Chapter 1. Returning To What Was
Rain
Rain was not rare to The Land of Fire, but a entire weeks worth was. A bad omen is obvious for the land of fire was a dry heat nation often dancing with cool breezes. The rain was a mystery, why rain so long? To rain from dawn until dust and start again. Maybe it was the gods, the industrialization of smoke and machinery. Maybe it was the burning homes, and foul corpses. The polluted rivers, and thick smog.
Maybe it was the war.
The Third Shinobi World War waged in lands stretching from the Land Of Wind to the Land Of Lightning. Major battles in minor villages, skirmishes brushing the borders of major hidden villages, but never crossing. Testing the opponents defences. Iwa still as earth, and unmoving as stone. Konoha swift like the leaves and gone with the wind. Kumo violent as the storm and proud as thunder. Suna patient as the snake and poisonous as the scorpion. Kiri silent as the dead and unpredictable as the waves. Tonight it would be Konohas borders being tested, but whether or not they'll be crossed is based upon the opposing force.
Tonight it rained as it rained the night before, but tonight the earth would know the pressure of chakra and the upheaval of its rock. Steel flashed against steel as trained shinobi fought to the last in intricate dances of death.
"AHHHH AHHHHHHHH!" Screaming from the west showing a Iwa shinobi trying to wrestle away the flames that enveloped his body from the lips of his hated opponent. The leaf hitate wearing shinobi quickly reaching for and throwing a kunai at the dying enemy. Striking the heart Only to receive a spike of earth rise from the mud, and into the front of his throat through the back of his neck. "GURRK UGGK AH ERRR!" Standing still to long in a warzone earns you such. Frantically grasping for the spike of earth to remove it seemingly his arms being the only thing able to move. Hopelessness clutched his heart while his head lolled down resting against his death still standing in place. With his last fleeting strength forming a tiger hand seal igniting the grade 3 explosive tag hidden behind his hitate. He was consumed in explosion. The Iwa shinobi surrounding him fighting his comrades were taken to the Pure World along side him. Those not dead injured only to try and quickly gain awareness less they be killed while confused from a suicidal fool from the opposition.
When chakra left them with only the weakest of their techniques they grasped kunai and shuriken to kill one another. When close enough to feel the warmth of breath and spittle of saliva savage like taijustu was performed. No breathing room given, and no care for fellow man. Truly taijustu was savagery by design. Basic instinct and reaction time keeping you alive by the skin of your teeth unless your enemy is more skilled, then you'll only find a kunai in between your ribs and a crushed esophagus.
While war waged on Konohas front deep in Hi no kuni forest something unprecedented was happening, forming. Far away from the screams, and decaying bodies a form was appearing. In the middle of a clearing surrounded by leaning dead trees, fallen branches and shrunken tree limbs, scattered on dead grass. This area was dead long before the third war. Perhaps due to the first. Sudden electricity sparked randomly then colors beautiful, and dangerous at the same time appeared. Chakra from nature being drawn to a intricate large summoning seal. The drawn chakra collided. A portal opened and closed shortly after. A figure stood tall and powerful a being obviously out of place, and though powerful he offered no life to the forest.
He stood tall 6'2 in height with a wide torso. His feet covered in black leather rain boots that reached his calf muscle. A string to separate the big toe from the rest. His pants black with a single scarlet stripe down both pant leg tucked into his boots. Baggy, but not so much to be caught or make noise during travel. From how they grasped his lower form he was well muscled. His utility belt forest green. His torso covered in black armor, but possibly not made for shinobi. It was black, skintight outlining his abdominal, and pecks. It covered his arms to his wrist. Small, but noticeable metal covering in certain, but critical areas such as abs, his neck and back. His wrist covered by black guards. His hands leather gloves. His face was hard. Expressionless, calm, and old. Weathered by time and battles. Early fifties or so. His chin strong leading to his scarred cheeks. Three thin lines taking permanent residence on each. His jaw firm and weathered. His nose normal, but rough. His lips not to thin and not to large. A vertical scar through the right corner of his lips. His eyes calm. Once sky blue, now a deep ocean blue that glowed within the rain. A mark between his eyebrows, but slightly above green in color. His hair silk, golden in color, straight, and long even though tied in a bun held by a pink ribbon it was noticeable. A scar from the side of his temple stretching pass his right ear. The heavy wrinkles were the least eye catching. His head was completed with a hood connected to the neck of his armor from his back. The most prominent thing perhaps the Uzumaki swirl on his upper back between his shoulder blades. A red swirl that demanded to be seen. Small, but eye catching.
"On me!" He spoke to the forest, and if the forest could move it would be beside him. His voice gruff, tired, and powerful. The shadows moved. Appearing to surround him, protect him, and do as commanded were his soldiers his elite. They followed without question. Lightning flashed thunder boomed and twenty men simply appeared. Bowed behind him in perfect rows. A row of five, and four in each. Their clothing similar to his except no Scarlet stripes in their pants. Only one has anything worth notice. As one they look to the the back of their leader. Nineteen gleaming white porcelain mask under hoods find him, one black skull faced metallic mask with gold teeth walks behind him to his right stopping two steps from his back. This masked covered his entire head not just his face. Designed with intricate patterns. Golden teeth grinning with elongated fangs. "What is your command Lord Father?"
Not losing focus or turning to acknowledge the presence behind him he speaks. "Five miles north of me is our destination. It has been abandoned since the First Shinobi World War. Possibly occupied by scum, and bandits." Turning to see his elite troops he speaks again. "We will kill them and take the dwelling for our selves. You will rest for a period of three days and then it's back to business." His eyes glancing over them measuring them. "Pestilence will lead you. He has been briefed, Swallow will stay behind with me". Reaching out releasing chakra from his right hand a cane appears from smoke. A summoned item. Leaning on the newly summoned cane while eyeing those bowed before him he speaks clearly. "Do not disappoint me" "Yes lord father!" These beings were obviously shinobi. They disappeared as appeared before simply vanishing only the sound of a strong wind blowing past him noted their going. The gleaming black mask and gold teeth of the now identified Pestilence led his troops he had no worries. Veterans such as these knew only victory.
"My Lord, please rest." A feminine voice called. The petite figure behind him standing 5'2 in height. Her frame covered in the now standard armor, and on her waist behind her was a medical pouch. Her face covered by her porcelain mask. The design of a bird, a swallow. "Hmm yes I suppose a rest is deserved, we will follow them shortly". Swallow watches carefully as he moves toward a tree stump using his cane with every step once large proud trees before now withered.
"We've returned it seems. Not surprising that we come during the rain. Seems it's all we know now." He says bitterly to the wind looking deep into the forest. Placing both hands atop his cane. A beautiful cane. Long, ebony in color with a jade serpent coiling around devouring it's own tail. Where he grasped his hands a sleeping fox carved made of ruby. Such extravagance for a walking stick. It could buy several large homes. "Mystic palm jutsu!" Glowing green hands now gave light to the dark area. Swallow reached her hands to him while he sat moving her hands over his form making sure all was well. "There is nothing out of place, nothing dangerous, or of immediate attention. Slight chakra exhaustion in your case though a smoking carcass in another". "How are they?" He asked her looking to the two shining orbs hanging from his necklace he now held. "They are fine. Strong vitals, and calm brain waves. They are sleeping. Dreaming". Now standing to his full impressive height grasping his cane he smirked slightly his glowing blue eyes crinkling with wrinkles. "Yes they are quite the dreamers. Go, and catch up to the others. Dismissed!" his face again expressionless. She was gone in a shushin of leaves. Moving his gloved hand to touch the scare on his right temple he smiled. "May our foes know the Patriots". With his final words to the dead forest clearing his body dissolved into bats! Hundreds it seemed small fast and moving in sync toward his destination. The Uchiha hideout.
Naruto had come to.
Author notes
Yo! Hey everyone this is my first fanfiction I've written. I couldn't get this tale out of my head I kept imagining it, but I couldn't continue to do so without getting ideas out to think of newer one. I hope you like it!
So first off this is time travel I'm sure we've nailed this down. Second Naruto is Old in his fifties and there will be no magic potion of youth or anything to change that. This story will be epic in length. I'm new to the site when writing stories so some things will take figuring out. I read a lot of fics on here, but only a handful satisfying. The Fourth Shinobi World War was not long, but disastrous and bloody. That's war. In my fic war never stopped.
