I finished my own Original Story, it is entirely free and on Wattpad. Check it out, Destiny Rebellions- A Queen's Champion... if you love A Mortal's Might you'll love it. It was inspired heavily by that story and this one. Please check it out and tell me if you love it. I will be publishing it one day, so check it out before I pull it off of Wattpad.

This story has the potential to be one of my all time biggest, as big as Chameleon and New Edge... or Mortal's Might Even!

"Who am I? Where am I?" He called out, echoing in the empty darkness. He could not move, he could barely feel anything but a terrible emptiness and a cold so deep it permeated his very soul. "Help... please... help!

There was nothing, an empty silence... and then, beloved sound. "Where are you?" It was a man's voice, deep and polished. "Where are you?"

"Here!" He called out once more... and then there was light, something shifting above him, dust falling down with tiny pebbles smattering against his aching skin. The light was too bright, he had to move his head away. A shadow, a face, eclipsed the light and a man dropped down. Strong hands wrapped around him, lifting him to a warm, strong chest.

"You will be alright, child... what is your name?" The boy turned, seeing a man's face for the first time. The man's head was massive, long and strong and bald. "What is your name?"

"I... I don't remember... anything."

And Darkness overtook him.

He awoke again, wrapped in blankets, looking at the midnight sky. A fire crackled nearby and he saw the smiling face of the man from before. "Are you alright?"

The boy nodded, sitting up with surprising strength. He looked down at his body and saw he was garbed in white linen clothing, almost like robes. "Who are you?"

"Chiriku... I am the Head Monk of the Fire Temple. We were on a pilgrimage to our brothers here in Rice Country when we heard your calls. I am glad we did, child." In the dim fire light, he saw the man's outfit, he too was dressed in white clothes with a sash around his waist with Kanji on it he could not read in the current lighting. "Do you remember anything?"

The boy frowned, focusing hard only to cringe as memories slammed into him... " I remember pain, cold pain... a bite to my throat and endless rage. I remember feeling like my very soul was being severed and I remember screaming as I felt more pain than ever before in my life. I remember a name... Naruto,... that was my name, but it feels..." he frowned, unable to find the words. "I can't explain it, it does not feel like me."

The man nodded. "If you lost your memories, you are essentially a new person, reborn. You need a new name... how about Shin? It means new."

The boy sat back, digesting the word. "Shin... I like it. Thank you." He bowed his head, it just felt right and he saw that he had long blonde hair that reached his chin. Reaching back, he pulled the hair together and started to braid it, not unlike braiding together ropes for a trap. He froze, his eyes widening with that thought. "I'm a ninja... or I was... I have training."

Chiriku nodded. "Your chakra, though slight, is stronger than average. I would am not shocked to find you have training."

Biting his lip, he asked something burning in his heart. "Can you train me? To be a monk,... I need to find my own path, away from what I was... whoever I was... I know I need to learn to defend myself. I do not want to be as helpless as I was before, it was a horrible feeling... please, I am begging you."

The man laughed. "Normally no, you are not a monk, but I will allow it... under a few conditions. We learned that Orochimaru experimented on countless many in this area. You likely are a Ninja from Rice Country. I will have you trained and perhaps you will join us as a monk fully in the future, if you find it a path you enjoy. If not, you could be an ally for us in the future. Does this sound fair?"

"It sounds wonderful! Hell, I'll become a monk, do whatever I have to in order to get my training."

"There is a caveat, You will be a monk in training. That means rising early, studying, training for hours, cleaning the temple... you will learn philosophy, combat, jutsu, sealing, and all you need in order to become a real monk. Are you prepared for this?"

"More than, believe it!" He stopped, hands rushing over his mouth. "I know I said that a lot before... but I don't... know why. It felt natural if that makes sense." He frowned. "Do you have a mirror, I want to see my face. To know what I look like."

The man sighed. "You are deeply emaciated, likely from captivity... Shin, you might not like what you see until you recover, are you still sure you wish to see your face?"

"Please."

The man moved towards a caravan cart not far from them, grabbing a mirror from a bag and bringing it close to Shin, who gaped at his reflection. He looked gaunt, his face sunken in around the eyes, his cheekbones sharp and his skin sallow. He looked almost like a corpse, a corpse with yellow hair.

And it was with that image in mind that he eventually fell asleep. Memories returning in pieces, empty and hallow, but and fuzzy... he knew he was once a boy named Naruto. He knew he knew a man with white hair that oozed power. He knew he knew a girl with pink hair and a wicked temper... it was all unclear, but he held onto those memories never knowing when they would surface more fully... or when they would matter more deeply.

:::

They reached the temple, a beautiful almost palace-like structure surrounded by a massive wall just the next day, and to his pleasure, Shin did not need help walking to the temple even when it came to the stairs. Thin and corpselike he was, he was still very strong. He followed just behind Chiriku, who opened the gates with a handsign. The man turned to him, smirking. "There is a powerful barrier around the temple to keep us safe."

"Amazing, can I learn it?"

"If you prove yourself, I would be delighted to show you." They walked together into the compound where he saw many people, some young and some old, training in taijutsu together. One boy stuck out, as he had blue hair and an arm wrapped in bandages. "Sora, come here," Chiriku called out to the boy, who nodded with some attitude before hurrying over to them. " This is Shin, he will be my student alongside you. I expect you to be kind. He has been through a lot."

Shin smiled at Sora. "It is nice to meet you."

Sora sniffed at him. "Same, I guess..."

"Now... why don't you show the boy the basic kata for our combat style. In fact, since I have to do some talking with the Elders, you can take care of him today. Help him with chores, give him a tour. Be kind, Sora."

"I will, don't worry."

Chiriku put a hand firmly on Shin's shoulder. 'Behave yourself, and enjoy yourself. Our way of life can be boring but you will always have a purpose and that is worth everything."

That made something in Shin's chest fill with warmth. "I can tell I need purpose... that my old self had one, that without it I might not do well... does that make sense?"

"More than I can say in words..."

Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

This was a joy to write.

Love, your Ninja Overlord.

Mika,