Naruto: Gun Dream

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Battle Angel Alita

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter took a little bit longer than planned since I've been rereading Battle Angel to brush up on my source material. Here is chapter 3. Enjoy!

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Last time:

Scorched Earth's Camp

Furnace was listening to one of his Lieutenants. "Our monitor signal from Tungsten just flat lined sir….Tungsten is dead."

The one armed cyborg sighed. "Tungsten took out an entire division of armored fighting vehicles virtually bare handed with that monstrous Cyclops body of his. He could even control the weather. What could have possibly defeated him?"

"Maybe it was the Angel of Death." said one of his men worriedly.

Furnace growled, "I'll hear no more superstitious talk about her! Are you fighting men or frightened children?" His men straightened up but Furnace was worried. 'Maybe it actually was the so called Angel of Death….'

….

Naruto and Alita's Camp

It was close to midnight. Naruto and Alita were sitting beside the Interceptor looking up at the night sky. The lovely cyborg said, "It's a shame that idiot Tungsten didn't know anything pertaining to our mission out east other than his unit was supposed to take Factory Farm 28. I guess killing him was probably better than turning him over to the G.I.B. That would have been a fate worse than death….But then again he knew about weather control technology and that alone made him dangerous." She shook her head. "This whole deal leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

Naruto looked over at Alita and said, "Any time you are a scout travelling into unknown territories you are bound to face uncertainty. Sometimes your side is in the right but sometimes they are in the wrong. That weather control technology is dangerous in the wrong hands but who are we to judge? If you hadn't executed him Zalem would have eventually."

The TUNED Agent looked at Naruto and saw a glimmer of something ancient in his blue eyes….She saw it in her own brown eyes every time she looked in the mirror….Eyes that had seen countless battles and still kept going….

"Naruto, where were you born?" asked the petite woman.

The blonde looked surprised for a moment and then smiled softly. "I was born in a place called Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves in Japan. It was a good place to live but it's gone now. What about you Alita? Where were you born?"

Alita pointed towards a red point in the sky floating serenely among the stars. "I'm pretty sure I was born on that red dot….Mars…."

Sitting under the starlight; the two tired warriors said no more. The peaceful noises of the night in the desert were all they needed….

….

Chapter 3

Badlands, Kuma Ninja Clan Outpost E.S. 588 (2544 C.E.)

Furnace and his men were marching east straight across the desert Badlands towards a shaft a chromium steel sticking straight out of the ground that was a marker for the area. That's when they saw a single individual standing there waiting for them. It was a cyber ninja. The men of Sherman's Brigade looked a bit uneasy but Furnace held up his only hand in a 'stop' motion. His men came to a halt and the black painted cyborg trudged forward and said, "I'm Furnace of Sherman's Brigade. I'm here to pay the toll for my men to cross Kuma Clan Territory."

The ninja said in a hissing voice, "I am Hebi. It looks like the majority of your men are missing Furnace….That and you're missing an arm…." The cyber ninja chuckled. "Seems like you've seen better days. Where's Sherman?"

The one armed cyborg wanted to growl but said, "Sherman is dead. He crossed swords with a blonde monster and the Angel of Death. He lost."

"Hmmm…." pondered the ninja. "The blonde took your arm too?"

"How did you know?" asked Furnace in surprise.

Hebi said amused, "We know many things that you do not."

The rotund cyborg asked, "Who is he then? If you know then-"

"Chips for passage first." said the cyber ninja curtly. "For this information….I'll have to get someone for you to talk to."

Furnace grumbled and handed over the agreed chips to cross the Kuma Ninja Clan Territory. Then he said, "What about the blonde? He's a serious threat…."

….

Kuma Clan Enclave

The Head of the Kuma Clan sat in mediation when one of his kunoichi followers came up and kneeled before him. She said, "Master Kame; Hebi has sent us news about Sherman's Brigade."

Kame asked, "Are they unwilling to pay for passage Hato? That could be a problem."

Hato shook her head. "No Master. It seems they had a run in with the Angel of Death and the Hokage."

"They should be praising the gods that any of them are left alive then." said Kame. 'What would possess the Hokage to team up with the Angel of Death from Zalem?' "How many are left according to Hebi?"

"There are only thirty seven of the original two hundred Master." answered Hato. "Their leader Sherman and the giant Cyclops named Tungsten are not among them."

The old Master stated, "I cannot say that I am surprised given who they were up against. I am curious as to why this was brought to my attention so quickly though."

The kunoichi replied, "Hebi sent me because their current leader Furnace wants information on the Hokage. Hebi is not willing to negotiate with them about such a….delicate topic."

"Hebi is correct in his thinking." said Kame. "Fetch Taka and bring him to me Hato. I will instruct him on how to deal with this Furnace character."

"As you command Master." acknowledged Hato as she vanished….

….

Kuma Ninja Clan Outpost

Furnace was wondering just what the hell the cyber ninja was doing. Hebi told him to wait with his men for an information broker to arrive and then the ninja stood there by the chromium steel marker doing nothing. Furnace was about to go back over to Hebi to see what he was up to. 'Damn these cyber ninjas and their mind games. If our numbers weren't so decimated I'd-"

Another cyber ninja popped up from nowhere and asked in a deep baritone voice, "You are Furnace?"

The rotund cyborg nearly jumped in fright. 'Where the hell did he come from?! He just appeared out of thin air!' (Cough) "Yes, I am Furnace. Are you the information broker?"

"That would be correct." replied the ninja with a slight bow. "I am Taka and I understand you fought the Hokage. You seek knowledge about him, yes?"

"So Hokage is the blonde's name?" asked the one armed cyborg. "What kind of a name is that?"

Taka replied, "It is not his name but rather his title. Hokage means Fire Shadow in our mother tongue. I'll give you that information for free. The rest I'm charging you for…."

….

Furnace and his men were soon on their way having gained precious little information about the Hokage or the Angel of Death. No names but basic histories of destruction and mayhem in both cases. They weren't known to have ever worked together or even met previously. The Angel of Death was an Agent of Zalem (which Furnace already knew) but the Hokage was 'just' a freelance hunter warrior (which didn't make much sense to the one armed cyborg). Furnace did learn one interesting thing though….

….

Flashback….

"We are being trailed by Hokage and the Angel of Death." said Furnace. "We need to ditch them. How much would it cost to have the Kuma Clan fight them in a delaying action Taka?"

Taka replied, "No amount of chips would make us fight Hokage again. He has more combat potential than all of the Kuma Clan combined. You'll have to find someone else to do that fool's errand. If the Angel of Death is with him then that makes it doubly so. You should consider yourselves lucky to even be alive. Unless the Hokage is just trailing you out of curiosity then consider yourself dead."

Flashback end….

….

Furnace thought to himself, 'Well, the Kuma Clan is frightened of the Hokage and they have a reputation of taking on anybody for the right price. Taka said they fought him before so I assume they lost badly….He claimed they don't even know Hokage's actual name. I'm not sure I buy that….He acted like the Angel of Death was just as frightening. This is bad news….'

….

Highway

The next day….

A black car was racing down a dirt and dust covered road at well over 90 kilometers per hour. The dirt it was kicking up left a billowing trail that could be seen for kilometers away….Behind it was a larger dust cloud and the sounds of animals howling….

"A pack of wild mech dogs? Really?! That's new." said Naruto as he shifted the Interceptor into a higher gear.

"It would explain why those wrecked vehicles looked chewed up instead of rusted or shot up back in that town." replied Alita as she took careful aim with her TUNED rifle out the window. She smiled nastily. "Normally I like dogs but (BOOM!) I'll make an exception this time."

Naruto and Alita were driving through a ghost town when the four footed fiends sprang out of everywhere to attack them. The wild dogs had pursued them ever since. Now the blonde was speeding down the highway like a bullet. Alita originally thought the dogs were guarding something but it had become apparent that the cybernetic canines were hungry. Hence Alita was picking them off left and right with her rifle….

Another dog exploded after being hit with an armor piercing bullet. The beautiful cyborg growled and said, "There is no end to them Naruto! I only have so much ammunition you know."

The blonde replied, "Look for a pack leader then and kill it! They are behaving like starving pack animals."

Alita started scanning the pack of wild dogs and saw one that struck her as being big and dominant. 'That's an alpha if I ever saw one.' thought the dark haired warrior. 'The others are orbiting around him while he sets the pace.' She loaded a high explosive round and said, "Sorry buddy but you're going to hell…."

Firing off the lethal round Alita was quite satisfied with the results as the Alpha was blown into a thousand pieces of blood and metal. The other dogs suddenly fell back yelping in fear and the petite cyborg took a deep breath. She patted Naruto's shoulder and said, "They are breaking off Naruto. You can slow down now."

Naruto let out a breath of his own and let off the accelerator. The Interceptor gradually rolled to a stop and the blonde got out his map of the area before writing a warning that simply said, 'DANGER -Wild Dog Pack.' The former Hokage wiped the sweat off of his brow and said, "That little joyride took us about eighty kilometers off course. We aren't going to backtrack with those dogs there. We'll have to go cross country into Kuma Clan Territory."

"Who is the Kuma Clan?" asked Alita warily. She didn't like the sound of this.

The blonde grinned. "Cyber ninjas. Dangerous ones too. They know me. We'll be able to get a night's rest there. You might have to beat a few of them senseless to prove your strength but that should be no problem for the Angel of Death."

Alita asked with a vicious grin of her own, "Why do I get the impression that you're looking forward to this?"

Naruto answered, "You seem pretty pent up. It will be a good way to blow of some steam." He checked his map again and asked, "Ready to go?"

She smiled. "Sure, let's go!" 'Naruto sure can read me well.' For some reason the beautiful cyborg didn't mind that thought at all….

….

Kuma Ninja Clan Outpost

That evening; the cyber ninja Hebi was back on Outpost guard duty by the steel shaft marker and saw a vehicle approaching on the horizon. He couldn't see it clearly as the sun was setting behind it. Breaking out his binoculars and zooming in he saw a black car he knew very well. 'It's the Interceptor. It seems that Lord Hokage is here….Not entirely unexpected….' He tapped the ground in code with his foot and Hato emerged. "Please inform the Master that Lord Hokage is here." he said.

Hato asked, "Is the Angel of Death with him?"

"It's impossible to tell at this range." replied Hebi. "I'll keep a lookout. Lord Hokage may just be cutting across our territory."

"Understood." said the kunoichi as she departed to see Master Kame.

….

Kuma Clan Enclave

Kame was quietly finishing his dinner with his wife Natsumi and daughter Akemi when Hato quietly knocked on the door of his home. The Master looked up from his tea and said, "You may enter Hato."

Hato quietly slid the door open and entered. After closing the door behind her she kneeled and said, "Forgive me for interrupting your meal Master Kame. I bring news." The Master motioned for her to continue and Hato explained, "Lord Hokage has entered our territory and Hebi immediately dispatched me to inform you."

Master Kame didn't look surprised but he instantly became alert. "Inform Hebi to welcome Lord Hokage into our Village."

"….And if he has a guest…?" asked Hato.

"His guest is welcome….for now." replied the old leader ambiguously. "I shall deal with that matter personally."

Hato nodded and vanished….

….

Highway

The Interceptor slowed down when Naruto spotted the chromium steel marker. He pointed it out to his companion and said, "See that gleaming metal pole Alita?" She nodded and the blonde continued. "That's the marker just inside Kuma Clan Territory. You go there to meet with the guard stationed there to pay for passage through their territory. There's an identical one at the other end. You buy a pass when you enter and hand off the pass when you leave."

"What happens if you just drive on by?" asked the lovely cyborg with fire in her eyes.

Naruto gave her a smirk and said, "Then they do everything in their considerable power to hunt you down and destroy you."

Alita had a manic grin on her face by now. "Sounds like an easy way for them to make some chips. How much do they charge per person?"

"I have no idea." answered the blonde. "When the guard told me how much it cost for me and my car two years ago I nearly laughed myself sick."

"So what happened then?" asked the dark haired warrior with a laugh.

The Hokage grinned at her. "They surrounded me and I told them they were badly outnumbered and they were about to have a very bad day…."

….

Kuma Ninja Clan Outpost

Hebi saw the Interceptor roll to a stop and Naruto waved at him. "Good evening Hebi." said the blonde in a jovial way. "Are those new arms? Looks like you got them replaced again since that little scuffle we had."

The cyber ninja cringed when he remembered his original mechanical arms being shredded into scraps of tinfoil when he challenged the Hokage to a fight two years ago. Thirty three members of the Kuma Clan went down that night but the Hokage didn't actually kill any of them as they were just protecting their territory. Seven still died in suicide attacks though. The blonde demolished them all with contemptuous ease.….It wasn't until Master Kame came out and faced Lord Hokage that they realized why. The village Leader took one look at the blonde ninja and pronounced him kage level on the spot…. Since then Uzumaki Naruto had proven to be a good and trusted friend to the Kuma Clan….Which they coincidentally treated with the greatest of respect….

"Welcome Lord Hokage." said Hebi. "As always your presence is welcome in Kuma Clan Territory. I see you have a passenger with you. Is this the Angel of Death from Zalem?" he asked looking in at the lovely cyborg.

Alita raised an eyebrow in surprise and Naruto said, "Sounds like Sherman's Brigade came through here if you know about that."

"Are you pursuing them Lord Hokage?" asked Hebi. "They are only a day ahead of you."

"I'm just trailing them for now." replied the blonde. "There is no rush to overtake them."

Hato appeared and warmly greeted Naruto, "I bid you greetings Lord Hokage. Master Kame sends you and you companion good wishes. He has offered to let you both stay in the Kuma Village for the night if you so desire." The kunoichi turned to Alita and said, "I am Hato. I welcome you Angel of Death."

The dark haired warrior smiled at the formal greeting and said, "Just call me Alita; Hato. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

The kunoichi relaxed a bit and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you as well Alita." She turned to Naruto and asked, "Will you and Alita be staying the night Lord Hokage?"

The blonde nodded. "Please inform Master Kame that we accept his gracious invitation Hato."

"It will be done Lord Hokage." replied Hato in a pleased tone. "Please drive your vehicle over to the storage entrance where it will be protected from the elements." Naruto nodded in understanding and Hato vanished to return to Master Kame….

….

Alita looked about at the open desert and saw nothing but wasteland for miles. Naruto put the car in gear and was driving along slowly when she asked, "So where is this Kuma Village?"

The blonde replied, "Like all ninja villages it is hidden." Naruto drove the Interceptor off the dirt path and parked under the remains of a bridge in front of a roughly triangular shaped rock. Then he flashed his headlights three times. Alita was taken off guard as the rock silently rose revealing an elevator platform beneath it. The former Seventh Hokage pulled the car onto the elevator and flashed his lights three times again causing the elevator to lower as silently as it had risen….

When the elevator stopped they saw several vehicles parked there in what once must have been an underground parking garage. Lights came on to show the passageway and the beautiful cyborg was impressed. "So it's all hidden underground?" she asked.

Naruto shrugged. "As far as I know it is. I've only been shown into the 'safe' areas of the village. We are outsiders so naturally they aren't going to reveal all their secrets even if we are friendly. Unless we were to permanently join the Kuma Clan I doubt we'll ever know."

Alita smiled at the concept. "That makes sense. I guess security would have to be ultra tight in a hidden society."

"That's how all ninja villages are." said Naruto sagely.

The petite warrior was about to ask what he meant when a ninja appeared and motioned them into a parking place where Naruto turned the car off and the two warriors got out. The ninja was younger and seemed very excited. "I welcome you Lord Hokage." he said with a bow. "I am Ahiru. It is an honor to meet you." He turned to Alita and said, "It is an honor to meet you as well Lady Alita. It isn't everyday that one gets to address the Angel of Death."

'Lady Alita….?' thought the dark haired warrior in surprise. Her brown eyes locked with Naruto's blue ones for a moment and his amusement was evident so she decided to just roll with the title for now. "It's nice to meet you too Ahiru."

Ahiru replied, "The pleasure is all mine. Please follow me. Master Kame awaits us."

….

Kuma Clan Enclave

Alita looked around at what was the 'central square' of the Kuma Clan Village where ninjas of all ages seemed to be busily working. She saw a weapons shop in particular that she wanted to explore. It was obvious that Naruto had acquired his kunai knives and some of his shuriken there. Despite the fact it was obviously a military village the underground place seemed to have a warm atmosphere that Alita liked…..She couldn't quite explain it….

Ahiru led them over to a raised platform where Master Kame sat. It was obviously a place where matters of governance were addressed. On Kame's left side stood Hato who was obviously acting in a bodyguard capacity. Hato had her facemask and hood down showing she had a very pretty face and purple hair. Naruto couldn't help but be reminded of Uzuki Yūgao from Konoha as the kunoichi was very dutiful and strong despite her very feminine charm. On Kame's right sat his daughter Akemi. She likewise had her face exposed revealing her cute features and copper hair. Her eyes had stars in them and she practically squealed, "Welcome Lord Naruto! I'm so happy to see you again."

Covering her smile, Alita thought, 'I guess even hardcore ninjas have a hormonal teenager phase.' Then she glanced over at Hato and saw how beautiful the kunoichi was. 'I wonder if she's Naruto's type…?' The petite cyborg frowned mentally and thought, 'Nah….'

Master Kame wanted to face palm at his daughter's fangirl reaction to Naruto and said, "Welcome Lord Hokage; why don't you and your companion come join me for some tea?"

Naruto smiled at the graying Master Ninja and said, "I would be honored Master Kame, allow me to introduce my friend Alita…."

….

After proper introductions were made; Naruto and Master Kame started discussing the reasons why Sherman's Brigade had so blatantly marched into Zalem territory without any apparent provocation and captured Farm 28. Alita was interested in the conversation but Akemi was glaring daggers at the dark haired warrior because she wanted the attention from Naruto that he was paying to Alita….

Master Kame suggested that Akemi take Alita over to the bar Little Tokyo to get some drinks. Hato went along to watch over Akemi….and to stop the inevitable fight that was about to break out….

Naruto sighed and said; "You just want to see Alita's fighting skills Kame."

Chuckling, Kame replied, "While this is true; Akemi has a valuable lesson to learn here. She's too used to getting her way because she's my daughter. I realize she's only fifteen but still…."

….

Alita was over at the bar making herself comfortable when Akemi sat down beside her and hissed, "You just watch yourself Angel of Death. Just because Lord Naruto is paying attention to you doesn't mean anything. He is mine!"

The petite cyborg thought to herself, 'Is this brat for real?' Alita smiled meanly and said, "You're 100 years too young to go challenging me to a fight little girl. I think Naruto is a little too mature for the likes of you."

Akemi shrieked, "Whaaaat?! I'm a grown woman! Who do you think you are?" Growling, the girl said, "I challenge you!"

Hato face palmed and thought, 'A little decorum….is that too much to asked Lady Akemi?'

Alita waved the girl off. "I don't feel like fighting with you. Go away; you're spoiling my drink." 'I'd have to live another thousand years to see more bar fights than I've been in….' thought the dark haired warrior dourly.

The copper haired girl angrily went for her sword and Hato said, "No weapons Lady Akemi. You know the rules."

Akemi narrowed her eyes and set her sword on the bar. "Fine, I'll kick your ass using only taijutsu. On your feet Alita!"

Kame's daughter went for a brutal throat jab that Alita stopped with her index finger. The dark haired warrior got a vicious smile on her face as she set down her drink and started leaking masses of killing intent. "Big mistake little girl." hissed the Panzer Kunst user….

….

Naruto was watching from the raised platform with a flat look on his face as the Little Tokyo bar exploded into a mass ninja brawl that had little to do with Akemi's tantrum or the smack down that Alita was giving the Master's daughter. Hato tried to intervene but got punched by someone else in the back and wasn't having any of that. Fifteen minutes of bodies and chairs flying and tables breaking later the dust settled and Alita and Hato (who weren't fighting each other) were the only ones left standing. Akemi and about thirty other ninjas were lying in the floor either knocked out or dazed….

"That will be enough." said Master Kame as he walked over. "As much as I enjoy fighting I declare the Lady Alita the winner over the Lady Akemi." He clapped his hands twice and said, "Everyone up. I'll be covering the damages tonight since my daughter started it all."

The bar owner sweat dropped and said, "I'll tally up a bill for you Master Kame…."

….

While Akemi slept off the ass whipping she got at home; Master Kame was chatting with Alita. "So you know the art of Panzer Kunst my dear? I'm thoroughly impressed that you didn't kill anybody."

Alita shrugged. "Even I know a little restraint. That daughter of yours is going to get herself killed if she doesn't watch it though."

"Which is precisely why she needed a little humiliation." replied Master Kame. My child is good for her age but no one in the Kuma Clan has ever truly picked a fight with her because she's my daughter. I hope this will serve as a wakeup call for Akemi before she gets injured seriously or worse." 'Besides, her infatuation with Naruto can be grating on one's nerves….' Kame turned to Hato and said to the purple haired kunoichi, "Why don't you take Lady Alita over to the oil springs for a soak? I think the two of you deserve a little luxury after that brawl."

Alita looked a bit surprised but Hato seemed quite pleased. "Thank you Master Kame." said the purple haired woman. "Come Lady Alita. A good bath in the oil springs will do wonders for your machine body. It always does mine and I'm a soft machine type also."

….

G.I.B. Control, Zalem

"Chief Bigott Eizenburg to A-1; come in." growled the Chief for the umpteenth time. He turned to Doctor Russell*① and said, "A-1 has vanished Doctor. All attempts to contact her have failed and satellites cannot detect any traces of her. She hasn't even responded to the emergency shock switch.*② Outside of her death, can you think of anything that would cause this Russell?"

Doctor Russell stroked his mustache and said, "There were no signs of combat in the area and according to the recordings they simply parked the car to protect it from the elements a few hours ago. All I can suggest is waiting until morning to try to contact Alita again. There may be a strange combination of weather or radioactive forces that are blocking our communications."

"It makes me wonder about this Naruto character…." thought Chief Bigott aloud.

Russell smiled. "That sounds like you actually care about her sir."

Eizenburg growled, "Perish the thought."

….

Kuma Clan Enclave, Oil Springs

"It's a combination of natural and synthetic lubricants heated to just the right temperature for both full body cyborgs and partials." explained Hato. "It's wonderfully relaxing and stops the aches and pains from your body sensors and more importantly stops any creaking or squeaking of joints that can give you away on a stealth mission. Consider it a luxury hot bath for cyborgs."

Alita soon stripped out of her combat gear revealing her silver-gray body. She stepped out into the clear oil before sitting herself down in it and inhaling the scented vapors. 'This is wonderful….' thought the dark haired cyborg. 'I've never experienced anything like this. This would be a huge hit at the Scrapyard.' Alita knew what hot water baths were like but any cyborg with sense didn't stay in too long due to corrosion issues….

While the petite warrior was musing she was joined by Hato who settled in opposite of Alita in the pool. Hato sighed and said, "Ah, these oil baths are heavenly. It's so rare I get one that I forget how nice they are."

The two women soaked for a bit enjoying the baths when Hato asked, "So how did you meet Lord Naruto, Alita?"

Alita opened her brown eyes and replied, "I was on a mission and he and I joined forces against a common enemy. After that we hit it off and became friends."

"Nice." replied the purple haired kunoichi. "I met Lord Naruto shortly after he wrecked my Father's assault team two years ago."

"He beat up your Dad?" asked the petite warrior in surprise as Hato nodded. "….And you still like Naruto?"

Hato blushed slightly. "….Isn't that every kunoichi's dream?"

Alita raised an eyebrow in confusion. 'This kunoichi has interesting tastes….'

….

Guest Lodging

Alita was presented with a traditional sleeping yukata and shown to the guest room where she would be staying. The dark haired warrior blushed slightly when she saw she was sharing a room with Naruto. The blonde was already fast asleep in the low light and Alita quietly slipped into the futon beside Naruto's own. He was lying on his back and the lovely cyborg smiled softly as she drank in his features with her eyes. 'He's normally so guarded." she thought. 'Naruto looks so boyish when he's sleeping like this.' The blonde was obviously sleeping deeply. 'What are you dreaming about Naruto?' wondered Alita….

….

Dreamscape….

Naruto was sitting in his home in Konoha having dinner with Hinata. She was a wonderful cook. Hinata smiled and said, "How is it Naruto-kun? I decided to change the recipe a bit."

The blonde grinned and said, "It's delicious Hinata-chan! Your food is always wonderful."

Her smile lit up the room and the two of them ate quietly together. "So what's it like having a machine body?" asked Hinata. "Does it feel different?"

Naruto wiped his mouth with a napkin. "It took a while to get used to but now I just think of it as my own." Then he gasped and looked down. He was in his Imaginos cyborg body instead of his flesh and blood one. "H-Hinata-chan?" he asked in fright.

Hinata smiled as she admired her husband. "You're very handsome my love. I've been watching over you from the Pure Land with all of our family. We always wondered why you never arrived but it turns out your brain never truly died." The blonde looked at her in shock and Hinata continued. "You've had time to mourn me Naruto-kun. We promised each other that if one of us died that the other would move on…."

The blonde cyborg answered sadly, "I was ninety years old when you died. I didn't want to move on. I wanted to be with you in the Pure Land."

The Byakugan Princess smiled, "And now you're young again. You could easily live for centuries in that new body. I don't want you to be alone Naruto-kun. You need to look forward instead of back. I love you. When you get to the Pure Land I'll be waiting for you." The dream started to fade and Hinata said, "Bring your new wife too…."

"Hinata-chan…!" whispered Naruto….

End Dream….

….

Naruto woke up on his side and saw Alita's brown eyes looking contentedly into his blue ones. "Good morning." said the beautiful cyborg with a smile. She propped her head up and said, "You must have had some dream this morning. You kept whispering in Japanese and saying Hinata-chan….Who is that?"

The blonde looked like a deer in the headlights for a moment but then said, "She was my one and only wife in my first life...my soul mate."

Alita saw the raw emotion in his eyes and felt sad herself. She gave him a weak smile. "….What was she like?"

"Hinata was a very strong and sweet kunoichi." replied Naruto. "We had two beautiful children together…." His blue eyes faded and he added, "They've all been dead for centuries now. It was so long ago…."

The dark haired warrior wanted to reach out and hug Naruto to console him but she felt a bit torn as to whether or not she should do so. She asked, "Where you dreaming about the past then?"

Naruto sat up and said, "No….she was telling me she and my family were waiting for me in the Pure Land….She told me not to stay alone because I have a whole new life ahead of me….Hinata-chan was always so selfless like that…." He shed a tear and said, "Maybe it's time to move forward instead of look back."

Alita thought about Hugo briefly and said, "She sounds very kind. That sounds like good advice."

The Hokage gave a watery smile to Alita and replied, "Yes, it does…."

….

G.I.B. Control, Zalem

Doctor Russell sat at the Control Station when Alita's signal suddenly came back online. "This is G.I.B. Control to Agent A-1. Doctor Russell here; can you read me Alita?"

"I read you loud and clear Doctor Russell." replied Alita. "I lost contact with the G.I.B. last night around sunset. What happened?"

The graying Doctor sighed in relief and said, "We don't know. I was hoping you could shed some light on the subject."

The TUNED Agent answered; "We pulled under a small bridge section to protect us from the wind and camped out overnight. I just got up to report in and found the communications link was dead. Everything seems fine now though."

Russell smiled. "Well, no harm done. The main thing is you are alive and well A-1."

Alita said, "We're going to eat breakfast and hit the road heading east. Are there any unusual weather patterns or activities I need to know of?"

"Everything looks good here Alita." replied the Doctor. "We'll keep you informed."

"Roger that; A-1 out." said the dark haired warrior.

" . Control out." answered the scientist.

….

Highway

"I told you the scramblers the Kuma Clan has work." said Naruto with a smirk. "As far as Zalem is concerned you fell off the face of the earth."

Alita nodded. "This could be a real life saver for me later." She smiled at Naruto. "I kind of like the Kuma Clan."

The blonde laughed. "Master Kame has a soft spot for pretty girls that can fight well. I think your Panzer Kunst really impressed him. I wasn't expecting him to make you a friend of the clan and waive you from future passage fees though."

"Well, I'm not going to complain." replied the petite woman with a grin. Then she pulled out her harmonica and asked, "How about some driving music?"

The Hokage nodded. 'She really is cute.' thought Naruto as he put the car into gear. "Let's hit the road!"

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*①: Doctor Russell is a Zalem scientist who is assigned to the Ground Investigation Bureau (G.I.B.). Bigott Eizenburg originally brought Russell into the G.I.B. in order to help bring Alita into line as he was more kindly and not as stern. He has much more concern for Alita than Eizenburg and sees her as a fellow human being as opposed to a lowly surface dweller like Eizenburg does.

*②: Emergency Shock Switch: This is a button used to theoretically wake up or get the attention of a TUNED Agent (Alita) in an emergency situation but Eizenberg has used it to punish Alita as well.

Hey! Only two footnotes so the chapter doesn't look like a term paper. For those that haven't guessed we'll be seeing more of Naruto's allies of the Kuma Cyber Ninja Clan in the future. I have plans for them. There will be more action next chapter as this one was more focused on character development. See you next time. Blue out. 3/31/19