"Zombies? Damn. Why is it always zombies?" Zeruto asked himself as he cut his sword into the first HeelZombie that came up to him.
Zeruto began with the tedious process of cutting down the army of "practically brain-dead" HeelZombies.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Iris was being dragged along behind "The Leader" away from the prison all the Navis were being held in.
"Where are you taking me?" Iris demanded.
"Oh, I'm just going out to crush the worthless little insect that made a fool of my armies," "The Leader" said.
"And who says you'll be able to crush him?" Iris asked. "It he's crushed entire armies before now, surely the likes of you don't stand any chance."
"Because. My power is infinite. I was born to rule the cyber world and the world of humans. And I will have my perfect word. A world without evolution, without light," "The Leader" answered.
"Then you'll have to go through me first!"
Iris looked behind her, expecting to see Naruto.
However she only saw an orange armored swordsman and three other girls she'd never seen before. An array of dismembered hands and arms were hanging off of them.
"Ah, greetings." The Leader said. "Now that you've made it this far, I no longer need to hide my identity."
The Leader removed his cloak, revealing that he was in fact PharaohMan. He was basically a yellow sarcophagus with blue and green stripes, two wings on his back, and black crossed arms. The NaviMark he wore on his sides was a glowing purple Egyptian Eye pattern over a black background.
"PharaohMan! Let Iris go right now!" Zeruto demanded.
Who- who is this guy? Iris thought to herself. He's a total stranger to me, but it feels like I know him from somewhere. And who are those three girls with him? I feel like I know them from somewhere too.
"It's decision time Zeruto!" PharaohMan said. "You can save the girl and lose all those who are trapped in the prison. Or you can save all those in the prison and lose the girl. Decisions, decisions, decisions."
As PharaohMan rose from the ground and began to fly away, the prison itself began to move.
Everyone looked on and saw that the prison was built on the top of a giant, ancient Mettuar the size of a football field.
Naruto Soundtrack - Bad Situation
"Make your pick Zeruto." PharaohMan demanded. "Both me and the prison are going off in opposite directions. You can save one, but the other will be forever out of your reach. The prison itself is set for the DarkConversion process, and I plan to drop the girl into the UnderGorge of Infinite Depths."
Both PharaohMan and the prison began to go off in their separate directions.
Zeruto tried to step forward, but then his body suddenly froze.
I have to save Iris. I made her a promise.
No. The only logical course of action is to abandon the one to save the many.
What! How can you say something like that?
I can say it because it's the truth. Let the girl go so that we can save the prisoners.
Rrgh. I can't believe what I'm hearing from you! GET ME OUT OF THIS BODY!
Suddenly, Zeruto's body began to split.
Then there was a blast of light.
As Zeruto's figure faded out of existence, Naruto and Zero were dropped on the ground, flat on their faces.
Phoenix and Karat moved to help Zero up as Key moved to help Naruto up.
"What happened to Mr. Not Monster Man?" Karat asked Zero as she helped him up.
"The both of us were Zeruto," Zero answered.
"You do what you want," Naruto said to Zero coldly, "but I made a promise. And I will keep it."
Naruto rushed off after PharaohMan.
"Naruto don't! He's too powerful!" Zero shouted.
Zero was out of Naruto's range of hearing.
"C'mon guys," Key said. "We need to free those in the prison."
Phoenix, Karat, Key, and Zero all went after the giant Mettuar to free the prisoners. They all looked back to Naruto, who they wanted to help too.
Naruto Soundtrack - Turn Over
PharaohMan carried Iris as he was flying away.
"PHARAOHMAN!"
PharaohMan began flying backwards and saw an orange clothed Navi running after him and his hostage at fifty miles an hour.
"Fool! A Navi who hasn't evolved to perfection like I have can never hope to keep up," PharaohMan said as he started flying faster.
C'mon. I have to reach her. Naruto thought to himself. I need more power.
Naruto began to run even faster then he had before. An orange aura flashed thinly around his ankles.
PharaohMan was flying away when suddenly a shuuriken flew right past him.
He turned around and saw the same orange clothed figure from before chasing them. Only this time he was able to match his speed.
"Let Iris go right now!" Naruto demanded.
"I think not," PharaohMan said. "You wouldn't dare strike me while I have your friend in my possession!"
PharaohMan began shooting laser beams from his eyes.
Damn, he's right, Naruto thought to himself as he dodged the attack. As long as he has Iris, I can't hit him or I'll risk hitting Iris.
PharaohMan launched another barrage of laser attacks.
I'll just have to keep following him until I can find an opening.
Naruto Soundtrack - Glued State
Zero, Phoenix, Karat, and Key were all at the heels of the giant Mettuar that held everyone captive in the prison upon it's back.
"We need to reach them soon," Zero said, "the DarkConversion could begin at any time. And if that happens we'll have whole armies on our tails all over again."
"You guys keep running, I'll try to slow that thing down," Key said.
She pulled the key off her back and tossed it into the air.
Right before it hit the ground it turned into a silver hover-board, which Key used to fly in front of the giant mettuar.
"Eat this!" Key shouted.
She turned her hover board back into it's "Key Form" and shot a pink energy blast at the giant mettuar, knocking it out for a few minutes.
"C'mon guys," Zero said, "we need to get everyone out of the prison. And fast."
"Don't worry Mr. Monster Man, I'll get us up there," Karat addressed Zero, since technically he was a "Monster Man".
Karat reached into her pocked and pulled out a diamond studded whip.
She cracked the air, then sent it flying into an arc and into one of the windows.
Karat gave the whip a tug, then began to climb up it into the prison.
Phoenix grabbed Zero's collar and gave him a toss into the prison. Obviously she had super strength at her disposal.
PharaohMan had now reached the UnderGorge of Infinite Depths, with Iris in tow.
"Tell me, foolish NetNavi," PharaohMan said, holding Iris over the gorge, "what is your name?"
"The name's Naruto Uzumaki," he spat. "Now hand Iris over before I do something you'll regret."
"So, Naruto Uzumaki, are you ready to face the power of a God?" PharaohMan demanded.
"Only once you release Iris!" Naruto demanded.
"Very well," PharaohMan said, "I will, release her."
PharaohMan threw Iris over the edge of the gorge.
"IRIS!" Naruto shouted. He bolted forward and tried to catch her.
"NARUTO!" Iris screamed as Naruto left her view.
Naruto jumped into the air above the gorge, summoned a Shadow Clone, then had the clone Hammer Throw Naruto down into the gorge.
Naruto and Iris left PharaohMan's view.
"Fools. Instead of fighting me, he chose to die for the girl. Pathetic," PharaohMan said.
Naruto Soundtrack - The Raising Fighting Spirit
Zero and Key were now in the prison, busting down doors and getting everyone out of the prison.
"Keep moving everyone!" Zero shouted as he busted down another door. "Just run for the gaping hole in the wall."
Karat busted another lock wide open.
Phoenix was outside blasting holes in the back walls with her FireBall attack.
Key was out at the front shooting energy blasts at the giant mettuar, trying to slow him down to a safe speed so that the prisoners could jump out and not break their "everything".
Zero was freeing another cell full of prisoners when he saw a familiar blue navi.
"Zero? Is that you?"
"MegaMan! It's good to see you!" Zero said shaking the navi's hand. "Why haven't you busted out of here already."
"We would've, but the navis that were already in the cells had their powers canceled out," MegaMan said.
"Do you know where Naruto is?" Meddy asked Zero.
"He went the other way to save some girl," Zero said.
"I'm coming for you Naruto!" Meddy said. She began shoving people out of her way and jumped out of the prison.
"You get going," Zero told MegaMan, "we'll get everyone out of here."
"Got it," MegaMan said as he jumped out of a freshly charred hole in the wall.
Naruto Soundtrack - Strong and Strike
Naruto was flying down the gorge at his highest speed.
"Crud, I've already reached my terminal velocity, and I still haven't reached Iris yet," Naruto said to himself. Iris was at least a good thirty feet away from him. "I need to find a way to reach her."
That's it!
Author's note: Terminal velocity (noun) - The highest speed at which an object can fall.
The shock of falling down the gorge and losing sight of Naruto had filled her with such fear that she wasn't able to move.
Suddenly, Iris felt a blast of air, coupled with someone wrapping their arms around her.
Iris opened her eyes and saw Naruto's smiling face.
"Naruto! You're okay!" Iris wrapped her arms around Naruto's waist. "Please don't ask me to let go. I don't want to lose you again."
"Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of asking you to let go," Naruto said. "We're falling down a gorge that seems to go on forever anyway!"
Iris took one look down and freaked out. "UWAH! Where are we?"
"I already said. We're falling down a gorge."
"Well what're we going to do?"
"Don't worry. I've got a plan."
Naruto began to form handsigns.
Eno. E. Tori. Tsaru. Hitsugi.
Naruto bit his thumb, spread the blood, and placed his palm face down.
It was a few minutes after everyone in the prison had been freed.
Everyone was checked and accounted for. The giant mettuar had just hopped off into the distance.
Suddenly there was a giant dark blast of energy from right inside the giant mettuar. Black flames ravaged it's body.
"Glad we got out of there," MegaMan said. "Now we need to get to Naruto. Where did he go?"
"He went after PharaohMan to rescure some girl," Zero said. "Although we could've used the help to free the prisoners."
"Wait a minute," Roll said, "did the girl have green eyes, brown hair, and a violet blouse on?"
"Yes. She did. Is she someone you know?" Zero asked.
"Iris!" Colonel said. "You get everyone out of the UnderNet and back into Net City. I'm going to get my sister back."
"We will too!" Phoenix, Karat, and Key all said in unison.
"Um... Who are you?" Colonel asked.
"Go now. Explain later," Zero said. "I'm going after Naruto too."
Suddenly, a gigantic pillar of orange energy shot into the sky, out in the distance.
"That's where Naruto and Iris went!" MegaMan said, shielding his eyes from the bright pillar of energy. "We need to get there immediately."
PharaohMan stood above the gorge, savoring his victory in convincing the orange clothed navi to meaninglessly throw his life away.
Suddenly there was a blast of smoke.
A giant red toad with a blue robe and a samurai sword burst out of the gorge.
PharaohMan looked atop it's head and found Naruto and Iris riding atop it's head. Completely unharmed.
"NARUTO UZUMAKI. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I'VE HAD TO GET YOU OUT OF A GORGE! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU!" the giant toad demanded.
"Relax already," Naruto said. "You've done your job! So you can go now."
Naruto dismissed the giant toad in a puff of smoke.
"Well well PharaohMan," Naruto said. "It looks like you still have me to contend with."
Rrrrr. It seems I have underestimated these two, PharaohMan thought to himself. It seems I'll have to crush the orange one's will to fight. Then pick him off at my leisure. He looked over to Iris. And I know just the way.
"That was amazing Naruto," Iris complemented.
"Thanks Iris," Naruto said. "Now go somewhere and hide. I have a score to settle with PharaohMan."
"Right," Iris said, "got it Naru-"
Suddenly, Iris was cut off. A laser beam pierced her chest, at where her heart was.
Iris' body fell to the ground.
"I- Iris," Naruto said rushing to her side.
Naruto felt her palm. There was no pulse. Her skin was cold, and her eyes had lost their color.
Tears began to fill Naruto's eyes. One or two landed on Iris' face.
Naruto Soundtrack - Heavy Violence
Naruto's body began to tremble.
"Excellent. Without the girl here for support, you've completely lost the will to fight," PharaohMan laughed.
Naruto's body began to release tremendous amounts of energy.
KILL.
His fangs and nails grew longer and sharper.
DESTROY.
The whisker marks on his face thickened into feral scars.
ANNIHILATE.
His eyes changed from blue to red.
ACCEPT MY POWER, AND I'LL DESTROY THOSE WHO HURT YOU.
A thick bubbling aura began to form around Naruto's body. Claws, ears, and a tail the prominent features.
PharaohMan ceased laughing for a minute to see what was happening.
His eyes widened in horror. Before not stood a weak orange clothed navi, but the guise of a beast in navi form. Wh- what is this creature?
Naruto's body began to shimmer. Another change was about beginning.
A brilliantly glowing pillar of energy illuminated the entire UnderNet. It was as if the sun had exploded.
The orange energy around Naruto's body began to tighten it's hold on Naruto's form.
Naruto's outfit was replaced with a form-fitting pitch black outfit. It came around all over his body except for a gap where his eyes was.
Thick orange and red armor appeared on his forearms and shins and feet. Four claws grew out from that armor.
A blue fanged belt worked its way around his waist.
Orange armor appeared on his chest. Spiked shoulder pads appeared as well.
An orange fanged helmet appeared on Naruto's head. Two dark red eyes appeared on the sides, and two giant fox ears grew from the back.
Lastly, an orange thick segmented tail grew from the base of Naruto's spine.
The beast laid Iris down on the ground. Bringing his hand over her eyes to close them.
"H-h-h-h-h-h-hold on a minute," PharaohMan managed to stutter. "W-w-w-w-w-w-we can work out a deal. I'll give you half the world when I rule it. J-j-j-j-j-j-j-j-just don't hurt me."
The orange beast called out an orange aura and stretched out his arms across the gorge, taking hold of the other side.
He gripped the ground with the claws on his feet. Then he began to pull the UnderGorge of Infinite depths closed.
The gorge was now nonexistant. It was as unrecognizable as every other stretch of land in the UnderNet.
The orange beast began to walk towards PharaohMan.
"P-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-please don't," PharaohMan stuttered. "I'll do anything you want. Just don't come nearer."
The orange beast opened his mouth from under his black mask. His voice was that of the most horrifying kind of monster, the kind you only find in your deepest darkest nightmares.
"WORDS WON'T BE ABLE TO SAVE YOU."
PharaohMan fell backwards as the orange beast approached him even further. His eyes widened in sheer terror.
To be continued...
