Being a clone, it was an insistent existence.
Imagine being created for a purpose, knowing what it was, and being single-mindedly devoted to complete it. That is what being a shadow clone meant; the fact that what the clone transferred all his memories to the original was a welcome quirk of the Shadow Clone technique to all the participants.
To further that reasoning, being a fragment of the original wasn't so detrimental anymore when you had all of his power. Clone #1 didn't know whether it was the prestige or something else, but it now had access to the original's entire repertoire, with no reductions, including the gamer quirks. Now, he could open an inventory, view his stats, and the whole package.
It smirked as it felt more being created, and one raced right behind him. Now that they were so fast, Clone #2 appeared right next to him in a few scant seconds on top of the Hokage Tower, with Obito on its shoulders. "Legion wants this," it patted the man strung over his shoulder and brushing the ground, he'd be touching it if Clone# 2 wasn't levitating, "where he belongs."
"That's all on you." Clone #1 raised its hands. "That's your aim. Mine is to track more mother-boxes, so that's what I'm going to do." It leaped away.
"I can be a bit dense at times." Clone #2 mused to empty air. "Think, has the sense ever tingled when we were in the village?"
Clone #1 paused mid-air, then doubled back. "Huh."
"Yep. For some reason, there can't be any mother-boxes in the Leaf. Hell, if there was, our senses would've gone off the moment we landed in the dead-center of the village." Clone #2 shrugged.
"I don't want to take any chances." Clone #1 shook its head. "I don't want myself pissed at me."
"Traitor. You just don't want to have to deal with two of Minato's students in a day." Clone #2 accused.
Clone #1 gave it a smirk and took off once again, this time shifting into the Speed-Force and disappearing… at least until Clone#2 let the Speed-Force overtake itself as well and move towards where he could sense an invigorated Kakashi.
It appeared in front of Kakashi, who was sparring against his 'eternal rival' at the crack of dawn. Wow. How long had Legion been staring at the Mother-boxes?
"Kakashi. Just the man I wanted to see." Clone #2 beamed, and vanished and reappeared in between the two of them, forcing them to jump apart. It then rushed forward and unceremoniously shoved Obito into a blinking Kakashi's arms. "Hereisyourfriendwhoyouthoughtwasdeadforalongtimebuthe'sactuallynotI'mjustaclonebye-"
Before he could vanish, a grip caught its hand. Since he did not want to tear Kakashi's arm out of its socket because healing it would take the time that it could spend to do… better things, it sighed and resigned itself to its fate, turning to look at a shell-shocked Gai and a stone-still Kakashi. "Gundan-kun-"
"Clone." Clone #2 helpfully reminded him.
"Please stop acting as if I am not here." Obito spoke quietly, shifting out of Kakashi's hold to stand on his legs. The poor Hatake did not even know how to react. "Kakashi. It's… been a while."
"Obito." Kakashi breathed deep, eyes wide. "How… how…?"
"I am certain this is a youthful story." Gai nodded, but his eyes were not on them, but focusing on something in the distance. "But… perhaps this is a story much suited to be heard in front of the Hokage?"
Kakashi turned to look upon him, then his gaze slid back right to the clone. His lone visible eye flashed in… something. It was something that gave the clone a positive tornado of butterflies in its stomach, and it didn't seem to be slowing anytime soon.
"Alright." Kakashi nodded. His eyes slid to Obito, narrowed, then back to him. "But, Gundan, know this; after whatever this is, when it's over, we're going to have a long talk about what you did when you vanished."
"Sure." The clone shrugged, but then its eyes softened. "However… I think you two can be a bit late for the meeting. There are things you two need to talk about." It nodded, then clapped a hand on Gai's shoulder. "Let's go, youth-man." And then the two of them vanished in a pop.
They left behind two old friends in a breezy clearing.
"Otsutsuki Toneri."
This clone didn't know what it was expecting, but it certainly wasn't a toddler (SO ADORABLE!) in a cot. It shrugged and gathered up the sleeping bundle in its arms, before creating another clone that split off in search of the Gedo no Mazo to destroy it once and for all.
Then, the logistics of its situation registered. Here was a smol bean, an alien descendent youngling that needed tending to at this stage of life. There was no other living organism present here at the moment. It stood to reason that someone or something took care of this baby who had just stepped out for a moment.
"Well… fuck me."
"Oh, is that what you're waiting for, beautiful?"
It whirled at the voice, grabbing Toneri in a protective embrace and leaping backward, hovering in the air as it glared at the newcomer distrustfully.
Pale hair? Check. White garments? Check.
Scythe?!
"It has been ages since Jashin has laid eyes on as pretty a specimen like you." The now-identified Jashin proclaimed, then his eyes widened with manic glee as they settled on Toneri. "And already taking to matronly duties! You will make an excellent slave."
The clone stared at him in disbelief.
"Are you awed by my presence?" he preened, flexing. Unfortunately, he only wore lower-body garments, so his chiseled physique was on full view. "Feast your eyes upon the body of a true alpha male."
Its eye twitched. "You remind me of people I met online. And not in a good way."
"Online?" he murmured, tilting his head in confusion. "I thought the denizens of this pitiful planet had not achieved space-flight yet. No matter, once we find Ishikki, we will punish him for the faulty information he has fed us."
A sense of alarm began to rise in the clone's chest. Space-flight? It ruthlessly pushed it down to focus on then and there. "That's cute. You're assuming you will leave this chamber at all."
Jashin laughed. "Spirited! I like that!" He then sneered. "Just like Kaguya… and I broke her well enough before she escaped and tried to build her husk army to defend against me…" His grey eyes glowed, and marks began to spread across his body, looking eerily like those of Hidan's. "I like to break them, oh yes…"
It created another clone and moved to hand over Toneri to it, but had to hasten its action and pull out [Akuma-sha] mid swoop to block against Jashin's sudden attack. The scythe ground against its zanpakuto and sparks flew.
"Hand over my descendant. He will make a worthy next vessel." Jashin ordered, the jovial tone from his voice almost completely gone. "Defiling Kaguya's brood will be so exhilarating… oh yes…"
The clone grit its teeth. "No way in hell, pedophile. Sting your enemies to death, Suzumebachi! "
Sometimes, bonus objectives could just fuck themselves.
This clone frowned, staring down at the stick it was currently using for a focus, which insistently pointed at the moon, going so far as to jab at it. It thought that if the stick had a voice, it would be screaming at him, for some reason. However, Jashin was nowhere to be found, and the only place on the moon it hadn't already searched yet was the Otsutsuki palace, where one of its brethren was currently handling things. You'd think the stark white clothes, skin, and hair of their clan would stand out against the blackness of space…
Well, on the other hand, at least it can safely say Darkseid isn't approaching by space. No ships for miles around, no planets, either. Only the sun and stars. It probably wouldn't be too off if it assumed that its planet was the only one to exist in this system; another one at the max.
It sighed and sped forward. Now was not the time for such thoughts… not when it had someone to hunt. But it bore incentive for thinking about it, that's for certain. Shinobi amongst the stars… that could be cool-
Wait… what was that?!
All other thoughts fled its mind as it single-mindedly sped forward. It couldn't be…
But, alas, it was. The annoying 'out-of-this-realm' sense it possessed was tingling.
Floating in space in front of it was a giant contraption it was very familiar with. How many times had Legion read the codices in the games he played about it, marveling at its fictional function? Yet here it was, its core bright against the blackness and pinpricks of light, just as grandiose as one might expect. With its eyes, it could easily see shadows flickering through the viewing stations, all attention focused right at itself. If it focused enough, it could probably read their lips, if the species in question had any, but right now it was still in shock. If space could transmit sound, it did not doubt that there would be several demanding to know who or what he was right at that moment.
"A mass effect relay… well, fuck."
This changed things, and not in a good way.
Another clone in space suddenly has a mild sense of alarm, as if something of Major Significance was happening at the moment, but shrugged it off and kept its mind to the task at hand. The pressing question on its mind was growing to be more and more of import as he neared his targets.
How do you eliminate uber-powerful beings without killing them?
It slowed to a stop once it noticed two white pinpricks on the outermost reaches of its vision. Great, now the problem needed an immediate answer.
The two figures stilled and turned to face its approaching form. While closing in, the clone could easily spot the suppressed glee on Momoshiki's and confusion on Kinshiki's faces.
Wait… that's right. Naruto empowered Boruto's Rasengan to kill Momoshiki, in turn cursing his son with being the next vessel of the alien. The clone's non-existent blood suddenly boiled.
There was a danger to its future nephew right in front of it.
Like hell, it was going to let some flunky bonus objective keep the danger present.
It barely arrested its movement but brought both its hands forwards. Ten ominous-looking black balls began to form at their tips.
The glee was instantly wiped off Momoshiki's face.
"Gran Rey Cero!"
Even as the attacks sped forward, it swerved to the side and brought its hands together. Time to try something… "Seeping crest of turbidity, arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny, grow numb, and flicker! Disrupt sleep, crawling queen of iron, eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite, repulse! Fill with soil, and know your own powerlessness!"
Reiatsu began to coagulate above its outreached hand, black wisps that were invisible against space but stood out in stark contrast against the sudden flare of light from the impacting Ceros.
"Hado 90, Kurohitsugi!"
The cave system was old. Very old. The clone could practically feel the age of the caverns in every breath it took… there was a thought. It was just a chakra construct, right? Did it even need to breathe?
It kept waking, content with taking its own time. It was going on to face a being that gave peak-Naruto and peak-Sasuke trouble, so it could be patient. Eventually, when it began to hear a voice, however, it blended with the ample shadows on the cavern floor.
"… the vessel is beginning to deteriorate…. must commence transfer…"
It smirked, and edged forward, only covered hair and darkened eyes poking out of the shadow. In front of him a few ways away, an old man was hooking himself up to some machines that looked way too advanced for the Naruto world. The man then proceeded to activate it somehow and laid down on one of the two bed-like platforms hovering in the air. On the other platform was a very familiar face.
The moment the man's eyes closed, it blurred in black lightning while drawing its clone version of Akuma-sha and slashed straight on the device. Not wasting a single moment, it grasped the old man's head and delved into him with Telepathy, eager to leave its target in a comatose state and learn all it could in the process.
"Sensei?"
"Wait… how is this possible?"
"…"
"Where are we?"
I smiled. This was the ultimate high, bringing someone back from the dead. For a moment, I felt an odd sensation that someone was pouting at me, but dismissed it as nothing.
"Namikaze Minato." I spoke instead, relaxing my posture and opting to hover in the air while 'standing' instead. "Senju Tobirama. Senju Hashirama. Shimura Danzo. You have all been chosen to save your world."
"Gundan," Danzo grunted, "what is the meaning of this?"
"As we speak, forces beyond your reckoning prepare to enter our world using these boxes." I gestured to the doorways to hell concealed in innocuous mother-boxes on the tables. "These are called 'mother-boxes'. They utilize a phenomenon called a 'boom-tube' to facilitate immediate travel across theoretically any distance. An insane but powerful creature can attack our planet at any moment. That we have these precious few seconds to get you caught up on matters is a welcome respite."
"You know this child, Danzo-kun?" Hashirama asked, but then his eyes widened. "Wait, your chakra…"
Danzo looked away from the searching eyes of his mentor.
"We can settle these squabbles later, people." I huffed impatiently. "Did you lot miss the part where I mentioned an uber-powerful madman who will soon be arriving amongst us to take over the world?! I only resurrected you to protect the population of this world while I do battle with Darkseid himself. Plus… honestly, my presence here could attract any unknown amount of trouble next, and if, for some reason, I am no longer here, you lot can stay behind to do what needs to be done."
"So this is your doing?" Tobirama asked, and his hands tensed.
"Of course, not!" I was appalled. How dare he… "Look, Tobirama, I have people I care about here. I love this place. I'd never give it up for anything!"
"His heart speaks true, brother, I sense it!" Hashirama clapped his brother on his back. "But… the uncanny resemblance the two of you share… surely you are related?"
My eye twitched.
"No. Bloody. Time!" I barked, making Hashirama cringe and his brother eye me with something akin to approval. "You know what; let's just get back to the Leaf. I'd rather debrief everyone at the same time."
A black sphere appeared next to me and vanished in wisps of darkness to reveal a clone of mine. It vanished shortly after.
PING!
[A skill has leveled up and evolved due to reaching the maximum possible level!
Master Telepath (Active) Lv MAX
You see into the mind of the person you are observing and manipulate it. As a master of the art, you can do wonders. By connecting with others on an emotional level, you are able to understand what they feel and why.
1 sec in target's mind is 0.00001 sec in real life.]
This one was a pain to evolve since the second-generation clone assigned this skill had to relocate to the real world and test it out on random prisoners. I wouldn't want to be them. However, I did learn new combat styles, so I guess that's okay.
[A skill has leveled up and evolved due to reaching the maximum possible level!
Blessing of the Outsider (Active) Lv MAX
Granted to those who pique his interest regardless of moral alignment or sanity, the Mark grants access to cast spells. As a master in its use, you now hold sway over those you have gifted it to.
Branches of Magic: Animation, Combat, Conjuration, Transfiguration, Utility.
Special Ability: Arcane Bond, Mirror-spell, Negation.
Perks: No Cost.]
It literally took just one spell. Ugh. You'd think Evanesco would have come up earlier, but eh. At least I'm good with magic now. This should help in the aftermath of the battle.
[A skill has leveled up and evolved due to reaching the maximum possible level!
Magic Specialty: Dragon-Slayer (Active) Lv MAX
Using magic to imitate a dragon, you use the elements to startling effect. You can be nourished by consuming elements that you embody.
Elements Assumed: Lightning, Shadow, Death.
Damage from affiliated elemental attacks received converted to HP, QI, and RR.
Special Abilities: Brilliant Element, Claw, Crushing Fang, Grip Strike, Iron Fist, Roar, Sword Horn, Waxwing Flash, Wing Slash.
Secret Arts: Heavenward Halberd, Bind.
Perks: Dragon Force, No Cost.]
Dragon, meet human. The best magic type ever is now my bitch. Bow down to me, dragons, your god has arrived!
…
Okay no, I sound crazy.
[A skill has leveled up and evolved due to reaching the maximum possible level!
Ninja Art: Snake Summoning (Active) Lv MAX
By signing the contract and being approved, you are now able to summon snakes. Alongside being excellent combat additives, snakes can also introduce and counteract poisons, transfer messages, and spy easily.
Cost: 0.01 x (Proportionate to the size of snake summoned.)
Limit: 100,000 at a time.
Perks: Extendable appendages, Flexible Body Structure, Poison Immunity.]
This was quite fun. To mix things up, I summoned snakes in a myriad of ways and chatted up those who were willing to stay. Apparently, the Great White Snake Sage wanted to meet me due to a prophetic vision she had. Ew, prophecy, right? But also, wow, upcoming Sage mode, because heck yeah!
[A skill has leveled up and evolved due to reaching the maximum possible level!
Ninja Art: Elemental Chakra Revelry (Active) Lv MAX
You can imbue your chakra with elemental natures, allowing it to take on various properties, or actualize a mix of two, three, four, five, six, or seven elements.
Water – 3/3; Earth – 3/3; Lightning – 3/3; Wind – 3/3; Fire – 3/3; Yin – 3/3; Yang – 3/3
Element combinations Learned: Boil, Dark, Crystal, Dust, Energy, Gale, Gravity, Ice, Lava, Magnet, Plasma, Power, Sand, Scorch, Steam, Steel, Storm, Swift, Quicklime, Wood.
Special Abilities: All-Encompassing Light, All-Killing Ash Bones, Inorganic Transmutation, Organic Transformation, Regeneration of the Primordial Chaos, Truth-Seeking Chakra.
Perks: Double Damage, No Hand-signs.]
This skill was the easiest to max out by far. Complete all the elemental exercises, break into the Hokage tower to find more information then combine all of the natures. It took my clone only one week… which is kind of cheap, honestly.
[Due to a special action, multiple skills have fused and evolved!
Elemental Personification (Active) Lv MAX
Whether or not influenced by your energies, you can manipulate all. You can imbue your chakra with elemental natures, allowing it to take on various properties, or actualize a mix of two, three, four, five, six, or seven elements. You can be nourished by consuming elements that you embody.
Healing limit: 1000HP/sec.
Energy transfer limit: 1000Units/sec.
Primary Element: Death.
Elements Assumed: Water, Earth, Fire, Air, Lightning, Yin, Yang.
Element Combinations Assumed: Boil, Crystal, Dark, Dust, Energy, Gale, Gravity, Ice, Lava, Magnet, Plasma, Power, Sand, Scorch, Shadow, Steam, Steel, Storm, Swift, Quicklime, Wood.
Special Abilities: All-Encompassing Light, All-Killing Ash Bones, Inorganic Transmutation, Organic Transformation, Regeneration of the Primordial Chaos, Truth-Seeking Chakra.
Special Arts: Bind, Heavenward Halberd, Inhale.
Special Techniques: Brilliant Element, Claw, Crushing Fang, Elemental Phase, Grip Strike, Iron Fist, Roar, Sword Horn, Tail Strike, Waxwing Flash, Wing Slash.
Perks: Air-sense, Avatar State, Damage Conversion, Dragon Force, Double Damage, Earth-sense, Elemental Drive, No Cost, No Hand-signs.]
So… me being an Avatar, a Dragon-slayer, and an elemental chakra user all combined into one, huh?
I really don't know how to feel about that. How does that even work? Am I supposed to just randomly learn to slay dragons with so many elements like that? Well, at least I can phase into a lot of things now… and… control pretty much everything…
Ugh, but life is going to be so boring after this…
[A skill has leveled up and evolved due to reaching the maximum possible level!
Ninja Art: Chakra Actualization (Active) Lv MAX
By expelling potent chakra and manipulating it outside your body, you can effectively create objects of pure chakra.
Range: 10km
Perks: No Cost, Unbreakable Constructs.]
Not really going to be used much, but hey, you ain't skilled in a skill unless you max out the skill, so here we are.
[A skill has leveled up and evolved due to reaching the maximum possible level!
Ninja Art: DNA Manipulation (Active) Lv MAX
Using dense chakra folded down on a chromosome, you can alter it in any way you see fit. You can freely manipulate DNA as a master of this technique.
Perks: Forever Successful, Permanent Changes.]
This. Was. HELL. At least I'm done with it now, though. The world is literally my playground now. I'm going to make some huge changes once I'm done with Darkseid – having major plans in your head is only satisfying when they actually can come into play.
I waved off the screens and turned back to my resurrected compatriots. "So, yeah. Please gather around, we need to head off to the Leaf as soon as possible."
Before anyone could say anything, another clone popped in. "Legion, all of the Jinchuuriki are being held captive in the Mirror Dimension."
I took a second to think. Being beyond god-level allows you to do so many things in each millisecond. Add that to the Speed-Force, and you have a scarily good strategist on your hands. "Very well. Deal with Zetsu and the other Ootsutsuki in the seal, then pop so that I can extract the tailed beasts."
I reached out a hand towards the clone, and it touched the only filled-in diamond shape on my left wrist, vanishing into the seal.
"Okay… what are we waiting for, a theme song? Gather around!" I gestured impatiently. "Make a large circle. Everyone gets connected to me by their hands."
"Why are you holding Jinchuuriki captive?" Minato demanded, withdrawing a tri-pronged kunai. "Who are you?"
"Explaining that would take a whole lotta time we don't have." I shook my head. "You humans should never have meddled with the Tailed Beasts in the first place. Now that you have… anyway, at least I wiped your mess up. I'll extract the beasts, let them free where none of you lot could ever hope to even catch a glimpse of them, and leave them there to live as they see fit." I turned to glare at Hashirama. "I don't know what you were thinking, handing them out like party favors like that – they're living things, not property; and definitely not your property, in any case."
The man leveled him a solemn look. "One does what he must to ensure peace."
"Yeah, yeah, peace. There have been three World Wars, am I right?" I asked of Minato, rhetorically. "It's totally like a utopia."
A trio of clones materialized next to me. "Legion. There have been more than a few complications." They then dispelled.
I stilled. No way. No fucking way.
"Bloody shit-bucket cum-stained skeleton asshole ruining my fucking afterlife-"
Oh. That's a thing. I hate the calming effect of Gamer's Mind… or at least its new, derivative skill.
Anyway, so at least I can check one thing off my list.
PING!
[ Main Quest Completed!
Only One Path
You have a comprehensive recollection of every possible problem that can plague the Elemental Nations. Act on them.
Completed Objectives
Eliminate the Akatsuki members.
Eliminate Toneri, Kinshiki, Momoshiki, Jigen, and Jashin Ootsutsuki.
Bring hope to the scattered clans of the Uzushiogakure village.
Prepare for the worst.
Bonus Objectives Completed
Do not directly kill your priority targets (15/18).
Find all living members of the Hidden Whirlpool Village.
Create a transcendental skill.
Rewards
15,000EXP, 150,000,000,000 Ryo, Property Management System, DNA Meld: Ectonurite, Ultimate Ninja Armor Set, Reaver Mage Armor Set]
[You have levelled up multiple times!]
Wait, why was the EXP I earned greatly reduced? I adhered to the bonus objectives and everything!
Ugh.
Okay, well, I finally got my power-up for Orochimaru-sensei. He'll do well with an Ectonurite's abilities. I spared only a moment for a full-body shudder, picturing the horrifying image if the sample was from the Omniverse show… hopefully it's from the original.
Anyway, I quickly navigated over to my character page, to see 900 stat points waiting to be assigned… and that my [AGL] and [LCK] had risen by 300 points each… so… I get 60 points per level up, and 20 points each into my main attributes at the same time… nice.
I quickly assigned my points, putting 150 points into each of the stats.
[ Character Page
Uzumaki Gundan – Level 15
Race: Ascendant
Title: Death Ascendant
Next Level: 0/1,000.
HP - 252,000
QI - 252,000
RR - 254,000
CON - 152
STR - 152
AGL - 457
INT - 154
WIS - 154
LCK - 456
Stat Points: 0
Resistances:
Physical – 100% (50% Damage Reflected)
Spiritual – 100%
Chakra – 100%
Poison – 100%]
Excellent.
Also, another thing to check off was the reunion the Uzumaki Clan... or at least all of the survivors of the entire village The last surviving outpost of the Uzumaki had buried kilometers beneath the earth, a position only made inhabitable by a myriad of seals and techniques that require upkeep. There was only one clan there, made of seven people, but it was something , at the very least. With this, all the surviving Uzumaki were officially under the Leaf's banner.
"Okay, so that's that." I beamed at the very confused recently-revived people present. "In spite of my life being a flaming fucking mess, at least some good things come out of it. Anyway, as I said, gather 'round, everyone. We don't have a minute to waste."
"But you-"
"I don't have time for this shit."
"So… let me understand this right…" Hiruzen began, rubbing his forehead but unable to fight a smile for some reason off of his face. "You can indiscriminately bring people back to life now?"
Next to him, Orochimaru's eyes hadn't left my face since I walked in followed by some of the Leaf's finest.
"What discrimination?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Like, being in the belly of the Shinigami." Hiruzen explained, shooting Minato a side-eyed glance.
I blinked. "Ah. Yes. I… suppose he's my subordinate now." I mused, a small smile on my visage. Maybe I could do something nice for him, or her?
"Your bloodline is… revolutionary. It plays with the rules of the universe, and allows you to break established universal laws alike at your will." Hiruzen muttered, but then straightened and beamed. "At least now I know why some of my more sensitive sensors fainted when you suddenly appeared in the village." He turned to Minato, who looked amused at the byplay between us. "So, Minato, will you be taking the hat today or tomorrow?"
"Um…" the man shuffled his feet, oddly enough looking like a dejected puppy, before muttering, "how about never."
"He will have to make time for little Naruto." I absently agreed.
"About that… how old is he right now? And… when are we? Nothing major seems to have changed so it couldn't have been that long…" Minato trailed.
"About a year and a few months." Hiruzen informed him, not unkindly but a bit grumpy. "And Naruto is being well-taken care of by your wife's clan, so he's not left out in the cold, as one might say."
I shuddered, numerous fanfics coming to mind where Naruto was way worse off than in canon.
Minato blinked. "My wife's clan?"
"Oh, yes. I scoured the elemental nations to find the remnants of the Uzumaki Clan." I shrugged. "They're all under our banner now." I looked at Hiruzen. "Boy, if that doesn't throw the power balance in the village, I don't know what would."
Hiruzen glowered at me. "Yes, thank you for that, by the way." He bit out. "Never before have the Uchiha and Hyuuga felt threatened by another clan, and that was before the Kurama Clan came back into the mix." Then, he offered me a sly smile. "And before they calmed down a bit."
I beamed back at him. "All in a year's work, Lord Third."
Just then, a clone materialized next to me and dispelled.
"Oh, wonderful… I was right." I created a clone, who took a deep breath and spread out his chakra. "Alright, people, I'm giving you a little summary of the situation via an illusion, watch closely."
While the clone was busy regaling the lot of them with what I previously thought was fictional history, I busied myself in mentally preparing myself. I mean, all the villages I the world are gonna be-
Oh crap.
The other villages!
I could probably make enough clones to protect everyone since most of my abilities don't need any energy used anymore and the one-hit-dispel thing has been taken care of, but do I really want to risk that?
No one dies unless it's their time, and my involvement doesn't count.
I quickly created four clones, who zoomed away with the Speed-Force to do what I thought up. Hopefully, Darkseid is the only being who needs major attention. If he's already enslaved a Kryptonian, or, god forbid, another higher being from another universe…
Maybe… maybe I need to bring back more people from Konoha as well.
I sighed and stalked to the 'hidden' filing cabinets, dispelling the major protections on it with a flex of my chakra. I grabbed the highest tier 'Deceased Personnel' file available and skimmed through the pages.
Yes… this should do nicely for a menu.
But before that, there was one more problem to take care of.
I apparated to the highest point I'd been in the sky while still being in the planet's atmosphere and drew my legs to myself. I also decided to wrap myself in a cocoon of energy, just in case.
Before all in front of me was filled with darkness, there was a brilliant grey light in the distance. A beat of silence followed before I opened my eyes in an entirely different place, surrounded by very familiar figures.
"Shukaku. Matatabi. Isobu. Son Goku. Kokuo. Saiken. Chomei. Gyuuki. Kurama."
I bowed to each of them in turn, before taking to the 'air' and hovering in the midst of them at face level. "For too long you have been treated inferior. For too long have you been used by humans for their selfish ends, disregarding your status as living beings and being considered monsters, or worse. I would offer you a respite from it all."
"Speak, Death Ascendant." Kurama spoke, eyes narrowed but concentrated on my form.
I was a bit taken aback and looked around at the others. The varying expressions on their faces were either of scrutiny, awe, or outright fear, in case of Shukaku. "You know of my nature?"
"Don't patronize us." Gyuuki snorted. There are very few beings in the world who could reverse entirely the death of our containers as they were extracted. Unless Rikudo-sama or his brats have suddenly come back to life, you are a being who has tamed death."
"And, Shini-sama, it doesn't help that the Shinigami bowed to you when he came for Han, and then vanished without protest." Kokuo stated calmly.
I rolled my eyes. "Honestly, that seal was worse than the original it was ripped off of. I need to infiltrate Stone and recover the scrolls they plundered from Whirlpool… however impossible the idea may seem." Perhaps a traitor in the Uzumaki main family? Every clan had its black sheep, after all. A seal devised to drag the container into Shinigami's belly upon extraction of the tailed-beast within was devious, to say the least. "Regardless, my offer comes with a… request."
"Of course it does." Son Goku scoffed.
Matatabi whacked him with one of her tails. "Listen to the calm Death Ascendant before condemning him, you imbecile."
The ape grumbled but grudgingly fell silent.
"A being approaches. More terrible than your original combined form. More terrible than your father could ever hope to be. He has destroyed planets with his armies, and I wish him not to have a hold over you. Please, accept my request – no matter what happens, if even this planet is destroyed, do not attempt to come back."
The beats stilled. "You're asking us… not to get involved?" Kurama asked with disbelief.
"I'm asking you to not even think about getting involved." I nodded. "As of now, I do not know this being's capacity. He is not even supposed to exist. I cannot risk him imprisoning you all within him and milking the lot of you for all the power he wants. No." I glared at Kurama. "It was bad enough I waited this long to free you even after I knew I was strong enough. No more. I can't stand to see you all enslaved again."
There was silence for a moment before Chomei spoke in a small voice. "Where would we even go?"
I looked at each of them in turn, and they seemed to be amenable. Only Kurama kept his narrow-eyed stare on me with any suspicion, and I met it head-on.
When he finally relented and sighed, I grinned. "Leave that to me."
If Kurama turned his head and looked a bit lost, I pretended not to notice.
"Desaad, how long until we reach this new planet?"
"Patience, Mortalla… we have almost arrived to herald our lord's glory."
In the darkness, two blood-red eyes opened.
"Very well. Let us see if these… 'X-Men' were worth indoctrinating."