The Protagonist System

We ended up choosing a design for the bridge that was nearly identical to the Golden Gate Bridge back on Earth. Since it was a huge undertaking, even on dry land, we spread the schedule out to last a month, just because we could. The training schedule for the kids was going to be the focus for most of that, including several important side missions.

The Kazekage didn't tell us that, though. Tsuru had figured it out and let us know, which gave us a better insight into what the Kazekage's plan was. We didn't refuse any of them, mostly because we approved of what he was doing. It was bringing to light how everything was skewed towards ensuring the hidden villages were kept in line and not rebellious.

He still claimed his village had the One-Tailed Beast under control, too. When Konoha tried to claim they had the Nine-Tailed Beast tamed as well, Yui again released the evidence that Naruto Uzumaki had left the Hidden Leaf Village with Uzumaki Construction, because he was hated by the civilians and had been rejected from the ninja academy.

Funnily enough, this barely gained any attention. Word about the change in leadership in the Hidden Mist Village had spread and that their own Three-Tailed Beast had been lost with the defeat of the last Mizukage. Mei Terumi had taken over smoothly and only changed a few small policies to make things better and more fitting for a village raising valuable shinobi, and they would be valued.

Oh, and she was going to marry Zabuza soon to legitimize her rule. With the two of them working together, there was no chance that anyone else would ever rise up and depose them. Mei also removed the maiming disqualification that Yagura had lost his office over, too. She did not want to suffer the same fate as him and ensured Zabuza wouldn't be sabotaged, either.

Haku had fully embraced her for that and her dedication to his master. It helped that Mei was also as ruthless as Zabuza in defending them, and she valued Haku as his devoted follower. Also, not one person wanted to know why Haku always had a happy smile on his very pretty face. That was his business and no one was going to anger Zabuza or Mei by asking about it.

Haku personal style had also risen in femininity, thanks to Mei teaching him the proper techniques he had only been guessing at. It made the young man into a very deadly false kunoichi assassin and we were all sure that his skills would be put to good use in the future.

We built a more permanent living space near the gorge and far enough away from the nearby usual route that people and carts usually used to travel down into it. It was quite the journey and most people would divert by a day or two and avoided using the gorge route completely. We were going to change that significantly and would save people a lot of travel time while also giving them one hell of a view.

It was easy to add a couple of balconies on top of the two spires and put up staircases for the normal civilians to use to reach the top. Ninjas could just walk up the sides or even the cables unimpeded and they didn't need stairs at all. Then again, if they wanted to do things casually, walking up the stairs with a date and having a picnic at the top, actually sounded pretty nice.

I mentioned my ideas to Tsuru and she ordered me to complete the pillars first, including the stairs, before I started making the pieces for the rest of it. I didn't remind her that I had to do that anyway, because they needed to be connected with the main supporting steel cables before I added in any of the road sections.

As I had said before, I was going big with it, so it was going to be six car lanes wide, with a divide splitting the flow and direction of traffic and would avoid collisions. There would also be two extra lanes, one on each side, used solely for foot traffic. The thing was going to be gigantic and everyone would want to come here to see it, giving the Land of Grass a lot more tourism.

During the first week we were there and I had just finished building the first pillar, we had a visit from one of their diplomatic corps. The man pretty much gushed about the whole idea of a bridge and what it would mean for their small country. He sent his aide back to Kusa, the minor Hidden Grass Village, with the details about the bridge plans and very politely asked to remain for a day or two to observe.

Tsuru agreed and then told him he was wasting his time, because we were taking a break for the next two days as I fulfilled my promise to her to take her on a date at the top of the first pillar. Surprisingly, the man was perfectly happy with the excuse and decided that relaxing for the next two days was what he needed to do, too.

I made what we needed for the picnic and gave Tsuru a searching look, silently asking if we should reveal the stairs to him. She shook her head and I put everything into a backpack and offered her my arm. She accepted it and we walked over to the pillar's base, transitioned to the vertical surface, and strolled up the side of the thing to the very top.

It was a surprisingly nice walk and the view at the end was spectacular. Tsuru made a note to increase the platform to twice its actual size and that I should hide the cable attachments underneath it. I understood what she meant and would keep it the way it was now, then add in the giant support cables and secure them, then I would build a second and much larger platform on top of it with appropriate railings and safety features.

We spent most of the day up there, relaxing and talking, and occasionally enjoyed some food. We didn't have sex, because she wasn't in the mood, and she thanked me for not trying to push her for it. I didn't laugh, even though it was pretty funny. I could have all the plans in the world to try and have sex with her and it was not going to happen if she didn't want it.

I held her in my arms and gazed out at the gorge and tried to not think about the country of Rain that was just next door. I knew they had a huge threat there, assuming he was still hiding there and wasn't already out causing trouble somewhere with the Akatsuki.

When the day was coming to a close and the sun started setting, I picked Tsuru up in a princess carry and jumped. Tsuru let out a little giggle as we fell, clearly amused at me taking the fastest route back to the ground. Only the diplomat yelled that we were plummeting to our deaths and frantically pointed at us.

That made everyone around him laugh and Temari reassured him that we were fine. I bled our momentum off as we approached the ground and we landed without a sound beside the man.

“You... what... how...” The man stammered.

“Special ninja powers.” I joked and everyone laughed again, because I didn't use chakra.

Just as I stood Tsuru on her feet, an oppressive feeling filled the area and everyone was on guard and braced for an incoming battle. Everyone but me. Unlike them, I felt the kind benevolence in the presence and that the being was so full of knowledge that it almost hurt to touch his mind, even if I wasn't actively using my telepathy or had it at its full range.

How old is he to feel like that? I asked myself and send out a counter to the oppressive feeling and everyone around me relaxed.

“There!” Temari said and turned to point up in the sky in the right direction.

“Good work. I only just detected him myself.” Anko praised her.

I didn't say anything about how we only detected him after he allowed us to.

“I'm sorry about the intrusion.” A kind voice said as if he was next to us, even if we could barely see his figure. “May I approach without being attacked?”

Tsuru and a few others gave me a look and I nodded.

“We extend guest rights and welcome you to join us for supper, if you have time.” I said and waved a hand over the area and formed special ward stones with an enchantment to hide anything that happened and it would protect everyone from attack.

“Nice work.” The figure said and was suddenly right there, just outside the new barrier. We all noticed his skintight and mostly white uniform with a large 'H' on the chest. “I've done similar things with wards, only mine combine magic and technology to create both a protective shield barrier and a detection spell.”

I understood the implication right away. “You can fully map out the inside of your wards?”

“When I have my buddy's help setting everything up, with exceptions.” The man said and floated through the barrier and nothing happened. There were no alarms, my danger sense didn't activate, and nothing seemed wrong. He landed near me and smiled. “I couldn't bring him with me this time. The local chakra energy is too corrosive to his sensitive systems.”

The people with me just stared at his muscular frame and didn't say anything. I was sure it was because we looked similar, almost like brothers. The only real difference between us was my height. I was a few inches taller and I had a full head of hair and his was trimmed, almost military style. We even looked to be about the same physical age.

The man's eyes went to the diplomat and then to me. I shook my head slightly, somehow knowing he was asking if the man knew about my powers, and he waved a hand at the man to put him to sleep. No one reacted when the diplomat lost consciousness and he slumped to the ground. He started snoring and we all ignored it.

“I noticed you've done a lot of good around here.” He said and he reached out with his hand to shake. “My name's John Hansen and it's nice to meet you.”

I took his offered hand to shake it and his eyes almost glowed as he silently assessed me. How did I know he was doing that? A notification popped up.

John Hansen has very politely asked for some basic information about you and your powers. Do you wish to allow his request?

Cost: 1 Karma Point.

It was such an odd thing to experience that I agreed. “It's nice to meet you, too. I'm Naruto Uzumaki.”

John's eyes widened as he received an overview of my powers and abilities. His hand tightened on mine and he seemed frozen for several seconds. “How much can we talk about openly?”

“Only that I have different powers than chakra should technically allow.” I responded.

“Ah, I understand.” John said and let my hand go. “Just so you know, I actually came here for you.”

“Excuse me?” Tsuru asked and she did half of a hand sign.

John raised his hands in surrender. “I meant I went to Konoha recently to save him from his horrible life and the anger of the village only to find out that someone had beaten me to it years ago.”

Tsuru let her half-formed sign go and smiled as she used that hand to take mine.

His words told me two things. One, he had wanted to save me and knew about how I would have been treated if I still had the Kyuubi inside of me. Two, he was not supposed to be here and was going to interfere with how events were going to turn out.

“Is that how you know about what we've been doing?” I asked him. “The people of Konoha told you?”

John nodded. “Once I heard a few rumors and expressed interest in hearing about more of them, it didn't take much time or money to find out everything that happened.”

“Bar fight?” Anko asked with a grin, because that was what she would do.

“Bar fight.” John answered with a matching grin, then both of them laughed.

“That's definitely the fastest way to get in with the locals.” Tsuru commented.

“You offered to buy a round of drinks, too.” Yui guessed correctly.

“I did.” John responded. “The first as an apology and the second as a bribe.”

“Ha! You told them and they liked your honesty?” Yashamaru asked and he nodded. “I have to remember that tactic.”

“It won't always work.” Anko warned him and looked at the three Genin we were constantly teaching new things to. “You need to practice reading the mood of the room first. If you think a quick fight will make the locals cooperative, don't push too much or try too hard. It's supposed to be fun and let them relax around you, not make them afraid or cautious.”

Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara nodded.

“We should sit down and have something to eat.” Tsuru said and motioned towards our temporary house. “The heavier discussion can wait until later.”

“That's a good point.” I said and used telekinesis to lift the diplomat into the air. “We can wake him up in the middle of the meal and he'll think he just dozed off.”

Anko chuckled and disappeared in a small swirl of leaves. She appeared by the front door of the large living space and opened the door for us. “I'd like to know how you found us.”

John pointed at the unconscious diplomat and everyone laughed. Apparently, his aide had loudly told everyone in the Hidden Grass Village about the ambitious bridge project that would increase trade and the Land of Grass didn't have to pay for it.

That kept us all laughing as we ate and the diplomat woke up in the middle of John saying he had just come from the Hidden Rain Village after dealing with a few things there. The diplomat listened intensely to his words and didn't comment, even at the end when John had gone to Grass to collect the outstanding bounties on various members of the terrorist group Akatsuki he had turned in.

The man ate his food and excused himself, then he was gone from the house and moved a lot faster than he should have after eating so much. Well, it was his own fault if he threw up the next time he stopped for a rest.

“So, did you actually take care of Pain and his little friends?” Anko asked and picked up her favorite skewer and started chewing on the delicious dessert of dango balls on it.

“I heard the Frog Sage, Jiraiya, has been avoiding that area for years.” Yui added, proving her rumor network was still strong and getting stronger as the shipping business expanded.

Both John and I scoffed. We looked at each other and chuckled.

“Go ahead.” I said and he nodded.

“Jiraiya is avoid it because he's solely responsible for everything that happens there.” John told everyone and a few people gasped. “The three members of his previous Genin team went rogue after he failed to protect them during a mission and they lost one of their own. After that, the remaining pair caused a lot of death and destruction as they shouted about destroying the world to rebuild it in their image, with fairness and equality.”

I laughed. “You actually said that last bit with a straight face!”

John gave me an amused look before laughing, too. “I've been practising.”

“Why are you laughing?” Gaara asked.

“Equality and fairness has no bearing on their actions. They just want to see it all burned to the ground and to dance on the ashes.” John answered. “They also don't care who gets in their way and they will murder them without hesitation, civilian or shinobi alike.”

Gaara's eyes widened. “Why would they lie about that?”

“Because if they told the truth, no one would follow them or help them.” I said and John nodded. “Do you mind if I ask how many of them you killed? I want to know how much more work I have to do in the background to take care of the rest of them and keep my company's involvement secret.”

“Killed?” John asked with a slight tilt of his head. “No, I didn't kill anyone. I just removed them from this plane of existence.”

I blinked my eyes at him as I tried to parse that out. “You have a personal pocket dimension that you can store people in?”

John gave me a crooked smile. “Kind of.”

I glanced at Tsuru and she nodded. I nodded back and stood. “We'll need some privacy before I ask how you did that, since I'm sure it's a family bloodline ability and you don't want the details getting out.”

Everyone at the table immediately understood the implication and nodded in agreement.

“My room is this way.” I said and led John through the living area to the hallway with the doors to the rooms. I entered mine and he stepped by me, keeping his eye on me as all good paranoid people would, and I shut and locked the door, then silenced it and warded it.

“Harry Potter?” John asked and I nodded. “Did you save him as soon as you appeared there or did you let him suffer?”

His voice was calm and not judgmental, so I knew he was curious about my answer and wouldn't judge me about it until he heard my answer.

I decided to shock him with the truth. “I became him after Voldemort hit him with the killing curse the first time as a baby.”

John looked shocked for a moment, then his face changed to show sadness and he was suddenly across the room and had his arms comfortably wrapped around me. “I am so sorry to hear that, Naruto. No child should ever have to go through something like that.”

It was my turn to be shocked at his reaction and I wasn't sure how I was supposed to respond. Do I joke about it? Play it off as nothing? Or should I accept it as genuine concern and respond in kind? It was a little confusing, because getting sympathy from someone that also travelled to different worlds, meant something completely different than getting someone else's sympathy.