SOLDIER of Fire

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto,Final Fantasy or any other crossover elements.

Regular Talking: "Speech"

Thinking: "Speech"

Shouting: "Speech"

Inner Sakura/Bijuu to Vessel: "Speech"

Summoned Creature/Bijuu: "Speech"

Konohagakure no Sato

Chaos. It was the perfect word to describe the destruction this village faced. They were attacked by the siblings of calamity. The Kyuubi no Kitsune and her younger sister, The Hachibi no Kitsune. Shinobi tried their hardest to stop the kitsune duo but it was in vain. The Hachibi was bad enough, the Kyuubi and her younger sister attacking together? It was if the gods themselves were laughing at them. A lone figure stood atop of the Hokage Monuments and sighed as he watched the destruction and carnage around him.

"Pitiful...the Wutai would probably be able to put a better fight compared to this village."

He wore a black robe and his silky, long black locks flowed in the wind. His green eyes stared at the two beasts destroying the village.

"But I must admit, there must be someone powerful here that can tame those two. And they are doing a decent job of holding them back."

Konoha: Hospital

The Yondaime Hokage paced around the waiting room. He felt the ground shake and steadied himself. In a puff of smoke, two of his prized students appeared, clad in ANBU garbs.

"Minato-sensei! The kitsune siblings have almost breached the village gates!" Shouted Kakashi.

"Shit…" Muttered Minato. He looked at the emergency room and prayed to Kami that Kushina would hurry up. As if the gods had enough of torturing this poor village, twin cries echoed through the room. Minato smiled to himself.

"Kakashi, Rin, watch Kushina for me." Said Minato. He ran into the room and stared at the two children his wife held.

"They are so adorable…heh, looks like they took after me." Said Minato with a grin. Kushina smirked, despite the pain she was in.

"That's the last time I'm pushing any of your babies out, clear?"

"Crystal clear…" Said Minato. Tears began to fall from his eyes. Kushina began to sob uncontrollably.

"Is this the only way?"

"I'm sorry Kushina. I really am. This is the last time I will be here. Raise our children to be strong." Said Minato. Kushina reached up and shared one last passionate kiss together. He stopped her and smiled sadly.

"Goodbye..." Said Minato. He jumped out the hospital window. Kushina heard a cry of "Kuchiyose no Jutsu" and the sounds of Gamabunta hopping away. Minato made all the preparation seals on the way. Natsuko cried as she was exposed to the cold air. Naruto just squinted his eyes shut. Minato smiled at the duo but cringed when a Chunin flew overhead. Minato steeled himself as he finished the seals on his children.

Battlefield

The being on the monuments felt a chakra spike. He smirked.

"Hello? So…now the king joins the board. The pawns and the knights have been sacrificed, the rooks and bishops remain in the village, the queen is weakened and now the king comes into play. Show me...show me what you will do. Will the king be true to his nature, and hid behind his knights? Or will the king become a knight and sacrifice himself for the good of the board?"

Gamabunta rode into the battle and sighed.

"Minato...this is the last time I'm going to see you eh?"

"Sorry boss, maybe in another life, I could drink with you to my heart's content. As of now, I have to save my village."

Gamabunta nodded as he hopped faster. He stopped when he got into range of the two kitsune. One was a brilliant crimson. Her golden eyes shone with a maniacal light. Her sister was a kitsune with golden fur with and ruby eyes. She roared as she flicked away more shinobi.

"My troops..." Whispered Minato. He steeled himself again and stared at his two children. His baby boy and girl. "I'm sorry you two. But daddy has to make some sacrifices for the greater good. I hope one day, you two can forgive me."

He was slightly amused when his daughter began to cry out loud and yet his son remained silent. Naruto stared at his father with his blue eyes. It was as if Naruto accepted his fate as a vessel.

"So young, and yet you show such courage." Said Minato. He placed his son and daughter down on top of Gamabunta's head. He made a cross seal and created two Kage Bunshin. Each of the clones picked up a baby. Minato sighed, it was now or never. He went through a long list of seals and gritted his teeth.

"Shiki Fuujin!" Roared Minato.

Minato nearly shuddered when he felt the shadow of the Shinigami behind him

"Who has called me to the mortal plane?"

"I have...Shinigami-sama." Said Minato. Oh boy, the Kitsune siblings scared him, the Shinigami showed him a whole new level of fear that the sister duo couldn't even come close to.

"Speak mortal, what is that you wish to seal?"

"Those two." Said Minato as he pointed at the kitsune destroying his village. The Death God raised an eyebrow.

"Those two will not die so easily mortal. I cannot seal away their power inside of me."

"I figured as much...so how about into a vessel?"

The Shinigami smirked. "I see...very well." The Shinigami reached his hand through Minato's stomach and he coughed a mouthful of blood. Minato was no stranger to pain but he never had a hand through his intestines either. He watched with morbid fascination as the Shinigami plucked the spirits of the Kitsune from their bodies. The spirits were then sealed into his children's body. Minato watched as the bodies of the kitsune dissolved into flames and then into smoke. The figure on the monument clapped his hands.

"Bravo...the king pulled it off. Summoning the Reaper is no small feat."

Minato sighed sadly. He kissed his two children on the forehead.

"Normally, I will not regret taking one's soul as it is apart of the contract. However, you are a first." Said the Shinigami. Minato chuckled. "Your time is up mortal."

Minato jumped from his spot on Gamabunta and set his two children down on the ground. He spotted Sarutobi and Jiraiya heading his way. He felt the Shinigami remove his soul from his body and he smiled one last time. He fell to the ground, lifeless. The man on the monument vanished and appeared in front of the twins.

"One cries into the night, missing her mother…and the other stares defiantly at the night's sky as if he is not afraid. How amusing." He picked up Naruto. A green aura surrounded the man.

"Ah...it seems my time in this realm is up. It's too bad. I really wanted to see more of this world."

The man vanished completely from the realm of shinobi. Sarutobi landed on the scene, one second too late. He looked around for the baby boy but he was no where to be found. Someone or something took the boy away. Sarutobi fell to his knees and punched the ground.

"Dammit…how could this happen…" He turned to see Minato's fallen form and fought back tears. He heard crying and turned to see Natsuko crying her head off. Sarutobi scooped up the little girl and hushed her.

"Natsuko-chan, please calm down." Said Sarutobi. He turned to Jiraiya who was openly mourning the loss of his student. Kakashi and Rin appeared next to him. Sarutobi glared at the two ANBU.

"Kakashi! Rin! Didn't Minato give you the order to stay by Kushina?"

"She is gone." Cried Rin. Sarutobi's eyes went wide.

"No…not Kushina too…"

Kakashi nodded, confirming his worse fears. Konoha suffered a heavy loss. Only two Namikaze remained and one of them wasn't even in this world anymore.

Midgar: Shin-Ra Corporation

"Welcome to your new home, Naruto." Said the man. Naruto held his hands out and pulled on the man's locks of hair. The man chuckled at the affectionate gesture.

"Call me…Xion."

The man known as Xion walked up the stairs to the laboratory. He had to meet with Hojo, even if he hated the little bastard.

Midgar: Shin-Ra Corporation: Six Years Later

Xion, a Commander in the SOLDIER Unit smirked as he watched the six year old boy's display of power. His fellow Commanders watched in amazement. A boy rested in a test tube as he was put through a simulation. Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley and Sephiroth all watched the boy perform amazing feats. Angeal's pupil, Zack Fair, a third class SOLDIER could only watch with a slack jaw. His partner, a fellow third class SOLDIER, Cloud Strife wasn't fairing any better but he hid it well.

"He is six…" Muttered Zack, not believing his eyes.

"And yet his battle prowess is so great." Said Cloud.

"Only hampered by his age." Came a voice none of the SOLDIERs liked to hear. It was Professor Hojo. "This specimen is great, no perfect. The way he absorbs Mako into his body, as if he was feeding on it. Where ever this boy came from, it made him perfect for my experimentations. Said Hojo.

"Where did you pick up this child?" Asked Angeal.

"Hm? I don't remember how I got to that world…but it was because of this." Said Xion as he pointed at Hojo. "I was warped to a different realm. I happened upon a village similar to Wutai in nature. Low technology and stuff, great vacation spot." Said Xion with a grin. Sephiroth and Genesis scoffed while the others smirked/smiled. "That is until they were attacked by two giant foxes from the gates of hell."

That got everyone's attention. "While some off the ninja there…for lack of better words…fail, there are some ninja who are quite powerful. One man, the leader of the village, summoned the Reaper into battle." The SOLDIERS all looked at him with a surprised look. "He summoned the Reaper and had the two fox demons sealed inside his children. I would have nabbed the girl as well but the boy had such a look in his eyes. It was as if he feared nothing, not even the void."

Genesis raised a crimson eyebrow as he looked at the boy. "Well, looking into his eyes, its as if one is looking into the void themselves."

"You stare into the abyss, and the abyss stares back." Muttered Sephiroth.

"As I was saying before Commander Xion bored us to death with his tale, this subject is rather unique. He has proficient mastery of the elements. He knows all the elements at their base levels. His skills are interesting…" He hit some buttons on the console of the computer. "Due to having the fox demon inside of him, he was already on his way to becoming a superhuman but with the mako inside of him as well, his power...well lets just say in a couple of years, he could give you Commanders a hard time." Said Hojo.

"Wait, are you saying this twerp can beat the Commanders?" Asked Zack. Angeal smacked him in the back of the head.

"Not yet, give or take twelve more years but...the Mako he has absorbed went to both parties, both the fox demon in his stomach and himself. His world's energy, or mana in our realm has absorbed the Mako into his bloodstream. The Mako itself has altered his DNA as well."

"Incredible." Muttered Cloud.

"But...he lacks any real world experience. He has been cooped up in this small dank tube for a long time. I was wondering, which of you gentlemen would like the task of overseeing his training?" Asked Hojo with a maniacal grin on his face.

"Not me, I have enough brats to deal with." Said Angeal. "But it is a tempting offer." He ignored the looks of indignation that Cloud and Zack shot him.

"No, he would hamper my movements." Said Genesis.

"Sorry, I'm retiring soon so I'm out." Said Xion. Hojo sighed, his experiment would not see the light of day.

"I will take him." Said Sephiroth. Everyone turned to Sephiroth. "He…interests me."

"Thank you! Now, let me awaken him. Commander Xion, stay please. The rest of you get!" Said Hojo, shooing the men out of his lab. He turned to Xion.

"Project G and Project S fused together to create this magnificent specimen. His body absorbed the Jenova cells easily. Despite his age, he has full control over both the Mako in his body and the Jenova Cell. We shall call him, Project N."

Xion raised an eyebrow. "Why call him Project N?"

"Isn't it obvious Commander? Project Naruto will be the basis for all of Shin-Ra's new SOLDIERs. Granted, none of them will be as great as him due to him having the fox inside of him but he will make our SOLDIERs stronger and faster. He is even greater than Sephiroth."

Xion nodded, he watched as the boy stepped out of the tube wearing only a white shirt and shorts.

"Go find Commander Sephiroth boy."

Naruto nodded as he walked out the room.

Shin-Ra Corp.: Armory

Sephiroth and his younger comrade walked towards the armory. The boy was to pick out a weapon he liked and then they would leave to get one customized for him. The man in charge of the shop stared at the boy's soulless pupils and shuddered in fear.

"Hey Commander…why does it look like you bought a puppy for this kid only to flush it down a toilet in front of his face?"

Sephiroth's lips quirked up a bit. He had to admit, the boy had the most emotionless look on his face. Lifeless, blue and green mako infused eyes. No readable facial expression, no muscle twitches, nothing.

"I guess we can blame Hojo and his experiments." Said Sephiroth. The man nodded and sighed.

"Hojo is one sick bastard. I wish someone would kill him. Say Sephiroth I was…"

"No, I am not going to dirty my sword with his blood. It's not worth it."

"Aw man…" Whined the shopkeeper.

He walked towards the assortment of weapons with the boy and they looked for a weapon. Naruto spotted what he was looking for. A katana with two parallel, reinforced steel blades set a distance apart. With the press of a button on the side, the blades can fuse into a single blade. Naruto picked it up and stared at it.

"Is that what you want Naruto?"

The boy nodded.

"Effective, can disarm, speedy, accurate and destructive." Said Naruto. Sephiroth had to admit, the boy knew his stuff. But then again, Hojo's experiments would do that to you.

"Alright kid, let's get going. We will have your weapon made for you." Said Sephiroth as he walked away. Naruto complied as he followed the man.

Two Years Later

Naruto sat on a cliffside. He wore a black shirt, black fatigue pants, a black robe with short sleeves. He wore a white sash around his waist. He also wore a crimson cape around his neck which hid most of his face. It also had a hood on it. But what made the cape so interesting, it doubled as a cloak for those cold missions. He wore a set of black and red prayer beads. He also wore a pair of modified Aurora armlets around his wrists. They doubled as power limiters. His sword, Ragnorak rested on his waist. He watched as the Wutai fled from a battle with SOLDIER. Well not all as some actually stayed behind to fight Zack and Cloud.

"Those two…" Muttered Naruto to himself.

"Are you going to terminate them?" Came a melodic voice in his head.

"Yes Kyuubi. I am going to terminate the Wutai."

"Hm, which method are you going to use?"
"Stealth would be the best approach. My magic skills may harm Zack and Cloud…"

"I see. Excellent choice of judgement."

When Naruto turned eight, he learned of the beast inside of him. During his meditating, he heard her voice. Naruto ventured into his mind and he learned about the age old demon. Kyuubi was her name and like him, the Mako changed her. Her once golden eyes now shone with a emerald light mixed in and her knowledge of the former world gone. However Kyuubi did have some pretty interesting skills, including Sense which allowed her to locate nearby enemies in a one hundred foot radius. She was also the only being who kept him company during his solo missions. Naruto leapt off the cliff side and rushed down the mountain side. He took out Ragnorak and vanished. The poor Wutai Soldiers never knew what hit them.

Down Below

"You just had to make a wise crack about the shuriken didn't you?!" Shouted Cloud as he cut a Wutai warrior in two.

"So I said shuriken suck! Sue me!" Screamed Zack as he blocked a spear strike and kicked the guy in the face and finished him off with a crushing blow to the ribs. The two of them stood back to back.

"So Zack, any ideas on how to get out of this?" Asked Cloud.

"Oh stop being paranoid, we can handle what, thirty Wutai." Said Zack confidently.

"Great, so what about that extra twenty coming our way from the south?" Asked Cloud dryly. Zack peered towards the south and his eye twitched.

"God dammit…"

Apparently the gods still favored the duo as Naruto landed on the scene. He cut down, four Wutai in the span of a second.

"Wutai will be terminated…" Muttered the boy. Naruto cut down the Wutai easily while Zack just groaned.

"Great, steal my thunder kid." He yelped when Cloud slapped him on the back of the head. "Why does everyone do that?" Asked Zack.

"Cause you're an idiot. Now stop complaining and lets help him out."

Zack huffed and joined the slaughter.

Ten Minutes Later

"I don't believe it...saved by a kid." Grumbled Zack. Cloud whacked him in the back of the head again.

"Thanks Naruto." Said Cloud.

The boy nodded and continued walking back towards Shin-Ra headquarters. Zack stared at the boy and shuddered. For all accounts, the boy was a living machine of carnage and war. But unlike machines, Naruto could adapt to situations and the environment, thinking one step ahead of the enemy or in his case, one hundred steps ahead. Naruto was truly an incarnation of death and destruction. He felt no pity, no remorse, nothing. But then again, that's how he was raised. No morals, no good or evil, just termination of those who he was sent against. Naruto walked towards the main building and entered the living quarters. His mission done for the day.

"Say Cloud, let's head to the bar. Get drunk, pick up chicks and…" Came Zack's distant voice. Naruto showed no emotion but the look in his eyes came close to annoyance. Zack never did take life as a SOLDIER seriously but the man was skilled, he would give him that much. Cloud, while more serious than his counterpart, was prone to doing idiotic things as well. And when we factor Naruto in, The Three Stooges of SOLDIER as they were called by their commanders. It was Xion's idea to see who would live the longest amongst the three. They all agreed that if anything, Naruto was going to kill Zack for being Zack and then he was probably going to kill Cloud for being a witness. Sadly enough, Cloud agreed whole heartedly. Naruto headed back to his quarters and sat down on his bed. He rested Ragnorak against the wall and undressed himself. He slept in his undergarments, which, if his fan-club caught him in, would probably drown him in blood that gushed from their noses. Even if he was eight years old.

Dreams

Naruto opened his eyes and looked around. He was standing on white and gold marble floor. Pillars, made from the same material shot into the sky. He had no idea where he was but…he felt at peace, something the boy never felt around his mentor.

"Welcome, young Seraphim." Came a voice. Naruto turned to see a goddess. She wore white and gold robes that accented her curves very well. She was a busty one too. A heart shaped face, full lips and warm green eyes. Long silver hair flowed down her back. Naruto reached for Ragnorak but to his surprise, it was not with him.

"Who are you? If you are a threat…threats will be terminated." Said the young SOLDIER. The woman just shook her head sadly.

"Perhaps it is too early for us to meet Seraphim. You are too young, much to young to be such a merciless killer. But you are a different case, as you never had a choice. I suppose we should meet again later. Perhaps when you return to your realm."

"My…realm? Isn't Terra my home world?" Asked the boy with a hint of confusion in his voice.

"You will find out in due time little one." Naruto covered his eyes to block out the bright light that she emitted. All he saw now, was darkness.

Naruto's Quarters

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he got up. He stared at the time and sighed. It was seven in the morning. He had a mission today. He got up and got dressed for battle. He snapped on his two Aurora armlets. He picked up Ragnorak and placed it in his sash. He picked up his crimson cape and tied it on the go.

Shin-Ra Outskirts

Naruto sighed as he was surrounded by Wutai ninja.

"Wutai soldiers, surrender or face death." Said Naruto calmly. The Wutai snickered at the boy while the leader remained wary. This boy reeked of darkness and malice. He could see it in the boy's eyes. The emptiness, the void, nothing but an eternal darkness hidden behind pools of dull blue.

"As you wish." Naruto reached into his sash and pulled out Ragnorak. Naruto vanished and appeared in front of one of the shinobi. The Wutai tried to bring his weapon up but he was far too slow so he was severed in two. The leader tensed as he brought out his spear. Now they took the boy seriously.

"Die." Whispered Naruto. Naruto sword flashed like a blur. He cut down ten ninja instantly.

"Shit!" Shouted one of the ninja. "How is he so young and yet he knows Flash?!" That ninja had his head severed in two. Naruto effectively cut down each of the men and all that was left, was the leader, who had his tendons in his arms and legs severed completely. Naruto approached the man but stopped when he heard him chuckling.

"I don't believe it, a Wutai officer such as myself, losing to this kid. I must be getting old. Hey kid, answer some questions before you send me off to the Lifestream."

Naruto nodded slowly.

"What is your name? I would like to know the name of the man that is going to kill me."

Seeing no harm in it, Naruto decided to answer. "Naruto."

"My name is Hoenn. Do you even know what your doing kid?"

Naruto nearly raised an eyebrow. "What…do you mean?"

"I mean, do you know that your are taking countless lives?"

"That is what I have been taught to do since I could walk. That is my purpose, my mission. I am a weapon of death. Created to deal death to Shin-Ra's enemies." Naruto has told many people and adversaries that line before, but staring at Hoenn, it made him feel…empty.

Hoenn looked in the boy's eyes and noticed something he didn't see before. The boy's eyes held no light, just an endless abyss. But now it held something akin to a small flame raging in it. Now, growing up as a soldier in the Wutai factions, he learned two things. People who kill and have a gleam of glee or happiness in their eyes, those were the nutty bastards you needed to kill quickly and then the ones with no souls, emotion or light in their eyes. They killed because they didn't know better or they were traumatized to the point that their souls have died and all that was left was a shell. They were a hell of a lot more dangerous than the nuts. Hoenn was guessing this boy killed because he didn't know better.

"Hm, do you know the difference between good and evil kid?" Asked Hoenn.

"Good…and evil…" Naruto stopped to think. "I asked my mentor once, he told me that there is no such thing as good or evil, only those with power."

"Who is your mentor?"

"Commander Sephiroth."

Hoenn's eyes went wide but then he sighed. "No wonder. My troops were killed by a mini-Sephiroth. That twisted fuck. Shaping kids minds to be weapons of war. Alright kid, end me, I learned what I wanted. But know this kid, think about your actions for a change, remember, we are all humans, not livestock for the slaughter as your mentor trained you to think."

Naruto nodded and raised his katana above his head, but hesitated momentarily. It was a question that plagued him for a long time. He seen children with their parents, and how happy they seemed. He never understood that, nor did he understand emotions. Hojo said he was a machine created for war.

"Am I a machine or am I...human as well?" Asked Naruto. Hoenn smiled, he was able to slightly change the kid a bit. The boy no doubt questioned himself. Maybe less people would be sacrificed now.

"Who knows kid, you might need to find that answer yourself. Now, my wife is waiting for me on the other side and she scares the hell out of me so…"

"A quick, painless death." Said Naruto as he sheathed his blade. He placed his hand on the man's chest and casted Stop on his heart. The man's eyes closed and he fell over, to join the Lifestream. Naruto looked at the sky and vanished. That man named Hoenn, he made Naruto think.

"We are all humans, not livestock for the slaughter."

Naruto clutched his head and went back to his quarters. His missions for the day were done.

Four Years Later

Zack was now eighteen while his comrade Cloud was now seventeen. Naruto, now twelve sat in between the duo. Sephiroth sat in the front of the car.

"Where we heading Commander?" Asked Zack.

"Nibelheim." Said Sephiroth cooly. Cloud's hands twitched slightly at the name of his home town.

"Hey, isn't that your home town?" Asked Zack to his younger buddy. Cloud's eyes twitched a bit and he sighed. He was paler than usual.

"Yeah, it's my home."

"So what are you going to do when you get there?" Asked Zack.

"Enough…Cloud is clearly uncomfortable and such trivial matters can wait until later." Said Naruto coldly. Zack scoffed at the little kid. Sephiroth could only smirk, Naruto did have a way with words. He stared at the motley crew in back of him and sighed. How the hell did these three make first class? It must have been a divine joke by the Ancients. Naruto was the only one who took his job seriously, followed by Cloud and way below on the bottom of the spectrum was Zack. Granted, when together, the Trinity of Idiocy as he called them from time to time, were a force to be reckoned with. Hell, even he was slightly serious when dealing with the three. Only slightly though.

Naruto had changed over the years. Due to him being around Cloud and Zack for so long, he slowly began to understand what emotions were. Of course there were some darker topics that Zack was about to get into such as "The Birds and the Bees", but Cloud, delivering a swift kick to the rear silenced him. Happiness, Love, Anger, Sadness, all the emotions were known by the boy due to him having such things implanted into his head by computer. However, the boy knew the concept of emotions, yet he could not grasp them. He also asked Zack about the concept of good and evil. He answered in a pretty straight forward yet confusing way.

"Well, depending on your actions, it can be considered good or evil. What one views as good someone can view as evil. Just remember, you have to take responsibility for your actions. Protect those that is precious to you, little buddy."

Naruto sighed when Zack called him little buddy, he did not understand the notion of friendship that Zack and Cloud had tried to teach him. Now Zack just tries to force it on him. Little did the team of SOLDIER know, their destinies were going to change drastically. Five minutes later, the road began to shake. They each tensed up and got ready to spring.

"Quake." Muttered Naruto. The four of them jumped out of the car. Cloud reached for his Guardian on his back while Zack grabbed his Buster Sword.

"Wutai…leftovers after the war." Said Naruto. "The Crimson Lotus Faction."

The Wutai stared at the men and got into stance. Naruto flicked his wrist and out came Ragnorak. Sephiroth scoffed at the men before vanishing. Naruto closed his eyes and they glowed green behind his eyelids. Kyuubi was performing Sense on the enemy.

"I detect thirty soldiers…fifteen in the immediate area as the commander went after the others." Said Naruto calmly. He used Teleport and appeared behind the Wutai. They stared at Naruto and took off. Naruto raised an eyebrow but followed after them. He chased the Wutai through the trees on foot. Soon he was in a clearing. "A trap." Muttered the boy softly. Naruto reached for his sword. "Why did you attack us?" Asked Naruto. "This is a violation of the Shin-Ra-Wutai Peace Agreement."

"It is time for you to go home, young one." Came a voice. The Wutai soldiers smirked. Naruto's eyes went wide. He turned to see an elderly man wearing black robes. Naruto was about to strike but Hoenn's words rung in his head.

"Remember, we are humans, not livestock for the slaughter."

Naruto stopped briefly but that was enough for the elder to caste an extremely powerful spell.

"Banishment." Said the elder. Naruto's eyes went wide. He spotted the black hole below him and it sucked him in. The Mystic smiled after he completed the spell. The Banishment was a Time and Space spell at its finest. The Banishment technique sent someone to a dimension of the users choosing, it takes a shit load of mana to produce. The chances of Naruto returning to Midgar was zero to none.

The Void

Naruto floated through what felt like endless darkness. Voices of his past whispered gently in his ears.

"He is a great weapon. He was taught not to feel anything in battle. No emotion, nothing." Came the slippery voice of Hojo.

"Good and evil? There is no such thing, only those with power can turn the tides of war." Said Sephiroth in his cold tone.

"Not everyone's fate is set in stone Naruto. You are not destined to be the Angel of Death. Things…happen." Came Cloud's voice.

"Remember, we are humans, not livestock for the slaughter." Said Hoenn.

"Well, depending on your actions, it can be considered good or evil. What one views as good someone can view as evil. Just remember, you have to take responsibility for your actions. And don't forget to protect those that is precious to you, little buddy." Said Zack.

Soon Naruto was overtook by the light.

Konohagakure

Naruto groaned as he sat up. He was no stranger to pain but it felt as if he got drunk with Zack again, minus the drinking. Normally he would not be affected by alcohol but Zack spiked his drink with something much stronger than the usual stuff. He stood up and looked at the sky.

"What…stars? Where am I?" Wondered the boy. In Midgar, it was so damn polluted, you could barely see the sky. He looked around and saw trees. "I forgot, the Banishment spells sends one to a different dimension. The Mystic said…he was going to send me home…what did he mean?"

He stood up and spotted a girl. She wore an orange jacket with blue shorts. She had long sun kissed blonde hair tied in two ponytails. Her skin was a healthy tan while his was on the pale side. Whisker marks adorned her cheeks and she had bright blue eyes. The Mako experiments made his whisker marks vanish.

"She looks similar to me…"

The girl turned to him and smiled happily.

"Finally! You're awake!" Shouted the girl. Naruto winced at the volume. "I thought you were dead but you were breathing."

"Where am I?" Asked Naruto.

"In Konohagakure. The Village Hidden in the Leaves." Said the girl.

"How strange…I feel as if…I been here before…"

"As do I. This girl also gives me a strange sense of familiarity."

"I feel the same way."

"Hey! Are you okay? Don't zone out on me." Said the girl. The girl waved her hand in front of him.

"I am fine."

"Good, now come with me, Ojii-san said to take you to the tower when you woke up." Said the girl. She wrapped her hands around his hand and pulled him forward. "By the way, my name is Natsuko, Uzumaki Natsuko."

"I am Naruto…"

"Cool! We have similar names." Said the girl as she dragged him through town.

One Month Later

Naruto sat down on top of Hokage Monument. The man Natsuko referred to as Ojii-san was the Hokage of this village. Naruto told to him that he woke up in the village and that was all he remembered. Apparently amnesia was common in this realm. He then learned about things such as Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. While he admitted that Genjutsu were impressive, he did not need it. That didn't stop him from learning the Kokuangyou no Jutsu. Some Ninjutsu interested him such as the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Bunshin Bakuha and Shunpo. With his combined chakra and Mako, the techniques were easy to pull off. The elemental ones were also interesting but he had his elemental magic under his belt. Taijutsu was an idea but he knew hand-to-hand combat as it was apart of his training in SOLDIER. When Sarutobi had Kakashi pitted against the boy, he could only gape. The fight, if one could call it that ended with Kakashi in the hospital for a week. Naruto was a ruthless fighter. Kakashi unveiled his Sharingan as soon as the match started. The boy moved at high-Chunin speed. Nothing too much for a seasoned Jounin. That was until Naruto used a Time-Space manipulation magic. Naruto had used Haste and his speed doubled. Poor Kakashi was beaten to a bloody pulp. Naruto's mako infused strength made him stronger than a normal man, only four notches below Tsunade in strength. An ANBU appeared next to him.

"Naruto-sama. The Hokage has a mission for you." Said the man. Now the ANBU were normally not afraid of anything, they were the cream of the crop, best of the best. Now when faced with Naruto, who is an anomaly, causes the ANBU to shudder in fear. The boy was something else. Naruto took the scroll from the man.

"Understood." Whispered the boy. He vanished. No puff of smoke, no swirl of leaves, nope, the boy just vanished. The ANBU couldn't even track his chakra signature anywhere.

Fire Country: Woodlands Twenty Miles South of Konohagakure

Naruto was using Shunpo. He would appear in a running stance and vanish a second later. He stopped at a cliffside and raised an eyebrow. A two story steel fortress.

"I do not believe this is the work of Nuke-nin." The term rolled off his tongue as if he was from these lands.

"You are correct Naruto. This is the work of Iwa-nin trying to perform a preemptive attack. A common strategy. What is the recommended approach?"

"Simple, destroy the base. However, if I use Fira, it may cause the men to think that Konoha is attacking. It is best that I use Thundara, to place the blame on Kumogakure."

Naruto nodded. He unsheathed Ragnorak and held it in a behind the arm stance. (If you have seen Advent Children, think Kadaj's fighting style combined with Sephiroth's style.) He teleported inside the base. No one survived, their screams were not heard. After Naruto laid waste to the inside of the fortress, he destroyed the base by use of Thundara. The metal walls were torn to ribbons by the angry lightning strikes. Naruto sighed before walking away. He vanished, back to Konoha.

Konohagakure

Naruto meditated on top of the monument, observing the the village. It was rare in Midgar, to even see a weed. Here in Konoha, there was green everywhere. The air was much cleaner as it didn't have that toxic feel to it. There were actually woodland creatures, not woodland monster but creatures lurking in the woods. Not like the Midgar Zoloms that popped up in the woods. Zack hated those serpents while Naruto found it fascinating when he skewered them with a tree once. He stiffened as he reached for Ragnorak but relaxed when he saw Kakashi.

"Hey Naruto."

"Hello Kakashi-san." Kakashi nearly flinched at the cold tone. The boy was similar to the Uchiha. No, he corrected himself. Naruto was aloof and cold because he was just so detached from humanity. The Uchiha were a pompous bunch of asses. That is why, with the exception of Uchiha Sasuke, his slightly older sister, Uchiha Izuna and Uchiha Itachi, the rest are dead. But due to the later at least. Well there is another out there but…

"I was wondering if you had anything to do tomorrow."
"No. I am currently free."

"Nice, I wanted to know if you would observe my team tomorrow."

Kakashi told him about his team. Uchiha Sasuke, the Rookie of the Year, Haruno Sakura, the Top Kunoichi and Uzumaki Natsuko, the Deadlast. Naruto tilted his head to the side and then nodded.

"Fine, I will observe them. Will you perform you usual method of antagonizing your teams?"

Kakashi chuckled at the thought of treating his team like morons.

"Yes, I'm going to do the usual."

"Be careful, I would not recommend using the Sennen Goroshi on the females as trouble may come up."

Kakashi snickered but then stopped as Naruto was right. Naruto was not one for jokes.

"I will take that into consideration. Sasuke could be knocked down a couple of pegs. He is considered a genius by the village's standards but he is too caught up in the thought of avenging his clan."

"Hm, if he does not think clearly…then the Uchiha will perish."

"Sakura is book smart but she fails as a decent kunoichi. As one of Sasuke's top fan-girls, all shreds of decency is kicked out the window."

"She must suffer from a poor diet due to the…trend of being a fangirl. It will be difficult to knock her out of it."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, while the age gap was moderate, Naruto was a wise boy. He could see flaws and problems that some would not notice. But that is due to having a machine work his brain to the fullest.

"And Uzumaki Natsuko, the wild card. She is considered the deadlast of the academy but she mastered a Kinjutsu in the span of two hours and she can use it like clockwork. But I think I know the reason why she was considered dead last…its sad really."

Naruto could only nod. "As you would say, your team sucks."

Kakashi snorted. "Well, I will see what happens. The council has been breathing down my neck about grooming Sasuke into an effective Uchiha. Ever since Izuna was attacked by Orochimaru and branded with a Juuin Jutsu, they don't trust her around Sasuke. Just like with Anko."

"The council will be the demise of this village if not themselves. They disregard potential." Said Naruto. He had met the woman named Mitarashi Anko. She was, bloodthirsty, flirty, fun loving and an all around nice person to be around if not slightly deranged. But he saw the way the village shunned her due to her relationship with the traitor Orochimaru. Then there was Uchiha Izuna. On a mission with her team, she was ambushed by Orochimaru and branded with the Juuin Jutsu. After that, the council labeled her as a threat and wished to have her executed. Only due to the Sandaime's orders, the girl was allowed to live. She was still treated like Anko and Natsuko, like trash.

"Pity…they have a lot of potential."

Naruto stood up and vanished. Kakashi sighed and did the same.

Next Day

Naruto walked alongside Kakashi as the man read his smut in public. Naruto sighed, this man was similar to Zack. Today was the day unfortunately, Naruto was introduced to the horror known as the S.G.L.S.M.H. The Sunset Gai-Lee Spandex Manhug. Naruto's eyebrows went to his hairline. He encountered many things in Midgar but he was sure that even Commander Sephiroth would hurl at the sight. It took all of his willpower not to drive his sword in his eyes to stop the sight of two men in tight green spandex hugging each other. Kakashi only shook his head sadly.

"I suppose I should have warned you about that."

"You knew?" Hissed Naruto.

"Hey don't get snippy, complain when you have been on the receiving end of one of those." Said Kakashi defensively.

"HELLO KAKASHI! MY HIP RIVAL!" Shouted Maito Gai. Kakashi groaned inwardly as Naruto's lip quirked up into a small smile.

"Hey Gai. I see you succeeded in corrupting the young." Said Kakashi as he stared at Lee. The boy was a mirror image of Gai, only younger. He turned to see the Hyuuga Prodigy Neji, who was twitchy spasmodically and the female of the team, Tenten. He pitied those two and yet envied their mental strength, Kakashi was sure he would have killed himself.

"Kakashi-san, I suppose we should hurry. I do not believe your students are enjoying their four hour long wait."

"You're right Naruto, later Gai."

"FAREWELL MY RIVAL!" Shouted Gai. He struck a good guy pose and Kakashi grabbed Naruto and sped off with the boy. He was sure Naruto was ready to commit suicide.

Training Ground 7

Naruto watched the whole thing is disinterest. First was Uchiha Sasuke. The boy was considered a prodigy among the village. Seeing as he was the "last loyal Uchiha" the villagers worshipped the ground he walked on. Naruto sighed, he was an overconfident fool. He saw miniscule flickers of madness behind the boys eyes. It was small, barely noticeable. Naruto sighed, he would kill him if he became a threat to the village. That and Naruto disliked the boy for the simple fact that because he was an Uchiha, he believed everyone was below him. Of course he enjoyed it immensely when Kakashi shoved his fingers up Sasuke's ass. He even let a small smile grace his face.

Sasuke growled angrily as Kakashi toyed with him. The second the man performed Sennen Goroshi on him, he knew the man was playing around. He was an Uchiha! He deserved respect! And then there was that boy that watched the whole thing. The way he and Kakashi spoke to each other, as if they were friends. But the boy's eyes were so detached, it was as if life bored him. But the thing that haunted Sasuke so much, it was how much he reminded him of Itachi. They had the same look of aloofness in their eyes. Sasuke rage only grew when Natsuko, the deadlast actually forced Kakashi to put his book away to block off a herd of raging blondes. He was supposed to be the one getting the bells, not that dumb bimbo!

Natsuko had spirit, he would give her that much. She knew a Kinjutsu but tossed it around like it was a toy. Her form was terrible, she was clumsy and easy to read. But Naruto knew the answer to that, the villagers hated her for some reason he wasn't able to learn about. But he would in due time.

Sakura was…pathetic for lack of better words. Kakashi was right, she tossed common sense off a mountainside whenever Sasuke was around. Naruto shook his head sadly.

"Both of them have potential that is wasted."

"For very different reasons Naruto-kun."

"Naruto-kun?"

"It's the land, I feel as if I should call you that seeing as you are younger than me."

"Very well Kyuubi-sama."

OOOOOOOOO

"I must admit, this outcome was unforeseen."

"Possibly, people tend to work towards the same goal if they can momentarily put their differences aside."

While the failed the initial test, the passed the make-up. Sakura was tied to the log post as punishment. She wasn't to be fed due to being useless during the test. Of course she was hungry due to Kakashi being the evil mastermind he is. So Natsuko, being a true teammate began to feed Sakura. Sasuke scoffed as he gave Natsuko his food, saying he would need her help. He looked as if he swallowed a snake.

Their actions caused Kakashi to appear suddenly before the trio, a thunderstorm raging behind him, and announced in a deceptively kind voice that all three passed.

He then proceeded to explain the 'how' and 'why' of this exercise, putting great emphasis on the importance of teamwork, and the trio's own faulty traits that prevented them to move as one. During this mini-speech, Naruto had observed that of all three now Genin shinobi, only Sakura and Natsuko seemed to have paid attention to Kakashi's words. Sasuke had scoffed off the advice as something that would hinder him. Naruto sighed from his position.

"This is nightmare waiting to happen."

"More like a K.I.A."

Naruto smiled a small smile again behind his high collared cape. His cape was awesome, even if he didn't say it out loud.

"Well team, go home, get some rest as we start D-rank missions tomorrow." His team cheered, minus Sasuke. Natsuko ran off, to probably convince Iruka to buy her ramen. Sakura tried to get Sasuke to go with her on a date but he refused instantly, opting for glaring at Naruto. Naruto walked towards Kakashi.

"That was…amusing at best." Said Naruto. Kakashi only chuckled.

"Well, I admit, I was not expecting to pass them. I never pass a team but they interest me. Well, I will see you later Naruto, I have some paperwork to file."

"You do not mind if I continue to observe your team?" Asked Naruto before Kakashi could leave.

"Not at all." With that said, Kakashi vanished in a swirl of wind. Naruto was about to leave when a kunai flew past his face. He turned around to see Sasuke with two more kunai in hand.

"Fight me." Said Sasuke.

Naruto merely tilted his head. He turned around and walked away. Sasuke gritted his teeth. He hated to be ignored. He rushed forward and jumped in the air. He went for a roundhouse kick but Naruto blocked it by catching him by his heel. Sasuke's eyes went wide when Naruto flung him into tree. Sasuke went through the tree, much to his surprise and pain.

"Do not challenge someone if you have no idea how powerful they are…" Said Naruto as he walked away.

Nighttime

Naruto was wandering around Konoha. He sighed as he began to think.

"Uzumaki Natsuko and Haruno Sakura…"

"What about them Naruto-kun?"

"They…interest me. They have potential and I dislike seeing potential wasted."

Kyuubi chuckled, those who sparked Naruto's interest were offered training. More like torture hell.

"And what of the Uchiha Child?"
"Which one?"

"The boy."

"Hm…he presents a problem. He has potential but I do not trust him. What good is a weapon if it is pressed against its users throat. I will decide in time. Not now though. I wish to observe the stars."

Naruto vanished and appeared on the monument. He sat down and meditated. He would rest here for the night.

Next Week

Naruto watched Team 7 perform the tasks known as D-rank missions and he shook his head sadly.

"This is a mission? I guess I should be grateful that I am a SOLDIER rather than a shinobi, even though I was trained in those arts."

Team 7 was forced to chase after Tora, for the ninth time in one week. If it was up to Naruto, he would have killed the blasted feline and its master by the third day. Then again, he wasn't allowed to kill a dignitaries wife, it might spark a war and cause the village to lose funding. Naruto sighed as he vanished from the tree, the cat was caught, his entertainment for the day was over.

Two Hours Later

Naruto wandered around Konoha. He enjoyed the peace the village offered him. He felt more at ease in this new land than he ever did in Midgar. He spotted an ANBU coming towards him.

"Hokage-sama requests to see you Naruto-sama."

"Very well…" Naruto vanished leaving the ANBU by himself.

Hokage Tower

Naruto stood before the Professor of Konoha.

"Naruto, as you may or may not know, Team 7 took a C-Rank mission today. However, the details are a bit…faulty at best. I do not believe our employer was telling us the full story behind his little mission."

He handed Naruto a folder.

"There were reports of Momochi Zabuza, a Class A Nuke-nin hiding with his band of Nuke-nin in that area. I don't doubt Kakashi's abilities but…"

"With the children there, they are in danger of being killed. You wish for me to be back up is that correct?" Asked Naruto.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I'm taking you away from your peace and quiet."

"Nonsense. This is part of my payment. I serve you and you alone, the village protects me as I protect the village. Its a fair trade." Said Naruto.

"They headed through the eastern gate towards the Land of Wave. I suggest you hurry." Said Sarutobi. Naruto nodded and he vanished.

Road to Wave

Naruto flew across the ground using his Shunpo. He closed his eyes, using Kyuubi's Sense.

"Hm. I detect a faint chakra. Water in nature. It's retreating now. Another group of chakra is moving in another direction. Apparently they survived their encounter with Zabuza. How amusing."

"I suppose I should hurry."

Naruto took off again. Leaving nothing but after images in his wake. If one could see the look in Naruto's eye as he ran, they would see that of a hunter.

"I do hope you can amuse me Zabuza…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

C.Kirby: It feels good to write stories again. College is royally kicking my ass. I don't have strength to do anything any more. Its sad really.

Naruto: Welcome back, I think. What happened to Juubi of Souls?

C.Kirby: Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about it. Its a lot harder for me to work on it cause its almost impossible to squeeze so much info without it feeling rushed. It really taxing. I had been playing some Final Fantasy games and I thought of writing a tale about a SOLDIER Naruto. Reading Till Eternity's End by The-Silent-Muse set the deal for me. That story is epic, very epic. I seriously recommend reading that tale.

Now before everyone rants, I know, Naruto is almost godlike but after reading the manga, I am severely disappointed with Naruto's strength. At the rate he is going at, he wouldn't stand a chance against Suigetsu while Sasuke has been overpowered for lack of better words. Besides, for what I have in store for the young SOLDIER, well he is going to need his power and more. For Naruto in this story, I want to see him as a being searching for his humanity, emotions and soul. As for Zack, Cloud and Sephiroth…that will have to wait till later. Don't worry though Zack and Cloud are going to show up sooner if things go as I planned. Also I am aware that the Hachibi is not a fox but my readers will learn in due time what I have planned for the Bijuu. Let's just say tails only signify rank, what if there were more than one Hachibi or Nibi? I said to much so…

Xion: So shut up already.

C.Kirby: Anyways, my updates will be coming slow due to college work.

Sasuke: Sucks to be you.

C.Kirby: It does. But its going to be worse for you in the future. Now, I am not going to do weapon descriptions just yet. Later on, maybe next chapter. And I will try to update Juubi of Souls, its just I feel like I screwed myself over by putting the chapter preview out before proper planning.

OOOOOOOOO

Terminology

Project G: Results of a half human-half Cetra being. A being that would work for Shin-Ra and can still communicate with the planet and the Lifestream.

Though they seemed to be normal humans, eventually the effects of Project G began to manifest. Genesis, who was only injected with the G Substance began to degrade slowly, requiring S Cells of Project S to survive. It was clear that he was a failure. Angeal, who was born directly from the G Substance would not degrade and was considered by Hollander to be the perfect result of his experiment.

Both Angeal and Genesis had the power to create Copies of themselves similar to Jenova's power. These were not perfect Copies, rather mindless slaves born from exposure to Angeal and Genesis's genes. Genesis could only make human Copies, but Angeal's copies came in the form of monsters. Both also sprouted a single angel wing on their shoulder, Genesis's being black, and Angeal's white. Though there was only a single wing, it could be used for flight.

However, the main difference between Angeal and Genesis was that Angeal had expanded abilities. Angeal's genetic structure held Jenova's power of a two-way conduit. He could make copies and also take in the abilities of monsters.

Project S: Project S, obviously a code word for Project Sephiroth, was the rival and arguably more successful effort by Professor Hojo to create his own Jenova hybrid. This effort seems to have had more support by Shin-Ra at large. Sephiroth was notable for his well-above average physical abilities, and would come to be of great use for Shin-Ra as their ultimate SOLDIER.

Project N: Code word for Project Naruto. The newest in line of Hojo's work. Can't disclose too much info but the Project N has a second stage known as Project OMEGA.

Project OMEGA: Sorry, can't tell you yet.

SOLDIER: SOLDIER was a byproduct of Project S, created by simplified process of Sephiroth's birth. Sound men of perfect mind and body were injected with Mako and Jenova Cells to boost their physical abilities to superhuman.

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu – Shadow Clone Technique: Kage Bunshin is a Jounin level Ninjutsu technique. The Kage Bunshin distributes the ninja's chakra evenly among the clones and creates a real copy with form and substance. The clone itself can also utilize any jutsu the original ninja knows. When the clone finally disperses, any new knowledge it has gained is passed back to the original ninja and any additional clones. This makes Kage Bunshin an excellent training method if the ninja has the chakra capacity and stamina to maintain the Kage Bunshins for an extended period of time. This allows the ninja to essentially reduce the time it takes to train and learn with each clone added. This is especially true when used with Tajuu Kage Bunshin.

Bunshin Bakuha – Shadow Clone Explosion: A shadow clone that can detonate, causing a large explosion.

Shiki Fuujin - Corpse Spirit Sealing Method: Summons the Shinigami to seal away a soul at the cost of the caster's life.

Shunpo – Flash Step: Essentially like Shunshin yet it can be used in short bursts to propel oneself forward.

Juuin Jutsu – Cursed Seal Technique: As a form of control, the Sound ninja Orochimaru will place cursed seals on those he wishes to grant more power. When a user first receives the cursed seal on their body, they are only able to access the "Level 1" power. With time the infection can spread and gain a "Level 2" power. The Level 2 form will dramatically increase the wearer's power. When initiated, the Level 2 power will also manifest physical changes in the wearer. The seal will end up covering their entire body, the skin color will change and protrusions will begin to sprout from different parts of the body.