KG: You're gonna ignore this part. Go down.
Music of the Week: Rise Up Dead Man by Hunt: Showdown.
Quote: "Home might be where the heart is, but the Heart is where the feet stay."
Dedicated to Dragon, our adopted son. (Hey sweetie!)
Naruto groaned as he opened his eyes. He heard fighting. It was loud, painstakingly loud. The ground shook like a mighty earthquake and the skies ruptured with thunder. He leaned up and gasped when he saw hundreds, if not thousands of men and women in the Elemental Nations. They all fought each other like madmen. Some laid on the ground, their heads separated from their bodies, others laid strewn about like carpeted sinew.
The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki leaned up. He yelled, but his voice was drowned out in the violence. Steel met bone, kunai met shuriken, the sparks of metal seemed like wild streaks of light in the air. The young genin looked left and right. He felt like he was watching a movie of some kind. It would have been a damn good one if it weren't happening right in front of him.
The blond shivered when he heard a man scream as his head was lodged off by another.
"Conquer the wastelands! Our god rides with us! Our god shall usher in the new Elemental Nations! We are the Survivors of Nine!" someone hollered over the chorus of screams, death, and violence.
"WE ARE THE SURVIVORS OF NINE!" Men and women hollered as they charged into their enemies. Their speed was impressive and so were their punches. What astounded the blond the most was… their use of jutsu.
They were all using jutsu. Katon, Suiton, Raiton, Doton, Futon, every nature was being wielded with overwhelming force. The opposing team's use of jutsu was devastatingly scary. It was like they were in a class of their own. The defending side also had jutsu, but theirs were clearly no match for the opposing warriors. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki watched a katon jutsu burn the skin off some defending men and women as they could only scream and accept their fate.
Once Naruto got up, he tried to grab someone's shoulder, but he phased right through them. "What the…," he thought.
He tried to grab someone else, but the result was no different. He was not allowed to interfere. He could only watch as flaming arrows, explosion kunai, and earth-altering shinobi techniques tore the wasteland asunder. However, that wasn't what shook the blond the most.
No, what utterly baffled him was some of the more, powerful or seasoned shinobi, were riding atop Bone Crawlers. Hell, some of them were riding on flying beasts he'd never even seen before. Like the Bone Crawlers, they didn't have eyes. They also had no legs. Large, black, bat-like wings spread from their arms as their mouth curved like some type of bear with sharp teeth. Two long, stringy tails flowed behind them.
These flying beasts screeched as another shouted. "WE ARE GOD'S CHOSEN! WE shall bring the Elemental Nations into NEW GLORY!" she cried before she unleashed a devastating wind jutsu. A spray of blood splashed on Naruto's face while birds and ravenous flocks devoured corpses.
Whatever battle was going on here, Naruto only knew that it wouldn't be long before it was over. He wished he wasn't right.
The battle ended. The opposing forces won. Some settlement in the middle of nowhere roasted in flames while men and women who surrendered were dragged out. They were bound and captured while the opposing force reveled in their victory. Then, everyone turned quiet. Their sudden silence unnerved Naruto. Why did they stop?
He noticed the prisoners whimpering and sobbing. Some fathers held their wives and children. Some mothers held their sons or daughters. Others held whatever material possession was precious to them.
A man stepped forward. Naruto couldn't see his face. It was covered in a large mask. He only noticed that there was some grey hair on his head. It was a little hard to make out from the dust of the battlefield.
"Make them bow. They will soon be in the presence of god!" he exclaimed.
A few passionate followers did just that. They made their captives bow. Their hands on their heads, they shove their prisoners' faces into the hot, beaten dirt. Naruto clenched his fists, but something kept him in place. Something told him to watch, to observe to learn, to… witness.
The ground shook. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four steps. He turned to his right. From the dusty barren lands that were once filled with luscious trees, one of the biggest Bone Crawlers he'd ever seen, appeared. It was at least as tall as the hotel complex he fought the other seven in!
The blond dropped to his knees. Could they always get that big?! He didn't even know if he could overcome it if he used his all. He turned his head. The men and women bowed. Some prostrated themselves while others bent down on one knee. Either way, they all held their gazes to the ground.
As the big Bone Crawler came into view, Naruto saw it slowly rest its head down. That's when he realized, it wasn't what they were all bowing for. It was simply caring whatever they were bowing to.
He then saw two women land in the sand. He could tell by the way their bodies curved, but there was too much sand and wind to see either's face. Either that or…maybe this dream didn't want him to see them.
Both women bowed. Unlike them, unlike everyone else, he could clearly see who dropped. It was a man, he was tall. He looked a bit smaller than someone of Kakashi's height but definitely taller than someone like Ayame. His steps were calm, precise, and measured. He walked with grace and an air of unboastful authority. Even Naruto wondered if he was out of place being the only one standing. The man walked before his audience. As his face came into view, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki widened his eyes and fell back so far his ass hit the ground.
Blond hair, three whisker marks on each cheek, a clear-cut face, and eyes glowing with green chakra. Was… that him?! But he was right here! How could that be him?!
"Arise," he said, his voice no longer than an indoor voice. Everyone looked up and stood up.
"You've all done well. I couldn't be more proud. Continue to serve me and I'll rule this world. I'll change all of you, you all will live in my world! I will lead you! You will follow me. I am your god. You are my people dattebayo!" he said.
"We are your people! You are our god, Uzumaki Naruto-sama!" They chorused.
Then, Naruto found his eyes linked with the one who had just spoken. His eyes blazed with the same green chakra as his own. No, no that was wrong. His was much stronger. So strong was it that even the young Naruto fell to his knees. "Indeed. You are their god. They will be your people. You shall rule the Earth. Yes, you are a survivor. Was this not your dream? I have fulfilled it for you. Make use of me, Uzumaki Naruto. For that is your right!" A voice said before his vision blanked out.
Naruto gasped heavily as he opened his eyes. He looked left. He looked right. Everything was quiet. The sound of Ayame's breath on his neck calmed him. He was back in the tunnels. The creaking sound of metal was familiar to him.
The young genin touched his forehead and exhaled. He was sweating. "What… what was that?" he thought. It… it was a dream, but it felt so real.
Naruto rolled over and grabbed some water. It quenched his thirst with it and threw the bottle away. He'd pick it up later. In the meantime, he felt Ayame pull him closer to her as his mind replayed the events of that dream. He tried to think about it, but doing so only made his head hurt. Whether fortunately, or unfortunately, his body remembered how tired it was and he fell back asleep about half an hour later. The green chakra slowly expelled from his body and floated through the air before it sucked itself back into his body.
The next few days passed by in something of a blur for Naruto. He constantly thought about the dream, but he didn't remember the finer details of it. After some time, he just decided to treat it as that, a dream and nothing more.
Meanwhile, Tenten, Shino, and Kosuke tested going outside the next morning. All three were astounded when they felt the hot sand on their face. Yet, they were also disheartened when they saw the state of Konoha. There didn't seem to be anything left anywhere. Just a wasteland of buildings and structures being covered by hills and dunes of sand. That reminded them of what Naruto said. Perhaps, they should leave the village behind.
Meanwhile, Kurenai, after two months, was finally healed and refreshed. As soon as she was cleared by Kosuke, herself, and Naruto, she threw herself into her training. The jonin and Eternal Genin then began working everyone as hard as they could. Many hours were spent in pain for Tenten, Shino, and Ayame.
However, neither shinobi could tell what to expect from Naruto. Either the blond had been a late bloomer, or he just never had the right teacher. The genin was amazing. He took to their training well. His control over his green chakra, though nothing worth too much notice, increased. Every battle strategy and lesson they taught him, he remembered with expert precision. Hell, Kurenai thought she was facing a mind reader sometimes. Naruto almost seemed to know what she would do before she did. It was actually rather creepy.
Even when she and Kosuke teamed up against him, his mind's ability to adapt was inhuman. One day, they'd beat him in under a minute. The next day would be two minutes. The next, five minutes. The next, ten minutes. It got harder and harder. Hell, it seemed like his battle sense was overtaking theirs. They actually needed him to hold back because they feared his strength would collapse the tunnels.
They knew this "green chakra" or whatever he had was stimulating the nerves of his brain. He always had a massive headache after they finished their training. Of course, he was still that same simple boy who couldn't handle complicated words. However, once he understood something he worked out at least twenty different strategies or thoughts for it.
Of course, with the knowledge that everyone could go outside, that led to today's meeting. Everyone gathered around the table while Naruto pulled open a large map. One of the flaming barrels was brought over for light and warmth.
"Tenten, how good are you at making weapons?" Naruto asked.
The kunoichi of Team Gai frowned. "Look, just because I collect and use weapons doesn't mean I know how to make them… well. I took some forging classes in my downtime, but I could if I put my mind to it. Why?" she asked.
Naruto took out a shuriken and a kunai. He placed both on the table. "These aren't tough enough to fight the bone crawlers. Even trying to pierce them with a kunai broke it to pieces," he told them.
Ayame stood up. "Naruto-kun's right. When I fought one, it only clanged off its skin until I found its weak point around the neck. If even Naruto-kun can't puncture them, then we can't either," she stated.
Naruto placed the kunai away. "For now, we'll just have to avoid them. They could somehow sense Ayame even through all the chakra I released. If they can get to her, then they can get to you guys. Yeah, we've got some tags and other shinobi equipment, but it might not be long before those run out. Which is why we'll need to be careful of how we use these," he suggested.
The others agreed. "Indeed. These creatures could be anywhere. We have no idea how the landscape has changed in these times. These could be valuable materials," Kosuke replied.
Tenten sighed and tapped the table. Who would have thought her giving up on those damn blacksmith classes would come to bite her in the ass? "Alright, well if I can find this list of stuff that blacksmiths use, then I can try my hand at it. Can't say it'll be Anbu-quality however," she said as she wrote down on a piece of paper.
Meanwhile, Shino took this time to speak. "Unfortunately, Naruto's the only one who can face them reliably. He said they only used to stay in the Shinobi District until a few days ago. Either they've started expanding from where they live, or…,"
"Or something drove them to our side," Tenten finished. Shino nodded while Naruto sat back in his chair.
Kurenai pulled out the map Naruto had been using and placed it on the table. "So if they're over here then what if we try a simple diversion tactic. There's something about Naruto that won't make them attack him first. Even when he met them the first time they didn't attack him. If he enters their territory then maybe that will keep them distracted while the rest of us search. These are akin to animals. They will investigate and defend their territory when it gets invaded," Kurenai suggested.
Ayame stood up. "You want us to use Naruto-kun as bait? How do we even know they'll act like that? We're sending our only defense against them right into their part of the village? What's to say they don't ignore him and come straight for us anyway?" she questioned heatedly. The ramen waitress couldn't lose Naruto. He was all she had left.
"He won't be going alone. I'll be going with him," Kurenai replied.
Kosuke's smile faltered. "Ah, you think they'll have a reason to go after you two if one of us is with him. It's possible that they went after Ayame because they didn't think she was with Naruto. Perhaps they desired the quick and easy meal instead of the fight they got. You could both be overwhelmed. You've also just recently healed, Kurenai. You should think this over carefully," he urged.
Kurenai shook her head. "There's not much to think over. This is a chance for the three of you to explore the village and get used to the way the world's changed. Ayame is the next person to protect the shelter. We can't leave it unguarded no matter what happens. We'll use the radio headsets, but we'll have to be careful. They're running out of battery. We'll have to get more and the most powerful ones are in the Shinobi District," she returned.
Ayame frowned. "Then I'll go with him. I've already fought one," she protested.
"A severely weakened one. We'll need to minimize risk. You've made great strides in your training, Ayame-san, but don't delude yourself. You're not on the level of Kosuke and me. You're just barely below Tenten and Shino, and they haven't properly trained in a month," Kurenai returned.
"That's…," Ayame clenched her fists. So what, she was just supposed to stay here like the helpless civilian while everyone else went out? How could she stand that?!
Thankfully, Naruto spoke. "Exactly, Ayame-chan staying behind serves us a good point," he said.
Everyone looked to their appointed leader. He unsealed a pair of binoculars. "This'll be good for Ayame's scout training. While Kosuke, Tenten, and Shino scavenge in the Civilian District, Kurenai-san and I will be in the Shinobi District. Ayame will be observing both areas. She'll have to alert us if these Bone Crawlers do more than we thought. If they do then I'll get Kurenai-san out of the district and grab the others," he answered.
Shino agreed. "That does make sense," he replied. Tenten agreed as well.
Ayame reluctantly agreed as well. She didn't really like it, but it was better than nothing she figured. She grabbed the binoculars and one of the cheap radio headsets. "Alright," she said.
With that, everyone cleaned the table. Everyone got dressed. Ayame sat on top of the Anbu Headquarters with a tarp, chair, and her lunch. Tenten, Shino, and Kosuke grabbed their backpacks and stared out into the village. A quick check of the mics between Ayame, Naruto, and Kosuke was set. They worked fine and the three set off.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Kurenai nodded. The former hugged the ramen waitress and set off from their base. Ayame waved him goodbye. However, she couldn't help a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She hoped it was just her nerves.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Kurenai landed on a sandy rooftop. The winds had blown fierce. The rooftop was barely visible, slowly being consumed by the new world that had befallen them all. They stared at the Shinobi District. It looked like an absolute mess. Crushed buildings and towers of collected bones and skulls littered the ground.
Naruto pulled up his face mask. Kurenai did the same. The sand kept getting in their mouths. "Tell me, Naruto, what would you even need money for? If the other nations are like Konoha, then it won't be long before no one's gonna think about that anymore," the jonin said.
The blond frowned. "It's because we don't know what the others are like. Besides, when people kill for the stuff, it becomes valuable no matter how broken the earth gets. In the case that we don't need it, then it's good fire fuel," he replied.
The Genjutsu Mistress thought on his words, but she didn't reply. The two set off again. This time, they landed on another rooftop. The Shinobi District was about ten minutes away. They looked down to its roads. "It's too quiet," he said with a frown.
"Are they usually out around this time?" she asked. She shivered when the blond nodded. He told her of when he observed them. He left no minor detail unspoken. That concerned Kurenai greatly. For what reason would they stop coming now?
"Ayame-neechan, do you see anything?" Naruto asked into his mic.
"Nothing so far. Konoha's barren of any movement. Something wrong?" She asked.
"No, I guess it's just nerves," he said before he and Kurenai moved again. The two shinobi ran fast, but Naruto made sure that their speed wouldn't make the jonin winded. Strong though she was, he'd rather not tax her body needlessly.
Ten minutes passed. The two landed on another rooftop. This time, it was one in the Shinobi District. They landed silently, almost fearful of what would happen if they made too much noise. From the way Naruto saw it, they had landed on another apartment complex. It was probably one for the jonin and chunin in the area. Just like everything else, its windows were busted open. The door was blown off its hinges.
Unfortunately, this wasn't their objective. "I remember this street. If it hasn't fallen, then there should be a shinobi shop to the east," Kurenai said, pointing them one way.
Naruto frowned. He quickly checked with Kosuke and the others. Apparently, they saw and heard nothing as well. This made the blond even more anxious. Should he call off the operation? Something told him yes, but something else told him no.
The young genin channeled the green chakra to his eyes and scanned the area. Kurenai, again, felt that mysterious, powerful chakra rush through her body. She tried to steady herself while Naruto looked over the area.
There was nothing. He could oddly make out the chakra signature of the thing at the Chunin Exam Stadium. However, beyond that, he couldn't see the trail of green chakra between himself and the Bone Crawlers.
The blond released the chakra. "Let's go," he said.
The Genjutsu Mistress agreed and they landed on the ground. Kurenai slowly took in what had become of her village. An amalgamation of death, despair, and carnage ravaged the entire place. The sand beneath her feet, once a walkway road, felt hot and dry. This was where Naruto found Hinata's bodiless head. A deep scar ran through the ground like a devouring monster. If that was the earthquake, then Hinata's head most likely got crushed by the debris down there.
The black-haired woman inhaled and exhaled. Everything seemed so quiet and unsettling. The only sound being Naruto's voice over the mic.
"Nothing yet. I must admit, aside from the torn down buildings, dunes of sand, and natural tornadoes, it's a little peaceful," Ayame said.
"Indeed. It's very quiet. It's like a ghost town," Kosuke replied over his line.
Naruto felt a shiver run up his spine but tried to ignore it. The shinobi shop appeared in front of them. Just like everything else, it too seemed to be on the verge of crashing down. "We should be careful. It looks unsteady," Kurenai said.
The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki agreed. A pillar had fallen in front of the door, blocking its entrance. Naruto pulled it up and allowed Kurenai to enter first. She thanked him and ducked beneath the pillar. He dropped it and they looked through the store. This one looked a bit cleaner than the others Naruto visited.
When they stepped inside, the glass crunch beneath their feet. Kurenai kicked some wood to the side while Naruto surveyed the destruction. "You gather all the things down here. I'll get the stuff upstairs," he said.
"Alright, be careful," Kurenai replied. As Naruto journeyed up the stairs, he turned back to her.
"I should be telling you that dattebayo," he remarked which made her laugh before he disappeared.
While Kurenai worked below, Naruto worked above. Clearly, a store like this had more than one level for shinobi-grade materials. Time seemed to roll by as they picked the place clean. Both worked hard while the latter sealed up the materials in scrolls. Anything that they could get, they got. Naruto got a few more masks for the rest of the group as well as some training dummies. Apparently, they sell those as well. Who knew?
The blond gawked when he looked at one of the rakes. "They even sell wooden logs…," he said to himself. Granted, the wood didn't look as clean or freshly carved as before, but it was free so he took those as well. They also grabbed plenty of extra radios, enough for at least twenty or thirty people.
Naruto just finished sealing up some rope when his mic turned on. "Naruto-kun, come in," Ayame said over the line. The duo stiffened while Naruto tabbed his headset.
"Go ahead, Ayame-neechan. What's up?" Naruto asked.
There was silence for a moment. Suddenly, Naruto and Kurenai gasped as they heard a loud, thunderous boom. They quickly grabbed their things and ran out of the shinobi shop they'd been littering. As soon as they ran out, the quake brought the buildings to their knees, covering them in sand and other crushed materials.
"The Konoha Walls to the western quadrant just collapsed," Ayame finished, her voice notably shaken from the ordeal. Both heard the crash of lightning. Trees were set on fire and fierce tornadoes connected with them. No matter where Naruto and his group were, they could all see the blazing fire tornado burning and crushing all through the village on the very far side.
Kurenai widened her eyes and even she dropped to her knees. Every day, every single day, the horror was becoming a reality. Their home, their life was dying. Pretty soon, nothing would remain. No one would remain. How much more could Konoha stand? How much more could the buildings take without their people to protect them?
Naruto and Kurenai wordlessly watched as the entire Hyuuga Compound swirled through the air. The estate, shops, and all the buildings associated with them caught on fire from the storms. Ancient scrolls and texts meant only for Hyuuga eyes scattered themselves to the wind. The latter noticed the branch compound launch until it collided with the Uchiha Compound. Another of the tornadoes crashed into each other and became a deep blaze that would turn everything to cinders.
It was still miles away from them so they hoped they had nothing to fear, but the disaster hastened their efforts. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and lone Jonin scavenged from about ten or twelve shops. They collected elemental scrolls, kunai and shuriken sets, mesh armor, books on chakra study, chakra control, and other advanced techniques. The duo grabbed blades, workbenches, and even managed to find some of the materials on Tenten's list. One of the shop owners must have been a blacksmith because Naruto found a working furnace in his basement. Yes, he sealed up an entire blacksmith's furnace area. Don't question it.
Once they cleared out the block, both finally stood before the Konoha Bank. It was a large building, barely standing just like everything else. Truth be told, Naruto didn't really want to come here for the money itself. Sure, it would still have its value until about five or six months when the world would redefine its significance, but that wasn't his main goal.
"Never did I think I'd come to the Konoha Bank… to rob it," Kurenai replied.
"They won't be using it anyway. We need it more," he said as he stepped through the busted windows. He landed inside. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki surveyed the bank. A mountain of unfleshed corpses laid scattered across the floor. Clearly, they weren't the first to come here. Some probably came here in the ensuing chaos during the Start of the End.
He kicked some glass out of the way. Though he tried to avoid it, he heard the crack of old bones that turned to dust. The distant echo of his steps rang in his ears. Naruto then heard Kurenai behind him. She stepped through as well. Both absently noticed the claw marks around the bank teller desks and bank walls.
"Be on your guard, Naruto. Remember your training," Kurenai said.
The blond didn't need to be told twice. He'd already begun moving the green chakra through his body. The two walked up one of the broken steps that led deeper into the building.
"We've loaded up. We're heading back home," Kosuke said.
"Got it," Naruto returned before he turned his mic down.
Kurenai and the young genin walked carefully. The floor was old, the windows were broken, and the sound of harsh wind was outside. They also had to keep in mind that the storm was getting stronger. Both figured they might have to take what they could get and get out.
After coming down a couple of halls, Naruto and Kurenai came up to the Konoha Vault. One of the places meant to hold the money of every individual in Konoha, not counting the clans. Most of the clans had their own banks to handle their funds. However, as Naruto thought before, there was another reason he came here.
"Okay, how do we get it open? The vault is supposed to be guarded by great weight suppressant seals. It's also incredibly durable. I've heard that even the Legendary Sannin Tsunade-sama would have trouble break…," Kurenai was quickly cut off when she heard the walls crack and tear. She watched as Naruto grunted. He pulled the vault door away from the bank and tossed it to the side. It crashed into the wall with a loud, deafening thud.
The jonin blinked. What?
Naruto dusted his hands off and smirked. When he pushed the green chakra into his eyes, he'd already seen the seals Kurenai was talking about. When he placed his hand on them, the green chakra moved into the seals and unlocked each of them, even the countermeasure ones. The blond then pushed it into his arms and pulled the lock away from the door. Oh, it was heavy, he actually thought his arm would snap off. It was why he threw it away so quickly.
"Alright, let's get to work," Naruto said. He didn't want to stay here more than they needed.
"You… but that… how did you… What just happened?!" Kurenai asked herself as she stared at the wide-open vault. She then looked at the door. Why? Why was that display of strength so…interesting? Or rather, why was it so… so… Kurenai couldn't even find the words for it.
Meanwhile, Naruto, unaware of Kurenai's plight, stared at the many locked drawers arranged like books on shelves. There was a desk with some chairs, and a rotting corpse. More than likely that was someone who did accounting of all the deposits. There was also a ladder going up to all the other deposit boxes.
Naruto inhaled and exhaled. He offered a silent prayer to the deceased for what he was about to do. When he touched one box, the safety seal on its container came undone. He pulled the box out and opened it. Tons of cash filled up the box. He grabbed it and stuffed it in a box. Honestly, though he'd done illegal work before, Naruto never felt scummier.
Silently, Kurenai watched Naruto work. She wasn't sure what she could exactly help with. It wasn't like she could undo complex seals just by touching them. Instead, she secured the perimeter, making sure nothing came that shouldn't be coming. While she did this, the Genjutsu Mistress took the time to think on the enigma known as Uzumaki Naruto.
Well, he was an orphan. He was the holder of the Kyuubi no Yoko, the demon that nearly destroyed Konoha 12 to 13 years ago. He was known as the Dead Last of the Academy, barely passing to make genin. He was known to be brash, loudmouthed, rude, energetic, and quite the brawler. Despite those negative traits, he'd beaten her student, Kiba. He'd also beaten Neji, Hinata's cousin. Considerable feats for someone like him.
If one asked the Kurenai before all this started, then she would have been honest. She didn't know what Hinata saw in Naruto. Granted, she was the last person to talk about what it was to like someone, she always thought Hinata might go for the quiet type like herself. Then again, they say opposites attract. Over the months, she'd seen what Hinata saw.
Despite being hated, the blond worked hard. He chose not to define himself by what people defined him. He carved his own path. He had his own dreams. Even when people mocked him, he held on to what he believed. His charisma was infectious. It made Hinata fight where she might have given up. He showed ingenuity, creativeness, battle prowess, and intelligence most wouldn't see in a classroom. For a boy, he was also easy on the eyes. He had a rather rogue, untamed, wild persona when compared to a boy like Sasuke. Naruto was perhaps the bad boy in cheesy romance novels that the girl liked while Sasuke was the cool, mysterious body girls drew to. That said, personally, Kurenai preferred the former. N-Not that she preferred Naruto. He was just a boy, if that. He was like… tiny Asuma sometimes.
"Yeah, that's a good comparison," Kurenai said to herself. She shook her head. She didn't know where these thoughts were coming from.
Anyway, she'd reevaluated her entire opinion, no that was wrong. She threw out all she thought Uzumaki Naruto was when this all started. Because he lived on his own, he was a survivor. He saved her. He was kind, caring, strong, heroic, dutiful, and studious. When she and Ayame caved beneath the weight of this new world, he stepped up and led them all safely. Sure, not all of his decisions she approved of, but he made sure everyone's voice was heard. He never complained in the training. He'd speak to her sometimes when she was sick with no one else around. He actually paid attention to her words and her lessons. To be honest, Kurenai didn't really know what Sakura didn't see in Naruto. Hell, if he were a couple years older, then even the Genjutsu Mistress thought she might…
"What the hell? I wouldn't think this!" the jonin thought. Maybe she was more delirious than she thought. However that did beg the question, why did she feel great power when Naruto spoke? Why was she so afraid of doing something that would potentially upset or displease him. When Tenten had lashed out with her spoken comment, Kurenai felt the rage boil within her so much that it surprised even her. She actually thought she might take the young kunoichi's head off for disrespecting her god. Wait a minute…
"Wait, god?" Kurenai thought. She shook her head. Maybe she shouldn't have come out today. She'd been having strange thoughts recently.
One or two hours passed before Naruto returned with everything. A scroll full of almost all of Konoha's weath, gold, jewels, and money. He handed it to Kurenai in a scroll. The jonin sighed. In this one scroll, their group had become the richest people in Konoha. Well, not like that was worth anything now.
"Ready to go?" Naruto asked.
Kurenai placed the scroll away. "Yeah. I'm…,"
The jonin was cut off. Both shinobi fell to the floor as the earth outside shook with more anger and fury than either had ever felt. The bank walls cracked and the roof caved in on itself. What sounded like the drums of a thousand thunders through the sky.
Naruto quickly grabbed Kurenai and pushed her against the side of a wall as the debris fell over them. This was way worse than the fissure he felt back when he'd entered the Shinobi District the first time.
"N-Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun, get out of there!" Ayame screamed into his earpiece.
"Ayame-neechan, what's going on?" the blond asked.
Unfortunately, he didn't need to ask. He would get his answer soon enough when a loud, almost deafening roar pierced the air and shattered the glass outside. Through one of the open windows, Naruto and Kurenai gasped as they saw the sand rise up like a giant tidal wave. There was something out there. It roared like a great beast as its body towered high into the sky. It slammed back down and the sand crashed into every building around the Shinobi District. The Genjutsu Mistress grabbed the young blond's chest while he covered the top of her head. The ground continued shaking, buildings crashed down into each other. The thunderous, murderous, animalistic, horrific roar outside shook them both to their very core.
"I…It's a… Get in INSIDE! Naruto-kun! You've...youu...you gooooooooot… tooooooooo… gwwwwwwzzzzt!... "
Just before the mic cut off, Naruto heard Ayame scream as something exploded on her end of the line. Naruto widened his eyes. All he heard was static on the other line. Worry filled Naruto. The skies darkened, but it was too early for it to be night.
The ground continued to rumble. Outside, both saw a mountain of sand, buildings clinging to it only to be cast down like falling stone. The sand grew taller and taller, almost like an obelisk before it sprouted a beast with four jaws. It roared before it slammed back down into the ground. It didn't have arms or legs that either could see. Its body was very linear and curved like that of a serpent. It slammed back into the ground which caused a stone slab to crack over the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's shoulder.
"ARGH!" he groaned while Kurenai held him closer.
Finally, the shaking stopped. The red-eyed jonin coughed and waved some dust out of her face. When she looked up, she saw Naruto protected her from an entire collapsed room of debris. The side of his face bled while he looked at her. "Y-You alright? He asked.
"Y-Yeah," she said.
Naruto pushed some green chakra into his body and moved the heavy stuff he was holding off his arms. It fell to the floor with a hard thud. He then rolled over and leaned against the wall. He quickly checked his headset but snarled. It laid in his hands, snapped in two by something that must have struck him without him knowing.
The young man tossed the broken headset and radio away before he grabbed another one from the scrolls they used. He placed it on his head and tuned the radio to the frequency they were all using. "Ayame-neechan, come in! Ayame-neechan, do you read me?!" Naruto asked, his patience growing thinner and thinner.
There was nothing but static. Anger and rage filled Naruto's body. Worry grew on his face. Even now, the way the ground shifted beneath his feet made him shiver. "Something must be blocking the signal. For now, we have to get out of here," Kurenai suggested.
Naruto leaned back and banged his head on the wall once. "Yeah, but move quietly. Something's out there. From the sound of it, it's not just one either," he told her.
Kurenai agreed and the two slowly moved through the bank. The earthquake, if one could even call it that, had collapsed most of the bank. Bookshelves and tables blocked off other entrances or exits. Pillars and support beams fell on top of each other as Naruto ducked beneath one and Kurenai followed.
The jonin protected the genin's flank. They stayed as close as they could to each other while they felt the darkness creep on top of them. The former wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her because she saw the shadow of… something more moving outside. She looked out the window and the sand moved like something was beneath it. Actually, one… two… three… four somethings. They each moved around separate parts of the village.
As Kurenai looked at her home, she was stunned. No, she was devastated. Everything, it was all gone. Only a handful of buildings remained standing. She could count them on all ten of her fingers. Naruto saw it as well. It was then that he knew, never mind another month or two. They couldn't stay even one more day. As soon as he got back to his group, they would all need to make plans to leave the village. They'd been in talks for a few days about what they would do or where they would go.
Both silently watched the tremors beneath the sand. The wind knocked a tree over. It fell with a loud rumble, but that wasn't what terrified them both. As soon as the tree fell over, it was pulled beneath the sand by three large jaw-like appendages. After that, the only sound was that of the wind.
When they looked at each other, Naruto placed a finger to his lips. He pointed for Kurenai to follow him. She agreed. They silently walked to the back of the bank and down into the basement. They flicked on their flashlights. Since there was no light the further they went down, the darker it got. So dusty was it that they had to wipe off their lights multiple times before they made it to the bottom level.
They made it to the basement door for electrical work. Naruto tried to open the door, but it was locked. Kurenai kicked the door down and both went inside. Once they were inside, Naruto placed the door back up and put a large stone behind the door to keep it up. They sighed and fell to the ground.
"What even was that?" Kurenai asked.
The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki shook his head. "I don't know, but Ayame and the others are in trouble. We don't even know what's going on," Naruto answered.
"Then I guess our first step should be figuring that out. Perhaps we should rest here then head to the rooftops. That'll give us a visual of everything," the jonin advised.
Her genin leader agreed. They rested for a couple of minutes and tried to make it to the rooftops. Unfortunately, the way was caved in. Given how unstable the bank was, it wouldn't be long before it came crashing down. With that being the case, Naruto didn't charge headfirst and break the debris. Their plan was quickly thwarted and they went back to the basement. For a while, they decided to eat and drink their problems away, wallowing in the temporary satisfaction of the food they brought with them.
While they ate, Naruto noticed something strange. The light of his torch casted an odd shadow behind a lone steel shelf that had been in the room with them. He got up and walked over to it. Kurenai watched him while he grabbed the shelf and pulled it to the side. The blond frowned when he saw a giant hole which led into the dark.
"There's a hole here," Naruto said.
Kurenai raised an eyebrow and walked over, a piece of her sandwich still in her mouth. "Is it possible some people made it?" she asked.
The blond shrugged. "I guess, but look. There's slimy stuff on it," he said. He raised his hand and Kurenai grimaced at the long trail of gooey residue stuck to the genin's hand. He touched his hands together and pulled them apart.
"It's sticky. Hard too. It's like glue only… much… harder!" he growled before he released his chakra and broke his hands free. He panted while Kurenai investigated. She took some and moved it between her thumb and forefinger.
"So it's very adhesive. What could make this? Maybe it's your Bone Crawlers," she replied.
The Kyuubi jinchuuriki turned his head. Was it them? It was possible, but the hole seemed much too big to handle their size. They could investigate, but Naruto really didn't feel like it. As it stood they had to get out of here. He thought he might have to risk it and punch their way out and face whatever laid outside. However, the decision wasn't his to make.
The bank suddenly groaned. Cracks lined the basement walls. The genin and jonin duo gawked as the entrance to the basement collapsed in stone and wood. It wouldn't be long until the bank collapsed as well. The two stared at the large hole. Kurenai did not like where this was gone. Hopefully, Naruto wouldn't say…
"Guess there's only one way to go, dattebayo," he said before he grabbed his things and jumped into the hole.
…Dammit.
Kurenai grabbed her backpack and jumped into the hole with Naruto. When she jumped down with him, the first thing the jonin noticed was just how slimy all of the walls were. However, unlike the hole they entered through, it wasn't so adhesive that they were stuck. It just clung to them like a warm, sticky blanket.
Naruto turned on his flashlight. "Where are we?" Kurenai asked. The blond shrugged.
"I guess beneath the bank. Didn't know there were tunnels down here. Either way, come on. We gotta find a way out of here," he said. Kurenai wholeheartedly agreed.
The two shinobi walked through the damp cavern tunnels. Their steps echoed rather ominously. Their flashlights shined along the walls. The more they walked, the more uncertain and scared they got. The tunnels seemed almost like burrows. They twisted and turned unnaturally. The claw and teeth marks on the side, glazed in dried blood, the skulls and bones they passed, Kurenai couldn't help finding herself a little out of her element. She'd seen many terrifying things in her career as a kunoichi, but nothing like this.
The tunnels rumbled. Panicked, Naruto and Kurenai turned out their flashlights. They waited in the darkness for a long time. The rumbling continued. It got closer. The Uzumaki heir didn't know why, but sweat started to pour down his face. There came growling, snarling, and digging. The densest green chakra Naruto had ever seen or felt came their way.
Without thinking, Naruto pulled Kurenai down to him. He then covered her body with his own to make them as small as possible. The noise got closer. The rumbling got stronger. The passageways echo relentlessly. An intense wave of killing intent covered them both. As it got closer, Kurenai placed her head in Naruto's chest. Whether to keep herself from seeing that which mustn't be seen, or to help her shivering, she didn't know which. All she knew was that the long, narrow, suffocating tunnels moved without regard for how they felt.
Naruto and Kurenai turned their heads. Even though it was dark, they could see the ginormous, slithering, crawling form of something burrowing past them. It gently roared as its grotesque body passed them by. It must not have seen them for it had no eyes, but for some reason they could feel its gaze on them. The black-haired jonin didn't know what she was feeling, but she unconsciously gripped Naruto so hard she tore some of his clothes. She shook like she was in the middle of the freezing cold.
Three jaws, each filled with slime and over 24 rows of teeth lined each jaw. Like a venus fly trap's open flap, the jaws wiggled and writhed like something out of the depths of hell. From its mouth about fifteen feeler tentacles wrapped around the walls. Fear rushed through Naruto. It was just like back in the Chunin Exam Stadium, but this couldn't be that. It was much too big. If he faced something this big then it shouldn't matter how hard he struggled. He would have been eaten if he tried to save Ayame from this earlier.
One of the feelers brushed against the wall inches from Kurenai's face. Naruto slowly, quietly, pulled her away. The feeler crawled along the stone walls. The beast in the shadows groaned. The sounds of its teeth clacked together like razor sharp knives. A stone fell next to them and the feeler instantly moved toward it. The stone was next to Kurenai's hand so she slowly moved it. Another stone fell. The jonin could hear the genin's heartbeat. Both were pacing.
Suddenly, there was a scream. Naruto recognized it as that of a distant Bone Crawler. The slithering beast roared and sped off as it dug through the underground labyrinth it most likely created.
Once it was gone, Kurenai and Naruto slowly eased. Their breath was hot. Slowly, the latter pulled away from the former. He looked down the tunnel where the crawling beast just slithered. He tried to move, but Kurenai kept him locked tight. He looked down and he saw the expression of pure terror on her face. Her fingers twitched against his shirt while her breath came in raspy gasps.
That, that chakra, it felt just like Naruto. Only it was much viler. It didn't offer the Genjutsu Mistress a sense of comfort or relief. Instead, it was very dark, overpowering, vicious, and unforgiving. Though it was miles, nay worlds apart, she could only compare this feeling to when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha. At that time, she'd been adamant to help, but now she cursed herself. Would she be like this when crunch time came? Quivering like a broken mess before the landscape that had changed her home so drastically?
"Kurenai-san, we gotta go," Naruto whispered, his hot voice tickling her ear.
The jonin slowly nodded and Naruto picked her up. It was clear that Kurenai had been shaken by what she saw. She was more alert, yes, but she was also more jittery. Perhaps it shouldn't have surprised the blond. They were very deep underground, they didn't know where they were going, and they were surrounded by gigantic worm-like beast's with thousands of razor sharp teeth. All the jonin could rely on was her wit and Naruto. Sure they had some shinobi supplies, but only he could unseal them to make use of them.
While they walked, the two were constantly haunted by the screams. Naruto recognized them as the screams of the Bone Crawlers. He now knew why they hadn't appeared on the surface. They were being hunted. They were scattering themselves to the wind just as he and his group would do soon. In this world, the strong reigned and the weak suffered. Perhaps, it was always that way. The strong of society trampled upon the weak of individuality. He'd seen that all his life. He realized that when he kicked the broken remains of a Bone Crawler into the dark void. He dared not turn on his flashlight for he feared what would greet them if he did.
Naruto slowly guided Kurenai through the tunnels for what seemed like hours. There were so many close calls, too many to count. The walls and floors were sticky with gooey residue. That made it hard to walk. Both nearly slipped off and fell to their deaths. It was only thanks to Naruto's chakra strength that he could pull them both up. For once in her life, Kurenai actually feared that she might die.
The darkness was heavy, the sounds and pain of creatures hunting creatures were rampant. Naruto even began feeling the exoskeletons of squashed insects. Finally, Naruto stopped. They couldn't keep going like this. If they did then he was sure they'd die. He said that because another giant worm-like creature dug its path just a few inches from him.
The duo leaned against a wall. They looked out into the dark abyss. There was nothing but endless darkness and a soul-crushing void. They both heard another two Bone Crawlers scream before they were dragged into an unspeakable fate.
Both covered in ooze sighed. "If we try to wall off some of the cave, they're big enough to just dig right through. Whatever these are, they're good at staying under the ground," Kurenai said tiredly.
Naruto slowly nodded. "I just wonder where they came from. I've never seen anything like them the times I've gone out," he replied just as quietly. They shivered when they heard a roar in the caverns below. They couldn't see in front of them, behind them, or even around them.
Kurenai then asked the question they were both thinking. "So what do we do?" she whispered.
Naruto leaned his head against the wall. He closed his eyes. Yeah, what were they supposed to do? He pushed the green chakra into his mind. Clearly this thing helped him think faster so he'd might as well use it, even if it would give him a splitting headache. In his mind, he replayed so many scenarios. He saw ones where he died but Kurenai lived, ones where she died but he lived, and ones where they both died.
For the next five minutes, he must have run through hundreds of scenarios until he finally opened his eyes. He frowned. "We can get out dattebayo," he told her. Kurenai stirred.
"How?" she asked.
He smirked. "Do you trust me?" he asked.
Kurenai was close enough to him to look at his eyes. She saw confidence within them. She saw strength. Once again, this young man astounded her. Where most would give up, he defied the hand he'd been dealt. The jonin would blame the fire in her heart on adrenaline. When she stared at that green chakra swirling in his eyes, she couldn't help but nod. "Yes, Naruto-sama," she answered, her eyes flowing with green chakra as well.
Naruto stood up. "Good. Cause this ain't gonna be a slow ride up," he said. He grabbed a scroll and unsealed its contents. Kurenai saw him unseal about twenty smoke pellets, fifteen explosion tags, and one kunai. He drenched the kunai in oil and took out some matches.
He turned to her. Kurenai stared back at him. He saw the trust in her eyes. He saw the strength of her resolve. Yeah, she could survive. She would survive just like he would. "Shout, Kurenai! Shout as loud as you can until your voice cracks," the young jinchuuriki said.
The female jonin didn't think. She just did as she was asked. Kurenai… screamed. She screamed into the tunnels as loud and as hard as she could. The tunnels trembled with rage at her outburst. No matter how much they shook, no matter how much they ruptured, no matter how much they exploded, she still screamed until her voice gave out.
Naruto turned down one of the tunnel corridors. He heard the nigh demonic, animalistic, murderous roars of the Sand Dwellers beneath their feet. Just as he thought, one… two… five… ten of them were coming for them. They burrowed like they had just found their free meal. The two shinobi protected themselves from the falling stones. If they weren't careful the whole damn place would collapse on them.
Kurenai stayed close to Naruto while he readied himself. These things, like the Bone Crawlers, had no eyes. From the way the tunnels rumbled and from the way he observed the bones on the ground, either they just burrowed until they found something or… they hunted by the vibration of the tremors and air. They probably hunted the Bone Crawlers beneath the ground. That must have been what that massive earthquake was. Wherever these things came from, they choose now to resurface.
Finally, one came. Their pathway grew stronger. Kurenai clenched Naruto's shoulders. Soon, both gasped as the wide maw of endless rows of teeth charged for them. It roared with such strength and fury that the wind pushed them back a few inches. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki felt his hands shake. Just what was their world turning into?
Unfortunately, that didn't matter right now. With all his strength he threw the smoke pellets into the mouth of the Sand Dweller. He then lit the match and ignited the oil on the kunai. He threw the kunai into the mouth of the large beast. Along with the kunai, the fifteen explosion tags went inside.
Kurenai barely had time to brace herself when the Sand Dweller exploded. No, seriously. It exploded in a burst of fire and smoke that made it screech out in pain. It bashed and crashed against the walls as the flames inside its body charred its insides. Its face crashed into the ceiling. In a frantic panic, it began to burrow upwards.
With hate, Naruto grabbed Kurenai's arm and pulled her. "Get on!" He exclaimed. She grabbed the skin of the creature. However, it was a little tough. She couldn't find a solid hold on it. Thankfully, she didn't need to. Naruto pressed his body against her own. He kept her pinned to the Dweller while he used the green chakra to augment his strength. He stabbed the beast with two kunai. Both secured, they gritted their teeth before they were pulled along for the ride.
The speed the Dweller moved was insane. Even for Naruto, he felt his grip on the kunai slip a few times as they rode up, down, sideways, and backways through the tunnels and caverns below the village. Neither felt confident to open their eyes, but whatever structures laid hidden from civilian view below the village were destroyed as the flaming Sand Dweller tore through the underground passageways.
The trip was hard and rough. Sharp stones tore into Naruto's clothes and scarred his back. He tried to protect Kurenai as best he could, but not even she was safe from the occasional piece of torn clothing. A hard rock hit the side of her face as their travels continued.
Finally, before both knew it, the desert sands blasted in their faces with the harsh wind. Naruto opened his eyes. They were outside. High above the ground, the Sand Dweller screeched and roared while it bashed its flaming body into the hot sand. The young genin and older jonin crashed into the sand as well and the force was too strong. They were flung from the Dweller's body and skidded across the ground before they crashed into one of the few still standing buildings.
Once the world finally stopped shaking, Kurenai slowly opened her eyes. "When you said rough, you weren't kidding," she remarked as she rubbed her head.
Naruto coughed and laughed. "Y-Yeah, I'm a good time dattebayo," he groaned.
The jonin turned around out of concern for the strain in his voice. She stiffened when she saw his shoulder had been punctured by a wayward iron bar. They heard another crash outside. They looked outside and saw at least five other Sand Dwellers attack the one in flames. It screamed as it was helplessly devoured by the others.
Naruto watched the scene with no emotion. The creatures would even kill each other to survive. They swarmed its body like vultures and rats, ready to pick it apart. Its screams and cries were utterly ignored and stamped down. It was going to die and they wouldn't care one way or the other.
Yeah, the strong live and the weak die. Some might say the strong protect the weak, but the weak serve the strong. As the blond stared at the scene in front of him, he had a thought. Very rarely are the weak allowed to choose how they die.
"Are you alright?" Kurenai asked, inspecting the wound.
Naruto grunted. "Yeah, I'll heal soon. I've always healed up fast," he said.
The jonin grabbed the iron bar and slowly pulled it out of the blond's shoulder. She tore a part of her clothes and wrapped his arm. She then helped him to his feet. The duo grabbed their things and walked outside. So far, the Sand Dwellers weren't interested in them now that they had something big enough to eat.
The two walked through the ruins of their destroyed village. Neither spoke a word. They just took in the destruction around them. A sense of clarity, finality, and surrender filled them up. The fallout of their home, save for a few places, seemed all but finished now.
By the grace of whatever god kept watch over them, the two made it back to their bunker. They saw the Anbu Headquarters from afar. It had been in shambles. Neither spoke a word about it. They just entered the bunker.
Battered, bruised, depressed, and tired, the two shinobi walked through the tunnels. Some parts had been dented. Sand began pouring it. It wouldn't be long before one of the tunnels flooded with said. That also meant that if, when snow fell it was going to get inside. That also meant whatever rain was coming down, it would break through very soon.
After some time, they finally made it home. One couldn't begin to imagine the well of tears threatening Naruto's face when he saw Ayame, Shino, Tenten, and Kosuki all waiting patiently for them. Once they were spotted, no one still spoke. Ayame hugged Naruto. She shivered from his touch and quickly began to patch him up.
The silence was utterly unnerving, but somehow… everyone could tell what the group was thinking. The flames in the barrels were put out. Ayame disinfected Naruto's wound and bandaged him up. After that, he unsealed food for everyone to eat. They all ate quietly, slowly, dreadfully. The loud roars and unnaturally violent sounds made them tremble.
Once everyone ate their fill, Naruto sealed up the food, water, sleeping bags, covers, beds, and anything else they needed. The group gasped when something banged the metal tunnels. The Ramen Waitress fell to her knees and sobbed. The Eternal Genin held his head down. The Genjutsu Mistress held the Aburame heir in her arms. The Weapon Mistress fought down her own tears with clenched fists.
As for the Uzumaki heir, all he could do was comfort Ayame while she cried into his chest. Her fear, her anger, her sadness, and her anxiety poured themselves full strength into him. He felt the full weight of her agony.
Once Ayame settled, the group gathered together. They looked to Naruto, their backpacks on their shoulders. He slowly nodded. He motioned for them to follow. They did without complaint.
No one still said anything. They all actually preferred the silence. If they talked, they feared what would come out of their mouths. They climbed up the tunnel ladders and made it outside. When they were outside, they stared at Konoha, or what was left of it.
One of the Village Hidden in the Leaves' walls had been torn down, broken shops, bodies, and debris scattered themselves to the wind. Sand covered what didn't. They all watched as the giant Sand Dwellers ruptured from the earth below and swam through the sand like it was their own kingdom. Heh, at this point it probably was.
In the Civilian District, they saw a few Bone Crawlers scavenging. They didn't get far before they were pulled under the earth, their screams evident. Maybe… maybe one day they would get to return to this place, their home, their village. Maybe one day they might rebuild and wonder if this was all just a very bad dream. Unfortunately, that day… was not today.
The group turned back to Naruto one more time. In his hands laid a world map, and a compass he pilfered from one of the stores. With the wind in their eyes, the sand on their feet, their bodies covered by heavy cloaks, Naruto's group walked on top of the Hokage Stone Faces… away from Konoha, away from their home, away from their heritage.
The group disappeared into the dusty wind to places unknown. They didn't really know where they were going. They just hoped… it was better than where they were now.
KG: Well, I think that's it. I actually had a lot of fun with this one. Now, there is one more Konoha person still alive. Naruto just hasn't met them yet. He will down the line. Anyway, some people asked about antagonistic Konoha people. I'm still on the fence about it, but I think that can be explained if I go that route.
KG: Anyway, that's the end of Konoha. The group will now venture out to other parts of the world and discover just how it's changed. Yes, there will be creatures, mutations, and beasts unique to each region. It'll be rather fun I think.
KG: Anyway, I must give shoutouts to ABitterPill and AWeirdReader. Both of your theories and thinking are quite interesting. You two are quite close than I thought someone might get so soon. You two are very close, but not quite there yet. The Green chakra isn't jinchuuriki-exclusive for now. It's affected many others. Let's just say… it's learning.
KG: Anyway, I hope you've all had fun. Have a great May! Stay Healthy! CREAM SODA!