This is just something that's popped into my head as of late, the status of the story will be solely dependent on the reaction it gets. So, just in case you guys like it, answer a few quick questions.
Would you like to see Naruto acquire a Devil Fruit? If so, which one? (Feel free to make one up) Pairing wise, who would you like Naruto to go for? (One person only, no Harem. Also note that Naruto will be older than the majority of the Star Hats, you'll find out more in any possible coming chapters.) Anything else you'd like to see happen?
Remember, review and let me know what you think of the premise, if this gets any followers I'll probably continue down the line.
His vision came and went in flashes, usually accompanied by excruciating pain. Time was irrelevant to him, he had no idea how long he had been unconscious. His eyes refused to open except in the briefest of moments, giving him a hazy view of a bright blue sky.
He assumed that he must have been out of it for the entire night. The sun had been setting when he was fighting with Sasuke. Some small part of his mind was desperate to find out what had become of his friend, if he could still call the young Uchiha as much.
The more rational part of him urged him that Sasuke was the least of his concerns at the moment. The pain in his chest was almost unbearable. Even in his current state his addled mind could vividly remember the moment that Sasuke thrust a lightning covered fist directly through the centre of his chest, lightly grazing the right chamber of his heart.
The simple fact that he was still able to form thought was enough to let him know that the Fox had done it's job patching him up, well, partly at least. He knew his heart would have been a priority, for obvious reasons, the gaping whole where his sternum used to be? Apparently the Nine-Tails though that could wait.
He remembered his final engagement with Sasuke and the conflagration that ensued when two devastating attacks met one-another. Sasuke's sinister Black-Chidori and what Naruto was already dubbing his 'Vermillion-Rasengan'.
At the time he had been expecting an explosion, or perhaps the two jutsu would cancel each other out, or simply to be thrown back against the rock surrounding them. What Naruto certainly wasn't expecting was to be engulfed in complete and total darkness. All sound ceased, there was no sound to be heard, only the pain his body felt. Then, the sweet embrace of nothingness.
His first brief moment of lucidity was one filled with noise. He had heard screaming voices, the words far too jumbled together for him to make out at the time. And suddenly, an ear splitting explosion, he had blacked out again almost immediately.
He now realised that he was floating, on what he couldn't tell, perhaps a piece of driftwood. Naruto assumed that he must have been knocked into the river, he could feel the water lapping at him, washing in underneath him and sending shots of searing pain throughout his body whenever it sloshed against his wound.
From watching the sky in his flashes of conciousness, he knew that at least two nights had passed before anything changed. Where the sound of water had been calm and almost soothing, he heard something approaching. Something big was disturbing the water. It almost sounded like water crashing on rocks and he panicked, thinking he was nearing a waterfall but his body refused to respond.
"Man overboard!" he heard, the words shouted off in the distance. The sound got closer and closer and mustering all of his willpower, Naruto managed to force his eyes open. He was not quite able to make sense of what he was seeing. A huge ship was looming over him, casting it's shadow across him.
With the sun out of his eyes he was able to make out the shape of a large, rotund man standing atop the railing tying a long rope around his ample waist before he leapt with a level of grace that Naruto wouldn't have thought possible for someone like him. He broke the waters surface a few meters away from Naruto with an almighty splash, resurfacing right beside him.
The man paused, treading water besides him. Naruto watched as the large smile suddenly disappeared before the man gingerly hoisted him off of whatever he was floating on and onto his shoulder. Moments later Naruto watched as they were pulled back up onto the ship, the water around them spreading out much father than he liked.
Naruto winced, issuing a load groan when the man carrying him jumped aboard before carefully placing him down on the deck. He heard a number of gasps and murmured words around him but his gaze was locked straight up.
"What have we got Lucky?" came a loud, jovial voice. Naruto watched the man who had pulled him from the water hesitate and despite the goggles on his eyes, Naruto knew a look of concern when he saw it.
"You better come see for yourself Cap'n." The man said uncertainly. Soft footfalls approached and another man came into view. Naruto couldn't make out much, his vision was fading fast though it wasn't hard to make out the distinctive red hair atop the newcomers head. He heard the man swear under his breath.
"Ben! Get the Doc, Now!" he shouted, just as Naruto lost conciousness once more.