Awakening of the Omnitrix

The Decision

The conversation that occurred in the Hokage's office certainly hung in Naruto's mind, even as he washed the paint off of the faces of the Hokages.  Never before had anyone ever offered Naruto anything... He had to fight his way to where he was.  How was it that he was being offered a chance to not just be a hero, but essentially the protector of Earth and the galaxy.

"We're not going home until these are spotless, you know," Iruka called out to him, earning a look from Naruto.

"I know, it's not like anybody's there waiting for me," he grumbled lowly, scrubbing a little harder.  Iruka seemed to hear this, and immediately softened his tone.  He hadn't paid much attention to his words in that moment, and he regretted bringing the subject of Naruto's childhood into this.

I'm not even mad about it, not... not anymore.  I've accepted it.  Naruto thought silently, scrubbing his thoughts away.  Protector of the Earth... demon of Konoha.  Yeah, two vastly different titles.  Why me?

"Iruka-sensei, you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Naruto." Iruka climbed down and sat down beside him.  "What's on your mind?"

"If you could do something more than being a shinobi, would you?  Being a shinobi means you save lives, but... what if you could step past that and be something even more?"

"Something more than a hero?  What's brought this up?"

"I was just thinking, is all.  The looks I get from the people in the village, it's infuriating.  They all treat me like I'm some sort of demon.  I want them to see me as more than that... it's why I want to become Hokage.  I," Naruto froze, thinking about his conversation with Ben, Azmuth, and Sarutobi.  Don't tell anyone... "I want people to look at me and see me as who I am, rather than a monster.  Being the Hokage, it means I gotta work harder than anyone else in order to achieve my dreams.  Even then, becoming a shinobi, it's not guaranteed.  If there was another way of being seen by everyone in that kind of light, do you think I should do it?"

Iruka was stunned, hearing the doubt in Naruto's voice.  He had never heard this from the boy ever in his time in the Academy.  "It's not my decision if you were able to.  It'd have to be a decision you make yourself, Naruto.  I suppose the question that you should be asking is, what would be the difference if you were to not take this new path that's been offered to you."

What would happen if I don't?  Hmm...

Naruto seemed to ponder about this, scrubbing away for a while, and once Iruka saw that the faces were all clean, he clapped his hands together.  "All right, I think you learned your lesson... how about I treat you to some ramen?  The good stuff?"

Oh, if only he knew how excited that made Naruto.

"WAIT!  IF I KNEW THERE WAS RAMEN INVOLVED I WOULD HAVE HAD THIS DONE AGES AGO!"

Iruka facepalmed, sighing.  Go figure, I should have said that an hour ago.

Azmuth's Ship

"I don't know why you didn't let me stay at one of those inns they have in the village.  It'd be easier for them to find us, you know?" Ben pointed out as he laid his jacket on the bed and peeled his shirt off revealing the ghastly scar on his stomach.  It looked like the lower left side of his abdomen had caved in and was far smaller compared to the other half.  Ben's pain came every now and then, but most of the time he didn't feel it.