Chapter 6
A Devil's Tears.
Ryoko, hearing what Washu said, couldn't help herself, after all these years, after being heartbroken from hearing her daughter being killed in a pirate ambush, she didn't know what to do, at first she wanted to go find her, but with her last coordinates, Miko could have been anywhere, drifting for unknown amount of time, her second choice was to go looking for the pirates that have ambushed her, but even they would've disappeared and let the heat die down until they can brag about it and so for the Galaxy Police were running around all over the place for the source of the bragging, so that was a waste of time.
So she came up with the third and most upsetting option, for any mother that lost a child, she locked herself in her daughter's old room and cried her heart out, she didn't leave the room for, just over, 2-3 years, because of how her body was, she didn't need food or water, she did spend over 700 years in a cave and came back healthy.
The family was worried for her, Washu especially, seeing her daughter Ryoko being so hurt, Washu did what she could only do, she entered Miko's old room where Ryoko was, and for the first time, without the fun and joking around Washu normally does, she hugged her daughter, she comforted her little Ryoko as best she could.
Tenchi soon joined in on the family moment, since his little girl is gone, along with Ryo-ohki upset about losing both her youngest sister and niece, and hugged Ryoko with Washu, soon enough each of the family members had gone into miko's room to help, they all came together in a big family hug, Sasami, Mihoshi, Noike, even Ayeka, as well as Tenchi's and the girls children joined in on the hug.
Slowly but surly, Ryoko became happier, every year on her daughter's birthday, the family would give a prayer for Miko and wish her a happy birthday.
Later she became the old Ryoko that the family knew and loved (though she and Ayeka still argued, but that was they're thing), there were a few bumps here and there, but they managed, they still miss Miko don't get me wrong, but they knew Miko wouldn't want them to stay upset, yes morn her, but never stay unhappy.
But now after all these years, Mim's signal was as strong as ever, she wanted to set off after the signal straight away, Washu however had other plans.
"Before we even think of going, we need to make contact with Mimi's signal."
Wondering what Washu was saying, Mikoshi, still a ditz as ever had to ask, "Em, excuse me Miss Washu, but what do you mean, shouldn't we at lest try to go to the signal?"
Washu, unperturbed continued, "I'm not saying we shouldn't go, I'm saying there is something else that needs to be done first."
Washu looks at everyone, seeing their faces, some wanting to rush in to where Mimi's signal is, others wanting to know, so she continued, "As you all know Mimi has just sent a signal to us to say she is alright, but there's something else in the signal."
Getting everyone really nervous, Washu finishes, "Someone wants to talk to us."
Hearing that everyone was shocked, as though lightning surged through them with upset, shocked faces, they all yelled out, in sync, "WHAT!? SOMEONE WANTS TO TALK TO US!?"
Still in her serious, neutral tone, Washu replied, "Yes."
Continuing, Washu explains, "I don't know how and I don't know who, but someone Mimi-chan trusts is wanting to talk to use and the best thing to do is to go to my lab and listen to what they want."
Ryoko, actually listened to what Washu was saying, if it involved her Miko's ship and someone wanted to talk to them, could it really be her daughter, she didn't want to get her hopes up, but it was there, she couldn't help but hope that her daughter was the one calling.
They all moved the family gathering to Washu's lab, hoping to get some answers from whoever was calling.
Washu, sitting at her computer screen, started typing, making the screen big enough for the group of people to see, she pulled away from the screen, taking her keyboard with her to finish typing.
"Ok, here we go." She clicked a few more keys and the screen came to life.
That's when they saw someone who looked like a male, blond version of Ryoko, sitting in the captain's chair.
They see the young man take a deep breath, possibly to calm his nerves, open his eyes and with that smirk that Ryoko does when she's sometimes up to something, but they could tell it was to cover his nerves, he begins to talk to them.
"Nice ta finally talk to you all in person, of course it would've been better in person, but I think Ryoko would try to strangle me in wanting answers to what is happening."
Hearing what the young man said, they all couldn't help to agree, with small smiles and sweat-drops, all but Ryoko, who was angry.
"Hey listen you, where do you get of for saying that about me huh, you don't even know me, so don't go accusing me!" Being a ex-space pirate Ryoko hated when people accuse her of doing something, even though it was her that did it in the first place.
Naruto, with a mock shock simply replied, "Oh, so you won't try to strangle me if we had met in person(?)"
Hearing that, Ryoko looked away, feeling as though she was talking to Washu (no need to explain that)
Naruto, smiles a Washu type smile, "Yeah that's what I thought."
Ayeka, being the voice of reason and logic (When Ryoko isn't around), asks Naruto with dignity and grace, "Excuse me young man, but just who are you and why are you in Miko's ship?" Feeling she done her people proud, as a princess of the planet Jurai, she couldn't help but to pat herself on the back in her head.
Naruto, on the other hand, had other ideas, "Well little princess," Hearing Naruto say such a thing, in away that oddly reminds her of Ryoko, her eye twitched in irritation, Naruto saw this and couldn't but chuckle at the look.
He stood up from the chair and puffed his chest out with his fists on his hips, he continued, "I just so happen to be Naruto Uzumaki, of the planet Elem, and boy do I have a story to tell you guys."
So after he sat back down, with a more serious face, he tells them everything he knows, from Miko crash landing on Elem, to how she was stranded on the planet, all the way to her having children and growing old until her passing.
All the Masaki family were a mix of feelings, happy she was alive, but they were also sad for her passing, they were happy she lived a full life with children of her own, but were upset for not getting a chance to meet them, this continued on, until Washu being the smartest person in the Universe, asked the general question that the others missed, "How do you know about what happened to Miko-chan."
Naruto seeing this coming, from his memories of Washu, saw everyone looking at him with question marks as well, replied with a sigh, "Just as I'd expected from the genius in the Universe, I can't hide anything from you."
So he began again, only this time it was about himself, how he was an orphan at birth, how his life was growing up, all the 13 years of his life, he couldn't tell them about the fox because his team was with him, up until the bridge, "When I saw my friend and teammate Sasuke get put into a fake death state, I became full of rage, hatred and bloodlust, for you see I only found out the day I achieved my forehead protector, that something was sealed inside of me, I won't say what, but it has unknown amount of power, that was where those emotions came from, but instead something else happened, the power changed me into what I look like today."
Processing it all, they couldn't help but feel for Naruto, living in hate by the villages, oh yeah they never hurt him, but to ignore and pretend he didn't exist, well, that's for another time, but what did this have to do with Miko, and why did this power change him.
Naruto continued, "After I woke up from my coma after 3 days, I realized that I was the one decedent of one Ryoko Hakubi."
Hearing his sudden confession the family were in shock.
Continuing to explain, naruto started up, "As you all know, that due to Tenchi's Juraian blood, it locked up Ryoko's blood, stopping Miko from getting her mother's powers, but after years of watering down, as in marring others and everything, the Juraian blood became "weak", it's still there, just not as strong, but Ryoko's blood didn't weaken, yes it stayed locked away, but it didn't get "watered" down, then came my generation, I believe my mothers Juraian's blood was weak but not enough, that is until I was born, it was weakened, but it needed a power source something like a battery, it used my chakra and the "thing" that was sealed into me as it's source, but because the "thing" was sealed tight, Ryoko's blood wasn't strong enough to "break" through and you know the rest, not only that but Ryoko's blood gave me Ryoko's memories, since she started the line, her power-wise, and Miko's memory, because she was Ryoko's daughter."
Feeling shocked at the unbelievable story that Naruto had told them, they came to the conclusion that they would have to visit Naruto's world for Washu to scan him to see if it was true or not.
Naruto, seeing they wanted something, realizes that they want confirmation about want he said is true, the only way would be for Washu to come here and scan them.
Naruto hating tests, even after his change, sighed, not wanting to go through with this, but knows it's the only way to gain their trust, reluctantly, says, "Look, if you guys feel that what I told you isn't true, just come to Elem with Washu, to do (shudders) tests."
Washu, feeling slightly offend with him not liking tests, being a scientist and all, called out in indignation, "Hey, what was that about, it almost looked like you didn't want me to do the tests."
Naruto and practically everyone, minus Naruto's team, Zabuza and Haku and Tazuna's family, not knowing about Washu's "tendencies", gave Washu a deadpan look, as if to say 'who are you fooling?'
Looking around, Washu couldn't help but to rub the back of her head, while laughing awkwardly, Naruto's team suddenly realizes where he gets his habit when he gets all awkward and nervous from now, Kakashi was thinking, "It must be hereditary, if that Washu woman "started" Naruto's ancestral line."
Shaking that moment off, Naruto continues, "How about you come to planet Elem in a few weeks, Elem-time, since right now me and my team are on a mission, to help the old man over there, " The screen flashed to Tazuna for a bit so everyone would have a good look at him, then flashed back to Naruto, "Hired us to protect him and his family until he finishes building the bridge and everything, so it'll take a while to get done there and I won't be using Mimi's ship-mode to get to the village, cos it would be too troublesome."
Hearing Naruto say 'troublesome' the team couldn't help but be reminded of Shikamaru, Kakashi was reminded of Shikaku, Shikamaru's dad, Kakashi knowing that when a ninja says 'troublesome' like Shikaku, he knows it'll literally be troublesome and moves on, agreeing with Naruto, the civilians would throw mass panic around, even his team knows why he'd want to keep Mimi's ship form a secret. (it's kinda obvious)
Kakashi looks towards Naruto and thinks to himself, happily, "He's finally learning to be responsible, I guess the changes did wonders for his personality, even though I know his "age" is 13 and all, he really does have a mind of a 20 year old." Feeling proud for his sensei's son, he smiled, not that anyone can see it.
Though that what down the drain when Naruto smiles the prankster smile and says, "I think me flying around into the village would be enough!"
Nearly face-faulting, Kakashi sighs and realizes that he thought too soon, "I should've known, he does have his mother's personality, so he would obviously have her "pranking" nature, also if the looks in that Ryoko woman's eyes and the Washu women's is any indication, I think I know where they both got it from." Sighing with his head held down, he can't even imagine the trouble both Naruto, Ryoko, and if you add Washu into the mix, it would be hell on earth.
Not knowing Kakashi's plait, except maybe Washu, she's good at "seeing" things, being a goddess and all, they all agreed to the timeline of 2-3 weeks, Elem-time, as well as the name of the village, they also thought it would be a good idea to go by Ryo-ohki, that way the Masaki family will land a fair distance from the village and not cause a scene.
Naruto saying his goodbyes to his "family" and that he'll see them when they arrive, since Mimi-chan will most likely detect them entering Elem's atmosphere and that hopefully they'll all get along.