ADVENT

Naruto and Sasuke were seen panting in a battlefield, overlooking a fallen Uchiha Obito. The rogue Uchiha was seen siting on the earth, leaning against a bloodied slab of rock, that looked to be there as the result of an elemental manipulation.

A slash was seen across his chest, with blood flowing down from the gash – a shocked expression on his bloodied face.

Naruto was seen wearing a ripped red cloak over his jonin flak jacket. Sasuke was noted to be wearing the clothes he had by the time he had joined the Akatsuki. He held a bloodied sword that still dripped of fresh new blood.

Sasuke grunted, his vision was blurry, and the fatigue he felt began to set in. He was about to collapse to the earth, but Naruto quickly gave him a shoulder to lean on before that could happen.

"Easy, Easy." Sasuke sighed at his former teammate's words, shifting his gaze to Naruto.

"We got him, that's what matters."

"You strained your eye again, Sasuke." Naruto pointed out, letting him gently sit on the left side of Obito, using the bloodied rock to rest his back. "I activated the medic seal. Sakura is on her way here. Just lie and rest."

Sasuke grimaced, wiping the blood that flowed from his eye down his chin. "If I hadn't, we would have not have gotten him in time."

"And here I was, thinking I was the brash one." Naruto laughed, a tired sigh from his lips. He sat on the other side of Obito's body – the right- sighing at the rest his body was greeted to.

Silence was the only thing that was heard; the two shinobi of Konoha not having enough energy to exchange words. They needed to retreat, and rest. Afterwards, they would find wherever Obito had stashed the Tailed Beasts.

The defeated Uchiha grunted in pain, coughs and slight spittle of blood escaping from his bloodied lip, alerting the two shinobi beside him. He inhaled sharply, struggling to get up from the imprint his body made with the earth, but, he found out that he couldn't. He looked down to note black runic inscriptions over his arms. His eyes widened in realization.

"Yea we pinned you to the earth with a seal." Naruto commented with a chuckle, drawing his attention. "It stops you from using that annoying technique of yours."

He strained an eyebrow to the left to look at Sasuke with disdain. "You traitor."

"Hnn. I wonder if that still applies, since I decided to betray you from the start."

"What?" Obito gasped out in pain, an infuriated expression on his face.

Sasuke commented, looking at the skies. "My brother joined the Akatsuki for Konoha, and you thought using his death to manipulate me was successful. I simply just had to play along."

"Why… did you leave me alive?"

"We need to get some information from you, someone is coming to help with that. Afterwards, you will have your death." Naruto commented. A sad smile emerged on his face. "I really believed there was hope for you after everything, but, you proceeded to bring forth a war; a war that cost everyone pain. I lost people I loved dearly because of you, but still, while I feel nothing but rage, I can't help but feel sorry for you."

Sasuke looked at Naruto, noting the look on his face.

"Say good bye Uchiha Obito." Naruto noted. "You have caused enough pain in this world."

…

Flaming meteors fell unto the Elemental Nations, destroying everything in their path, proceeding to reshape the landscape. The sky lost its purified color; going for a dull red coloration that seemed to signal the end of all life.

The echoes the meteors made with the earth was heard resounding for miles. Forests were seen encased in firestorms, mountains kept crumbling one after the other, simultaneously exploding outwards, spilling lava to the atmosphere.

A gut wrenching scream was heard on top one of the mountains. "Naruto!"

Sakura roared out in pain as the Sage of Six paths vanished within the apocalypse. Beneath her was a dead Uchiha Sasuke and an unconscious Hatake Kakashi. She went to her knees on top of the mountain in tears as she tried to find anything, anything within her to move forward.

"Move…"

"Move…"

"Move…"

Sakura just knelt there motionless. What was she to move for, live for? Everything was over, she had lost; the Elemental Nations had lost. The Infinite Tsukuyomi was never activated, but at what cost.

She was always left behind, left to just watch everything go down to dust, Sakura thought of her comrades, who they all lost in battle. She looked with her tear filled eyes to the environment, observing the drastic change the world was going through. Is the land trying to stabilize itself after losing what held it together?

Sakura looked to the skies, seeing a huge flaming meteor coming down from the skies. She saw it come down, aided by gravity towards her, ready to end everything, ready to take all the pain she was feeling away, ready to take her to a world of peace – a world of dreams.

The atmosphere was silent as the wind rippled silently through the landscape.

Sakura closed her eyes, a lone tear seeping out. She sighed, a smile forming on her face. "I will join them, then I wouldn't be so alone."

Unexpectedly, an image came through her mind as a recent memory flashed through. Naruto…

…

Naruto looked to the skies with a grin, noting the sun shining with beauty, setting to the west. He blinked before he turned, seeing Sakura in front of him, an angry expression on her face.

"S…Sakura?!"

"What are you thinking?"

"You heard huh."

"Of course I did! Why are you doing this? Why are you planning on doing this? You and Sasuke do not listen to words, ever! Why do you want to leave me alone?!"

Naruto looked firmly at her. "I was chosen to be the Hokage, because I knew what I was going to sacrifice should it be necessary. I would give anything to save this world Sakura, even if it means I lose my life in the process."

"Why you?!" She yelled in anger, "Why can't you give that to someone else? Madara has taken everything from me - my sensei, my parents! Why do you two want to go ahead with this?! Why do you two want to do this alone?"

Naruto just smiled. "Because only we can, y'know. Only I and Sasuke have the strength to match Madara as he is now. We have to fight, or go down trying. I will not give up; even though everything seems lost, I will fight, I will prove that this world wasn't a failure."

Sakura looked at Naruto's smile as her eyes widened. She looked at him pleadingly.

"Do you intend to die along with him, Naruto? I know you lost her, but, you know you still have people who look up to you, people who are your friends! Please come back to us, come back to your village!"

"I don't intend to die, Sakura." Naruto chuckled. "The only result that would come out of my death is me protecting you, all of you. So, I would want you to live for me, Sakura, how else would they hear about the great Uzumaki Naruto?!"

Naruto had a large grin on his face, prompting a sigh from his teammate.

She looked at him in thought. You'd never change, would you? She relented. "F…Fine."

…

"Do you really intend for me to live in this forsaken world Naruto? Or what's left of it." Sakura thought as it began to rain, saturating the earth beneath it.

She clenched her fist, smirking mirthlessly. Exhaling a bit, she opened her eyes which tried to hide the pain encased in them. "Fine… so be it."

A green aura surrounded her as soon as she jumped to the air, towards the incoming meteor.

'RRRAAAAGHHHHH'

With an enhanced strength, characterized by the purple markings across her body, she punched through the meteor, which stopped for a bit in the air; before it got smashed to smithereens, Sakura destroying it completely. Landing with her knees bent, she looked up to the dissipating debris in the rain muttering.

"I will be here, Naruto. Till you come back."

A rumble was felt as the mountain she was on began to crack before it caved in. Sakura looked with stunned silence, falling into the crevice along with Sasuke and Kakashi.

Is… this it?

Then everything was dark.

…

Naruto was seen within his mindscape, overlooking the village of Konoha, with a forlorn expression on his face. He stood on the Hokage Stone Faces, watching the imaginary village brought to life in his mind. He muttered out, speaking to the wind.

"Tell me, why exactly, did you wish to plunge this world into an Infinite Dream?"

"It's unlike you to start discussions with me, Naruto." Madara's voice rang out, appearing in a wisp of chakra. An amused smirk emerged from his face. "Are you about to give in?"

"I just want to understand you." Naruto muttered looking to the village. "Our bodies fused, our minds are slowly becoming one. Soon, there would be no distinction between who Uchiha Madara was, and who Uzumaki Naruto was. I am trying my earnest not to become anything like you."

"Why then, is the need to understand me? It's pointless."

"Because what puzzles me the most..." Naruto pondered. "Is that this is you. This-" He gestured to the village that they were overlooking. "-is your mindscape. The basic setting of your mind. It is confusing as to why you would want nothing but to end the world, when all you have in you, is the dream you and the First Hokage had from the beginning."

Madara looked at Naruto, a nostalgic expression on his face. He contemplated, looking at Naruto, and decided to answer. "Look down there." He spoke. "What do you see?"

Naruto looked confused a bit. "The village."

"Deeper."

Naruto was silent for a bit, before his eyes widened in realization. He muttered silently. "Peace."

"Exactly." Madara mumbled, looking down on the village. "The Elemental Nations failed, I set out to reset that."

Naruto shifted his gaze to look at Madara, a contemplating expression on his face. "What then, made you to attack this world?"

"Did I?" Madara chuckled, prompting a narrowed expression from Naruto.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You did all that Naruto." Naruto's eyes widened in shock.

"W…What?! No!"

"No?" Madara arched an eyebrow, folding his arms in amusement. "Sure, I'd assume that I was a key influence in that, but, you did all that."

Naruto looked at Madara in astonishment. "What are you talking about?!"

"It's simple actually. When we clashed, in the void, we fused together; that was the final battle. We fought against each other, as to who would come out on top – a battle of wills per say. Against my expectations, you won, and I disappeared into the recesses of your mind, but, with your dominance, it means you have assimilated my power, my mindset, and my thoughts. That's why you can access this place, the core of my own mind, buried within yours."

"It's impossible!" Naruto protested, prompting a shrug from Madara.

"Say what you want. But, that's the truth."

"I couldn't have destroyed that city, that's not what I am. That's not who I am!"

Madara nodded in agreement. "Of course, you aren't. But that's what I am, and in retrospect, that's what you are now. This is the remaining parts of my consciousness, the only place I could say I exist."

Naruto looked at his palm, shock over his features. Madara elaborated. "If you would have lost back in the void, it would not be your body out there, walking in the physical plane; it would be mine."

"B…But!"

"What happened was you trying to adapt, but the presence of conflict as soon as you landed, was the key component in letting my thoughts override your own for that moment. I could help you, but again, that's no fun now is it?"

Naruto looked at him, an astonished expression on his face. "This world is in an era of peace, why would you want to tarnish that?!"

"Peace? Peace doesn't ever exist, that's a fact. The only perfect peace, is in the Infinite Dream."

Naruto looked at Madara, doubts clearly on his face. "No… That was not me; that was you! You were the one who did it!"

"If I could take over your mind, why then haven't I tried to do so, now when you are asleep." Madara asked with a knowing expression on his face.

Naruto looked horrified. "They see me as a monster."

"No, no…" Madara chuckled, as if he was lecturing a child. "In retrospect, a monster, is a god perceived by fearful eyes." Madara spoke with a smirk prompting Naruto to look at him in anger.

"You think this is a joke?!"

"I just think it's amusing to me." He quipped. "And I'm not wrong. During your childhood, why do you think people distanced themselves from you? Was it because you housed a demon fox? No… It was because you housed a god, well, according to them. How else would you define a being capable of leveling mountains with its tails? Its roars capable of causing Tsunamis. It just had to be a monster according to them."

Naruto looked bewildered by Madara's humored deductions. Still, the Uchiha continued. "And when they realize you would eventually have the means to control it, oh… now that just takes the cake away doesn't it? That's why human ignorance just can't understand the Jinchuuriki."

"What's your point?" Naruto hissed.

"Apart from a select few of us who see beings of great power as nothing more than beings misunderstood, the rest of the world sees us… them as monsters, beyond their understanding. You should seek this… Zeref."

Naruto's eyes narrowed to which Madara smirked. "Yes. I know of him. I know everything that happens. From the Milkovich woman's memories he seems as an individual who might understand. You could try and make a comrade out of him, or proceed to battle him to the death. The last seems more delectable to me; tell me, do you think he can dance?"

"You are insane." Naruto spoke to which Madara chuckled. "Caged up here could make anyone insane Uzumaki. I just try to have fun with it."

Naruto looked ready to leave but Madara halted him with a few words. "You seek to bring the girl back from the dead. While you still have a lot to learn, and I will help you with that bit. I will adjust my memories so you could remember what you need."

"Uchiha Madara as my sensei? Why?" Naruto laughed mockingly, deciding to humor Madara.

"Well I would really appreciate the sensei part, and as to why, I am you of course. You are a reflection of me and I you, we are like two sides of a coin, an indestructible coin." Madara grinned before shrugging. "And again, since I have nothing to do, I get bored easily. It would be refreshing to see a world molded by your eyes." He gave a teasing smirk "…through mine."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "I am not you!"

"Oh you will be, you just don't know it yet." Madara smirked to Naruto's clenched fist. "The outcome totally depends on you. So, are you going to accept responsibility, Naruto; or, are you going to live behind that false façade, fighting against what you are, what you are meant to be? Or will you accept it, and attain heights never seen before, a Transcendent?"

Naruto looked at Madara, a conflicted expression on his face. Madara smiled and sat down, overlooking the village.

"Bye for now, Uzumaki."

…

A home was seen, built in the forest. It seemed like a couple of trees were morphed to create a simple abode - courtesy of Yamato's lessons of course. It was a simple self-contain apartment. Luckily, Naruto had taken some household supplies that he had sealed in scrolls due to the war taking years.

How old was he? Twenty five? They had been fighting the war for close to nine years now. After a long while, they were finally going to defeat Uchiha Madara, and try to bring world peace to the Elemental Nations. It seemed possible, before all this.

He hoped that right now, things were going nicely.

He tried a lot of dimensional techniques he had in his disposal, but all yielded nothing, even summoning. From his deductions, it seemed like it would've needed the same amount of energy generated from the collision between his and Madara's attack, which seemed impossible.

The amount of power that was required was immense, and he doubted anyone here could help him. Maybe he was going to find this Zeref person and check him out.

Naruto sighed, looking at the mirror before him. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, noting his yellow spiky hair and dull blue eyes. He shifted his pupils down to his palm, seeing his forehead protector – given to him by his first bond, Umino Iruka.

Ever since that moment, he believed that he could do it, get to the top, and he did. He actually became the Sixth Hokage, due to his strength and acknowledgement. The world needed him, and he stepped up to it. Did he ever falter? He did. He lost a lot of comrades, and, at times he wanted to give up, but his friends disapproved of his thoughts.

Naruto smiled in nostalgia remembering his friends – people that he noted to reduce after a really long while. Obito and Madara had gotten their hands on them.

He looked to his reflection, remembering the words of his closest allies.

He was too trusting.

He chuckled to his reflection. "Look at you right now, Uzumaki Naruto. You seem really pathetic."

His Rinnegan quickly sprang to life as the memory of the Outer Path sprang to life in his mind. He frowned at the thought, remembering the person who had assisted with it.

Uchiha Madara, the main instigator of it all. His words as to what actually happened to him rippled through his mind. They were one, according to him. He could remember the feeling when he lost control, when he killed Erza.

He could remember the moment he performed the Almighty Push. He never felt as cold as he did.

Seeing the people look at him with fear and apprehension, was exhilarating. He thought of them as nothing more than ants. It was disturbing that he was actually becoming like that.

His eyes widened in realization. Was he really going to end up like Madara?

"No!" He roared out to the empty room, not noticing the cracked mirror. He inhaled and exhaled rapidly, before he calmed down. It wouldn't do for him to lose focus right now. He had a job to do.

He stepped into the basement of the house he had conjured up. A simple application of his Ying Yang release was necessary. No matter how powerful he had gotten, he never was one for affluence. Something he never cared for.

He started simple, and it was okay he remembered where came from. It was necessary, if not, he would risk becoming the person he stood against.

Now at this moment, he realized the line separating him and Madara was very thin. A line that could snap at any moment and he was afraid of seeing the world, from the other side.

He overlooked Erza's body with a sad smile on his face. He had gone through her memories as well as that of Ultear's. If there was one thing he agreed with Madara, it was that there was no perfect peace.

No matter how peaceful the world was. Someone out there was getting killed, beaten, enduring one pain or another; and just that small spark was enough to ignite many. It was a violent and dirty circle. A sad truth about the world. From their pasts, he could see that they also had suffered the actions of a world that still boasted of peace. Not knowing how wrong they were.

He managed to keep her alive as his Deva for a while – he wasn't too fond of using the Six Paths, it seemed restricting to him.

Samsara of Heavenly Life.

A purple glow filled the entire room as the King of Hell graced the room with his presence. Its mouth opened and a green aura shot out of his mouth and to her body.

Simultaneously, the rods flew out of her body and dissipated into ashes, with the glow around her body dying down. Naruto watched impassively as her body remained unresponsive.

"Is she dead?"

Suddenly, she released a gasp, coughing loudly before widening her eyes in shock. She began to inhale and exhale rapidly, trying to take in large gulps of air. Naruto watched her as she sat up, looking around in fright, unable to comprehend what was happening.

He felt a drain in his reserves, a drain that he felt quickly being restored. He observed her looking around in confusion and fear shivering a bit. A grim thought passed through his mind. Her fear was so palpable, she couldn't even notice his presence behind her.

Quickly unsealing a cloak, he handed it to her, while tapping her shoulder to her alarm.

"Here, welcome back to the land of the living, Erza."

Erza's body stilled, recognizing the voice. She quickly snapped her head backwards and saw Naruto looking at her with a contemplating glance.

She quickly stepped back in fear gasping out, "Y…You!"

She leaned to the side, coughing violently. Naruto waited for the coughing to stop, attributing the action to her body adapting. She turned her gaze back to him, rooted in fear; just what was happening?

"I know you need answers as to what happened, but you must put on something first."

"It was dark." She gasped out in fear, shivering. "I was… alone, surrounded… by fear." She looked beyond terrified. "Where did you send me?!"

"You died, Erza."

Erza looked at him, shock written over her features. "W…What?!" Her eyes widened in realization. "I…I remember! You… you did it. I was dead… and now I am alive? H…How?"

"Something I can do." He replied.

Erza looked at him, an astonished expression on her face. "Why… Why did you bring me back?"

Naruto sighed, looking at her, a little bit concerned. "You didn't deserve it. You don't deserve what happened to you." Naruto looked regretful. "Having to go through that darkness, for what felt like eternity. You didn't deserve it. I'm sorry, Erza Scarlet. I just… wasn't myself."

"Just… who are you?"

Naruto smiled mirthlessly. "Someone not supposed to be here. Here…"

He gave the cloak to her to which she quickly collected, wrapping it around herself. She looked up to him, a despondent look on her face.

She didn't know how to react – she was lost, she was angry, but she was also afraid. Slowly, memories of what happened flashed across her mind.

She looked at him, a conflicted expression on her face. "I had a friend, a girl, Wendy. She was so young."

Naruto looked at her, clenching his fist. Of course he knew who she was, he had looked though her memories.

Tears streamed down her eyes, looking at him in anger. "Why… Why did you come here?! We were in peace, we were content. Why did you come here?!"

Naruto replied simply. "I wasn't in control of things, that's all I can say right now. Currently, I'm leaving." He sighed, looking to the ceiling. "I have nothing to hold me to this place. I intend to search for answers in this world, as well as to get a better picture as to where I am. As for your friend, I'm sorry about that."

Erza spoke out hopefully. "Can't you bring her back? What you just did?! Please, I-"

"It's too late for that." Naruto interrupted, shifting his head in the negative. "There is a duration that must be obeyed, she has been gone for too long."

"But I was-"

"I kept you alive through some unorthodox means, that's all you should know. That's why you were surrounded by nothing, and not in the pure world."

Erza looked to him in tears. "Why would you do this? Why?" She looked down. "My friends… my comrades. Why?!"

Naruto's eyes widened at Madara's words. You are a reflection of me and I you, we are like two sides of a coin, an indestructible coin. I have nothing to do, I get bored easily. It would be refreshing to see a world molded by my eyes, through yours.

I am not you!

Oh you will be, you just don't know it yet. The outcome though, totally depends on you. So, are you going to accept responsibility, Naruto; or, are you going to live behind that false façade, fighting against what you are?What you are meant to be? Or, will you accept it, and attain heights never seen before, and become a Transcendent?

Naruto closed his eyes in resignation. He sighed, looking to her eyes. "You must blame me for everything, and yes, I accept that. It's my fault."

Erza looked to him, listening to his words.

"You must hate me right now, huh?" He asked with an understanding visage. "Even I don't know who I am at the moment."

He attempted to walk towards her, but stopped upon noting her apprehension of having him within close range to her. He smiled at her, a strange warmth radiating from him. "I wouldn't harm you again, Erza."

Erza looked at him, shocked at the countenance she noted on his face. The smile was so true, so comforting, so unlike the expression that he had when he killed her.

Her eyes widened at the thought, she died. Her right arm unconsciously travelled underneath the grey cloak and to her chest, feeling a foreign pain but revealing no scar. That spot, where he stabbed her, that imaginary pain, was the reminder, that she had died, and it wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

She could remember where she was, surrounded by darkness. She had never felt so alone in her life, so isolated, so, desolate. At that moment, she never knew who she was, what she was, why she was there; she had no identity.

Naruto's palm to her shoulder removed her from such thoughts. He looked to her, with a smile that basically said he understood her, her predicament, her burden. How that was possible, she didn't know.

He sat beside her, the two looking into each other's eyes. "You might not know this, but, I have actually died before."

Her eyes widened, noting his melancholic countenance. "Someone that was very close to me, gave her life up in saving mine, a debt, I could never ever repay. I never thought of myself deserving of such an action. I always wondered, what exactly was different between my life and others?"

Erza looked at Naruto unable to comprehend how she felt at this moment. He looked tired, like he was fighting a battle all his life and it seemed like it wasn't ending any moment.

"I know how you feel, Erza, trust me I do." Naruto gave a large grin. "And, even if you do not remember any of this happening in the future, I want you to know, I'm sorry."

Erza blinked. "W…What?"

Before she knew what had happened, she was enveloped by darkness.

…

Naruto was seen outside the vicinity, closing his eyes and relishing in the peaceful surroundings of the atmosphere. One thing he liked about this world, was that the amount of negative emotions riveting the air was severely minimal, when compared to his world.

The nature was truly uplifting. He smiled, looking to the skies. This was peaceful, to him. He then spoke out, musing. "You know, I was going to come and find you. Funny how things work out, eh… Zeref?"

Revealed behind him, was the Dark Mage looking at him with his eyes narrowed. He muttered out, a frown on his face. "Who are you, exactly?"