KG: Anyone know how to make pancakes?
Music of the Week: From Past to Present by Jeremy Soule
Quote: "I want us all to get along. I want us all to get along because I'm fearful of what will happen to this world if we don't."
Everything happened so fast. It happened so fast Shizune wasn't even given time to think. One moment, Raiga was threatening their captive, a kunai to the blond's throat. The next moment, the underground base's second-in-command was down on the ground, unconscious with the blond's hand wrapped around her throat. He pinned her to the wall with such strength that she almost thought she'd go unconscious before she could counter.
Yet, the medic-nin couldn't counter. When she stared into his eyes, she felt the fear of her own death. She feared for her death at the hands of an Inheritor of the Wastelands. The weight of her own mortal consciousness made her inwardly submit to this being of immense, almost divine authority. She couldn't deny it, he was stronger than Ranmaru. Just his gaze made her squirm. She's never felt such strength since… her master. She feared defying him for he was, dare she say, a god just waiting for his time to take everything.
That said, Shizune was still a jonin! She had her damn pride as well. To be captured by an enemy shinobi, much less a prisoner, was unacceptable. The black-haired woman quickly tried to summon whatever chakra she could, but she gasped when all the chakra she still had fizzled away.
"Don't bother," Naruto replied, his voice like a roll of thunder in the night sky.
Shizune snarled and grabbed a kunai from her pouch beneath the hem of her kimono skirt. She quickly tried to stab the blond, but she shivered when he blocked her strike. He didn't even look mad. He just looked annoyed.
The kunai clacked on the ground. Shizune tried to reach for more, but the grip on her throat got stronger. "Try again, there'll be no one that'll fix your broken arms!" Naruto threatened.
Shizune scowled, but… she moved her hand away from her weapons' pouch. Once Naruto saw that he slowly put her down. He then quickly transformed into Raiga right before the medic's eyes. "I'm gonna adjust my voice. You'd better tell me if I've got it right. If you don't, then you'll have a lot more people to heal than just me," he said.
Fearing for the life of her people in the settlement, Shizune nodded. So, Naruto carefully adjusted his voice until the medic-nin gave him the nod that he had Raiga's voice right. The transformed blond nodded. "Good. Now, you're coming with me! Don't do anything stupid," he warned.
Shizune then gasped when she felt something start controlling her. It felt like her chakra had been latched onto by some unknown force. It must have been the young man because he stared at her. When he raised his arm, she raised her arm as well. When he raised his foot, she raised her foot as well.
Puppetry Jutsu? Was he from Sunagakure? That was the village that had the most puppet users. Shizune had been to that village a few times before the world went to hell. Still, to even use such an advanced puppeteering jutsu showed the boy's prowess. It was a shame. On the one hand, the black-haired woman could understand Raiga's concerns, but learning of the man's plans for the boy, she couldn't fault his rebellion. He would have been a massive help to their settlement. Now, it was all on her to make sure the place still stood until the young man left.
"You know he'll wake up eventually and you'll be surrounded," she said.
"I don't think you've got the time to worry about others. You just focus on getting me out of here and I'll make sure your work as a medic doesn't get harder," Naruto replied as he tied up Raiga and gagged him.
Once that was done, he stood up. "Where do you live down here? You're gonna take me there. Don't try to be smart and alert anyone. If I feel you're deviating then I'll kill you and find my own way out. Got it?" He asked.
Shizune swallowed. She had a feeling he could do it too. "Fine. I live on the second floor of the settlement. It leads deeper into the underground base structure," she replied.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, but he nodded. He locked the cell door and took the keys with him. He and Shizune then opened the cell doors and walked outside the prison room.
The disguised young man and his captive walked through the long, dim hallways of cavern rock. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki noticed a row of about ten guards, five on each side guarding the prison. Wow, such prestigious security. All of it for him, they shouldn't have.
Naruto frowned when he thought he saw someone looking at him, but when he turned his head the guards were still staring forward. That said, the blond noticed one of the guards slowly reaching for his kunai pouch. The young man frowned. Ah, it seemed Raiga was cleverer than the blond thought.
"You'd better start running," Naruto told Shizune. She looked at him weirdly.
"It seems I've been spotted already," he said through Raiga's voice as they walked out of the prison tunnel and down a corridor that led into the settlement's underground housing structures.
Shizune feared the worst as their steps echoed through the halls. "I-I didn't…" she started to say while he tightened her arm.
"Shut up. I know it wasn't you, dattebayo. I guess your friend from earlier told one of the guards he was going to do something specific when he left the prison. Clearly, I didn't do anything and only one of them reached for their kunai. It probably won't be long until…"
Naruto and Shizune paused when the settlement suddenly rang loud with the sound of alarms. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki scowled as the halls filled with metallic walls echoed the noise. He quickly disguised himself in what he'd assume a medic-nin would wear. He then grabbed the female medic's arm and dragged her with him. "If you see anyone, talk some medic shit to me," he said with a growl while she nodded.
As the two entered a hallway with multiple entrances, the blond didn't have the time to marvel at them all. Instead, Shizune led him to one of the left tunnels that led deeper into the underground shelters. They then took about four or five, the blond lost count, turns through more hallways. Each seemed more mechanical than the last.
Some chakra to his ears, Naruto heard people coming. He frowned. "Start talking," he said. Shizune pulled out her notepad.
"Yes, I was assuming that as well. We'll need to prescribe the daily recommended dose of medication to the patient. What do you think?" she asked, handing Naruto a blank notepad.
"Yeah, that makes sense. We should…"
"Hey, you two!" someone shouted.
Naruto and Shizune closed the notebook. They then looked up and the blond saw a squad of about five men, each of them dressed in what he assumed was some type of shinobi attire. Judging by the attire, it must have been sewn together thanks to anyone working fabric when they were a civilian. The attire didn't look new. It was just made from torn parts.
Anyway, they each took out a set of kunai. Though anxious, Naruto held his nerve. "Both of you get to your rooms and close the doors. The settlement is in lockdown. If either of you sees Raiga-sama then don't engage. We've reason to believe he might not be it! Move now! All unauthorized personnel outside their homes in the next ten minutes will be detained!" the obvious leader said before he ran past them.
Shizune couldn't believe this was happening right now. The people who were meant to guard the place just ran past the person in question. The medic couldn't believe this. "Please stop this. Think about the people who will get hurt because of you," she responded.
Naruto frowned. "You people knew what you signed up for when you joined this 'settlement' of yours. Besides, I didn't want to come here. You can blame your friend, Ao, for this!" he snarled.
Of course, the blond didn't want to cause any discourse with anyone. However, he didn't owe the people here anything. He had his own loved ones waiting for him to get back. That said, he couldn't help feeling like he'd brought himself here for a reason. Something in the back of his mind told him there was something here for him. The reason he'd allowed himself to pass out was for something here.
… or maybe his head was just messing with him. That was possible also.
Either way, the two didn't spend too much of their time there anymore. Shizune, very reluctantly, led Naruto to the most open area. The young man was then treated to what he could only surmise to be some massive underground, metal city lined throughout the underground sea of stone. He heard the workings of complicated machinery and felt the heat from below the ground.
He also noticed a ton of staircases leading to the upper and lower floors of this… settlement. There seemed to be a few homes and even some stalls. People were selling broken kunai, shuriken, a few scrolls, but everyone was in a panic to quickly get into their homes. The blond gasped. How had all this come about in only two years?!
How long would all of this take if his group worked on it?
Unfortunately, Naruto couldn't stay on it for long. He saw a few shinobi running along the open walls of the underground fortress area. Some of them even had grappling hooks, helping them scale the walls and land on top of roofs.
"Which way?" Naruto asked.
Shizune sighed and pointed further down the hole. There was a lone steel house far in the corner. "Over there," she replied.
"Attention, all settlers, please remain in your homes! Any people found outside in two minutes will be detained! This is your final warning!"
Naruto stiffened. Was that an alarm system megaphone? Hell, if these people hadn't kidnapped him, perhaps Naruto would have thought to have his team become part of this community. They clearly had all the right stuff. That said, he couldn't be excited, especially not now.
Shizune quickly led him down a series of metal steps and in no time, they were walking across a metal platform. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki stared over the railing at the orange hue of some kind of hot earth far beneath the settlement. He also saw some type of building that led down into that area. Well, it wasn't his concern.
The two arrived at the medic-nin's house. She opened the door and guided him inside. Naruto dropped the transformation and surveyed the room. It wasn't very big at all. A living room with one sleeping bag for a bed. Well, not that he was surprised. Ever since the meteor hit, there wasn't much to do for a comfortable life in times like this.
Once they were inside, Shizune locked her door and while Naruto sat on the floor and sighed. Both watched shinobi run through the steel areas. The former closed the blinds to her house. "Alright, you've perfectly invaded my house. What now?" she asked with a bit of test in her voice.
Naruto looked at her and then frowned. "Well, I'll need to get my stuff back that you guys stole from me. Look, once I get my stuff and you lead me to the exit, then I'll just hope we never see each other again. Besides, considering you guys stabbed me with needles that could likely have contained anything malicious, I'd say I'm being pretty generous," he fired back.
Shizune snorted. "You're a saint," she remarked.
"So you gonna tell me where my backpack is?" he asked.
"So you can rob us of the rest of our stuff?" she asked.
Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "You mean to steal the stuff that was already mine back? Yes!" he exclaimed.
The female medic opened her mouth and then closed it. She supposed it wasn't impossible to see the blond's point in all of this.
The two stayed in silence for a moment. That silence didn't last for very long before a rapid series of knocks came to the door. Naruto tensed and so did Shizune. The former still had control of that latter. She couldn't open the door and warn someone if he didn't let her.
The whiskered man got up and hid behind the door. He told her to open it. She swallowed and unlocked the hatch.
"Yo Shizune. I'll make this brief. I need you to come with me. We found Raiga-sama locked up in the prison cells. He said you were the last person to see the prisoner before they got away. We just want to ask you some questions."
Naruto heard a man's voice on the other side. He cursed. All he had was the kunai he stole from Raiga back in the prison cells. Well, that was all he had without drawing attention to himself. Anyone would notice the flare of chakra if he used it, especially at this type of range.
Shizune sighed. "Alright, just let me grab some things." She moved her eyes to the right. The person behind the door raised an eyebrow before some type of realization was made. It became a little obvious when she did it after the sixth time.
"Right. Maa, well Raiga-sama can wait. Can I help?" the man asked.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. Well, there wasn't much point anymore.
The blond lunged from behind the door and grabbed Shizune. She gasped when he pressed the kunai to her throat. The man cursed and grabbed his own kunai. "Now that's not nice, Shizune-san. I was being nice and I told you I didn't want any problems with any of you. You're lucky… I… don't…" Naruto's words slowly died in his throat. He widened his eyes when he stared at the man in front of him. Even as the man glared at him, he couldn't mistake that seemingly lazy-like drawl in his eye. His… single visible eye just like that Ao guy from before.
The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki also couldn't mistake that spiky, silverish-gray hair. For so long, the disguised blond always wondered if anyone else from Konoha survived. It seemed… that was indeed the case.
"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked which got the man to widen his eye. Even Shizune stilled when she heard the words that came from the prisoner's lips.
-x-
Ayame sighed as she picked up an empty can. She sucked her teeth and threw it away, its metallic body clanking in the hot wind. She and Kurenai had been around the edges of Yugakure, or what was left of it. They were still deciding what to do not only about Naruto, but also about their situation.
The former ramen waitress sighed. She never realized just how hard collecting things was without something to seal them in. Once again, she was reminded of just how much they relied on Naruto. That said if they didn't find them… what would happen to their group? They had many important things sealed in scrolls back on Uzushio. If they couldn't find him then most of their supplies were useless.
"Naruto-kun…" Ayame thought to herself.
She missed him. She missed him a lot. As she carefully walked up one of the broken stairs that led into a part of a house that had been torn in two, she thought about him. Moreover, she thought about what she and Kurenai discussed. They both… loved Naruto.
Surprisingly, Ayame didn't find herself put off on the idea of… maybe sharing him. Now, don't misunderstand. She never shared any of her previous boyfriends. That was why she was weirded out by her acceptance of the idea. Not even with her closest former friend has she ever contemplated a polygamous relationship. She wanted to be the only special one in her loved one's heart.
That said, she could just feel it, perhaps deep within her soul, her very body, that to share Naruto with Kurenai… felt right. Don't ask her to explain why, but that was what she felt. Something primal within her urged that she not be concerned about such a thing. She was worthy and Kurenai was worthy. Yet, more than that, Naruto was worthy to have them both and no other.
See? She thought she was insane. Yet, the idea was ever appealing to her. She knew what Naruto was like. She'd known him for the majority of his life. If there was anyone that would treat not just her, but Kurenai well, respect them, love them, and… take care of them, it would be him.
Unknown to the Ichiraku daughter, Kurenai had the same thoughts. While the Genjutsu Mistress did enjoy certain… fantasies, she'd never thought of putting them into practice. Yet, she also knew what Naruto and Ayame meant to each other. She also saw what Hinata saw in the young man. It didn't help that he proved to be so reliable, so strong, and so…
Anyway, yes, Kurenai found herself dreaming of him many nights. Was she guilty? At first, yes. She was more guilty of her attraction to loving the young man that her… now-deceased student liked. What would Hinata think when they met on the other side? Unfortunately, the black-haired woman had no answers to that. She just knew that her thoughts were genuine.
Of course, at first, she thought it was just because… she was sexually frustrated. Two years without sex was a bit nerve-wracking. Especially since she'd learned that Shino and Tenten were basically dating. That one came out of left field. She tried to instill in both the proper procedures of safe sex as an adult, but… she wouldn't be surprised if they were active.
Anyway, again, her student's sex life aside, she knew it wasn't merely a lust thing. It was something she felt she truly desired. To wake up with him next to her every day, surviving in this cold, cruel world. He was also easy on the eyes. Plus, watching him work with no shirt was just… it just made her feel a lot of ways. Don't judge her!
All this being said, she just felt it was right to be with him and Ayame, but definitely more with him. Kurenai had… experimented a bit when she was younger but in the end, she enjoyed a man in her life. Now, that man was gone and she had no idea where he was. If she found him, she wouldn't mind such a relationship then. At least she understood where she and Ayame stood.
Anyway, Kurenai walked out of the building with a large pile of stuff. She wiped the sweat off her face. The wind had carried most of the sand off leaving a rugged path of crushed rock and stone. Honestly, between the awkward steps, hot rocks, and blistering heat, she wondered if she preferred the sand from before. Well, she couldn't do anything about it.
Kurenai noticed Ayame come before her. They both set down their stuff. "Remember when we had Naruto-kun to just seal this stuff away?" the latter asked.
"Yeah," the former replied when she saw her friend staring at the ground. Her eyes were hard and focused. The brown-haired girl then stared off into the distance. The former jonin frowned.
"You still see something?" the red-eyed woman asked which got her young friend to jump.
Ayame chuckled nervously. "Y-Yes. It's some kind of faint green line. I see it between you and me also. What if… what if it's something leading us to Naruto-kun?" she questioned.
Kurenai sighed. It wasn't that she didn't believe Ayame, but it certainly would have helped if she saw… whatever this was herself. Of course, she wanted to go and follow up on the lead, but they had to be smart here. Without Naruto, they were basically defenseless. If he was captured then that meant the other group was very powerful. What could they do against that?
Still, Ayame had a point. If they were just going to act like this, then what was the point in them even coming with Naruto? They knew the dangers. They would just have to be careful.
"Tell you what, let's take this stuff back to the place we're staying at. We'll get up early in the morning tomorrow and investigate it, but since I can't see it you'll have to guide us. This'll be a good time to practice your awareness. If it is Naruto-kun, then he'll need our help!" Kurenai said.
Ayame agreed. They quickly grabbed their things and continued back to their hideout. They just hoped that wherever Naruto was, if he was anywhere, that he would be alright until they arrived.
-x-
"Do we know each other?" the one named Kakashi asked. He didn't know too many people who called him that. In fact, only… three called him that. How long had it been since he heard those words? Far too long for someone like him.
Naruto chuckled. "More than you'd think, dattebayo," he remarked.
Kakashi's eye widened. No. No way. Reality couldn't be that cruel. Only one person had a speech pattern like that. The former Anbu captain recognized it from… when Minato's wife, Kushina, used it. That could only mean this disguised person, holding Shizune hostage, was… was…
The silver-haired settlement commander dropped his kunai in shock as Naruto dropped the transformation. Kakashi was graced with the sight of blond hair, whisker-marked cheek, and bright-blue eyes filled with a sense of relief, emotion, and hope. Heh, how ironic. The jonin had long since given up hope after the years passed by.
"Y-Yo Kakashi-sensei, you look good!" Naruto replied.
Kakashi never thought of himself as an affectionate person. Hell, with the lifestyle he lived, he had sometimes run out of emotions to give, but… he could spare a few now. Yeah, he… he… he could spare just a few.
"You look good as well, Naruto," the former jonin sensei of Team Seven said, his voice threatening to crack with each second.
Shizune stared between the two. For the two years since this hell had begun, she'd always known Kakashi as a bit of a loner. Ever before this apocalypse happened, he always kept to himself. If the former were a therapist, she would have classified him with extreme depression. He had sleepless nights, didn't eat much, worked himself so hard he fainted once.
Over the years, and through the tidbits of information, she learned that the female genin of his cell had died in his arms in the very first week of the apocalypse. Apparently, they managed to get into cover, but then it started raining. Kakashi tried to warn her, but she was concerned for another of her teammates. She ran out to find him. Unfortunately, she never came back. Then, Kakashi found her bones and her dissolved skin mixing with the sand.
Since then Kakashi walked around aimlessly before he came to the settlement, his failure like a torn coat of arms. It seemed he blamed himself for her death even though Shizune thought the young girl wasn't too smart to do that. That said, it was also a matter of circumstance. How long had it rained before she gave up waiting?
Either way, Kakashi must have assumed the other two genin in his team had died. No doubt he must have thought he failed them as well. Now, one of them was apparently alive. Shizune would be happy for him if not for the fact that he still had a kunai at her throat, but that meant… this young man was also from Konoha, her… her home village.
"Kakashi-taichou, have you found anything?!" someone suddenly asked over a headset.
Naruto, Shizune, and Kakashi stiffened from the shout and were quickly reminded of their situation. At the moment, the blond still had the medic hostage. The one-eyed former jonin looked at them both.
He tapped his headset. "No, move over to Sector F. Standby for now. I'll search Shizune's residence. She couldn't have gotten far," he replied much to the shock of the medic and the blond.
Kakashi then muted his mic and closed the door. "I've bought us some time, and while it's really good to see you Naruto, I'd like to ask that you let Shizune go. She's also from Konoha," Kakashi replied.
Naruto widened his eyes before he looked at his hostage in shock. "You're from Konoha too?" he asked.
Feeling the tension sort of dispersing from the room, Shizune nodded. "Well, I was two years ago," she answered with a bit of a dry laugh despite the fact that Kakashi kinda just… betrayed the settlement. Of course, she probably couldn't talk.
Naruto removed his kunai from her throat and handed it back to her. While he didn't want to drop his guard, especially since he wasn't too sure where Kakashi's allegiance laid, but… he hadn't ratted him out. That earned a few points for him.
Shizune took the kunai and rubbed her throat.
Meanwhile, Kakashi looked over his young genin. The blond had clearly done much during his time. He had been told in one of the meetings that an Inheritor, someone similar to Ranmaru-sama, had been caught. The jonin never got to see the person, but judging from how his former hyperactive, knucklehead made him shiver at the moment, it had to be him. This devotion, and desire to respect the being in front of him, made it obvious.
Shizune put the kunai on a counter before she watched Naruto just straight up hug his jonin-sensei. She blinked and even Kakashi chuckled before he patted the blond's head.
The hug lasted a moment before Shizune cleared her throat. "Not to interrupt your moment, but in case you've forgotten, Naruto-san's a wanted prisoner of the settlement. He also knocked out Raiga-sama. I don't think the settlement's gonna have a high opinion of him. What are we going to do?" she asked. This was not a day the assistant to the Legendary Sucker wanted to have.
Kakashi scratched his head. "All the exits have been locked down. Only assigned personnel are to be outside. It doesn't help that the tunnels are… unsafe recently," he responded.
Naruto turned to Shizune. "You're willing to help me now?" he asked.
Shizune sighed. "This isn't how I assumed I'd meet a former countryman, but… Kakashi seems to think the best of you. I only warn you that you not misplace my trust because Kakashi's just put his entire life on the line for you by lying to the settlement's shinobi. However, I'd also not like to see my own countrymen imprisoned. Back in the academy, we were taught about the Will of Fire. I think it will be a sad day when we start killing our own," she answered.
Naruto slowly agreed before he turned back to Kakashi. "I've got so much to tell you, Kakashi-sensei, but I know that will come later. Look, I already got a plan!" he exclaimed.
"Already?" Shizune asked.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Kakashi-sensei always said I should use my head more. It's how I've survived this long with my group," the blond admitted.
"G-Group?" Kakashi asked. Shizune and Naruto noticed the stutter in his voice. The latter wondered what happened that left his normally nonchalant jonin sensei so… mixed up.
However, they'd have to go over that for later. "Yeah, now! Both of you, follow my lead!" Naruto replied with a grin as the two former Konoha shinobi looked at him.
Meanwhile, Raiga scowled as he threw a chair at the wall, causing it to break into pieces. Fuck, how could he be so stupid?! How could he allow that Inheritor to escape?! He could be anywhere at this point, hiding amongst the dregs of the settlement.
What if he escaped already?! Shit, he didn't want to send out men to find one person, especially not with how the situation was with the settlement.
It seemed it was as Raiga thought. Different Inheritors had different abilities. Somehow that young man, when he got close enough, sucked all the chakra from his body. That rapid loss of chakra almost put him in a state of cardiac arrest. Now, he was thankful he had set up that countermeasure just in case things went south.
As the green-haired man and the medic made their way to the prison, he pulled one of the guards to the side. He said that if he didn't tell the guard he'd be eating a spicy chicken sandwich for dinner then the guard must sound the alarm. It seemed he'd shown some good hindsight in that.
When Raiga was located, he'd been helped back to his quarters on the first level. When he'd woken up, he asked what happened to Shizune. He was told that the guards saw the Inheritor leading the woman by the arm away from the area. It probably meant that the Inheritor kidnapped her. He didn't think Shizune would be one to talk, but he couldn't be sure. He already knew she didn't have a high opinion of him, but she always put the people of the settlement first. She had a bleeding heart. Oddly needed for a medic. That said, that kept it easy to keep her in line.
As Raiga crunched on some sweet grass, there came a knock on the door. "Raiga-sama, Kakashi-taichou has returned. He's secured the prisoner!" someone said from behind the door.
Kurosuki's frown suddenly turned into a large smirk. Finally, some good news. "Good. Send them in!" he replied.
The door opened and the second-in-command of the underground settlement noticed the former Konoha Anbu come through the door with the blond Inheritor and Shizune. Ah, how could Raiga doubt one of the most powerful shinobi to come out of Konoha? To the man was definitely a lucky find for the settlement. Actually, when he was a Kiri Anbu, Raiga had faced Kakashi a few times. He knew what the man was capable of.
"Glad to see you haven't lost your touch, Kakashi. I told you a person like you couldn't be stuck guarding the settlement. You've caught our little rebel," Raiga praised as he looked at the scowl on Naruto's face.
"I appreciate the praise, Raiga-sama, but I didn't capture him. He gave up when he saw me. He said he'd surrender if he got a chance to speak to you," Kakashi said.
The smile on Raiga's face fell. The inheritor gave up against Kakashi? Well, maybe the man's prestige scared him, but an inheritor becoming scared of a non-inheritor? That sounded like a bad dream.
"Is that right? Well, it's good to see you're alright, Shizune," he replied, his eyes turning to her. Shizune frowned.
"Indeed," she replied, trying to keep the snarl off her tone.
Seeing this, Raiga turned back to the blond, whose arms were still held by Kakashi. The silver-haired jonin pushed the Inheritor in front of him. "Harder to escape than you thought, isn't it? Face it. You might be an Inheritor, but I've been Ranmaru's guard before all of this happened. You have a long way to go before you can outmaneuver me. Now then, how are you gonna beg for my forgiveness?" Raiga asked.
Naruto raised an eyebrow before he laughed. "Don't delude yourself. I stayed because I found someone important to me. Look, you want me? You got me. I'm… I'm just happy I got to see Kakashi-sensei again. I'm not gonna do anything that'd put him in danger," the blond said.
Raiga had to admit, it was a little weird to hear the young man talk. He'd been basically mute for the entire time he'd been here. However, he was even more amazed that the Copy Ninja was his teacher. That meant this young man was also from Konoha. Hmm, Shizune had told him the village was destroyed when she returned. It was possible this young man had left before she checked a year ago.
Though this piece of fortune made Raiga happy, he held the smile from his face. "Is that right? And how would I know he's your sensei? You could be lying. Kakashi-san was a very well-known shinobi back in the Age of Shinobi," he answered.
Naruto smirked. "Does he still read a certain orange-colored book? Does he show up about an hour or two late for meetings? Did he once tell you that a black cat crossed his path and he had to walk the whole way around the settlement to avoid bad luck?" the blond asked.
Shizune glared at the jonin who chuckled as he scratched his cheek. Indeed, he had done a lot of those things. Neither she nor Raiga could deny that.
"...Okay, I believe you a bit more now," He replied.
Kakashi chuckled nervously. "I'm not that bad," he replied. Shizune and Raiga glared harder. The silver-haired jonin decided that maybe it was better if he kept his mouth shut.
Raiga leaned back. "Well, I can't deny your skills as an Inheritor since you managed to escape, if only briefly. Alright, let's say I show some leniency on you for what you've done, I know you didn't survive on your own. Ao told me about those two women you were with. Where are they?" he asked.
Raiga shivered when he felt Naruto's harsh glare on him. "I'll get them, but if you touch them then I'll make you wish I did escape. You understand me?" Naruto asked with a dangerous tone in his voice. Surprisingly, Raiga found himself nodding, snarling at his own submissiveness to the strength of this foreign Inheritor.
"Tch, I've got to get a fucking hold of myself!" Raiga thought before he cleared his throat.
"No harm will come to them, but don't expect trust any time soon. Since you're familiar with the Copy Ninja then you'll be his responsibility. Kakashi, the brat's gonna stay with you. I think you know the consequences of causing trouble in our settlement," the former Kiri anbu warned.
Kakashi quickly nodded. "I understand," he said.
Raiga turned to Naruto. "Can you go get them now?" he asked.
The blond wiggled his bonds. "What's the rush?" he asked.
The older man's frown deepened. "Well, aside from them being out in the vast wasteland where any of the mutated creatures can pick them off, I'd rather your two friends not do anything stupid and try some stupid rescue attempt. Unless they abandoned you already," Raiga said before everyone felt the settlement shake violently.
Naruto's eyes glowed green. "Don't push it. They wouldn't abandon me," the Uzumaki heir pushed back. The rumbling stopped.
Raiga clenched his fists. Whether this was done to keep himself from quivering or to control his own anger, wasn't known. Either way, he wanted this conversation to end because he was close to lashing out. That wouldn't help him. He knew that.
"Kakashi, assemble a team of five men. The Inheritor's gonna take you to his group. Lead them back here. Whether you know them or not, we don't. They'll be checked and once we ascertain them to not be threats then they shall be allowed entry," he answered.
Naruto nodded. "Fine, but I'm gonna be in the room with them when they get checked. It's not that I don't trust your men, but… I really don't trust them!" The blond answered back.
The green-haired man snarled, but he waved off the blond's request. He was pissed off enough. He didn't want to get any more pissed off than he already was. He just stood to his feet and walked out the door.
Naruto turned to Kakashi and Shizune. He smirked at both of them. They just looked at him in surprise. "Well, looks like we'd better get you back to your friends, right?" Kakashi asked.
The blond nodded. "Yeah…," he replied before his gaze focused on Shizune. "Now, can I have my stuff back?"
The medic rolled her eyes before she guided the former prisoner out one of the steel doors. Kakashi unbound Naruto as the alarm slowly came to a close. People were quickly allowed to resume their active duties. As they made their way to the supply building, Naruto saw the hundreds of people walking across the steel steps to other parts of the settlement. He even noticed… some people praying together.
"Hey, those guys. Who are they praying to?" Naruto asked.
Shizune and Kakashi saw them. Both sighed. "People are looking for hope no matter where they might find it. They are praying to Ranmaru-sama, even though he asks that they not. You'd heard that you're called an Inheritor, right?" the former asked.
The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki nodded.
"Inheritor was a term that came to float around the world through the violent, neutral, and peaceful settlements of the remnants of the nations. Inheritors are… people who can give other people chakra. Before the fallout, everyone had chakra and their bodies could naturally replenish it. As you remember Naruto, chakra is a combination of physical energy and spiritual energy, right?" Kakashi asked.
He nodded again. Kakashi continued. "After the fallout, something corrupted the bodies of people, animals, plants, and the very earth itself. No one knows, but everyone only has the bare minimum amount of chakra needed to keep them alive. Even if it were possible to weaponize such a small amount, the user would most likely die after the first jutsu. However, Inheritors started showing up - people who could not only use chakra, but also grant it to others. They're called Inheritors because… they are believed to have inherited the will of the meteor and they shall fight for supremacy over who shall inherit the world and lead the world out of this desolate age," he finished.
Naruto stilled. He could… give chakra to others? He could give Kurenai her genjutsu prowess back, Tenten could go gaga over her weapon skills, and… Shino could finally bring his insects out of hibernation. How had he never thought of that?
"Okay, so we can give chakra to others. I get that that makes us pretty damn important, but that doesn't explain why they're praying to him," he replied.
Kakashi shrugged. "Some think the Inheritors always had this power and the meteor was just a sign from Kami that… she would be collecting her select children soon. They think Ranmaru is one of them, the one who shall lead them to divinity," he answered.
Naruto's mouth thinned. He wasn't even sure what he was supposed to say to that. That said, Shizune cautioned him. "That's why we'll ask that you not show what you can do easily. If news of your Inheritor status shows up…."
"You'll worry I'll bring people from your settlement to my side. I got it. Well, I wouldn't want them worshipping me anyway," the young Uzumaki replied. Yet, deep within the recesses of his mind, the idea did sound… appealing. He didn't voice this though.
After some time navigating the halls, the trio arrived at the storeroom which was guarded by three men. Once their identities were verified, the door was opened. Inside, Naruto saw numerous stockpiles of food, water, walkie-talkies, kunai and shuriken sets, and plenty of other weapon types. Clearly, this settlement had been busy in the two years his group had been on the island.
"Do you remember what your backpack looks like? We use a lot of them," Shizune said.
Naruto looked around the long room before he found his bag. He grabbed it from a metal hanger and opened it up. He smirked when he saw everything was there, green-tipped scrolls and all. Clearly, they hadn't taken the time to go through his inventory.
"Alright, let's go, Kakashi-sensei," the Uzumaki heir said.
The blond's former sensei nodded as he grabbed some of his own supplies. When they walked out, Kakashi wrote on a notepad of one backpack's worth of supplies to be taken out of the storage room. Even Shizune took one.
"You're coming?" Kakashi asked.
"If they are hurt then they will need medical attention. No one in the settlement is too injured that they will need me for the next two to three hours to get to Yugakure," she answered.
The silver-haired jonin shrugged before he spent some time finding three other men to accompany them. In the end, it was two men and one woman that Naruto didn't recognize, but that didn't matter to him. They all walked up a long flight of stairs which led to an upper surface base. Rock turned into built stone, broken walls, shattered desks, and cracked windows.
Sand and splintered wood leaked through some of the windows while what sounded like water from broken pipes dripped in the distance. The group continued onward. They reached the top where two men guarded the entrance. They opened the doors.
"May the sands keep your path dry," one of them said.
"May the winds blow you home," one of the men from the group said. They pounded their fists into their chests. The group walked outside and for once, Naruto squinted his eyes. He noticed that where he was wasn't like an oasis in a large desert. Plenty of deformed trees with razor-sharp leaves stood tall. Some type of greenish-purple grass laid at their feet surrounded by dirt.
"Alright, Yugakure is to the east. We'll get there quickly," Kakashi said. Everyone agreed.
The run towards Yugakure wasn't anything spectacular. The journey took longer than anyone could have thought. A heavy storm brewed over the putrid-green clouded sky. Hundreds of purple lightning bolts rolled across the barren sky. It seemed like it wouldn't be long before it started raining. That alone made everyone fearful. Rain was not a good sign. Having to guess between it being acid and regular water was never fun.
Thankfully, Kami seemed to bless them during the run. The rain didn't fall, but there was a lot of wind, carrying with it a lot of bones and disgusting debris. As usual, in the distance, there were one or two tornadoes taking up sand and gravel. They all shivered when they heard a screech in the distance. No doubt something far into the horizon wasn't pleased by the weather change. It also didn't help when they all heard another roar.
No one in the group spoke during this time. Naruto tried contacting Kurenai and Ayame over the headset, but he didn't hear anything. It made him a little worried. He figured it was just because of the storm disrupting the signal. Hell, he hoped it was just that and nothing else.
After a brief thirty-minute break, the group finally made it back to Yugakure. Naruto sighed as he looked at the ruins of the Village Hidden In Hot Water. Over the days, it seemed the village had indeed fallen to more ruin than before. From the assault last time, a lot of buildings had toppled over. Some crashed into each other making oddly beautiful, if grim, archways. Most had fallen to the ground, slowly beginning to become covered in sand.
"Anyone here ever think… maybe one day everything will become like this? Just an endless sea of sand, storms, and creatures? Nothing made by humans will be left?" Someone asked.
That was something Kakashi and Shizune didn't wish to think about as of late. To be honest, Naruto didn't either. He'd had enough to think about aside from that.
"Alright, Naruto. Do you know where they are?" Kakashi asked.
The blond sighed and channeled the green chakra into his eyes. He stared over the area. Unlike last night when he faced the Tongue Lashers, the area wasn't covered in green chakra. They must have dispersed with the storm from a few days ago. If that was the case, then he was able to hone in on Kurenai and Ayame. He'd done it before.
"Yeah, three miles to the north of the village," he replied.
Kakashi nodded. "Very well. Then just as we planned, we'll wait a few feet away. The worst thing right now would be to frighten them and make a hasty decision. Once you've explained the situation to them, we'll quickly head back to the settlement. I hope we can hurry. It looks like we're in for a rough storm," the one-eyed jonin said as he looked over greying clouds.
The blond Inheritor agreed.
"Right," he responded.
The group ran off. The journey wasn't as long as Naruto hoped. In no time, he found himself alone. Kakashi, Shizune, and their group had broken off to wait for him to return. Meanwhile, he jumped over a hill and appeared in front of the door. At this point, there was no way he could do this without it being awkward. Well, actually, maybe that wasn't true.
Naruto touched the walls of the store Ayame and Kurenai were in. He spread his chakra over it, hoping to convey to them both that not only was he alive, but that he was outside and just waiting to receive them.
Thankfully, that was exactly what happened. He heard something crash inside the store. Over the two years, Kurenai and Ayame had numerous chakra to get used to the blond's chakra. There was no way they would mistake its feeling.
Before Naruto could even say hello, he gasped as Ayame crashed into him. He fell back into the sand. "N-Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun! Thank god you're alive!" she cried as she clutched his chest.
Before the blond could even reply to her sobs, the instant he opened his mouth, he gasped as Ayame kissed him. The feeling of her lips against his own made him soar like nothing he'd ever felt before. She wrapped her arms around his neck while her body leaned into his own like a missing puzzle piece. Also… was that her tongue?! He felt something pleasant wrapping around the corners of his lips.
Though surprised, Naruto found his hands rubbing Ayame's body. She sighed, her sadness, worries, and happiness mixing together like a pot of boiling ingredients ready to burst. She rubbed her hands on his chest, his wide… muscular chest. She didn't know why she was being this forward, but she just wanted to kiss him. She wanted to partake of him like he was her last desert on this desolate planet. When she kissed him, it felt like her entire soul was burning, the years of silent need for him exploding all at once. So much frustration and unsatisfied needs flourished through her.
This… this was the type of kiss she read in romance novels. Her body was hopelessly on fire, fueled by this need, this desire, this fulfillment to be a part of something that would rule the edges of the world.
Finally, both separated. Their eyes seemed glossed by their sudden affection for each other. Their cheeks were undeniably flushed and their mouths breathless.
"Wow," Naruto said while Ayame panted.
"Y-Yeah," she replied as Naruto rubbed the side of her eyes.
Suddenly, both became aware that they had someone watching them. They noticed Kurenai looking at them. Ayame noticed her friend didn't look shocked or angry. If anything, she looked amused.
"Maybe you should disappear more often," Kurenai said.
Naruto chuckled, a little shocked at these developments. He had no idea Ayame felt this way about him. Of course, he couldn't say he thought differently. He definitely thought about her in this manner as well. He wouldn't deny that, but he also couldn't deny… the way Kurenai looked at them.
The welcome a pleasant feeling to all of them, Kurenai and Ayame brought Naruto inside. Once they did, he quickly unsealed their food and water. He then decided to waste no time. He told them what happened to him after Yugakure and where he'd been. He told them the most important information first.
"I… Kakashi-sensei's alive," he said.
Ayame and Kurenai widened their eyes. Both had heard of the man before. He'd been around to offer Team Seven a few bowls of ramen from the former's store.
The latter had been in numerous meetings with the jonin. Tales, rumors, and legends of his shinobi prowess were of world renown. The former sensei of Team Eight didn't much share in the man's taste of literature, but that was his own business.
"And, have either of you heard of someone named… Shizune?" Naruto asked.
Ayame shook her head, but both heard Kurenai gasp. She exclaimed Shizune to them both. Needless to say, but clearly Naruto underestimated the woman. The Genjutsu Mistress explained that Shizune was indeed a citizen of Konoha. She was also one of the most experienced medics in the world thanks to her having been the very first apprentice of Senju Tsunade, the best medic-nin and strongest kunoichi in all the Elemental Nations.
After a moment, Naruto used the green chakra to massage his mind and help him relieve some of the memories in his head. He had heard of Senju Tsunade a few times in his life in the academy. She was the heiress of the famed Senju clan. She was the granddaughter of the Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama. She was a bit of a gambling addict, which gave her the moniker The Legendary Sucker. Hehe, seemed like an oddly obtuse title.
She was also presumably the last direct descendant of the Senju clan, thus making her the heiress of the famous clan. Tsunade had paved the way for the medical evolution of not just Konoha, but also the entire Elemental Nations. Shizune had directly studied under this woman. That made her… quite powerful. To say Naruto was impressed was an understatement.
Kurenai then went on to explain that she'd been in the academy with Shizune along with a few other jonin. When asked about her, Naruto explained. "She's with him," he said.
Ayame and Kurenai glanced at each other, but Naruto continued with the news. They had become part of a settlement to the far west under the command of Raiga and Ranmaru.
Kurenai frowned. She heard of Raiga before. The man was an ex-Kiri nin, definitely one of the most powerful to be produced by the Village Hidden in the Mist. He was a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He was also a part of Kiri's Anbu. One didn't mess with him lightly. Unfortunately, she didn't know anything about a boy called Ranmaru, but both quickly came to know.
Naruto told them both of what he knew of Ranmaru. Though he'd never seen the person, they were considered a god to the people because… they were like Naruto. They had green chakra just like he did. However, he then gave his friends the most important information. Ranmaru could grant others in his settlement chakra. With that chakra, they could do all the things that shinobi used to do.
Ayame and Kurenai were stunned. Did that mean Naruto could give them chakra as well? This knowledge certainly changed things. Unfortunately, he also told them that it wasn't permanent. For whatever reason, their chakra wouldn't refill. They had to… constantly come back to Inheritors, ie Naruto or Ranmaru for more chakra. It seemed Raiga and Ranmaru had some type of relationship since the man was made the second-in-command of the settlement.
When he was captured, Naruto told them he was… willing to join the settlement since he'd found Kakashi. Unfortunately, he didn't desire to fight these people in their home field advantage, especially not against an inheritor he didn't even know where they were. Unfortunately, they knew more about Naruto than he knew about them.
Once everything was done, Kurenai frowned. "And you had to guide them here. Did you tell them about the others?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No. Though I'm glad to see Kakashi-sensei, I'm not going to give them more info than they've already got. I only told them about you guys because it gave us a chance to get together again. You'll also have to be… inspected," he snarled out.
The two women frowned. "By the females, I hope?" Kurenai asked.
Naruto nodded. "Any less and they'd be down two settlement members," he stated. That made them both happy.
"And they're outside now?" the former ramen waitress asked.
The Uzumaki heir nodded. "Yeah, we collect you and then we head back to the settlement. Don't worry, I'm already coming up with something since… we have to go back to Tenten, Shino, and Kosuke-san eventually. We'll discuss more when we're…"
Naruto didn't get the chance to finish before he heard a blood-curdling scream in the distance. The three stiffened and the young Uzumaki quickly channeled chakra into his eyes. He saw Kakashi's group running for the shack. There used to be five. Now, there were four.
Another scream came. He saw the fourth person disappear beneath the ground. He watched their bones get ripped apart by several tendril-like limbs. Their body exploded into six pieces of four limbs, a head, and a torso.
What he said even made him sweat. There… there was so much green chakra, enough that even his own seemed like a plaything to what lay beneath the ground. Something nearly made even him… fall to his knees in reverence. By sheer will, he did not do this. He felt he would lose something unimaginable of his legs buckled now.
"Shit," He thought as he stood up.
"Kurenai, open the door! Ayame, get everyone inside!" he ordered.
Both women agreed. Kurenai pulled off the sheets that covered the door. She then pulled it up.
Kakashi, Shizune, and the other member continued running. The three saw them running as something moved beneath the sand. Whatever it was, it was large. Like… it was larger than any Sand Dweller he'd encountered back in Konoha. It was massive. No, it was monstrous. Something rumbled beneath the earth. The ground split into pieces. Earthquakes shook the ground violently.
Kakashi and Shizune dived through the door. The other person screamed as they tried to make it before tendrils fired from beneath the rough ground. A shiver ran through Naruto's body. T-Those tendrils… they looked familiar. They looked like… the ones back in the Chunin Exam Stadium.
Everyone watched in horror as the skin-like whips wrapped around the person's body. "Help me! Help me please!" they screamed as the tendrils wrapped around their throat, one of their arms, their torso, and their left leg. Their free hand stretched out for anyone.
Quickly, Naruto moved. He grabbed the person's arm and pulled as hard as he could, but his strength was not enough. It was like he was playing tug-of-war with a damn mountain!
The blond cursed as he channeled the green chakra into his body. He then begged Kyuubi for some. The fox obliged and the vast wells of strength moved through the Uzumaki Inheritor's body. The person's tears stained the floor as the tendrils pulled them out of the building.
The young man's chakra surged. "Doton: Doryūkatsu (Earth Release: Earth Flow Divide)!" Naruto growled as he slammed his foot on the ground. The sand and hard earth under his feet exploded as a line split rushed through the area.
Next, pounds and slabs of earth ruptured through the underground patterns of the underground. They exploded to the surface and toppled over each other, right on top of the monster attacking them all. There came a vicious roar, but the creature did not relent.
Kakashi and Kurenai quickly moved. The former grabbed the blond's torso and pulled. The Genjutsu Mistress grabbed the one-eyed jonin's chest. Then Shizune and Ayame came in.
"Please! Please! Please! Please! Don't let me go! I-I don't want to die!" The person whimpered as they felt what they could only describe as needles piercing through their skin. Unknown to them, the tendrils laced in a numbing poison, weakening the strength of their grip.
Naruto pushed more chakra through his veins. His veins burned. "Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku ( Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction)!" Naruto hollered as the combination of the green chakra, and the Kyuubi's chakra exploded the fire jutsu. So much force was there that everyone behind him felt the burning heat as the blond was careful not to accidentally kill the person they were trying to save!
The flames were hot and wild, they all heard something scream and screech as pillars of fire raged and tore through the sandy terrain. So much devastation coursed through the fields that Naruto's chakra corrupted the very delicate, yet turbulent state of the environment. The flames flew high into the air and the sandy storms only made them stronger. Many, for years, would wonder how this area became known as the Desolate Burning Sands.
Whatever was beneath the ground, it screamed, but to everyone's shock, it would still not let go!
The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki concentrated. He concentrated hard! He concentrated so hard a vein stretched on his head. Blood spilled out from his mouth as the flames burned his tongue.
"Doton: Daichidōkaku (Earth Release: Great Moving Earth Core)."
"R-R-Raiton: Kangekiha (Lightning Release: Wave of Inspiration)!"
Both techniques Naruto shouted mentally. The skies rumbled and the earth quaked. A massive sinkhole appeared over the creatures as countless tides of rain fell into it. As the rain came down in heavy spurts, pink lightning crashed down right into it, mixing with the flames and creating the grandest display of elemental techniques that anyone had ever seen.
The screams of the creatures continued, but soon Naruto's stopped from the strain of such highly-powered techniques. Finally, the tendrils dropped.
Everyone fell to their knees. They all panted as the person rushed inside and grabbed Naruto's hand. "T-Thank you! Thank you so much! I'll repay this debt! I swear it!" the person said while Naruto chuckled. Forgive him if he didn't speak. His throat burned something fierce.
"Thank him later. Just get inside," Shizune said.
The person agreed. As soon as they stood up, they suddenly screamed again as the tendrils wrapped around their legs. They held out their hand. Kakashi shivered.
"So many jutsu and it's still alive? What is this?!" Kakashi thought before they all moved again. Naruto grabbed her hand.
The five pulled.
They pulled hard!
They pulled with all their strength!
They pulled and pulled and pulled until…
Everyone fell back and crashed onto the floor. They all groaned before they opened their eyes. In absolute horror, they saw that the only reward for their efforts was the arm of the woman they tried to save. The fingers twitched and spasmed, the nerves moving it for its last moments.
They looked up. The person of Kakashi and Shizune's settlement screamed in ways that no human should. Her body ragdolled on the ground as she hollered in pain. Blood spurted out from every corner of her body before she was slowly dragged into the sand. Just before her body disappeared, three tendrils erupted from her mouth. The ground ruptured for a moment before it settled.
The sudden group of five shivered in utter shock before the sands moved again. The shop they were all helplessly trapped in creaked ominously. Then, a massive body than what could be considered natural erupted into the air. Its body seemed to fly up for miles. Naruto widened his eyes. It was even bigger than the Boss Toad, Gamabunta. What the fuck was this thing?!
When it stopped, they heard a booming roar that made them all cover their ears. So large was this creature that the skies darkened over them.
As if things couldn't get any worse, there came a gurgling noise. It was impossible to tune out the grotesque ambiance before they heard what sounded like rain. When they opened their eyes, they wished they hadn't. Perhaps now they understood what happened to Yugakure and the lands surrounding it for they saw blood drop like rain over the hot ground.
Blood and tons of bones, animals, humans, or whatever was in-between. The creature then groaned when it crashed into the sand and slithered away, his body hiding beneath the earth.
For the next half an hour, fear gripped everyone's body as they wondered what they were supposed to do next.
"W-What was that?" Ayame asked as Naruto dropped the severed arm on the ground.
"Never did I think I'd see one before. It was theorized, but… none dared speak the possibility openly. Just like some humans can be Inheritors, creatures could become Inheritors as well. However, were the Inheritors are those who shall rule the wasteland, they are the ones that will end it… and everything around them. That… That was a Desolator, a Royal Wasteland Desolator," Shizune said, a quiver in her voice.
KG: So once again, some people have come to me claiming that Naruto is too weak. Again, this isn't an action story. This is a survival, post-apocalyptic story. Every single one of the creatures on the earth now is something that can take down any shinobi from genin to Kage. Obviously, some are more powerful than others, but this is about surviving against these things, not overpowering them. This isn't that type of story.
KG: CREAM SODA!