The sun was setting as an individual strode through the desert. The sky was slowly darkening, but the figure kept moving on and on. His steps left small footprints through the sand in his wake, and his clothing and hair rustled in the wind. The figure wore a black and tan shirt with black sweatpants and black boots. In addition, his also wore a black cloak that covered his back and waved in the wind (like Sasuke cloak in Boruto). His hair flowed through gusts and he wore a serious look. His name was Uzumaki Naruto.

In front of Naruto, the ground began to rustle as a massive scorpion popped out, teeth bared and stinger ready to attack. Naruto barely lifted his head and aimed a glare at the creature, making it take a step backwards from the Ki. Naruto then did a sun hand seal followed by a few others. "Scorch Release: 10 Fiery Eyes." Ten suns formed around Naruto and swirled around him. It was his one original technique that he made with Yamomoto, and it worked well. The suns shot toward the scorpion, burning it at all angles with heat and contact until the creature was barely recognizable anymore. The suns disappeared except one which hovered around Naruto. As the night fell, the sun kept light as he trudged onward toward the Land of Earth.

Naruto made it through the desert with little difficulty, traveling at around high genin to low chunin pace. After all of his training, especially in strength and durability, the desert was no match for him. The grains of sand didn't even scar his skin like they did on his first trip through. Now, however, he switched the sand for rocks. All around him were mountains of rocks, no trees or water, just rocks. The land of earth was dull, it was home to many volcanoes and made certain areas inhabitable. It looked about as lively as the desert.

Naruto sat down in a cave and sprawled out his belongings. He carried an ample amount of food, as he heard that the Land of Earth had little hunting game around and no plants to get food from. It made Naruto wonder how they even got food in the first place. Naruto is pretty bored, so he does something he normally doesn't do.

"Oi, fox. Wanna have a bit of a talk?" He heard a growl from his mind and just entered his mindscape, now in front of the same large cage that haunted his nightmares as a kid. Now, Yamomoto helped him root out his fear of the fox and now Naruto knew that he couldn't do anything. "Fox, I want full access to your scorch chakra." A red eye poked out of the darkness and a wave of ki rushed at Naruto, but he stood his ground.

"Damn brat thinks because an old man taught him how to do a few feeble jutsu that he can actually order me around, outrageous!" That last word sent a roar through the mindscape, making the walls shutter. "Listen, fox. I know that you, as much as you hate me, know that if I were to die that the seal would drag you along with me. So why don't you grant me this so that way I can make my chances of dying less. Just grant me access to your scorch chakra and I will try to find a way to let you out of the seal, I don't want you in here as much as you want to be in here." The fox stood there for a second, thinking. "You know what brat, since you've been quiet, I'll let you have it. However, come in here demanding stuff and I'll cut it off forever. Got it?" Naruto nodded and watched as familiar chakra enveloped his person in the mindscape. His eyes snapped open and he moved his fingers to wake himself up.

Naruto did the sun hand sign and a sun appeared, only it was much larger. It looked almost triple the size of what it used to be, but it used much more chakra. The free reign didn't give him more chakra, but gave him more ease of access when molding it, allowing him to make more precise techniques. Yamomoto theorized this and he was planning on doing this sooner, but never got around to it. But now, his techniques should be much easier to use. Night fell as Naruto played around with his scorch chakra and wrote in a journal, documenting his findings about scorch release. Naruto also started work on a new jutsu, one that could be an A Rank Technique.

The next day, Naruto walks over a mountain and comes across a town in the distance. It looked small and quaint, but he figured it might be a border town for passage inside the actual Land of Earth. Once inside, the houses were small and rough, built into giant rocks or the cliffside next to it. The town looked poor and he could see people on the street. It aggravated him, but he couldn't do anything about it. He was just as poor as these people right now.

Up ahead, he saw a building he was hoping to see "Land of Earth Border". In front were various shinobi, some wearing chunin flak jackets, some wearing jonin. He knew that there were also Anbu, but he couldn't sense them at his level yet. Naruto walked forward, grabbing the small storage scroll in his pocket. It was around the size of a finger, but it could store a whole room of contents inside. Naruto put it under his tounge and entered inside. He didn't feel like getting stopped by security.

He went up to a booth and ringed a bell that alerted someone. An older man walked in sight, a tired look on his face. "Passport?" "Sorry sir, but I don't have one." The old man looked at him and pointed to the right. There, Naruto saw a checking station with Anbu inside. Naruto went that way and was halted by an Anbu.

"State your name, belongings, origin, and reason for traveling" It was a cold voice, clearly meant for intimidation. "My name is Naruto, no last name. I have nothing with me except the clothes on my back, I left most of it behind. I am from a small village on the outskirts of the Land of Wind. I came to the Land of Earth for new opportunity and potential for business, as business in my town was scarce." It was a well thought out speech, and Naruto was soon being patted down by the Anbu around him. "All clear."

The anbu motioned him inside the country with a temporary passport. Naruto knew that it was easy getting into the Land of Earth, but he didn't know if he could make it inside the Hidden Stone Village. That place was heavily fortified and had top security with trained interrogators granting access. He would wait a little and see. But, along this road, led to a relatively big gambling town where he could earn money, through legal or illegal means was to be decided once he arrived. After a day, he was there.

The town was much like Avte, lights always on, but the town also had a much more depressing air to it. The people there either looked beyond rich, or so dirt poor that they can't even buy food. This place is where the rich got richer and the poor were left to rot. Naruto walked through the crowded streets, eventually climbing onto a rooftop. The buildings were all made out of wood and stone, mostly stone. The people here had an abundance of one material, and that was stone.

Naruto was hoping there was a lake or something near by, but there wasn't. A shame, he needed to learn water walking soon, but there wasn't a body of water to learn in Avte. He also didn't see any farms anywhere, another shame. Farmers paid good money to volunteers willing to do all the hard work for them. But he did see something, a mine. And a sign above, saying "Jobs available, free housing and meals!" Perfect.

Naruto strode up to the place, it looked run down and dodgy, but he had no other choice. He opened the doors with a small chime and walked to the desk. "I'm here for work." The lady at the desk pointed to the left, without even looking up from her book and Naruto walked inside the door. In there was a man in a suit at a desk, sifting through files. He looked up and smiled. "You must be here for an interview, I presume." Naruto nodded. The man seemed fishy and secretive, like a schemer. "Great! Since you're under legal age-" "I can work at the full position, I don't need pampering." Naruto didn't want to work as a chore boy or something, it wouldn't pay well and it's humiliating. "Very well, follow me for strength apprehension. If we deem you strong enough, you can sign a contract and get right to work." Naruto nodded and signed the form. The man led him to the next room with a weight rack. Alright, just lift these weights here until you can't anymore." Naruto picked up the 50 lb., then 75, then 100, then 125, and on until he reached his limit on the 1,500lb weight. The man looked shocked at this, "Well kid, you certainly are stronger than you look, follow me to your quarters as long as you wish to stay. We can pay you normally and your services will be appreciated." Naruto followed behind as they passed into a building inside the cliff. Inside were hundreds of rooms, each seemed to be filled with 3 people, meaning he would have roommates. Great.

The man handed him a key as he walked inside, "Oh, and ask the man inside the schedule." The door was shut as Naruto looked inside to see two men staring at him. One of them was a bulky man that stood at 6 ft. with muscles like watermelons. The other was a slim man at 5'11 who had tattoo's covering his body from the left side of his face down to his stomach. "Oi, Takai, why the fuck is a kid in here." He said with a laugh, pointing at Naruto. "Beats me, how did a brat even pass the test to work here. Eh, whatever, he'll be dead in a few days anyway. Oh, by the way, I'm Takai, or Takai-sama to you." The big bulky man laughed at referring to himself like that, making the other snicker. "Call me Okuma-sama then, too." Both laughed at their own jokes like the pinnacle of comedy. "Don't worry kid, we'll fill ya in on your hellscape to come." Takai said, breaking the laughter.

"The name's Naruto, and why do you imply this is a hellscape, is there something here?" "Kid, right now, you are screwed for most of your life. Being in here is a mess, they got shinobi guarding the place and that contract makes it so ya can't leave. Basically, you are classified as a criminal if you leave, breaking contract. It lasts for 10 years, so get comfy, because you'll be done with puberty before half of it runs out. And the people here, you'll get killed in an "accident" before the week ends. But in here, you're no more than a paid slave, but you can't leave to actually spend any money you earn." Naruto's eyes widened at this. "Kid, most people in here are either some of the poorest in the world or convicted criminals, people the world doesn't care about. You are fucked now that you're in here."

"I don't have to be here for long, I'll just break out when it's over, I don't care about a bounty on my head. Can I just have some info for meals and work." Takai looked at Okuma, who looked back. "Alright, brat. Wake up's at 5 and breakfast is at 5:30. After that is mining until lunch at 12. Then more mining until 6 where it's dinner and free time. Then, you have the unlucky chance of being assigned a chore and then it's sleep again, rinse and repeat. Sundays are the only days where there is no work, like today. You know what, I hope you don't die on the first day, maybe the second day."

"I won't be dying anytime soon. After all, I'm strong." Takai and Okuma laughed at this kid's confidence, what an idiot. He would learn the hell that all of them now live in.

Naruto was woke up by a loud bell at 5, and he got up sleepily. His door was opened by a guard who forced them out and checked the room for anyone still inside. Once Naruto was out, he followed the crowd to the central hall where it seemed like a cafeteria. All the people around him were giving him stares, not of hate, but of curiosity and intimidation. The food he got on his plate was bad, but it was enough. He got a small slab of grey-ish meat and a granola bar. He got it and sat down at an empty table.

"Oi, kid, I feel hungry today, give me your food or I'll beat you senseless, because no one will help you." It was a smaller man who didn't look healthy, rather skinny. Clearly, he was near the bottom of the pyramid and wanted to bully someone lower. And who better than the newbie 14 year old. "No, go away." The man raised a fist, but Naruto dodged it and decked him in the face, sending him to the ground. The people around him began to laugh as the man was seeing stars. "Ha, even the newbie can beat that bottom feeder!" "No way, I thought that he would finally get breakfast today, but I guess not!"

The man on the ground sat back up, enraged. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a makeshift knife and charged. Naruto caught the wrist and grabbed the blade, tucking it away in his pocket before any guards could see. Another punch was thrown from the man, but Naruto caught it as well and kicked him in he gut so hard he lost consciousness. The laughter grew as the inmates mocked the pitiful attempt to mess with Naruto. He heard whispers amongst the crowd though. "That kid has strength, probably should leave him." "Maybe he has shinobi training, I'll wait and see." "Looks like the brat has fighting spirit, Ill give him that."

A ninja came from the railing at the top, but didn't go for Naruto. Instead, he grabbed the man and used a jutsu to wake him up, forcing him back to a table. Naruto kept eating, keeping an eye on the shinobi. From his movements, he could see maybe chunin or jonin. He also saw jonin and chunin perched around the room. He couldn't just waltz out of this place, he needed a plan. But first, he would work for some money, and then break out.

...

Hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry this wasn't as interesting, but it's leading up. Thanks for reading and enjoy your day.