Patronus Maximus

Chapter LII: The Dieva in the Cave

Training Hall

Inari's Palace, Takamagahara

One of the benefits of being a deity as well as wife to one entity is the limitless use of resources such as the training hall. Its default setting is the dojo interior. For Leone's new proteges, the setting was changed a factory filled with numerous rectangular yellow portals, containers, and oversized barrels.

On the other hand, the turtles did not see this as training, but absolute torture more so than their tutelage under Splinter and Naruto. Speaking of the latter, he was also an unwilling participant.

"RUN!"

"WHERE IS SHE?"

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

"HIDE!"

They soon become silent after Leo deposited a smoke bomb to obscure their movements. The ninjas stopped near a wall after making three turns around containers. "Guys, come on, we need to get out of this place!" Mikey cried out. He and his brothers had bruises all over their bodies.

"We've been stuck in here for hours," Donny countered while panting heavily.

Raph gasped as low as possible while looking at his older brother, "Any ideas?"

"*pant* *pant* I think we should stay and fight back because I am afraid she'll pick us off one by—" An arm burst through the wall and grabbed Leo's neck. "—one!" The partially unseen force shoved the wall against Leo to the other side, revealing a smirking Leone. "Ow!"

Raphael took to action and swiped his dual sai at Leone as she leaned back, causing a near-miss. The lion goddess jabbed at Raphael's face and staggered him before turning the ninja around and kicking him towards his brothers. Both Mikey and Donny couldn't react in time as Raphael crashed into them nor being bulldozed through three walls by Leone who shoved the brothers away.

As for Leo, he was left mostly unscathed from being hit by the wall, thanks to his ki. The reason why they had bruises rather than broken limbs is because of their ki. They've been using their internal energy to reinforce their bodies, which is how they lasted this long.

"Oh man, we need a plan," Leo snuck off to another location in the factory setting. He managed to find the window where spectators were watching, "Lord Inari, help us!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I'm in fear for my life if I do say so."

"Then can you give us advice or something?"

"Yes."

"… Well?"

"Don't die."

Whimpering at his advice, Leo found a polearm with a noticeable larger, more curve blade. "A naginata…" He sheathed his dual weapons and picked up the polearm. "Maybe this'll work." He followed the crashing sounds and found his fellow trainees and Leone in what appears to the center of the facility.

The three brothers recovered before Donny attacked with Mikey as his partner. Their weapons missed and Leone grabbed their heads as she slammed them against each other. When they fell, Raphael threw his preferred weapons at her, but the goddess caught the projectiles and returned fire. Raphael made the mistake to catch them as the force behind Leone's throw flung him to a container and knocked the turtle out for a moment before he quickly stood.

In that same moment, Leone went after Raphael…really went after him. Raphael redirected a straight knife-hand, but a fist hit his gut and left him open for more attacks. Leone punched his face twice and stomach, followed by an uppercut to the chin and downward hammer-punch with the fist. She kicked his stomach hard enough for Raphael's feet to leave the floor and Leone choke-slammed him back down.

"Ow." Raphael grunted before seeing Leone's fist already in motion, widening his eyes in shock, "Wait-wait-wait!" They were unheard as the deed was done.

Leone had punched him in the lower area and so hard that he was launched away from the point of origin. Raphael sobbed as he held his family jewels while a portal fell on top of him. It transported him to another connected portal and rolled him near Leone. She was about to wail into him when a blade almost skewered her, forcing Leone back away.

"Leone-sensei, step away from my brothers!" Leo declared while brandishing his long-range weapon.

Leone and Leonardo stared down as the latter brandished the naginata, circling around like enemy lions. The brothers were given weapons opposite to their fighting styles. Three of them were close-range so mid-to-long range. Only Donny was their opposite as he had to wield close-range weapons, but none of them had their alternate weapons except Leo.

It was time, but a container fell between them. "Yes! I saved Leo." It was Mikey. "Oh wait, I saved Leo." He said disappointingly.

"Mikey, what are you doing?!" Leo called out. "You're messing up my plans with Naruto-sensei. I was supposed to distract her for him!"

And Naruto was also in this training session to make up for skipping the earlier ones lest he wants be castrated.

Having heard that, Leone turned around and found Naruto kneeling on another container in the far corner.

"You ratted me out, you kappa-looking turtle!" Naruto shouted indignantly as he let loose the explosive arrow from his bow. Leone moved out of the way and ignored the explosion in favor tossing a portal at Naruto. "Oh shit!" Another arrow was loose in response at the portal as it entered through that and existed out of a connecting portal towards a surprised Naruto. "Oh shit!" He got caught by the explosion against the container and got propelled into the still-airborne portal by the force.

Leone caught Naruto when he exited out of the grounded portal and flipped him over before kicking the shinobi at the awed Leo. Raphael, Donny, and Mikey regrouped with the staggered, but recovered Leo and Naruto. "What do we do, Naruto-sensei?" Mikey asked the immortal.

"I don't know. She's fiercer and crueler than usual," Naruto said despondently.

"Well, we need to do something before she turns us into pepperoni," Donny countered fearfully as he readied his wooden bo staff. Leo had the naginata, Mikey his nunchucks, and Raphael with the sai. "Sensei, you should be able to get a hit on her."

"Does it look like I haven't been trying?!"

"Well, try harder!" Raphael called out to Naruto.

During their squabble, Leone rushed in to their personal space. Leo swung his naginata, but Leone grabbed the shaft and snatched it out of his hands before kicking him through the portal behind him. Raphael and Mikey dived at her simultaneously for a dogpile, but they were swatted by the naginata's shaft. Naruto rushed at her and parried the naginata's blade with his Pivot Blade before being tackled by Leo who flew from another portal that was behind the blonde.

Leone kicked Naruto's stomach before using the extended leg to pin him down to the ground and pointed the naginata at his chest.

"Oh no, Naruto!" Mikey and Donny called out in concern.

Naruto halted the thrust by holding the blade between his hands, a classic anti-sword weapon. "Haha, Kosaka-ryuu for the win." His eyes widened in fear when Leone broke the shaft and raised it in a pullback. "Protect me, stick!" He pleaded before being hit in the balls by Leone's swing, flinging him at Leo as they tumbled away.

"Watch it!" Leo cried out.

Naruto whined back, "No, you watch it!"

Raphael groaned as he stood up and looked back at the downed Naruto and Leo, "You idiots, let me show how it's done." He faced Leone, only to get punched in the face.

"Nice demonstration, Raph," Leo remarked sarcastically after his brother landed next to him.

"Ah, shut up!" Raphael barked back as Leo and Naruto stood back up.

After noticing something, Naruto whispered to the turtles, "Guys, look up there."

It was another container suspended in the air, hanging on top of the seemingly distracted Leone. "Leone-sensei, from one staff wielder to another, bring it!" Donny challenged as he held his bo staff in a stance. Leone mirrored him as they stared down at each other before Donny twirled his weapon for added momentum and struck at her.

Leone parried the blow, leaving Donny open as he staggered backwards and she swiped his feet with her new staff. Before she can crack his shell, Raphael, Mikey, and Leo threw almost all their weapons at the chain that held the container. It broke and the container fell while Donny rolled out of the way.

"I can't believe that worked!" Donny remarked, both proud and relieved. That instantly turned into shock and disappointment. Why? Because Leone caught the container with both hands. "Oh fuck, that didn't work!"

Leone tossed the container at her proteges and Naruto rushed forward. "Don't worry, guys, I got this!" He swiped his Pivot Blade vertically, cutting through the metal construct easily. "Yes!"

"NO!"

Raphael's yell was silenced by loud 'thumps' and 'crashes' and Naruto turned around to see the two halves crush the turtles.

"We were crushed," Mikey cried out after being hit by one half along with Donny. Raphael and Leo got hit by the other half if their groans were an indication.

"Aw fuckberries," Naruto cursed at this development. He got kicked in the back by a nonchalant Leone, but recovered his footing, "That's it, come here!"

The goddess caught her adopted son's fist and two exchanged attacks. Naruto leaned away from a hand swipe and blocked Leone's leg attacks with his own limb before launching a straight punch. Leone dodged it, but Naruto quickly turned the missed attack to an elbow strike that hit her cheek.

It was the first solid hit in the entire session.

"Bastard!"

That was the last thing Naruto heard as Leone's uppercut hurled him far to the deceptively huge training hall's ceiling.

"You never hit a girl… Unless she's trying to kill you… which is not me!"

"Now Mikey, shoot her!"

Leone turned around and saw the brothers huddling around Mikey… holding a rocket launcher. "How did you-?"

"Fire in the hole!"

A lone rocket soared towards her. The way she sees it, Leone has two options: catch the rocket or dodge it. Then she saw the third option that only she knows.

The brothers watched Leone run away, but neither of them cheered or had the feeling of victory. Only dread and anticipation. Never has Leone turned her back against any of the brothers or Naruto. The goddess jumped towards a portal and grabbed hold of the frame as she flipped out at the grounded, connected portal and ran towards the brothers with the rocket following her.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Raphael exclaimed in disbelief. "Run!" He bumped into Mikey who in turn stumbled into Leo. Leone didn't slow down as she delivered a haymaker that knocked them down consecutively and slid underneath a scared Donny.

"Oh Oum, not like this!" Donny lightly jumped retreated into his shell. The rocket flew under him and Donny's limbs returned to normal. "Thank goodness, I thought I was…" He trailed off when Leone disappeared into another portal frame and the rocket hit the other launchers that were in the sliced container. "FUCCKKKKKKEEEDDD!"

A cascade of explosions shook the training hall as the combined concussive force flung the brothers across and high in the room. As for Leone, she rolled out of the other connected portal and stood up proudly as her proteges landed on the floor hard, groaning from the pain. Something caught her eye and moved a concrete bunker three inches forward before she waited casually.

Screaming was heard and grew louder as it descended before Naruto landed on the concrete bunker… between his legs, eliciting a prolonged whimper. "Why won't you just kill me?" Naruto pleaded as he fell to his side.

Leone chuckled victoriously as she clapped her hands twice and the factory returned to the default dojo setting. "I win."

"Who's ready for dinner?!" Inari called out as he opened the fusuma, allowing the aroma of food into the room. The trainees groaned out their voices while their hands were raised. "Then get up and come into the dining room." Another wave of groan came his way. "Come along, sweetheart." Inari offered an arm and Leone accepted it, her head on his shoulder. "Would you like some peanut butter on pickles?" She nodded. "You got it."

Silence waded in the training dojo as the groans of Shinto disciples was ever present. "Hello? You forgot about us." Mikey called out weakly before falling unconscious.

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(Ten Minutes Later)

It took the brothers to crawl back into the dining hall and they were faced with the sight of a healed Naruto and Leone eating hordes of food. They were jealous of Naruto's unfair and ridiculous healing factor, which has been tremendously enhanced since his ascension. Though mental trauma is a whole other story as he flinches here and there whenever Leone glance at him.

"It's not fair," Mikey whined as he winced while sitting on his spot along with his brother.

Leo grunted after forcing his legs into position. "I know, but have you guys noticed?"

"That we're recovering faster than usual?" Donny replied in an asking manner. "Yeah, at least I have."

"But our bodies still hurt like crap," Raphael countered after his left arm popped into place.

Inari coughed audibly and the turtles' attention was on him almost instantly. Next to Leone and Naruto, he is the voice of reason and clarification. "As I'm sure some of you have noticed it, the purpose of this session was that you four must maintain intense concentration to keep the flow of ki constantly during battle. If you are able to do this, physical damage will lessen greatly while abilities are enhanced at the same time."

The brothers blinked in realization and played back their recent session as Inari was right. Most of Leone's attacks—held back obviously—still would have put them into comas if they had not kept their ki flowing around their bodies. In the beginning of their tutelage under Leone, they could flow their ki for only two minutes. From there on, they were put through the ringer to increase their ki flow and one of the ways to do that is concentration… while lives are in danger.

"We've been getting stronger since coming here to Takamagahara… That's how you say it, right?" Mikey asked Inari, receiving an approving nod. "Cowabunga!"

"I wonder why Splinter-Sensei hasn't taught us this yet," Donny pointed out questionably.

Leo stopped mid-way of his meal before swallowing the portion inside his mouth, "If you recall, Donny, we're ranked as genin(beginning ninja). This type of technique and training is on a whole other level."

"Still, it's off-putting that he didn't teach us this," Raphael inputted after a bite of his chicken roll.

Naruto cleared his throat, "It's good to be ambitious, guys, but your sensei probably had good reason for this. Perhaps he was saving this kind of training when you move up the ranks like chunin or jonin."

Some trainings are out of a disciple's reach based on their skill level unless the teacher believes that he/she can handle it or unique circumstances. For Naruto, because of his mastery of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, he was able to complete years of nature transformation training within days, which led to the creation of his completed version of the Rasengan.

"Maybe we'll become the master when we get back home," Mikey joked before digging into his pizza slice.

Snorting aloud, Leone drew eyes from her students, "You runts are 800 years too young to even think about master rank." Soft glares came her way and she accepted it. The lion goddess took notice of a disciple whom seemed to be deep in his own thoughts. "Also, who said training was over?"

"Eh?" The brothers had horror plastered on their faces as Leone rapidly eats their food. "AGH! OUR FOOD!"

-(Flashback Begins)-

Osaka Dome

Osaka, Honshu, Japan

"You're telling us that Kanaka is an Exorcist…"

"That is correct."

"One of the best in your organization's history…"

"True it is."

"Strong enough to take on a Daiyokai…"

"Again, correct."

"And she got taken by someone who's responsible for incidents not only Nasu and here in Osaka, but other towns and cities in the country."

Miyagi, Fukushima, Okinawa, Tokyo, Akita, and a few islands near the island nation were apparent victims of the stranger's actions. It was the reason why Seimei returned home from his travels. After much investigation, the Exorcist Union eventually learned that the kidnapped were people of considerable power, trained or raw. Not only that, their lineage dates back to historical figures in their nation's history.

"This is troubling; clearly the Hero Association and the police have not been looking into these missing thoroughly."

"Chomei, I agree with you, but this isn't the time." Naruto was sitting next to All Might with Seimei in front of them. "Do you have any idea who is behind this?"

"Whispers and rumors, but none panned out," Seimei responded curtly. "I do believe we are facing someone who is determined to see his ambitions realized."

All Might hummed in thought. "Do you have any theories?"

"A few, but I will need more evidence to back any of them."

A pondering Patronus crossed his arms. "You appear before us now. Why?"

"Like you two, I am dedicated to protect life on Earth," Seimei replied coolly. "Particularly, peace between humans and yokai." The heads of both All Might and Patronus perked up. "If you believe the legends, I am a hanyo (Shiftling) as my mother, Kuzunohana, is a yokai; a kitsune. Since my era, the Heian period, I protected not only mankind but also the nigitama yokai."

"Nigitama?" asked a confused All Might.

"The good yokai," Patronus said to the puzzled Symbol of Peace. "The bad ones are aratama yokai like the one with horns you fought."

"The Onryoki?"

"That is correct on both categories. I too believe in peace between humans and yokai; just a matter of people in right positions that will make that step."

Naruto exchanged curious glances with All Might who asked, "Do you mean us?"

"Yes, I do." Seimei pointed his closed fan at Patronus, "You are one of the figures in mutant-human co-existence. Your dismantling of the fouled MRD, exposing corrupt senator Kelly, and creating Akatsuki as a haven for cooperative living are proof of that." He directed his fan to All Might, "You have feverish charisma and the power to bring smiles to everyone. From what I saw during the bout yesterday, you can hear their thoughts, their pleas. I believe that with the three of us, the world can be a better place."

"Wait, you were watching the incident?" All Might asked incredulously. "And you did nothing to help."

"I wouldn't say that, my dear boy." Seimei countered almost teasingly, "I was searching for the one responsible for these incidents, but he eluded my efforts." He glanced at the tall one present. "How is the creature?"

"What?" Patronus asked obviously, looking at All Might. "What's he talking about?"

Seimei decided to answer that for the Symbol of Peace by holding out his hand, palm facing the ground. A magic circle of Onymo design glowed underneath and out came a small creature the size of a house pet. "This is the Nue."

"…" Surprise etched on Naruto's face, "EH?!"

Unlike the giant desiccated adult form, the Nue was a literal chibi version of itself with differences. Its mane is white and the tiger body with black stripes are vibrant with life while its yellow eyes exuded playfulness and innocence. The snake tail hissed comfortably at the heroes before the Nue jumped onto All Might's shoulder, purring as it rubbed against his cheek.

"After I pulled out the shard, this little one shrunk to this size," All Might started to recount. "Just before I landed in the mall, I hid the Nue in my suit and it worked." His muscular physique would make any non-fit guy jealous and hide a young yokai at the same time. "Before I went to the station, I dropped this young one at the safe location and left." He gently rubbed the head, eliciting a 'keke'. "Are you okay?"

Seimei chuckled audibly when the Nue nodded, "This is what I am talking." Three pairs of eyes were on him once more, "Coexistence between man and yokai. I reiterate that with the three of us, we can make this happen."

"… You say that as if it were easy," All Might pointed out somewhat skeptically. "What will you do from this point?"

Seimei hummed in thought before answering, "I intend to speak to certain figures in the yokai community. This will not be easy."

"Nothing ever is," Patronus replied as All Might and Seimei nodded at the general notion.

-(Flashback Ends)-

Naruto hummed while slurping the noodles from his ramen. His little piece of heaven was destroyed when Leone took his bowl and swallowed all the noodle-filled soup.

"She's like a bottomless pit!" Leo cried out in disgusted awe.

"That was my ramen!"

Glaring at her student, Leone stood up and stomped over to him, which Naruto responded in kind. Teeth gritted at each other while their foreheads pushed against each other as a show of dominance and strength.

Meanwhile, the brothers scurried behind Inari to use him as a shield from the intense atmosphere emitted by the challenging Leone and Naruto. "It seems you have more training ahead of you." Inari shook his head while calmly drinking his tea. "Weaklings…"

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(Two Months Later)

Archery Dojo

Winchester, London

"Good training day, everyone."

"See you, Lara!"

"We'll beat you next time!"

Lara chuckled at the challenge, "I welcome it." She walked her route to the train station for the way home. "Later!" From training at Takamagahara and studying at Croft Manor, Lara thought to hone her skills of the social variety at a local kyudojo in the city. "I wonder what Rhea is cooking tonight." Her stomach rumbled in response to the anticipation. "Perhaps I should get fish and chips on the way."

The Croft heiress turned the corner and sat at the café where she normally stops after training sessions. She ordered said food along with her favorite tea. Said drink was her mother's and Lara feel closer to her whenever she consumes it. Her thoughts focused on her childhood briefly before they transitioned to academia.

"Since gods and ancient realms exists, perhaps cities can be discovered." The Section B of Troy was discovered by means of following the Iliad even though most people did not believe it to be a reliable source. "Perhaps I can ask Thor for a tour around Asgard." Oh wait, he can't go home. "Maybe Olympus. Naruto heard from Thor who talked with Hercules." Would she face the risk of being flirted with by a world-class womanizer who happens to be an Olympian?

Jury is out on that for now.

Lara drank another sip of her tea before a dish was placed on the table. It was a croissant with thin slices of turkey and provolone cheese. "Thank you, miss." She reached for her sandwich, but stopped mid-way when the waitress took a seat on the other side. "Is there something you need?"

"A few moments of your time, Miss Croft."

Hearing that voice made Lara's body stiffen at some parts, but she composed herself. "Hello, what can I do for you?" Lara asked the stranger. "Wait, have we met before?"

"No, I believe we have not, Miss Croft, directly at least. I am Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D." Hill introduced herself, "Pardon for my intrusion, but I would like to speak to you."

"And what would the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. want to speak with me about?"

"Patronus."

"What about him?"

"The two of you worked together during the Yamatai incident, correct." Hill recalled from the incident report made by Lara, Patronus, and Captain America after the rescue.

"For a spy, you are pretty cavalier about discussing what I think is sensitive information."

Smiling smugly at the Croft heiress, Hill lifted a finger and slightly twirled it with a long whistle. Suddenly, all the café customers left the building as they swiftly secured a perimeter with frightening precision. "And the cameras are hacked with looped footage, so we have time."

"This seems extreme for a discussion about Patronus," Lara commented about the S.H.I.E.L.D. presence. "What does she want with Naruto?"

"Miss Croft, in the reports, you encountered quite the numerous enemies on Yamatai," Hill stated stoically, "The Solarii Brotherhood and the Storm Guard army. For one person, they would have been extremely taxing."

"For anyone, yes."

"Then Patronus was with you the whole time, correct?"

"He was." Lara affirmed with a nod.

"He fought against the Solarii and Storm Guard?"

"Yes."

"To protect you?"

"To fight alongside me. He knew I was capable of defending myself," Lara emphasized curtly.

Stoic as ever, but noticing the slightly defensive tone, Hill pulled out photos from her vest and placed them on the table. "My predecessor questioned Patronus sometime after Yamatai and confronted him about these bodies."

"What about the bodies?" Lara questioned inquisitively. "I think those are some of the men we killed."

"These men—" Hill pointed at two photos on the left, "—were killed by you with your arrows." She raised her opposite hand when Lara's mouth opened. "But that was in self-defense, of course." Lara's mouth closed as Hill pointed at the last three photos. "And these photos showed Solarii men's bodies have severe internal trauma that is mostly likely not caused by someone of your… stature." Lara stifled a growl in her throat. "Forensic and medical examinations noted these stab wounds, which are confirmed to be caused by a small, narrow blade."

"Is she trying to incriminate Naruto into something?"

"And as far as we know, Patronus wields a similar weapon underneath one of his sleeves," Hill stated as she was getting to the point. "Fury and I believe that Patronus killed these men during the Yamatai incident and didn't come forward about it. Have you seen him commit these actions?"

"…"

Hill leaned forward a bit, her arms resting on the table, "Lying to a federal officer—the director no less—is punishable as a crime."

"No, because I caused those stab wounds," Lara replied as Hill sighed disapprovingly.

"Miss Croft—"

"And here's your proof."

Lara pulled up her right sleeve and revealed her Hidden Blade while S.H.I.E.L.D. agents aimed their guns at her. If Hill was stupefied or taken aback, it definitely does not show on her face. "I didn't have any close-range weapons and my bow is useless at said range." She fixed her sleeve, covering the bracer. "Patronus gave me these so I can protect myself. I kept them ever since."

"Miss Croft, we have more to discuss," Hill said when Lara stood up from her seat. "Or we can continue this at the Helicarrier."

"Not without our permission, you won't."

"Shit."

Hill and her agents looked up to see one of Europe's heroes stationed in London, Captain Britain. And he was not alone. "My compatriot found disturbance in the city's electronic security systems." He descended on Hill's flank, arms crossed. "What are you doing here, Miss Hill, with one of our citizens?"

"That's classified, Captain Britain."

"Regardless of your reasons, Miss Croft is a citizen and should have been presented with a lawyer if she's been accused of a crime." Captain Britain glanced between Lara and Hill. "And has she?"

"That is under debate."

"Then she should be free to leave." Captain Britain stepped forward. "S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot afford bad publicity." He ended with a knowing tone.

The situation is tense now. Hill has two choices: fight or let Croft go. She chose the latter. "You may go, Miss Croft." Hill said simply, her tone venomous.

"Thank you," Lara responded in kind as she left with Britain's forces. "Now I understand why Naruto hates her."

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Somewhere in Siberia

Russia

It had been a few years since their last visit in the legendary Russian city. With the kids being taken care at home by their moms, Lara and Naruto thought it would be great to revisit the ancient bastion of the Eternal Source. For safety's sake, Naruto had marked a location about 300 miles away from the city. This is to protect the location from more invaders who may be on Trinity's trail.

When Lara had asked about getting there, she soon regretted it.

"OH MY GOD, I HATE YOU SO MUCH!"

"Oh, come on, babe, live a little! We're flying!"

"YOU'RE FLYING!" Lara screamed back, "I'M HOLDING ON FOR DEAR LIFE!" Her entire body tightened around Naruto's even more.

The flying ended when Naruto recognized one of the landmarks near the ancient city and descended slowly until their feet touched the ground.

It was the spot where Anna was killed by a Trinity sniper.

At that exact moment, Lara patted the ground as if it was the most important thing right now while 'Thank you God' became her mantra. "Maybe I should take you flying more often," Naruto remarked, getting a glare from Lara as her response. "Never mind."

The mortal/immortal duo walked back to the route they came through in their last visit. They didn't mind the cold because of their attire. Lara sported the Remnant outfit, which is a green canvas jacket, beige cargo pants, brown combat boots and a thick woolen scarf around her neck. Naruto as usual had his hero outfit. Plus, his ascended physiology does not register cold weather like this by human standards.

Lara also plans to visit Peru's ancient city with Naruto since they helped stop Trinity. Naruto on the other hand was livid about Hill interrogating Lara for any incriminating evidence to use against him. He has killed before, but only in self-defense for him or his loved ones. Though he would never admit it in public, Naruto admires those who kept the hero code of non-killing. Spider-Man for example is one who has his admiration since he never sought to kill even the worst of his rogue's gallery, Norman Osborn AKA Green Goblin, despite all that he put him and those in his life through hell.

Though he would be lying if he found the hero code to be non-stifling as it stops heroes from doing what needs to be done for certain individuals whose deeds far outweighs possible redemption.

And speaking of evidence, Naruto learned from James in the police about a bill to impose registration for superhuman beings in the States whether they want to or not. "Hill is looking for traction to have the bill passed through Congress. I need to know more about this bill." He pressed a couple of keys, asking Jocasta to look for any information about Hill's bill.

"Naruto, the path is blocked."

Indeed, it was as a massive ice wall prevented them traversing further. The wall certainly was not there in couple's last visit. "If you would please." Lara stepped back to a safe distance while Naruto coated his hands with flames. "Thank you, Nefertiti." His nickname for Lara after Rameses the Great's queen consort.

"Of course, Musashi," Lara teased, calling him by his nickname after Miyamoto Musashi, the strongest swordsman in Japan's history. Why, Naruto does not know, but he left it at that.

As soon as Naruto's hands touched the wall, the ice instantly melted and opened the path. When Naruto ceased the flames, he and Lara continued their trek toward the Remnant village. They passed through the ancient ruins of Kitezh, still crushed under tons and tons of ice, and continued their trek until a loud scream echoed in the walls.

"SOMEONE HELP ME!"

The couple assumed the formation that worked for them in the past as they readied their weapons. Naruto took out his Hidden Blades and Lara brought her compound bow from her back. It was a sealed form of the Ame-no-Makakoyumi, revealed to her by Leone once she progressed enough in training. The bow was painted a tame black color with the pulleys adorning a yellow butterfly symbol and its stabilizer's color was washed silver-pearl. As she aimed down the sights, three green wispy holographic marks appeared to help her eyeline.

It looked like a futuristic type of bow compared to its unsealed, traditional form.

"Whoa, where did you get that bow?"

"Now that you have better control of your ki, you can stop the Makakoyumi from absorbing it." Leone stated in the past. Hence the sealed form. "Though this is new. The bow takes in your unconscious desires and materialize them in physical form. What are you going to call this one?"

"It's the sealed form of Makakoyumi, Naruto."

"Sealed formed? Does it have a name?"

"Le Monarque," Lara answered him. "It's French for 'The Monarch.'" Her mother's maiden name was French from her grandfather's side.

"The Monarch, huh? Cool," Naruto replied with an approving nod. "Ready?" He heard the bow's string and pulleys, telling him she is. "Let's go."

They ran in a pace where Lara could keep up by human standards, but still fast enough to cover enough ground. They followed the screams, which grew louder with each step, until stopping when the noises suddenly ceased in the echoing walls. Naruto and Lara hid behind a rock as they both looked over it, their eyes widening by the sight in front of them.

Groans and snarls came from a lone person eating the dead body. From its torn-up attire, the body was a Trinity soldier from Anna's battalion. Lara pulled the string and let loose the arrow as it penetrated the head, causing the cannibal to fall over.

"Nice shot," Naruto praised after seeing the arrow sticking almost completely out of the head.

"Thanks," Lara said back before pushing the Trinity body off of its meal with her leg. "Oh God…"

"What the hell?"

The Trinity soldier had extremely dried skin akin to a mummy, but decomposing like a zombie. Naruto kneeled next to the victim and noticed the symbol that categorized the people in Kitezh. "This person was a Remnant." He searched the pockets for any form of identification and pulled out a silver pocket watch. "Guess we should head over to the village in the valley; maybe Sofia or someone would know."

"Are we going to leave him here?" Lara asked, getting a head shake from Naruto. "…You're carrying him… all of him."

Naruto clicked his tongue in disbelief before stomping his foot as a mass of earth floated next to him with the victim on top. With that done, they continued their trek with questions in the back burner.

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Undisclosed Island

Somewhere in Sea of Japan

Within a cave system did one Onmyo magic circle appear as its practitioner emerged from it. It was Abe no Seimei and he brought a guest.

"There is no light here." All Might grunted when his head bumped into something sharp. "I felt that." He said in wonder, "I actually felt that?"

Seimei's crest disappeared as he summoned a small ball of flames in his palm. Despite the size, the interior lit up like a mall as Seimei guided his guest. "I should warn you that upon arrival in the main compound, you may not receive warm greetings."

"Oh?"

"For centuries, the families of my original disciples have aided me," Seimei explained to All Might, "They never left the island except for missions in the outside world."

"Isolationism?"

"The heads are low-opinionated against the mainlanders and their members follow the same mindset, much to my chagrin."

All Might hummed audibly. "Then isn't the notion of peaceful coexistence with yokai—"

"—is rubbing salt into their mindset, absolutely." Seimei finished appraisingly. "But I am confident in the next generation." The wall in front of them part ways like stacked, mini-cubes as they were bathed in sunlight.

"Progressive thinkers?"

"I strongly believe so."

When the sun's rays ceased their momentary brightness, All Might was presented by a grand sight. A valley with tall grand trees and several waterfalls on each canyon sides while buildings stood in the middle on a high-rise mound. It looked like an island in the valley. The buildings looked like the traditional Japanese infrastructure from the Heian or Edo periods with one modern distinction: a massive institution that has similar aspects to other architectural icons like the Sydney concert hall and Tokyo Tower.

"Welcome to Amitaba, All Might." Seimei said to the Symbol of Peace.

"The air feels different here."

Seimei's face assumed piqued surprise, "Normally, outsiders do not feel that. This island is highly sensitive to the planet's ley-lines and sits on top of one of its many nexuses." He explained as they walked down a worn-down path. "From here, our magic is amplified and stronger than on the mainland. It is why I chose this island as our headquarters."

"I see why. Patronus would love to see this," All Might inputted casually. He knows about his friend's love for nature and its creatures.

"Yes, I believe he would. Now onward."

The two men continued their trek to Amitaba where the path of peace awaits to be realized or crushed by prejudices.

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Remnant Village

Geothermal Valley, Kitezh

"Enemies approaching!"

"Prepare to fire!"

"Let's waste them!"

The sentiment was killed when their leader shouted out, "HOLD YOUR FIRE!"

"Oh man!"

Sofia put on the binoculars and zoomed at the figures approaching the village. "Friendlies! Friendlies! They are friendlies!" She called out after recognizing them.

"Friendlies?"

Sofia and a small group of her people approached the incoming allies. "Lara! Patronus!"

"Sofia! It's good to see you!" Lara responded after lowering her bow. "Is everyone okay here?"

"We're fine; just weary of unwanted enemies," Sofia answered back before looking at the floating rock mass when it caught her attention, "Who is that?"

Patronus answered this time, "We found him in the caves near the ruins. He was attacked by a…"

"An Undead." Sofia replied knowingly, getting her allies to be surprised. "Come with me. We need to talk."

Both Lara and Patronus followed Sofia while her men had their weapons aimed indiscriminately as they made sure the coast was clear. The visiting couple noticed big changes like television sets and satellite dishes on cabins' rooftops with other modern technology. Lara noticed that the cabins are based on ancient Russian and Greek designs. Naruto also observed some elderly tending to agricultural means.

"Makes sense since the Remnants are descended from Russian, Greek, and Syrian ancestors." Lara observed internally. She also remembered from Sofia's letter two years ago about younger Remnants including Sofia. They had set out of the valley to be part of the global world, but kept their home a secret. Sometime after that, Sofia and the others brought in materials with Sofia's plane when she learned how to fly one.

"What is going on, Sofia?" Lara asked her friend once they entered her home.

"…"

"You don't know, do you?" Patronus said knowingly. He noticed the men's mumbling end and heard the fear in them. "Or you do."

Sofia dismissed her men and they left the house with just three of them inside. "It's nothing, really."

"Sofia, we live in a world of monsters, gods, and heroes," Patronus reminded her in a deadpan. "Spill it."

Before Sofia could answer him, a frantic man rushed in through the door, "Sofia, we have a problem!"

"What is it?" Sofia asked him as she was anxious to know what he had to say.

"Nadia is missing! So is Ivan."

"Blyat (Shit)…"

"Who?" asked Patronus.

"We need to get them back before they do."

Lara asked this time instead of Naruto, "Who?"

"You two actually came at a better time," Sofia said after thanking the man as she sat down for rest. "We're in trouble."

Lara and Naruto shared a look before they answered, "We can see that." Sofia chuckled jokingly. "Let's handle this one at a time," Patronus informed Sofia. "First we'll go find Nadia and Ivan while my—" A clone appeared next to him after he formed his favorite hand-signs. "—clone gets the information from you."

"Let's go," Lara said as she glanced at the man, "Where was their last location?"

"In the hunting grounds."

"The hunting grounds it is."

As soon as they left, Sofia was taken aback when the Shadow Clone assumed a pose akin to a therapist, "Tell me what bothers you."

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Naruto and Lara reached the area in no time, but they were not alone. Hordes of Undead Trinity soldiers lumbered towards them and they were not alone as deceased Remnants were among their numbers.

"Let's take them down." Naruto declared as he pulled out shuriken from his pouch.

Lara rested her bow as she gestured her arms at the horde, "Well, go ahead."

"What?" Naruto asked all puzzled.

"We both know you can take down all of these by yourself so easily." Lara said a little annoyed.

"Yeah, but…"

"But what?"

"I thought you would to show your training progress."

Lara was taken aback, "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing, Nefertiti." Naruto replied quickly, looking away from Lara's annoyed face, "How about a bet?"

"What, Musashi?"

"Whoever… I don't know," Naruto gave up since most of the challenges would be his victory, "Instead, how about I ask Thor if we can visit Asgard one of these days?" He was taken aback when Lara let out a small squeal, "After we figure out how to send him home." He quickly added as Lara hugged him tightly. "You're welcome?"

"Thank you so much! I'm so excited that I could have sex with you here on the spot!"

Piqued did Naruto's interest.

"Then why don't we?"

"Down, boy."

"Come on!" Naruto pleaded as the horde heard them and started tumbling towards their location, "This will be crossed off from my—" He suddenly cut off while looking away from an equally-sudden suspicious Lara.

"From your what?"

"Oh look, Undead incoming!"

Lara growled as she raised her bow with readied arrow, "This isn't over!"

"Sorry, can't hear you! Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Shuriken Technique)!"

Snorting like a bull, Lara let loose eight arrows in rapid succession as they flew through the air with the multitude of shuriken. They hit their targets while the ninja projectiles overwhelmed the rest of the enemies. "See, you didn't need me."

"But I got to see how better you got, Lara. You shot eleven arrows so fast that I thought I was seeing things," Naruto responded excitedly.

Lara blushed a bit, but she was proud of her latest result. However, this is only when she is not under attack with bullets blazing and bombs exploding by Trinity. Naruto knows this as well, but still he couldn't help but give props to his favorite archer.

As they walked through the fell bodies, the couple gazed at the small installation nearby when a ki signature was detected. They climbed up and approached the rusty red locker where the person hid from them. Patronus grabbed and yanked out the metal doors, revealing an adult woman around or younger than them. She wore the Remnant clothing with an additional headwear that looks like an old aviator's helmet from one of the previous World Wars.

"Stay back!"

Both Naruto and Lara were unfazed by the gun pointed at them. "We're not the Undead," Lara informed the scared girl, "Hello there, Nadia"

"And the gun's empty, kid, we can see it," Naruto remarked off-handedly, causing the girl to reluctantly lower her weapon. "Déjà vu, anyone?"

"The firing pin never worked anyway." The girl revealed her bluff, wincing as she began to sit down.

"Again, déjà vu."

Lara noticed the blood-stain around the girl's right leg, "You're hurt." She observed concernedly.

"Seriously, déjà vu here."

"I just need to… sit down for a moment," Then she had a look of realization once repeating their names. "Lara and Patronus?" Her eyes widened in shock, then awe. "It's been so long since we last met!"

"Yeah… it has," Patronus said somewhat awkwardly. "What happened?"

Nadia gasped as a wave of fear and concerned washed over her upon remembering something or someone. "My grandpa!"

"What happened to him?" asked Lara, getting a 'I don't know' shrug from Nadia. "And your grandmother, Serafima?"

"My grandfather snuck out of the village in the night," Nadia explained as Patronus kneeled next to her. "His and my grandma's anniversary is tomorrow. He wanted to bring a flower she liked, but it was deep in the Wicked Vale. I was trying to catch up with him when the Undead caught me off-guard." She paused, then gasped when Patronus's hands glowed as her leg felt warm. A second later, the glow stopped and Patronus stepped away as Nadia's leg was now healed. "Wow, thank you! I feel better now."

"You're welcomed," Patronus returned politely. "And your grandmother?"

"She died just last month."

Lara adopted a solemn expression, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Me too."

"You mentioned a witch?"

"Yeah, Baba Yaga."

Both Naruto and Lara shared confused expressions before looking at Nadia. "Um, Nadia…" She looked at him, "Didn't your grandma pretend to be Baba Yaga for years to obtain revenge for your grandpa's supposed death?"

"Yeah, but these things and the Undead started happening two weeks ago. And our people, the elderly, the young… they started acting strange too."

"How strange?" Lara questioned softly.

"They go into a trance of sorts and walk to the Wicked Vale," Nadia explained to the couple, "Normally, we stopped them before they did, but some went in the dead of night."

"You sure you're good to go?" Patronus asked uncertainly.

"Yeah."

"Where did you see him go?"

"The path to the Vale is through the cave to the east of here," Nadia explained to her allies, relieved to have help.

Patronus nodded as he left with Lara, "You should head back to Sofia and the others. We'll look into this." He created another clone, which elicited an excited gasp from Nadia. "He'll take you back to them."

"But I want to go with you two," Nadia argued back.

"The last time you came with us, we got an earful from your grandma for placing you in danger." Patronus countered as he recalled curse words Serafima threw at them in their last visit. "Besides if this is the real Baba Yaga, then you are safer with the others than us."

"…Fine," Nadia pouted briefly before leaving with the clone. She stopped a moment and glanced at her heroes, "Save my grandpa, please. He's all I have left."

As Nadia and the clone's figures grow smaller over the distance, Lara and Naruto left for the Eastern Canyons where the entrance to the Wicked Vale awaited them.

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Thirty Kilometers from Kitezh

Old Soviet Installation and Forwarding Base

"Well shit, this is bad."

The invisible Naruto clone watched from one of the metal structures in the old Soviet relay base. It was one of the former nation's post during the Cold War. Sofia told him there have been concerning outsiders dangerously approaching Kitezh's perimeter. The clone planned to a barrier around Kitezh with tags at specific locations.

He ran to two cardinal locations and placed the tags: one at the entrance that Lara took when she first searched for Kitezh and the other just beyond the ruins of the ancient city. The original knows of this plan and will place a tag at the Wicked Vale once he and Lara find Ivan.

The clone chose this place when Sofia told him, but now this has his current attention. There is also the fact that the tag won't be able to drive these intruders away from Kitezh. He'll have to choose a location away from this place.

"Central Command, do you read us?"

*Static*

"Nothing. It appears our comms system does not work out here."

"Something is certainly amiss in this place."

A female voice spoke among the men. "I agree with that statement. I've heard rumors of this place at Central Command, but to actually be here…"

"Do no fray, young one. If any hostility come our way, I will dispose of them."

The clone sensed five ki below with one of them different from the rest. "Central Command?"

"Are you sure the Winter Guard are supposed to be here? Central Command would not be pleased about this."

"I believe the answer of our mystery lies somewhere in this region."

"Mystery?"

*Sniff-Sniff*

"What is that?" The clone wondered upon hearing the audible sniff.

"You found something?"

"We're being watched."

"Time to bug out."

And so he did before dispersing just in time as a bolt of lightning struck his previous position.

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Eastern Canyons

Kitezh

The trio scaled a cliffside as Nadia continued to explain about her grandfather and childhood.

"Do you believe all that?" Naruto sent her an incredulous look even though Lara couldn't see it, "The house with the bird legs?" She asked once more.

Naruto has three words in his mind right now, "What the hell?"

Just as Lara was about to silence them, Patronus's bracer beeped like a radio. "Jocasta, you have something?"

[I detected a frequency not too far from us. And they're military-grade.]

"From?"

[Russia.]

"Shi—" He then blinked when a soft ping played in his head, a tell-tale sign of his clone's memories. "Double shit."

"What?" Lara asked upon hearing him. "Patronus?"

"The trouble that Sofia spoke of…" Lara nodded as Naruto continued to speak. "Kitezh is on the verge of being discovered by the outside world, by Russian eyes specifically."

"The Russian government?"

"What's worse is that the Winter Guard is in charge of this expedition."

Cue a puzzled expression from Lara, "The Winter Guard?" She asked him.

"Basically, Russia's own version of the Avengers," Naruto explained simply. "Jocasta, I want you to isolate the frequency and prevent them from reporting their location to Moscow. We need to delay things; take one thing at a time."

[It might be a little late for that.]

"Why?"

[Their comms mentioned they discovered an entrance through the Vale on the southern side just now. And they were being watched by unseen enemy.]

"Then they'll enter the valley soon than expected," Lara said grimly.

"… Come on, let's keep moving." Naruto remarked as they continued in a faster pace now. "Maybe the tags won't work now. We need something more potent to protect the Remnants." Train of thought raced through his head about methods. None came to him… not yet anyway.

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Mount Kurama

Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

"I have a new appreciation for people on the mainland."

"Do not fret, All Might. I think they liked you."

"Firing Onmyoudo spells with hostile intent is them liking me?" All Might asked incredulously.

"At least they didn't affect you." Seimei teased in a giggle-like tone.

Of course, none of the heads did something serious since Seimei would instantly cancel out their magic. Though it was naught as most of the heads refused the notion of peaceful cooperation with the yokai. Or was it?

All Might did notice the heirs of the houses that at least considered the notion. Seimei did not expect approval at the spot, but he hopes that the yokai might be more open-minded.

Still, this may not even happen despite figures in the world.

"We are here."

They stopped in front of a rock wall that formed the mountain's base. Seimei formed a hand sign as his signet appeared in front of them. It resembled a pentagram with his name in kanji.

A different magic circle formed in front of the Seimon and the two symbols turned in synch like a key unlocking the door. The symbols turned into light and shone upon All Might and Seimei before they disappeared. The duo found themselves in a massive cavern with rows of thick, grand trees.

It felt different, but similar to the atmosphere in Amemidate. Another difference is the different kind of yokai staring down at them. The classic and more recognizable ones All Might noticed are the kitsune, kappa, tengu, inugami, nekomata, baku, jorogumo, kamaitachi, yuki-onna, onikumai, tanuki. There are those that he does not recognize like the giant owl-like yokai with three green-yellow eyes staring right at him and Seimei.

And speaking of the legendary onmyouji, he was surprisingly silent.

All Might followed Seimei's gaze and found himself staring at the latter's object. It was a huge daitengu adorned in yamabushi attire as it held a green-gold shakujo in his right hand. The crow-like wings were pressed against the wooden throne-like chair. The signature trait of the tengu—the extremely long nose—was a burgundy red marred with scars from battles past. Short, peeled-back white hair reached just below the ears.

"Seimei… It's been a long time."

"About 700 years I recall."

"You asked for this meeting, so speak."

"My, my, seems you've become a little impatient over the years." Seimei said in a teasing tone.

All Might braced when the daitengu's wings shimmered as he growled at the comment. "And why have you brought a human here? You know the cardinal law: humans are forbidden from yokai territory."

"Please forgive my intrusion of the law, but I assure you that this will remedy this incursion."

A roar echoed in the cavern as another yokai stomped heavily, shaking the ground with each step. It emerged from the shadows next to the daitengu, riddled with sparks of red-orangish lightning. It was a Nue, but even larger than the one that attacked Osaka, around the size of a two-storied house. The chimera-like creature also had battle scars, mainly around the torso with one gash on the left side of its face.

"Is it in pain?" All Might asked after noticing the obvious sadness in its eyes. "Or grief?"

Seimei hummed before answering, "Perhaps both."

"You do not speak in this sacred space, human," The daitengu reprimanded the hero. "Unless you are spoken to."

"Apologies," All Might remarked respectfully.

"He means no disrespect," Seimei defended cheerfully, "Like me, All Might here wishes a time where everyone can smile, Sojobo."

All Might's eyes almost popped out when he heard that name. "Sojobo? As in the daitengu of Mount Kurama; he taught Ushiwakamaru in the legends."

"Speak, Shiftling, of this supposed time."

"Peace with the humans."

"We already live in peace with the humans."

"Relative peace, Sojobo," Seimei corrected sternly. "Yokai have lived in the shadows, still fear of being exposed to human prejudice."

"There were rumors about coexistence among our ranks, but that's what they are. Rumors."

"I can assure you the rumors are credible," Seimei affirmed positively. "For the first time, we have figures in the human world possessing considerable influence." He gestured his head towards All Might.

"Heroes? They're a dime a dozen now."

"True, but none are as popular as All Might here." Seimei countered back. "He and another hero have a dream for peace between our species."

"We yokai lived in secrecy for centuries now and there is nothing else to change that." Sojobo said with finality as he leaned forward, "And I recall you lead an island of exorcists that have hunted our kind."

"Only the aratama."

"And the nigitama. Or have you forgotten that night?"

Seeing Seimei's face tighten, All Might also felt the uncomfortable tension in the atmosphere.

"And I have punished those responsible. I even delivered the bodies to you and the daiyokai."

"But the memory lives on."

The chimaera-like daiyokai snarled in response, affirming the trauma that their kind suffered from that night. The other daiyokai, the biggest of each yokai species present, echoed that sentiment. All Might felt the air around them become heavy while one of his muscles moved as if responding to the pressure.

"Please hear us out, Sojobo."

The nue roared again, cutting the onmyouji off as it and the yokai no longer tolerate their presence.

"Forgive our nue friend here," Sojobo informed the guests. "Her cub was recently kidnapped from their home. We've had our forces search for him since then."

Both Seimei and All Might exchanged concerned glances as the latter's muscle moved from the shoulder before it popped out of the neckline, revealing the young nue. The yokai meowed like a cat before it jumped off of All Might's neckline and landed in front of him and the daiyokai.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" Sojobo yelled out, his fellow daiyokai voicing their outcry as well. "How dare you hold a yokai hostage?!"

Before the daiyokai and their human counterparts could do anything, the adult nue halted them by leaping in front of the guests. The youngling meowed as if it recognized the adult and joyfully purred against the latter's legs. All Might, Seimei, and Sojobo watched the spectacle until the nue finished licking the youngling and turned to Sojobo with a soft growl.

The expression on Sojobo's face softened before speaking to his guests, "That youngling… is her cub." Cue surprise looks from All Might and Seimei, "Where did you find him?"

Seimei nudged All Might with his elbow as Sojobo's gaze rested on him, "It was two months ago in Osaka." All Might begin to explain, "The cub here was destroying part of the city." The adult nue growled at him, causing the hero to raise his hands defensively, "But it was not by his own volition; a shard of dark ki was implanted underneath the stomach."

"An Onryoki was also present," Seimei inputted as well.

"Yes, and my colleague and I stopped them." All Might continue to explain, "I heard its voice and that's when I knew it wasn't evil." He recounted the rest of the event to Sojobo and the daiyokai while the nue mother/child duo left to be alone for a while. "And then Seimei here told us about his plan."

"And this kidnapper has been causing problems across our nation."

"Yes," both All Might and Seimei answered at the same time.

The atmosphere in the room turned melancholy with no hostility. Sojobo rose from his seat and so did the daiyokai.

"Let us speak more of this…" The wall behind the yokai rumbled as it descended into the ground like a door. "…over a feast."

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Wicked Vale

Kitezh, Siberia

"Well, this isn't borderline Blair Witch Project, I'll tell you that," Naruto commented sarcastically.

Lara couldn't help but agree with him. Nadia, despite her lack of movie knowledge, knew what Patronus meant. In front of them was a cave that served as the entrance to the Wick Vale with a camp-lit-fire. Wooden stakes were laid around the fire while skeletal remains of different animals, mainly antlers, remained suspended against a smooth rock.

"Sure enough, but we keep moving forward despite our fear," Patronus said as he trekked forward, taking the lead. "Still, I can't get used to this."

Nadia chuckled a little as Lara followed him. [I hope my grandpa is okay.]

"He will be…" Lara answered confidently, "Because we're here to help you." She followed her secret boyfriend.

Thirty minutes later, they passed through a crevice in the wall in front of them as light green flecks floated in the air with vines adorning the walls. Immediately, Lara coughed after she inhaled it.

"Babe, you okay?" Patronus turned around when he heard them.

"There's… some sort of pollen drifting in here… flowers."

"The pollen?"

"Patronus… Something's wrong… My head is spinning and…" Lara stopped as she saw everything all distorted and her balance wavering. "You don't feel it?"

"No." Naruto replied back. Before he could do anything, the pollen's effect got stronger as Lara ran away from him. "Lara! Come back!" He growled as the chase began. "Not again!"

This happened last time when they were exposed to the pollen enhanced by Serafima during her years as Baba Yaga. Difference this time is his ascension to a full god and the pollen has no effect on him. Strange thing is that it is affecting Lara who became resistant after they ingested a remedy from Serafima's notes last time.

"Come to think of it, this place is different."

The tree life and plants were beyond pitch black as animals of different species laid on the ground. Their rotted flesh permeated through the air. The waterfall—where they first saw the chicken-run house of Baba Yaga under the illusion—had. Naruto finally caught the frantic Lara and pulled out a breathing mask from his pouch before splashing chakra-created water from his hand. Lara coughed before she was silenced by the procured apparatus.

"You okay?" Naruto asked his girlfriend, greatly concerned.

Lara groaned as she rubbed her head while Naruto released his grip on her body. "What happened? We took the remedy, but only I got affected by it."

"Maybe this is Baba Yaga's work—the real one, I mean." He got a skeptical look from Lara, "Hey, I said it before, I'll say it again: we live in a world of gods, monsters, and heroes."

"But Baba Yaga?"

"You're still skeptical after all we've been through? You've been to Takamagahara for crying out loud!"

"There are some things I don't think are real like Baba Yaga."

Naruto scoffed into a disbelieving chuckle, "I don't believe this." He suddenly squatted down, pulling Lara with him to hide. "Quiet."

"What is it?" Lara whispered as Naruto pointed across the river. "Oh my God."

It was more of the Undead consisting of Remnants, Trinity, and now ancient warriors in battle armor from the times of old. It was the Deathless Ones, the Prophet—Jacob's—armored guard originally form to protect the Eternal Source. Baba Yaga must've revived them to do her as they were carrying more of unconscious, but alive Remnants including Nadia's grandfather, Ivan. Naruto and Lara decided to follow after them in case there are more hostages and possibly confronting Baba Yaga.

"Lara?"

"What is it?"

"What do you know about this Baba Yaga person beside the witch-persona and walking house deal?"

"…"

"Come on, use that beautiful brain of yours and educate me," Naruto urged playfully, "You know you want to~"

A stoic Lara reluctantly complied as they stealthily followed the horde. "As you know there are many versions." Naruto nodded in response, "She is a witch with powers over the earth. There have been times where she resurrected the deceased to lure in their relatives into the forest. And…"

"And?"

"There are versions which she is even…" Lara's mouth stopped as she bit her lips, indicating her reluctance.

"What?"

"That she might be even a god, one of them."

Naruto's eyes rose in surprise. "Really?" He asked her, getting a reluctant nod from Lara, "From which pantheon?" Cue an annoyed glare. "The Russian one, got it. Do they have a name?"

"A name?"

"You know, like the Japanese Amatsu-Kami, the Norse Asgardians, and Greek Olympians."

"I think they're called the Dievas."

"Daevas?"

"No, Dievas," Lara corrected him sternly, "Daevas are the Hindu Gods."

"Oh…"

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Thirty minutes. That was how long it took the archer and shinobi to follow the horde back to their base. And they did not like it. The trailing took them far deeper in the Wicked Vale than their encounter with Serafima. With each step they took had them trudge through the increasing smell of rotting flesh, the sight of boundless sea of blood, and the cold wind of black snow.

"My God…"

Those were the words to describe Lara and Naruto's thoughts as they hid behind a rock on a tall hill. It provided them vantage point as they could see almost everything. That includes their base: a grotesque area that covered the blackest of soil with a wide diameter surrounding the horde. It consisted of numerous animal and human bones as there were skulls of both species. One of the biggest and ominous aspect of the sight was the massive, ajar mouth of an unknown creature—a mix with a dragon and a whale together.

More Undead arrived from the flaming maw before the ground started to shake. The recently arrived horde dropped their loot and backed away as the thumps got louder and stronger.

"No way."

"Yeah, way. And we're not hallucinating this time."

It was the magical, creepy house that walked on chicken legs. Dead legs with pieces of flesh missing after they fall off and replaced by new ones in a cycle. The house itself had broken walls and creaking floorboards in synch with each step. Dried blood stained the rooftop while the small balcony had uneven, jagged beams. With the furrowed windows and the beams, the house looked like the smaller version villain from 'Monster House.'

And the figure behind the folklore of Russia… the one that has haunted the people's nightmares. It is her.

"The real… Baba Yaga…"

Lara could not see, but Naruto can. It was an old woman with scaly, ragged green skin while numerous brown snakes formed her hair. Her face was uneven and the eyes' pupils slit like a snake. Her clothing was old akin to ancient times with faded embroidery.

"What does she look like?" Lara whispered to him.

Naruto shook his head, "You do not want to know." He replied with a shudder.

"What's the plan here?"

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking…"

Their bodies tensed up when Baba Yaga spoke in a guttural tone. To Lara, it sounded gibberish or unintelligible, but to a god like Naruto, it was clear as day, thanks to the All-Speak.

"My underlings! The time is now for the world to know fear, chaos, and death!"

The horde snarled and growled out their approval to the witch.

"For too long, this world has been undeserving for sheep and food that live uncaringly."

Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled out his necessary tools, hiding them within the left sleeve. Lara followed his lead and silently readied her bow, drawing an arrow in place. Naruto also placed a tag near Lara's foot as it glowed a light green for one brief moment.

"My fellow Daevas have forgotten the role they assumed among the fodder, but I have not. I will make this valley my home, then the continent, and lastly the world!"

Naruto and Lara exchanged glances of worry before they kissed for each other's safety. As they waited for the right moment, thunder boomed above them. They lowered their heads when the Undead, their master, and the awakened hostages looked up at the sky. Lightning grew more intense as they streaked across the clouds and struck the ground. The bolts struck portions of the Undead, nearly missing the hostages.

Baba Yaga snarled and screamed defiantly as a beam of green/black energy soared across the sky before landing outside of the perimeter markers. The hostages screamed and the couple braced themselves after the impact shook the ground while a great grunt of exertion bellowed across the barrier of sound.

"A thunderous entrance followed by dramatic bellow of might?" Naruto tilted his confused head, "Thor?"

As if the name was taboo, the lightning struck the ground indiscriminately.

"Who dares?!"

Small squads of Undead ran from the base and charged towards the smoke-covered arrivals. A lightning attack parted the debris and tore through one squadron while an oversized darkness-colored pillar crushed another as it blew away another portion of the smoke blanket. The third squad had their heads by white beams of intense energy not unlike a certain armored Avenger.

"Those looked like Iron Man's repulsor blasts." A surprised Lara noted as another part of the debris was pushed aside by the beams' force.

The debris cloud lost its thickness now as the arrivals' silhouettes could be seen by the couple, Baba Yaga, and the Undead. The last squad saw a small gleam from inside before an object flew and chopped through their torsos as it returned to the thrower. At the same time, the debris finally cleared and revealed the arrivals at last.

"You!"

It was the Winter Guard. Naruto recognized them from his clone's memories, but Lara did not as this is her first time seeing them.

Three of them were average in height compared to their two tallest members. The tallest member wore heavy, bulky armor reminiscent to the Iron Man variant with only red as the dominant color and a yellow star emblazoned over the arc reactor. Jocasta spoke to him and Lara through their encrypted comms.

[That is Dmitri Bukharin AKA Crimson Dynamo. He is the fifth and longest iteration of the persona. The armor was created by Anton Vanko to compete with Tony Stark's Iron Man Armor. You can assume it has similar capabilities as Stark's armor.]

Their attention switched to the second tallest and out-of-place member in the team. He wore black battle armor reminiscent to Thor's albeit Russian design with some differences. It had no sleeves but make-shift gauntlets to protect the forearms. A torn, weathered red cap is attached to the inside of the shoulder area. The color yellow was present on the boots, belt, and small portion on the pants. Lastly, a red helmet with backwards curved horns framed the man's face, whose mouth was surrounded by white beard and moustache complete with the flowing hair out of the headwear.

[The man—sorry, deity is Perun, the Daeva God of Thunder. He shares the body of a mortal man who lets him take control. Perun was inducted into the Winter Guard as Russia's answer to the States' Thor. The Avengers database has him listed as equal to Thor. That is probably why the lightning got crazy when you said Thor's name, Patronus.]

"Another god?" Lara looked and she could tell Naruto had a triumphant smirk, even with his hood on. "Whatever." She could feel her skin tingle from the electricity in the air. "Do you think you can take him if things go bad?"

"… Maybe."

"Why did you hesitate?" Lara asked after noticing said pause. "Patronus?"

[The next two members are siblings—half-siblings, in fact. The man with the shield is Nikolai Krylenko, code-named Vanguard. His sister is Laynia Petrovna with alias Darkstar.]

Vanguard wore a skin-tight costume that completed covered his body and face sans the mouth area. It was deep crimson with the gloves, boots and the star in the chest colored as white. A small protrusion adorned the top of the mask in white-silver. The one factor that made him reminiscent to Captain America is the circular disc-shaped shield that has the same color as Vanguard's costume, except for the silver star in the center.

As for Darkstar, she was shorter compared to her teammates, around Lara's height. Her uniform is a black one-piece suit with yellow calf-length boots and forearm-length gloves. A half-mask covered the back of her head, leaving Darkstar's blonde hair and face alone. A yellow star was emblazoned on the center of her suit. Unknown dark and yellow energy barely dimmed out of her hands.

[And their last member is…]

"For Mother Russia!"

The out-of-place and skinny man's body morphed graphically as his groans turned into primal growls. He turned into a brown bear and towered to full height, easily taking the tallest and heaviest member from Perun and Crimson Dynamo. Without a word, he charged at the Remnants with his teammates.

[…Mikhal Ursus, known as Ursa Major. As you can see, he transforms into a bear.]

"Thanks, Jocasta." Naruto said to the AI before she went offline to prevent being discovered. "We can sneak the hostages out while Baba Yaga is distracted with the Winter Guard."

A confused Lara asked him, "Why aren't we helping them?"

"We can't lead them back to the Remnants," Naruto remarked, "If they discover Kitezh and the valley, the Winter Guard will report it to their government and ravage this land for resources."

"Oh, you're right."

Since the fall of Kitezh, the Remnants had lived in these lands for centuries and fought off invaders like Trinity years ago. If the Winter Guard and Russian military come to the valley, the Remnants will fight to the death in defending their home. Sofia, Nadia, Ivan; they'll be killed for their 'uprising' as deemed by a nation.

"Darkstar, provide aerial cover," Vanguard ordered through the comms. "Crimson Dynamo and Ursa Major, separate the hostiles from the civilians." The bear and Dynamo flanked the left, pulling a good number of the Undead with them. "Perun, you and I will keep this… hag busy."

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you, mortal."

Vanguard said nothing since he couldn't understand the goddess, but Perun can.

"Silence, you wrench!" Perun declared, reaching behind his cape. "You are not to trifle with mortal lives!"

The witch scoffed sneeringly in response. "And the mighty Perun is taking orders from a mortal. How low have you fallen!"

"Silent, wrench!" Perun pulled out his weapon. "Your head is mine!"

Both Naruto and Lara saw the weapon as Perun took a big leap towards Baba Yaga. It was a war axe of the bearded variant with a wooden shaft. The metal was colored metallic gray with specks of dried stains present. Sparks of electricity surrounded the shaft and metal.

"The Axe of Perun." Lara thought in awe.

The Slavic weapon counterpart to the Norse Mjolnir.

"Always using brute force in a magical battle… How typical of you."

Perun yelled as he swung his axe, hitting against a dark green circular magical shield. The impact dispelled the electricity with some streaks hitting the ground and near the people. Baba Yaga howled as her house jumped and kicked Perun away. Vanguard was not alone as the Undead surrounded him, but stood in place.

Actually, it was more like they could not as they were pushed back with each step forward. Vanguard smirked confidently before he threw his shield at the Undead while Darkstar and Crimson Dynamo bombarded them from above. As for Baba Yaga, her green arms emitted magical energy before said form sank to the ground through the legs.

The ground crumbled before forming into three twenty-foot tall golem-like constructs. Smirking smugly, Perun's axe crackled with lightning before he tossed it between the golems' feet. The moment it stabbed into the ground, lightning surfed through their legs as the golems almost immediately crumbled and the pieces fell, both small and big.

One of the big pieces fell on top of the bone perimeter as the air around the base fizzled out of existence.

A barrier. Most likely to alert Baba Yaga of infiltrators, definitely to keep them out.

As Vanguard swiped off a leg with his shield, he felt the earth shake once more, but disregarded it as Ursa Major ripped apart a Trinity Undead with his front claws. "What is it, Nikolai?"

"Nothing, Ursa Major. While our comrade Perun keeps the witch busy, we rescue the hostages." Vanguard and Ursa Major ran towards the camp while Darkstar and Crimson Dynamo put down more Undead around them with their energy blasts. When the heroes reached the center of the base, there was one issue. "What is this?"

"Where are they?!" Baba Yaga demanded after seeing her camp empty.

TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM

Near Entrance of Wicked Vale

The ground part of the entrance rumbled before it caved in, forming a path underneath. A beam of soft light lit the tunnel and allowed the people to walk out, revealing Lara in the front and Naruto at the end to make no one got left behind. The Remnant hostages expressed their gratitude to the duo, especially Ivan.

"Thank you both so much!" Ivan said, leading his people to do the same. "And Nadia? Where is she?"

"She's safe, Ivan," Lara assured softly. "Let's get you all back to the village."

"Hear, hear."

Patronus looked back at the direction where the Winter Guard is fighting against Baba Yaga. Part of him wants to help, but the other part says that Kitezh and the Remnants' safety is more important. He resumed the rearguard post, but stopped when a lone Remnant stayed behind.

"Hey!" Patronus called out, drawing the Remnant's attention to him. "Come on, let's get you home."

"Coming!"

When Patronus turned his head at the group, the Remnant pressed a button on his rather sophisticated watch before covering it with his sleeve and running past Patronus to rejoin the group. It was for a moment, but the man knew it worked.

How?

The watch showed a silver star in red background, emanating ripple-like wave.

END OF CHAPTER