wouldn't be stupid enough to try and get on the ship she was on after what he pulled. He had to know she would let Captain Cutter know what he had done right away.

"Alice, can you put whoever helped you on the line?"

"Yes, sir. Patching him in now."

"Captain Cutter, sir. Good to finally talk to you." A male voice said resulting in a shout of joy from Isabel that surprised everyone on the bridge. They hadn't expected to see the downtrodden A.I.

"Naruto!"

She couldn't believe it. He was alive.

"How did you survive the attack, Captain? Are there any other survivors?" She needed to know. If he had survived maybe a few others had to.

"Sir, the banished are at the front door." Alice voice stopping anymore questions Isabel might have had from being asked. "We've got to go."

"I want this Naruto on the bridge the second you get back to the ship Alice," Cutter ordered his Spartan. Isabel had spoken only briefly of the other Captain when he had asked how she had lasted five months alone on the Ark with the banished.

He didn't know much since he hadn't wanted to push the A.I too far too quick for information, Professor Anders had been very adamant about that. Isabel while being an A.I was modeled after a human brain and could still theoretically have a case of PTSD and pushing her could cause problems.

So the only thing he knew about the captain was he was an ODST that had kept the banished at bay for months with just a small group of marines and a downed ship. This meant the mysterious Captain had to have knowledge of how Atriox's forces operated and that would give his crew a better fighting chance against the superior numbers of the banished.

But until then.

"Isabel, what can you tell me about the Captain?"

And another chapter is complete.

Let me know in the reviews if you want Naruto to have a pairing and with who you want to see him with. If no one wants a pairing I won't put one in since it's not really needed in the story just thought it might be something fun.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you guys think with a review.