The Blade's Ascension
"It is said that the Will of Fire run's true in Konoha shinobi who always love, always believe, always to cherish and most of all to fight for the village no matter what path they choose. That is what it means to be a shinobi of the Leaf!" – The Will of Fire
"The fellow countrymen of the Konoha make up each part of my body… those of the village believe in me, and I believe in them. That's what it means to be Hokage!" - Hashirama Senju to Hizuren Sarutobi.
The Prologue
"Is it so strange for a man to believe in something beyond his power? Maybe one can believe in that but I can't, I have that choice to gain power and to use it for what I believe! No matter what I've done after I have betrayed Konoha but you're no longer going to continue this plan of yours Madara, or whoever the fuck you call yourself."
It is said that the Will of Fire will run true past each generation who have the determination to follow its Creed no matter what the path lies before them.
Every Shinobi has the choice to embrace or to be burned; by the Will of Fire.
A blond red robed Shinobi stated his sentence after denying for so long what he longed to do.
No more he would stand up and to re-write the things he had done wrong for so long and now he waited for the response from a man he considered a brother in all but blood.
Today was the day he stood in front of a half-alive figure, Uchiha Sasuke who watched in stunned fascination at the said blond who shielded him from harm again. The blond had single offhandedly decimated a few bodies of the man who claimed to be the 'Madara' Uchiha, whose paths lay broken around the area.
Though they got up once again as if brushing off the brutality he inflicted on them.
"It is true I took that name as a means to an end for my own safety but the real question is who are you: my dear student? You are no longer the holder of the very being your father gave you to protect but yet why now? After all this time you choose to prevent the inevitable?" The grey rings of a single eye watched the blond move over to Sasuke before lifting him up to his feet; said Uchiha watching in disbelief as the blond smiled slightly.
"It is only inevitable if one truly gives up."
The Will of Fire would never burn out as long his heart kept beating.
A deep inhale of breath was all it took for a moment to relax.
"That was not the case for me yet I merely waited patiently learning all I could for the fact to kill you. Itachi said to me 'It is no longer I who must change the very nature of us but it is you who must open the eyes of the world.'" The blond said with a whimsical tone as if still trying to figure an answer which was the truth. The man who sacrificed everything for the village, being the unsung hero of legend in his eyes as the Uchiha was one of many who gave his very being to the village.
He drew one ninjato from his sleeves before looking to Sasuke to lay a hand on his shoulder, tears nearly brimming at the edges of his own Sharingan eyes.
"I still have not opened the eyes of the world but I can still help as few as I can do. I've betrayed the very destiny I was given ever since the fact I wanted to be friends with Sasuke when we were children and I had my very eyes cut because of you 'Madara' with that Uchiha puppet of yours all those years ago. So now I'll return the favor to the world since it did not give one to me but I will give one to it!" he stated firmly facing the masked shinobi whose weapon of choice, a staff of sorts watched patiently as if truly interested in hearing his words.
"You tend to fight me? The ten-tails is almost complete were it not for the fact I had to separately seal the Kyuubi into another object to sync with the statue itself."
The man said rather amused while the blond merely shook his head. Even as he eyed the man's controlled bodies of the dead Jinchuuriki, famous shinobi and other recent figures who he once knew. All were in control and spread out around him in an attempt to make his escape impossible.
There was no escape; he was going down to the death despite the odds stacked up against him.
"You truly believe Kurama and I did not have a plan to predict your actions? Your truly a dumb-ass posing as Madara, who the said resurrected man is still alive through sheer will instead of your own power, so now allow me to truly get this War over with…" with that the blond went through dozens if not hundreds of Hand-Signs as he jabbed his weapon into the ground with a mighty crack.
The earth literally spilt in half as he went through the signs, chakra gathering to levels beyond imagining as the blond slammed his hands onto the ground.
Blood slipped through the cracks of his fingers as Sasuke knew the technique itself!
"Summoning Jutsu Revival: Kurama, Kyuubi no Kitsune."
A silent moment later the blond smirked when a flash of red appeared from behind the man called 'Madara' who watched with stunned fascination and horror at the red mist forming beneath the blond.
The blond felt himself stand upon something extremely large and furry as he spoke, "I hope I didn't make you wait too long my friend."
A growl of annoyance was an answer, "Fuck off Ningen, I was half tempted to bite your blond ass in half when I saw you again." 'Oh yeah he's worried', the blond lamented amused.
Turning to Sasuke he merely smiled before lifting the young Uchiha on his feet, "I know you and I have not been on the best terms lately but I'm willing to settle our troubles after this war Sasuke. Please let's send this mother fucker back to hell and into the Shingami's grinning face himself ai?"
He pressed on while closing his eyes as if remembering a distant happy memory when times were so simple and fun to be alive.
"Let's make Itachi truly not regret in helping us out longer at all…" he said grinning almost when he was a young Genin all those years ago with that happy-go lucky attitude which all but died out.
Sasuke snorted though grasped the outstretched hand getting him onto his feet.
"Shut it, when this is all and done we will find out who deserves these eyes more. I haven't forgotten our bet Naruto…"
"I remember it: we'll decide who's stronger in our own battle, my brother."
Naruto smiled at the elder Sharingan user before facing the man who claimed to be 'Madara' but merely was using the name as an alias. The mystery of this man would end tonight on way or another; it would be over for him.
"You think we can truly end this?" Sasuke spoke as he drew his own blade as Naruto looked to the skies, he knew the answer in two words. It wasn't that hard to understand but it was well worth the fatal experience in seeing it to the end.0
Now the War's end would be upon them in a storm of blood.
"Believe it."
(End Memory)
It was then I realized I had failed in saving the world. I didn't know it then but when I opened my eyes, it seems I was summoned to a place where I could be given a second chance. Although I didn't know anything on that day, it started when my eyes were opened to the world again.
(Unknown Place)
Grunting as a sharp pain racked through his back, Naruto opened his eyes while rolling over onto his side.
His lips felt dry and his mouth almost had cotton like flavor to it which was not pleasant at all for him to enjoy.
"What hit me? Did that Shira-tensei fuck me up or what?" he muttered shaking his head again trying to make sense as to what had happened to him.
"All I remember is merging with Kurama before having that bastard of an imposter unleash the ten-tails on me and Sasuke was almost down for the count but he managed to get a good piece of our 'sensei'. Then there was some sort of white light when I charged in to face the Jyuubi head on but what in the fucking hell am stuck in this…."
"Place?"
He whispered seeing some sort of buildings on both sides of him.
Naruto looked upward to count almost ten maybe eleven floors to an apartment complex or something of that sort since it wasn't made of wood. Almost like a stone type of material as he got onto his two feet before tapping the side of the building with his fingerless gloves.
"Yup, a hard texture with a rock type of feel. " He said rubbing his temples; so was he in some sort of city? He didn't know and at the moment he had to figure what in same hell he was located at.
Walking a bit shakily towards an intersection between four buildings down his line of sight the Shinobi picked up some rather curious sounds.
'Footsteps?'
It was someone who was running to be more precise.'
The person who was running was a woman; a brown haired woman with a light complexion and was carrying some rather odd items on her person.
A bundle in a white cloth and some sort of case in her other hand.
"What the hell?" he muttered while picking up the pace to reach the corner of the intersection to press himself against the greyish stone wall.
He didn't have to wonder long before figures above him made the Shinobi activate his Sharingan to see…
You have got to be fucking with me!
Three female humanoids with some of the strangest getup that made them suited for combat he had ever seen in his life. Even the curse seal users were more sensible than the sight he was seeing before him at this very moment.
Shaking his head; part of him wanted to explore the area but it would've been much easier to have a local help him out.
Maybe that woman could help me?
The shinobi was torn on whether to ignore on what he saw or help that girl out.
A scream made his decision cut short as he dashed along the sides of the buildings using what little chakra he had left to speed his time to get to the girl.
He veered down the alley before seeing some sort of red light and a baby crying.
"Please no! Help, someone!"
A young female shrieked as a thud happened next which made Naruto kick off the wall before running down a left to hear muffled screaming along with some sort of infant crying as well. He had no time to waste before using again more of his little chakra reserves as sweat went down his cheeks as he pressed himself onward.
A small empty case passed by him as he got closer!
Desperate he heard the woman cry out in pain and panic.
"Hang on!"
He yelled out before coming around a small corner that was indented into the building almost like a smaller alleyway though what was inside of the small space made him gasp out in shock. There was no way in the seven levels of hell this could be what he was seeing!
The young woman was being strangled or she was fighting against some sort of red tentacle like snake that came from her wrist!
"There's got to be dozens of them! What the fuck is this Orochimaru gimmick day or what!" He thought the last part out in sheer sarcastic disbelief.
The girl's screams brought the shock away before he pulled out his Ninjato on his side to rush forward in cutting these 'creatures' off the woman.
"Hold still! I'm getting these things off!"
His blade sliced through the red-snakes easily but the fuckers kept on growing back!
Snarling out annoyed the ninjato sliced through the tentacles as they furiously attempted to bind the woman almost possessively. Naruto had his Sharingan active as he saw the movements before the things could move themselves.
Once more he angrily sliced away at the damned semi-sentient beings as he forcefully stopped one from covering the woman's face as she tried her best to be of help. It barely did much effort but the Shinobi stabbed a set of snake like coils to the ground before unleashing a kunai to slice away.
His method of pinning the attacking limbs proved to be effective to say the least.
After a minute the snake like creatures stopped all of a sudden as if giving up or dying out.
"Thank kami-sama; Oh Miss! Hey, can you hear me! Look at me."
He knelt down next to the woman as she inhaled heavily as her eyes were wide with shock and disbelief in nearly happened to her. She was in shock but nonetheless she tried to get up to seemingly cry into his chest.
Sighing, the blond cupped her head before gently as best as he could to reassure her, "Relax, I'm not here to hurt you. You're safe alright?"
Something crunched over a small rock, the Shinobi turned around his eyes widening as he saw an image burned into his eyes forever.
'twick"
"What the fuck!"
The attacking coils came alive by wrapping themselves around his neck!
He channeled some chakra to his main element Wind before literally they fell in pieces.
Yet they pressed on the attack once more.
The woman noticed one of the sliced tentacles twitch before literally slithering behind her blond savior, it reared up like a snake as she tried to warn him but the living tentacles bound her mouth shut!
"Lo…mfph,bfph!" her voice kept saying: "Behind!" but it wasn't enough to make Naruto see what the danger was.
Naruto hacked away standing as he kept keeping the red snake-like bindings off the woman's airways but a sudden inkling caused him to spin around to see one the largest snake like things rear at his face!
Instinctively he braced himself by catching the damned thing with a single hand.
It just wanted that as the Shinobi felt the coil shift itself to inward slice into his wrist causing him to yell out in pain from the sheer speed of the red twisting tentacle.
He felt it wrap around his bones for fucks sake!
Blood literally pooled around the entry and exit points of the wound on his arm.
"Get the hell off!" he tried to slice it with his Ninjato before another coil wrapped his legs together causing the man to fall onto his back as the coils wrapped themselves like a python around its prey to restrict his movements.
"Oh fuck no! Get the hell off you damned things!"
Thrashing around as hard as he could he felt himself passing out as the pressure from the coils made his breathing stop on itself? He gave all he had trying to squirm or even get his weapon at an angle to cut just one of the thicker tentacles.
The woman fared no better before she was completely consumed in a mass of squirming red coils and the baby kept on crying as no adult seemed to hear its wails!
Naruto gnashed his jaws together before channeling his chakra to break free of the invading creature which seemingly spawned more of itself from the red skin literally making his sight turn blackish-red.
He was covered!
He had a single thought, "This is not going to end up well?"
Not a soul in that alley knew what would transpire as a white light brought about the greatest disaster in Modern History as Japan and Tokyo would be literally ripped apart from the inside out.
The Great Quake began with two people falling victim to powers higher than any mortal soul could handle.
Destinies began anew.
And changed forever…
(An Unknown Amount of time later)
Naruto groaned before placing an arm in front of his eyes, "Fucking snakes, why the hell do I even bother?" He shifted his body once again before feeling the handle of his ninjato on his primary arm; thank the gods for small things.
Shaking his head the Shinobi wondered why the hell did he have to play the hero or at least why couldn't he have used some sort of ranged attack on those things or whatever they were.
A baby started to cry causing the man to stare at the small bundle near an unconscious woman's side; she must've still been under some sort of deep sleep from those snakes like things.
"Hey it's alright little one, no one's going to hurt you." He picked the bundle up tucking the stray strands of blankets making the small infant warmer as the small wonder from a birth, giggled as if enjoying the attention the Shinobi gave. It made Naruto feel strange on the inside, he wasn't a father or any good parent for that matter since he was an orphan himself yet he had a strange feeling to help this child with her mother.
Almost like an instinct to do something good in his life for once.
"Is that your mother and how did you end up in this place huh?" the muttered questions made the infant giggle despite the fresh tears on the cheeks which the Shinobi absently wiped away before sighing deeply to himself at this situation.
"Okay, so I end up in this place called a city while searching around I had my urge to play hero which ended in a spectacular fashion and now I'm like a parent without having my own kid. Perfect Naruto, just perfect and Sasuke called me a true dumbass…"
Looking down by the woman he placed the infant who started to cry again as if sensing his decision to let her other parent wake up without the comfort of the other. The Shinobi leaned against the wall to rest before waiting for time to pass for the young woman to awaken herself.
He didn't have to wait more than three minutes at most when he saw the woman quickly sit up looking around in panic and confusion.
She seemed to feel the baby shifting as she scooped up the bundle before having the child coo as if excited to see her own mother. The woman was confused before murmuring questions while idly tapping the baby on the nose as the child giggled from the contact.
"Who am I? Is this my child…what the hell happened to me?" Her free hand covered her face as if trying incredibly hard to remember any sort of memory that got her there. It was quite comical knowing that Naruto knew she had no clue he was sitting not even two feet to her left.
"I'd try your bag for clues for some answers, miss." He said with his eyes shut making the woman instinctively clutch her child to her chest as if protecting her.
"Who, who are you!" she stuttered not realizing that this man was just sitting next to her as if something were so casual but who was he! She had no idea where or how she had gotten in that spot in the alley; it was like a dark blur trying to remember anything.
"Name's Naruto far as I know. I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I don't remember what happened to get myself here and I assumed that's your kid right there. So I waited for a bit to see if you knew anything." A few twisted half-truths in a sense and a small lie could go a long way for another stranger to help anyone in his situation. The blond waited whiling rubbing his head to clear away any headaches that built up since he was knocked out.
The woman looked a little dazed but she nodded, "I guess that would make sense. Let's see if this bag has some answers in it." She questioned in placing the child down but Naruto offered a small hand, "I'll hold her since you need both hands and I like kids." That was the truth; he liked little children they had that innocence that not a soul on earth could make growing up.
While the girl went through her bags, Naruto took the time to look around to ends of the alley to only watch in shock to see…
"Is that Water?"
The words he whispered in confusion as he saw distant buildings submerged; and now that he realized these two buildings on either side of him were crushed or cracked beyond reckoning.
"What the hell happened when I was knocked out? It looks like a war took place over this place but I get the feeling I was only out for a few hours at the least but for this much destruction…it's on par with a Biju or anything of that caliber."
He peered down the alley seeing the reflecting water front before sighing lightly to glance to the sky; it was nearly night but still dusk nonetheless. So they were knocked out for roughly half a day if not more so far if he guessed correctly.
A 'ga' sound his eyes drift to the young infant as hands tried to reach his face as if to grab his whisker markings.
"Cute but not happening kiddo, I like my face to be red-pinched free…"
He tapped the infant on the nose as little hands gripped his finger trying to bite him, really feisty little kid that definitely reminded him of himself when he was a young bastard hellion.
Holding onto the infant he felt eyes' watching him, looking up he noted the woman was smiling fondly at the scene, a bit confused he asked a single word. "What?"
She laughed despite weakly trying to wave it off with her hand.
"Oh Nothing; it's just that if I didn't know any better I'd say you were that little girl's father. She's responding to you almost if she knew who you where despite the amnesia we got." The woman then took a moment to catch her breath from laughing so hard at the peculiar scene; yet when she looked down she found a note with two names on it.
Naruto gave an annoyed look despite the little girl, as it was now, was trying to reach his face again.
"I'm not much of a parent based on what you see. I wouldn't know how to be a father if I ever wished too." He murmured lowly as the girl finally got what she had wanted in the first grabbing attempt.
The infant reached the blond's whisker markings before laughing as she grabbed; not too roughly since of her small size.
"Ow."
He shook his head took look up again at the woman who was reading some sort of note, it was a bit crinkled but he could read out the small literature on its surface.
"Masane Amaha, that's my name. I remember myself with that name but the babies name is Rihoko."
Naruto watched Masane struggle with herself as if trying again to force any memories of her past back to the light but even he knew without specific markers in the brain could instinctively see as past reminders she had little chance.
"Well Masane by all accounts Rihoko is your daughter so what are you going to do now?" The blond asked rocking the baby Rihoko back and forth as she laughed in that baby type of way, cute kid.
"Huh?" Was the intelligent response that made the Sharingan user pinching the bridge of his nose cursing the fact that this young woman was not so smart to use her ears?
Taking a breath he counted mentally to three before speaking again, slower but calm.
"This is your daughter, what are you going to do? I get the feeling something strange like some disaster happened and in case you haven't noticed this city has been destroyed by something!" He nodded down the alley and the buildings around them as the woman took a moment to drink in the surroundings.
The she abruptly panicked…
"What am I going to do? I don't know how to take care of a child and I don't even know where we are!"
Which in turn was causing the Shinobi to sweat drop almost comically, it was amazing how quick this woman got panicked.
"Wouldn't the first thing to do is see if you can find help? Better yet see if this city is still intact to find food or shelter?" Naruto deadpanned making the woman gloomy or even saddened since she was in way over her head. He could sympathize a bit since he was in a situation at the age of six to take care of himself in his own apartment; not a good time mind the idea of it was bad.
Rihoko the infant found his index finger before she pulled it into her mouth smiling and laughing while playfully, trying to bite, drooling over the digit.
A warm and wet feeling that made him sighs while shaking his head at the little infant.
He looked down mentally lamenting to himself; "Are you serious kid?"
Masane seemed to look between the strange man named Naruto and her daughter Rihoko, "I got it! You'll help me take care of her! That can do!" her declaration made the shinobi twist his neck so fast it popped while looking up at her.
He gave a glare, "What gives you the right to tell me I have to help you? The way I see it I'm just passing through and I see nothing to help me if I stick around." His voice was a little harsh that made the young mother shrink back into herself, she seemed to jump to conclusions a little too soon. It made her feel a deep coldness, the fear of doing something she couldn't handle alone and she needed the help to raise a child in this disaster.
She felt tears drip down her cheeks as the shock of this man stating a simple truth made her feel sickened at herself. She was weak and helpless in this situation.
"Please, I can't do this. I…I don't know where to begin and I just need you to stay with us for a little bit. I just don't want to be alone, I can't do this alone…" she dipped her head as she watched the baby squirm in Naruto's arms, she watched with a fond yet nervous expression to see the little baby girl open her small eyes taking in the world in its ugliest state.
The Shinobi twitched as the scene reminded him of a certain Hyuuga who once confessed to him when he had fled Konoha; why did his heart have to get in the way again?
The blond berated himself; did he really have to make this girl cry?
To face a bitter truth he knew next to nothing in where or whatever the hell happened to him so he needed a guide. But to have a compromise in where he has to take care of a small family that wasn't even his by blood?
Why the hell did the gods like to screw him over in some way or another?
Sighing he stood up with the baby before sitting down on the side of the crying woman.
Awkwardly he tried to say something but he wrapped an arm around her before pulling her close into his chest to buy some time for him to say anything.
"Hey I didn't mean it to be harsh or to make it as though you haven't lost everything. You know there's something my grandfather said to me when I asked him for help about how to live in a house alone, guess what he said…"
He watched as the woman stopped shaking even though she was leaning onto him, she was listening to him which was a good thing finally.
"He said to me: 'It takes a man to have a great deal of courage to ask for help, it does not make him weak or helpless but it builds a stronger foundation for a man to understand himself.' Personally I think it made me think to find out what I needed to do before asking anyone anything. So I have a compromise for you since you did ask me for help." He sighed trying to figure out what he wanted or if he would promise her anything she needed.
Ah whatever he went with the flow as it were.
"I'll help you raise Rihoko if you help me tell me where or explain what this place is. I do not know how I got here but if you help me, you won't have to face this world by yourself: that's a promise from me to you." He said calmly as he felt Masane clench her hands with the fabric of his clothing, she was thankful and happy when she said an answer.
"Thank you, Naruto."
The shinobi couldn't help but a say the phrase he had trademarked as a child.
"Believe it."
Though he blinked afterwards; He had to stop saying those two words. They were totally unprofessional as a shinobi and it made him sound like some idiot. Sighing he had a long way to go to kick that fucking phrase but for now it did its job. It managed to help him with this woman and child, in a strange world wherever he was in now.
"Alright, let's see if we can get out of here…" he trailed off when a whirling sound similar to his Wind Element Rasengan made as he narrowed his eyes at the noise. Only to see something that made him gasp out in shock at since he had nothing to compare it too.
Masane however yelled out in joy, taking her daughter Rihoko before yelling at the top of her lungs. She waved frantically to see the one sight to get both her and Naruto out of this mess; in the form of a rescue helicopter.
"What the hell's that?"
The woman looked to the blond who was staring in disbelief at the helicopter which she explained, "Are you feeling alright? That's just a helicopter, a rescue one at that! Even I know this, what's up with you?" the woman considered that the man was just hit harder than she was to get amnesia, poor guy.
Naruto just raised an eyebrow while looking at the woman to the 'helicopter' or whatever the damned thing was, what in the hell was he getting into now?
The helicopter had a person wave a red flag of sorts before it moved to a clearing down in the alley, presumably where the street covered underwater.
The three walked towards the whirling winds as the blades kicked up water, spraying them as they got closer.
It was the start of a new life for Naruto Uzumaki Amaha; he had no idea what lay ahead of him in this new world.
But it already it was becoming a stranger world for him.
End Prologue
A/N: An another story I decided to try upon since I particularly like these crossovers. I wanted to actually hold off on publishing this but again I don't really care since I have a variety of stories I do write out for the sheer fun of it. I don't intend for this story to be my best but I hope some people do get the gist of this story. But I will have a little back story if people who don't know the Witchbladeverse well enough to see what Naruto is going to become or even have onto him once the next couple of chapters come down from my space called a 'brain'.
If you want to read up on this story: Play the Darkness I&II as viewpoints and learn what the creation between the Darkness/Light's offspring will be. Even this sentence will have people knowing what Naruto's plot in this will be; I personally enjoy Witchblade in general as the anime and comics if some people have read them back when they came out as I came upon them multiple times.
So that's that: hope you enjoyed this story and I will be producing more whenever I can if I have the feeling to do so.