Chapter 8

AN: Hello again everyone I am back yet again with another chapter. We are rapidly approaching the half-way point in this story as I near the end of the first movie. I estimate that either by the end of this chapter or next we will have finally reached said half-way point…Now to answer a few reviews.

Chaoticboy19: My plan is to cover both movies.

Jebest4781: Thanks

Gundam Meister Uzumaki: Not really as I haven't seen more than an episode or two of Dragon Ball Super.

: Yes I am will update it at some point…possibly after I reach the half-way point for this story.

Fullmetaljack: Not sure what you mean by increase chapter length as my usual is between 3,000-6,000 words.

Kat1017: Maybe could do that but no promises.

Well that's all for reviews this time around. Now for the recommended stories this chapter, and as a special I have 2 recommendations this time.

First is "From Jinchuriki to Speedster" by Shawn129 a really good Naruto x Flash Crossover that has gotten really good in the last few chapters.

Next is "A Nobody" by Jebest4781, an absolutely AMAZING Naruto x Justice League crossover. It has some of the best character development for characters like Poison Ivy that I have ever seen.

Naruto glared up at the grinning Rourke "This is just another treasure hunt for all of you isn't it? You're after the crystal aren't you" he says while inwardly berating himself for being so blind. The signs of Rourke and the rest of the group's betrayal were there but he had been so preoccupied with getting back to Atlantis that they slipped past him.

Rourke smirks smugly as he pulls a piece of paper out from inside his boot and holds it up to Naruto revealing it to be the missing page of the journal "Oh you mean this? Yeah about that I would have told you sooner but it was strictly on a need to know basis and well now you know" he says casually while standing up and waving his pistol around. Rourke then puts his pistol away and extend his hand to Naruto "I had to be sure you were one of us. Welcome to the club son" he says.

Naruto scowls and slaps Rourke's hand away "I'm no mercenary" he says while pushing himself deeper into the water. If he was fast enough he could dive back underwater and get Kida before she surfaced and they could swim away. Then they could come up in a different area and get to the throne room and Naruto inform the King of what happened and begin a defense of the city.

However just as he was about to dive underwater Kida surfaces a little bit off to the side of him. One of the soldiers reaches down and yanks her out of the water by her hair. Kida reaches back and flips the soldier over her before she runs towards a charging soldier and knees him hard in the crotch. She grabs the soldier's rifle and uses it to smack another soldier in the face sending him to the ground. She wrestles the soldier she kneed to the ground and pins him there as she reaches behind her back and pulls out a knife. However as she goes to stab him a gunshot is heard and the knife is shot out of her hand.

Kida turns to see the scowling face of Rourke with his pistol drawn the barrel of which is still smoking from the shot he fired. Two more solders run up and pull Kida off of their downed comrade but she manages to get in another knee to his groin as she is pulled off of him.

Rourke then looks to Naruto who has several soldiers pointing their rifles at his head and smirks "Mercenary? I prefer the term "Adventure Capitalist". Besides you're the one who got us here and lead us straight to the treasure chest" he says arrogantly.

Naruto climbs out of the water rifles still pointed at his head with a scowl on his face "You have no idea of what your tampering with Rourke!" he snarls with rage.

Rourke rolls his eyes dismissively "What's to know? It's big, shiny and going to make us all very rich" he says casually waving about the missing page of the journal.

Naruto narrows his eyes in rage "You think it's some kind of diamond don't you? Well newsflash it's not it's their life force. The crystal is the only thing keeping all of these people alive. You take it away and you're committing genocide!" he says.

Rourke's eyes widen slightly hearing this before he gains a somber look "Well that changes everything doesn't it? I guess I am going to have to double the price I ask when I go to sell it. Helga what do you think?" he asks.

Helga walks over and smirks as she says "Knowing that I'd double the price" with a greedy grin.

Rourke then grins in similar manner as he turns back to a shocked Naruto and says "I was thinking Quadruple it" leaving Naruto completely speechless at how casually they talk about making money from wiping out an entire civilization.

Naruto takes a step towards Rourke only for Vinny to block his way. Naruto looks Vinny in the eye with a glare and after a moment Vinny subtly diverts his gaze from Naruto's. The blonde then looks at Rourke "Rourke I am warning you don't do this!" he says.

Rourke waves this off as he says "Academics you never want to get your hands dirty. Think about it if you gave back every stolen artifact from a museum you would be left with an empty building. We're just providing a necessary service to the archeological community" he says trying to make Naruto see reason.

However Naruto just continues to scowl at Rourke and says "Not Interested" in a ton laced with so much venom that it would make a poisonous snake pale in comparison.

Rourke sighs hearing this "I got to admit I am pretty disappointed. You're an idealist just like your grandfather. Do yourself a favor Naruto, don't be like him. For once do the smart thing" he says.

Naruto just continues to scowl "I won't betray my people and my home!" he snarls out much to the shock of the group. Naruto seeing this smirks "You seemed shocked well surprise! I am a citizen of Atlantis. I survived the great flood that sunk the city and have waited over 8,500 years to be able to get back here. Did you honestly think it was a mere coincidence that I could effortlessly read the journal which is written in a language that no one had spoken or read in thousands of years? Well guess what I would rather die than betray my people and home. That being said leave Atlantis now or face the consequences" he says revealing himself so to speak.

Rourke's eyes widen in shock hearing all of this before he gets furious at having been made a fool of by Naruto. He snarls before smiling wickedly and snapping his fingers. The soldier holding Kida throws her to the ground and cocks his rifle before pointing it at her head. Naruto's eyes widen seeing this before Rourke walks up to him and holds out the missing page "Let's try this again" he says with a bloodthirsty smirk. Naruto looks between the page and the downed form of Kida for a moment before he clenches his fists in rage. After a moment he closes his eyes and sighs sadly knowing what he has to do.

A few minutes later the massive door to the throne room is blown apart in an explosion. As the smoke clears it reveals the group with Helga holding Kida's arms behind her back and her pistol at Kida's head. Naruto is surrounded by soldiers all of which have their rifles pointed at him ready to blow his brains out if he so much as twitches.

Two royal guards take a step forward to stop the group but Helga cocks her pistol which is still pointed at Kida's head "Tell them to drop their weapons…Now!" she orders.

The King seeing this and the sorrowful look on Naruto's face sighs as he says "Drop your weapons and do not interfere" to the two guards who do as they are commanded.

Helga seeing this smirks "Spread out search everywhere!" she orders as the soldiers and rest of the group begin ransacking the place knocking over pots and pulling down tapestries in search of the Heart of Atlantis.

As the soldiers continue to search Rourke grabs Naruto by the front of his shirt "Where is the Crystal Chamber!" he snarls out in rage.

Naruto looks to see Kida still held at gunpoint. He then spots the King out of the corner of his eye give him a subtle nod which causes him to sigh "I don't know the only ones who know where it is located is the Royal Family" he says in shame.

Rourke smirks hearing this and throws Naruto aside who is once again surrounded with guns pointed at him. Rourke walks towards the King who has two soldiers flanking him "Well then maybe old king cole here can help us out then" he says. When Rourke reaches the King he yanks his walking staff out of his hands "Well how about it chief? Where is the crystal chamber?" he asks smugly.

The King narrows his eyes "You will destroy yourselves" he warns ominously in response.

Rourke narrows his eyes and says "Maybe I'm not being clear" before hauling back and delivering a brutal punch to the King's gut sending him to the floor in agonizing pain. Kida seeing this curses at Rourke in Atlantean while Naruto takes a step forward to hit Rourke only to stop as the soldiers guarding him cock their rifles in warning.

Sweet seeing the King on the ground rushes to his side and looks him over briefly before glaring up at Rourke "Rourke this was not a part of the plan!" he snarls out and begins evaluating the King's injuries.

Rourke condescendingly looks back over his shoulder and says "Plans change Doc now I suggest you put a bandage over that bleeding heart of yours. After all it doesn't suit a mercenary" as he sits down on the Kings throne. Rourke then looks at the King who is being held up by two soldiers and says "Now I am going to count to ten and you're going to tell me where the crystal chamber is or I am going to kill every last person in this decaying city" he says shocking several members of the group.

Rourke then cocks his gun and begins to count "One…Two…Nine…" and is about to say ten when he notices a drop of water fall from the ceiling and land in the center of the stepping stones that are in the pool of the throne room. He then looks at the front of the Journal which has a design on it in the same pattern as the one the stepping stones are arraigned in and smirks "This is it were in!" he yells in triumph and begins making his way to the stepping stones.

While he is doing this Helga guides Kida over in the same direction and the soldiers usher Naruto there as well. Seeing this Naruto glares "Rourke you don't have any idea the amount of power the crystal is capable of and how dangerous it is when misused!" he warns.

Helga hearing this smirks as she says "True but I can think of a few countries who'd pay anything to find out" ash she continued to drag Kida. They reach the center of the stepping stones and step up onto a platform hidden in the water when then begins to descend into a large cavern.

In the caver floating roughly a hundred feet in the air above a body of water is the Heart of Atlantis with several large stones with faces carved into them that are glowing blow orbiting around it.

Kida seeing this weeps a single tear as she says "The kings of our past" breathlessly in amazement. She then drops to her knees with her head bowed to the floor and begins softly praying in Atlantean.

Rourke seeing this scoffs and says "Uzumaki tell her to wrap it up I have a schedule to meet" dismissing Kida's praying.

Naruto walsk over to Kida and kneels down before placing his hand on her shoulder startling her from her praying "Kida I'm sorry…I never should have come back" he says sadly as this was all his fault since if he didn't try to get back to Atlantis then none of this would be happening.

Rourke walks to the water's edge and kicks a pebble in which results in the crystal's glow changing from a serene blue to an ominous red and beams of light begin to scan across the room. Rourke looks to Naruto and says "Well what's next" expecting him to have the answers.

Naruto glares at Rourke "I have no idea I may be a citizen of Atlantis but I have no idea what to do next" he says.

Naruto and Rourke begin to argue back and forth oblivious to the fact that the beams of light have settled on Kida and turned blue. Kida's eyes begin to glow blue and wide as she says "Mother" in Atlantean and begins to walk towards the water.

As she passes by Rourke and Naruto the blonde says "I don't know how to move the crystal, hell I don't even know how it floats up there" finishing their argument.

The two then spot Kida and Naruto's eyes widen in shock and he makes to stop her but Rourke stops him saying "Talk to me Naruto what is happening".

Naruto looks to Rourke and sighs "I don't know the crystal is alive somehow. We are a part of it and it is a part of us…I don't know how to explain it's our deity our power source" he says trying to explain things while keeping certain details hidden.

Rourke narrows his eyes and says "Speak English professor" mockingly.

Naruto narrows his eyes and says "I told you what I know. If you don't like it how about you try figuring out what's going on and I'll be the one who waves the gun around like a psychopath that's trying to compensate for his own shortcomings!" he yells getting a silent snicker from Helga while infuriating Rourke who reaches for his pistol.

However he stops when Kida suddenly turns to them and says "All will be well Naruto Uzumaki be not afraid" in Atlantean with her voice sounding as if multiple people are talking at once. Kida then begins walking on top of the water much to the shock of Rourke and Helga towards the center of the lake. As she is doing this Naruto holds onto his own crystal necklace and can hear multiple voices singing a song in Atlantean.

Kida reaches the center of the lake directly under the crystal and several beams of light converge on her before they flash and she begins floating up towards the crystal. She is pulled into the glowing sphere of energy that makes up the Heart of Atlantis which results in multiple beams of light shooting out. The stone faces surrounding the crystal then begin rapidly spinning rapidly around it.

As the stones slow their spinning a thing diamond shaped object replaces the crystal before it begins to take the shape of Kida with arcs of blue lighting occasionally skirting around her form. Gone was her lightly tanned skin and in its place was the glowing energy of the crystal given physical form signifying she had merged with the Heart of Atlantis.

Naruto looks on in shock and horror seeing this as he knows what could very well happen now "Kida…no" he says as she begins floating back down to the surface of the water. As she lands a circular indent is made in the water a few feet around her.

Kida begins walking back towards shore however as she does so the large stones begin falling into the water around her their faces no longer glowing. Despite this none of the water touches Kida as it appears she has a spherical invisible force field of some kind around her. As she reaches the shore Rourke reaches out to touch her but Naruto stops him by saying "No don't touch her" as she walks past them.

The group then heads back up to the throne room rejoining the others. A few moments later the group along with a number of Atlantean citizens is gathered near the rope bridges that connect Atlantis to the caves. Kida is inside of a metal container that is being built around her. As Audrey tightens up the bolts on the top of container she looks and sees Naruto glaring at her. She turns away in a huff but her expression softens into one of remorse. The now built container is then loaded into the back of one of the trucks as the glass of the single window in it is frosted over by the energy Kida is generating.

Naruto looks in disdain as the group prepares to depart "So this is how it ends huh? You're wiping out an entire civilization, but hey…You'll be rich. Congratulations Audrey you and your dad can finally open that second shop…I imagine he will be really proud when you tell him all it cost was committing genocide" he says as Audrey gets into the driver seat of the truck carrying Kida.

Naruto then looks to Vinny who is tightening several ropes "Vinny you will be able to start a whole chain of flower shops I'm sure your family's going to be very proud. But that's what it's all about right…money" he says causing Vinny to look down and several others like Cookie and Ms. Packard to do the same from their spot next to Audrey in the truck.

Rourke hearing this walks over to Naruto with a smirk "Get of your soapbox Uzumaki. You've read Darwin it's called Natural Selection. Were just helping it along" he says as several soldiers cover him using a machine gun mounted in the truck not carrying Kida.

Helga from her spot in the front of the second truck looks back to Rourke and yells "Commander we're ready!" getting his attention.

Rourke looks back over his shoulder at her and says "Yeah give me a minute. I know I'm forgetting something. I got the cargo, the crystal, the crew…Oh yeah" listing stuff of before smiling in realization. He then turns and goes to deliver a brutal punch to Naruto's face.

However before the punch connects it is stopped by Naruto who catches it in his hand shocking Rourke. Naruto's eyes narrow the warm blue of them turning to an icy cold blue. Seeing this terrifies Rourke as they were no longer the eyes of scholar but the eyes of a warrior who has and will again kill to protect those close to him. Naruto begins applying pressure to Rourke's fist causing several pops to be heard "This is your final warning, stop all of this right now and leave…or die" he says in a icy tone that sends shivers down everyone's spines.

Rourke tries to pull his fist from Naruto's grasp only for Naruto to tighten his grip even more. The mercenary looks into the eyes of the blonde and sees the countless ways that Naruto will kill him if he continues. His expressions turns to terror and he quickly reaches for his pistol before a gunshot is heard.

Naruto releases his grip on Rourke and falls to the ground bleeding from a gunshot wound on his abdomen courtesy of Rourke's pistol. Several members of the group such as Audrey, and Vinny gasp seeing this.

Rourke breathes heavily for a moment before looking down at the injured Naruto and smirks "Look at it this way Naruto. You wanted to get back to Atlantis so much and now you are here." he says before walking back towards the trucks.

Naruto grabs hold of his crystal necklace and begins to use it to heal his wound however it is much slower than last time due to Kida having merged with the Heart of Atlantis. He winces in severe pain several times as his flesh and insides begin stitching back together all the while Audrey looks back on the scene from her seat. She begins thinking of what she is doing and how Naruto saved her and shielded her from shrapnel when the fuel truck exploded.

After a moment she idly hears Helga ordering everyone to get moving and she grips the steering wheel tight before making up her mind. She kicks open the truck door and walks over to Naruto who is still trying to heal himself. Upon reaching him she tears off a section of her shirt exposing her midriff and wraps it around his stomach covering the wound before tying it tight much to his surprise. Audrey then helps Naruto up and puts his arm over her shoulder to help him stand their eyes meeting and a silent "Thank you" being conveyed between them. The two then glares at the rest of the group for a moment before Vinny smirks and walks over to join them. Cookie and Mole are the next to join while Ms. Packard takes a long drag from her cigarette and says "Were all going to die" as she flicks it away and joins the others by Naruto.

Rourke seeing this in the mirror of his truck looks back and says "You can't be serious? Were mere moments away from our biggest payday ever and you all choose now of all times to grow a conscience" he asks in disbelief.

Audrey glares as she yells "This is wrong and you know it!" voicing her opinion.

Vinny then raises a brow and says "We've done a lot of things we're not proud of, robbing graves, plundering tombs, double parking, but nobody ever got hurt. Well maybe somebody got hurt, but nobody that we knew…Except for Scott but let's be honest Scott was a giant dick" getting a raised eyebrow from Naruto.

Rourke scoffs hearing this and says "Well if that's the way you want it then fine more money for me!"before walking back to his truck and getting in. He looks over to see Helga now driving the other truck and starting it before driving off with Helga following right behind.

As they begin crossing the rope bridge the endless waterfall at the edge of the city stops. Naruto looks back at the Atlantean citizens to see them looking at their crystal necklaces which are beginning to stop glowing. He looks back at the bridge "We can't let them do this!" he says and goes to make his way to the bridge.

However Vinny grabs him stopping him in place and says "Wait a second". Suddenly the bridge explodes as Rourke after he and Helga were across had used a detonator to detonate the dynamite that had been placed under the bridge prior to their crossing. As several pieces of smoking wood rain down around them Vinny turns to Naruto and says "Okay now you can go".

Naruto turns to Vinny and gives him a deadpan stare. However before he can say anything he hears Sweet yell "Naruto you better get up here" from back in the throne room causing his eyes to widen in alarm.

End Chapter 8

END AN: Well that's chapter 8 for all of you to enjoy. Now my original plan was to finish out the first movie in this chapter. However I noticed it starting to get kind long nearly 4k words and I had yet to even start covering the final battle.

This lead me to deciding to end the chapter here and finish out the First movie in chapter 9.