(The following is a fanfictional story. I do not own Naruto or God of War. Please don't sue. I can't afford it.)
Chapter 1
Ever since she was a little girl, Hinata Hyuga had always had strong feelings for Naruto, but she often worried about his feelings for her: Did he like her? Did he think she was strong? How often did he think of her? During Naruto's two-year training trip with Jiraiya, Hinata had spent most of her time training as well, either with her family, her friends, or herself. She wanted to prove to everyone (especially a certain blonde-haired boy,) that she was a powerful, but kind, shinobi. And so, when Tsunade assigned her a mission with Naruto, Hinata was thrilled, as it would give her many opportunities to show him how much her abilities had matured.
Naruto and Hinata were summoned to Tsunade's office, where a huge map of the Hidden Leaf Village's surrounding landscape covered most of the Hokage's desk.
"During the past month, 16 shinobi have been mysteriously disappearing one-by-one," informed Tsunade, "They were last reported to be in the Fourth Training Ground." She pointed at a large spot located several miles from the village. "The Fourth Training Ground consists of a heavily wooded area which is directly next to a steep set of cliffs. I've heard that there's a small amphitheater someplace in the Training Ground, but I don't know for certain."
"An ampfa-what?" asked Naruto, his tone slightly dense.
"A-an amphitheater," muttered Hinata shyly, "It's a type of stage used for performances."
"Oh," said Naruto, nodding his head in thought, "You're pretty smart, Hinata!" (Hinata's face turned slightly red.)
"As I was saying," continued Tsunade, "I'm sending you two into the Fourth Training Ground for a reconnaissance mission. There will be a lot of ground to cover, so I expect you two will be in there for a while, perhaps even days. I've had the training grounds evacuated of any Leaf Ninja, so you two should be the only ones there."
Hinata started to blush again. Alone with Naruto? She hadn't given much thought as to how long the mission would last.
Tsunade continued, "If either of you see any suspicious activity, the two of you will immediately pull out and report back to me."
"WHAT?!" yelled Naruto, "You want us to retreat?! But why?"
Tsunade let out a sigh. She had known that Naruto wouldn't like having to fall back.
"Because," she answered in an agitated tone, "Whatever's in that forest has caused over a dozen of my finest jonin to disappear! They could've been killed for all we know, and if this mysterious threat could kill 16 jonin, think of what it could do to a genin and a chunin."
"You know that I'm stronger than any genin!" exclaimed Naruto, "I'm certain that Hinata and I can easily defeat whatever's out there!"
Hinata wasn't so sure. Of the 16 jonin that had gone missing, 3 of them had been Hyugas. She had known them, and had even trained with them. They were all very strong, and one of them, Takuma Hyuga (not to be confused with the similarly named Tokuma Hyuga), had been almost as tough as her genius cousin, Neji. If whatever was out there could have defeated Takuma, then she had her doubts about how well she could prevail.
"Believe me," said Tsunade in a very impatient tone, "If there were any stronger shinobis available, I would have launched an all out assault, but due to the recent disappearances of 16 jonin, my forces have been stretched out thin. Therefore, you will either go to the Training Ground, identify the threat, and report back to me without engaging the enemy, or you will clean out Tonton's silo, which, I might add, hasn't been done in months!"
Naruto sighed. "All right," he said, "We won't fight whoever's out there."
"Good!" huffed Tsunade, "You are both dismissed!"
"Man, this sucks," whined Naruto as he and Hinata headed out toward the Fourth Training Ground, "Grandma-Tsunade knows we're tough enough to fight anything that comes our way!"
"But Naruto," said Hinata in a soft voice, "We don't know what's out there. For all we know, what we're dealing with could be really strong."
"You sound like Grandma-Tsunade," said Naruto. "Hinata, take it from me. No matter what force you're up against, you just need to have faith in yourself, and your beliefs."
"But what about working hard and training diligently?" asked Hinata.
"Don't get me wrong," replied Naruto. "Effort and great ability can get you far. I know that I've had to work hard. But to believe in yourself, as well as those who are close to you, that is true strength, and that's what has brought us this far. Speaking of which, I think we're here."
Hinata had been so captivated by Naruto's speech that she hadn't noticed, and proceeded to trip and fall into a bush.
"And by the way," laughed Naruto as he helped a very red Hinata out of the brush, "It also doesn't hurt to pay attention."
Dang, this is lame, thought Naruto as he leapt from tree to tree. He and Hinata had arrived at the Fourth Training Ground a few hours ago, and had decided to split up in their search. Naruto had even sent out some shadow clones to help comb the area for any suspicious activity. So far, everything seemed fine.
I can't believe Grandma-Tsunade is having me do a mission as boring as this, thought Naruto. Is she still mad about the time I tripped and my hands fell on her-
He stopped in mid-thought. Something had happened to one his shadow clones. Based on what the shadow clone had experienced, he remembered hearing some leaves rustle behind him. When he had turned around, he had had just enough time to register what was coming at him before he had been forced to vanish by the impact. What was most strange was what had struck the clone. Before vanishing, he could have sworn he'd seen...A lion's head?
Tsunade's orders had been to investigate the Training Ground and report back to her without confronting the threat. That said, he instantly headed toward the area where the shadow clone had dissipated. He would show the Hokage how powerful he was.
And besides, thought Naruto as he landed near the area where his clone had been attacked, How tough can this b-
He never got to finish his thought.
When Naruto's shadow clones suddenly vanished all at once, Hinata began to worry. (She could easily see some of the clones with her Byakugan.) Naruto and Hinata had agreed to meet back at the entrance to the Fourth Training Ground should either of them discover something. So, she headed over to the entrance. Eventually, Hinata made it back to the clearing, but Naruto wasn't there, which caused Hinata to worry even more. She hoped that Naruto hadn't gotten himself into any serious trouble.
Lady Tsunade said not to confront the enemy, thought Hinata. He wouldn't really disobey a direct order from the Hokage...Would he?
Hinata tried to calm herself. Naruto's probably still on his way. I'm sure he'll be here any minute now. I just need to wait.
But half an hour later, Naruto still wasn't back, and Hinata was panicking. It seemed that Naruto was indeed in trouble, and that meant that she should go and inform Tsunade. But Naruto could be in danger! What should I do?! It barely took her a moment to decide. Seconds later, Hinata was leaping from tree to tree, her Byakugan scanning the area for any signs of Naruto.
Two hours later, Hinata felt completely terrified. She had looked through the forest, calling out Naruto's name, until she had been forced to cancel her Byakugan for fear of draining out her chakra. Now she was lost, alone, and tired.
And Naruto! Hinata buried her head in her hands and finally burst into tears. Morbid images flashed through her head: Naruto's drowned body lying facedown in a stream, Naruto's torn body being picked at by vultures, Naruto's broken body lying at the bottom of a cliff! It was too much! Hinata threw back her head and was about to scream, when she heard something nearby. It sounded like footsteps.
With a newfound sense of hope, Hinata wiped away her tears and headed toward the noise. She was tempted to use her Byakugan, but she was already low on chakra and felt that she should conserve what she had in case of a fight. She soon arrived at the spot where the footsteps had come from. She looked around, but couldn't find anyone. Just as her hopes started to sink, she noticed a thick cluster of bushes start to rustle. She headed over toward the bushes, forcing herself to be cautious and careful.
"Naruto?" she called out, "Is...Is that you?"
A faint voice came from the bushes. "La...ata..."
"Um, sorry? I didn't hear that."
"...dy...Hin..."
"I'm really sorry," said Hinata, looking through the bushes, "But I can't hear yoaAAAAGH!"
Hinata, having just seen what was in the bushes, instinctively leapt back and screamed. Her instincts told her to run, but she made herself stay as the figure in the bushes came out. It was a man, but not like any man Hinata had ever seen before. This man resembled a gaunt skeleton with skin. His lips were barely visible, revealing teeth that had begun to rot without dental care. His limbs were so thin, you could have easily wrapped a finger and thumb around them. He had on a rusty chest plate and spaulders, which seemed to be weighing him down.
But what surprised Hinata most was his face. His eyes were Byakugan, and his forehead had a cursed seal on it. This man was a Hyuga. And the distinct scar on his left cheek. She had seen it before during training. Could it be...
"Takuma?" said Hinata in a hushed voice.
"Lady...Hinata..." replied Takuma weakly. He stumbled, and Hinata grabbed his bony arm to provide support.
"Takuma, what's happened to you?" she asked, laying the weakened man down under a tree.
"Lady Hinata..." croaked Takuma Hyuga, "Why…are you here? You must flee...You're in...terrible danger."
"I can't leave without Naruto," protested Hinata. "Now please, tell me what happened."
It took a moment for Takuma to get his breath back. He had clearly been running for a while.
"About a week ago...I was out training. All of a sudden this...man appeared, and...attacked me."
"What did he look like?"
"He was tall...muscular...had these...gauntlets... He beat me within an inch of my life, and then he took me to this...place...Locked me in a cage...The cage...It drained my chakra...made me weak...He also made me wear armor...He..." His voice cracked, "He made me fight other people for his own amusement...I couldn't help but obey him..."
"How did you escape?" asked Hinata.
"A few hours ago...The man came back...He had a boy slung over his shoulder. I think it was...Naruto..." (Hinata gasped.) "...Just as he was about to lock him up, Naruto came to...and attacked him. There was a fight, but then Naruto…He tried to free us. He told me to run, and I ran...I ran, and I didn't look back..."
Tears were streaming down Takuma's ruined face. Hinata, however, remained silent. She now knew for a fact that Naruto was in danger. She knew what she had to do.
"Takuma," she said to the sobbing man, "Where is this man?"
"What?" Takuma's eyes widened, "Lady Hinata, you mustn't! You'll get yourself killed!"
"I have to find him," said Hinata, "He has Naruto, and I can't leave him behind."
"But I can't let you do it!" begged Takuma, "Lord Hyuga...He'll have my head if you die! You must go to the Hokage...Tell her what has happened!"
"Takuma," said Hinata in a calm, but firm voice, "I will not leave Naruto. Now please, tell me where he is."
For a moment, Takuma stared at Hinata. It was often joked that if eyes were the windows to your soul, then a Hyuga's must have the curtains drawn, but Takuma could clearly see the determination in Hinata's eyes. It couldn't have been more obvious if it had been written on her face. Arguing with her would be pointless.
"It...It was somewhere on the edge of the forest. It overlooked...some cliffs."
"Thank you," said Hinata, "Now please, wait here and get some rest."
"Yes, Lady Hinata," said Takuma, resting his head against the tree. Hinata was 20 feet away when he suddenly called out, "Lady Hinata!"
She turned to him expectantly.
"Promise me," he said, "That you'll make it back safe."
Hinata smiled softly at Takuma. "I promise."
Leaving Takuma, Hinata set out toward the forest edge. One way or another, she would find Naruto.
Hinata paused. She immediately dropped down from the tree she was on and took cover behind it. Since leaving Takuma, she had spent the past hour skimming the ridge of the forest, looking for any suspicious activity, all the while refusing to believe that Naruto was dead. So far, all she had seen past the thick cluster of trees she was in was a hundred feet of prairie grass overlooking a steep drop-off. The area she was at now also had a drop-off of at least a couple hundred feet, but that wasn't what had caught her eye.
What caught her eye was the building that was overlooking the cliff. It was an ancient structure with a circular base, and it was as tall as a three-story house. There was even a set of giant metal doors, and they were wide open. Hinata suddenly realized that this must have been the amphitheater that Tsunade had mentioned.
Hinata immediately set off towards the building. She didn't even think about scouting ahead with her Byakugan, so anxious was she. She just kept on running until she was past the doors. It was only when the doors suddenly slammed shut behind her that she stopped. She tried the doors, but, naturally, they were locked. It was then that she began to realize that she probably shouldn't have rushed things.
Trying her best not to panic, Hinata looked toward the other end of the room. She was in a small passageway with a few doors to either side, and there was a large opening at the end of the passageway that led back outside. Making sure to be cautious this time, she tentatively walked through the other end.
As she stepped out into the open, she found herself in what was clearly the amphitheater stage. The circular floor of the stage that she was standing on was paved in stone. At least a quarter of it jutted out over the cliff, and other than a small balustrade that ringed the outer part of the stage, there was nothing to see but a nice view of the surrounding land. A wall surrounded the rest of the stage with several great marble statues on giant thorns that grew about ten feet high. Behind the wall was a set of bleachers that were elevated so the audience could see past the wall.
Above the alcove that Hinata had entered was a viewing box for special guests. Above that was a giant statue of a sitting man holding a weapon. Chains connected the statue to some of the other statues down below, and looking at them, Hinata realized the chains formed a pulley for numerous sinister-looking cages, which had been strung up along the chains. All but one of the cages was empty, and it was this single occupant that made Hinata gasp.
It was Naruto. Had it not been for the spiky blond hair, she wouldn't have recognized him. His orange outfit was gone. The only thing that he was wearing were his boxers. Cuts and bruises covered his ravaged body, which seemed to have lost 60 pounds. He was thinner, though not as thin as Takuma. But what frightened Hinata most was the look in Naruto's blackened eyes. It was as if his soul was dying. All hope, all happiness, all of it seemed to be replaced by a saddened, despondent look. As she studied him, Hinata thought she could still see some of Naruto's old cockiness, but it was virtually overshadowed by sadness. The unthinkable had happened. Naruto Uzumaki had been broken.
"N...N...Naruto," whispered Hinata.
Naruto, who had been staring off into space, turned weakly toward Hinata. "Hi...na...ta," he croaked. He sounded like he hadn't spoken for weeks. "No...You have to get out of here."
"I won't leave you," said Hinata. Tears started welling up in her eyes, "I'm getting you out!"
"I somehow doubt that," said an unfamiliar voice.
Hinata turned toward the noise, which was coming from the tunnel. It was too dark to see anything, but she could hear something.
Thud.
Thud.
It sounded like footsteps, and that meant someone was coming. Someone huge. Hinata remained still, waiting to see who would come.
Thud.
Thud.
For some unknown reason, the image of a T. Rex popped into Hinata's head. She quickly dispelled the thought, as the person making the footsteps came out into view.
Hinata gasped. Right in front of her stood the biggest man she had ever seen. This fellow was 12 feet tall and was completely ripped. Muscles covered his body as if he had basketballs under his skin. He was wearing a short toga with leather sandals, as well as shoulder guards that seemed to be made out of giant paws. His most striking piece of apparel was his magnificent scarlet-plumed helm, which was shaped like a lion's head. The only thing on his chest was an ugly claw scar. That and an incredible eight-pack. Not six. Eight.
The man looked down at Hinata. There was a look of malice and pride in his eyes. "Well now," he spoke, "Who have we here?"
Hinata, who had been too stunned to speak, finally managed to string together a sentence. "I...I...I'm Hinata...Hyuga."
"Well, Hinata Hyuga," replied the man as he spread out his arms, "Welcome to my arena!"
"Y...your...arena?" stammered Hinata.
"That's right," replied the man. "I am Hercules, champion of the Gods, and I have chosen this place as my personal training grounds. For the past month I have been searching for those who would dare trespass on my land. When I find them, I give them a superb display of my strength. Once defeated, they then have the honor of fighting for my pleasure."
"You...force them to fight?" asked Hinata in a stunned voice.
"Indeed," replied Hercules. He gestured toward the cages. "You see those cages up there? They are made of a special metal that was forged in the depths of Tartarus."
Hinata had no idea what Tartarus was, but the name gave her chills.
"Those cages," continued Hercules, "Drain all positive emotion and strength from whoever gets locked inside them. It ravages their body as well as their minds, for they rapidly lose weight until they are nothing more than a mindless shell of skin and bones. If locked up for long, they'll start to go mad." Hercules sneered. "It's quite amusing to watch, actually."
Hinata stared at the man. All feelings of shock had just been replaced by a new emotion. "You think...it's amusing?" she asked in a quiet tone.
"But of course," replied Hercules. "Moaning their heads off as they try to escape. In time, they can't tell their allies from their enemies. So, when they are broken and ready, I take them out. I give them weapons. I give them armor. Then, I give them opponents."
Hinata gasped "You don't mean..."
"I do," said Hercules. "I have them fight each other to the death. It is also quite fun to watch."
He pointed up at Naruto. "I assume," queried Hercules, "That you came here with this boy?"
Hinata nodded.
"I see," mused Hercules. "How interesting. He told me that he had come alone, no matter how much I tortured him."
Hinata felt her heart stop. "You...tortured him?"
"Oh, yes," answered Hercules, "The arrogant boy had it coming, thinking he could beat me, though I'll admit, had he not tried to free the prisoners, he probably would have."
Appreciation for Naruto resurged itself in Hinata. "He tried to save them?"
"He tried," replied Hercules, "When he discovered the effects of the cages, he immediately stole my keys and started freeing the captives. By the time I had managed to subdue him, he had caused half of the prisoners to get away, though I was able to catch all but one. Yes, the boy proved to be more of a handful than I had anticipated. Even now, it's taking a slower amount of time to drain him than the others. I'll admit the child has spirit."
He glared up at Naruto, who returned the look in kind.
"But it does not matter," proclaimed Hercules, "For very soon, I will have enough power to conquer this village that my captives speak of. It is only a shame that you will not live to see it."
Hinata slowly turned her head toward Hercules, her expression unreadable. "And why is that?" she asked in a toneless voice.
"Because," answered Hercules in a confident tone, "I am going to test the might of my small army on you, Hinata Hyuga! Those who you once considered friends shall now fight you as enemies!"
As he spoke, figures appeared behind him. Hinata recognized them as the missing leaf-nin. There condition was just like Takuma's: Skeletal frame, rusted armor, and a hopeless look. The only new things were the swords, spears, and other weapons that they were wielding.
"I do not see how a woman such as yourself could ever champion my cause," continued Hercules, "So I will give my men a chance to practice with their weapons. Try to hold out as long as you can. I want this fight to be worth their while." He began to turn toward the bleachers.
"They're not your men," said Hinata, her voice still toneless.
Hercules paused, then slowly turned back to Hinata. "What did you say?"
It was then that Hinata's expression changed. "They're not your men," she repeated, each word dripping with venomous anger. "They're honorable shinobi of The Village Hidden in the Leaves, and while you may have twisted them to fight with you, they will never fight for you!"
Even Hinata was amazed by how angry she had become. She hated this man. Hated him for what he had done to her fellow ninjas, and for what he had done to Naruto.
Hinata took up a ready battle stance, her Byakugan activated. "I will never allow you to conquer my Village. Nor can I allow you to further harm my friends and fellow shinobi. I will not back down, but stand tall and defend all that I hold dear, for this is my Ninja Way!"
She glanced up at an awed Naruto.
"This is my Will of Fire."
I hope you're enjoying the story, and please review if you can! Your opinions mean much.