It's nice to see that the rewrite's off to a good start. I'll be uploading chapters very quickly to get caught up to where the original was in terms of chapter count, then I'll update both simultaneously. Just so everyone knows, I AM going to be retaining a bit of the tongue-in-cheek humor from the first version. Like, Kurama won't be full on pervert but he will make lewd quips occasionally. If that's cringy to you, I apologize, but I write for fun at the end of the day. Also, the other tailed beasts will be included pretty soon, as I had realized I left them out entirely in the first iteration of this story. Also also, please review. Onto the story!

Chapter 2: Infinite Disciple

"You see, Sasuke!? We got eaten by some fish/whale hybrid! Man, I hate getting eaten, dattebayo!" Naruto was exasperated. This marked the third time something had eaten him in his long life, and probably the 100th something had tried to eat him, half of those probably coming from Kurama alone. First it was a giant snake, then the four tails (speaking of him, he'd have to ask Kurama where the other tailed beasts were, he hadn't other heard from them since crossing over to this dimension), and now some freaky aquatic animal sent by a divine wackjob. Fate hated him, apparently.

Sasuke wanted to agree, in all honesty. He wanted to just burn this odd-looking creature from the inside out with [Amaterasu], slice open its carcass, and take his chances wherever they tumbled out. They were more than capable of defending themselves, by the looks of things. Those winged beings all acted terrified of those dragons, and the dragons weren't even half of his or Naruto's full power.

But he didn't.

Upon closer inspection, this creature hadn't even tried digesting them. They were definitely in it's stomach, but nothing was eating away at them. No stomach acid or other agents of breakdown were present. If it had truly wanted to try and eat them, it would've done something by now as it felt like quite some time had passed. He'd give it another short passage of time before he went gung-ho to see where this lead. Now, he just had to calm down Naruto. Opening his mouth to speak, he was interrupted by said blonde

"I already know what you're going to say. It's dangerous to just up and kill the thing because we can end up in unfamiliar territory not knowing our way around. That's one of the situations a ninja is most likely to die in. I'll wait it out until this thing tries to actually eat us."

Sasuke was oddly proud. It seemed that Naruto's time as hokage had made his mind more strategic after all. Still, he preferred when he acted brash and irrational, throwing caution to the wind and facing his problems head-on. Something Sasuke himself couldn't do until he had the ability beat into him by said blonde. All throughout his life, all he ever did was run away from his problems.

Itachi? He quite literally ran away from his home to gain more power to kill him.

Sakura? He didn't know how to deal with her, so he pushed her away at every turn. Why she fell in love with him, he'll never know.

Naruto? Well, Naruto is probably the single biggest example of that. He couldn't bare Naruto being as strong as he was, so he ran away. He couldn't bare Naruto continuing to pursue him and even lay down his life for him, so he ran away some more.

He couldn't bare having to face Naruto's resolve, so he ran away even more…

Naruto personified the courage and determination Sasuke did not have early in his life. He was manipulated, and played like a fiddle, with no purpose to actually call his own. Killing Itachi was a construct of Itachi himself. He hadn't lied to Sasuke when he told him that he was letting him live for his own benefit all those years ago. He wanted to be dealt with by an Uchiha and an Uchiha only for his sins, attempting to cradle Sasuke and direct his life without any input from himself. Orochimaru got into his head with promises of power, but that power wasn't for him, but for Orochimaru himself as he wanted to take over his body. Obito directed his hatred to the Hidden Leaf at large, especially Danzo, and so on and so-forth.

Naruto, on the other hand, had always made his own decisions. Bringing him back to the Leaf was something he was adamant about even when others tried to talk him out of it, he had been told. Jiraiya was against it initially, Kakashi had resolved to kill him, and even Sakura had tried to talk him out of it by making a fake confession of love. Through it all, he never gave up on him. That was the difference between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto could never be swayed from his path, while Sasuke was like a leaf blowing in the wind, going wherever his vengeance and scorn directed him next.

Done reminiscing, Sasuke leaned backwards onto a particularly soft piece of the fleshy interior of the whale/fish, prepared to wait for a little while longer in comfortable silence with his best friend. That silence would be cut short, however, as a new figure appeared in the sky above the location the creature was traveling. She looked the part of a goth loli, with a mildly satisfied expression.

"I've finally found you."

-Takamagahara-

A woman who radiated elegance, beauty, and warmth stood at the entrance to a magnificent palace. She was tall for a woman, with long, black hair, a slender face and body, and beauty most would not even consider possible. In contrast to her appearance, her inner emotions were in turmoil. Her normally benevolent expression shifted into one of neutrality, albeit "neutral" was not how she felt about the situation at hand. Her name was Amaterasu, the Shinto deity of the sun.

"I don't get it. Why would the infinite dragon god appear in my domain? What business does it have here?" She paced back and forth in her heavenly abode, unsure as to what to make of this occurrence. Had she or any of her fellow deities in the pantheon done something to offend Ophis? No, that can't be it. Ophis was fine so long as it's "silence" wasn't interrupted.

…

It was. Said silence was interrupted, by the "Dragon of Dragons" Great Red. She kicked herself for forgetting such a crucial detail. Still, what did they have to do with it being here? Did it want to make a new abode in Japan? No, that doesn't make any sense, the only place its been known to live was the Dimensional Gap. Japan, as serene as it was (that might have been a bit of a humblebrag on her part), would be too "noisy" for Ophis. Amaterasu was at her wits end, until a gust of wind blew past her and she was alerted to the presence of another.

"Fujin", she called out his name listlessly. Whereas Amaterasu could be thought of to be the personification of traditional beauty, Fujin was more akin to a monster. He was large, towering over Amaterasu, and had green skin as well as sharp claws and a ghastly face. He carried a bag over his shoulders that was filled with wind, as he was a wind god. He bore a striking resemblance to an oni.

"Forgive my interruption, Amaterasu-sama, but I might just have the answers to your current predicament." Amaterasu looked at him skeptically. Contrary to his "I eat kids" look, Fujin was rather harmless and polite, but he was prone to mischief. The phrase "break wind" came from when he did just that at a banquet for the kami. He was great for gathering information though, as he was one with the wind and could hear the words spoken through it.

"Alright then, report, if you don't mind, Fujin-san." She was happy to have any leads at all, to be honest. Trying to oppose Ophis would only end in disaster, so she needed to figure out a way to get it to leave without conflict.

"Well, recently, there appears to have been a shake-up in the world of the gods. Two new deities suddenly arrived smackdab in the middle of the civil war between the Judeo-Christian factions, defeated the two Heavenly Dragons, and bolted." Fujin's slang always confused her, but she got the gist of what he was saying. That still didn't clear anything up though. Two new (and very powerful) deities appeared, so what? How were they connected to that sentient Armageddon named Ophis?

"What exactly does that have to do with Ophis appearing over Shinto territory?"

"Well, you see, those two new deities are also in Shinto territory. They appear to be traveling inside of a creature to some unknown destination." That could spell trouble, she thought. Ophis was bad enough, but two new deities, capable of defeating those rambunctious dragons, sailing right into her territory with unknown motivations? She'd need to monitor the situation accordingly.

"Thank you, Fujin-san. If it's not too much trouble, could you go to where this is all happening, and keep an eye out for me? Don't fight anyone, and don't pull ANY pranks." She punctuated her request (command) with a sickly-sweet face and a blinding aura, letting him know that she meant business.

"Y-yes, Amaterasu-sama." Fujin scampered off, being carried by the wind he let free from his bag. He muttered as he descended to the Ama-no-uki-hashi, the bridge that connected the realm of the divine with the realm of mortals.

"Everyone calls me an Oni, but she's the REAL monster."

-Japanese Seas-

What felt like a few more hours passed in the belly of the beast for the two wandering shinobi, their patience running out bit by bit. Naruto was visibly frustrated and beginning to get hungry. He hadn't had any food since before they left the elemental nations. Sasuke was holding up well enough, but he was beginning to lean towards killing this creature they were riding in, hesitance to eat them be damned. His thoughts would be carried out, but not by him or Naruto.

The whale hybrid was suddenly cut in half, dying on the spot. Naruto and Sasuke were on opposite sides of the creature's stomach, and, startled, propelled themselves out of the two halves and swam up to the surface of the waters to stand on them and see who the assailant was. Upon reaching the surface, they were greeted by a floating little girl.

"… Am I going insane? You're seeing this too, right, Sasuke?" Naruto queried, trying to see if he had finally been driven completely insane by the passage of time.

"I'm seeing the same thing you are, Naruto." Coming from the strongest Uchiha, that's saying something, so Naruto was reassured that he wasn't going completely batshit.

"Ok, so like, what is she? A ghost? She's floating and staring at us with a blank expression." Naruto missed the mark completely. Ophis was actually smiling, her smile just wasn't blatant enough to notice. Before he or Sasuke could speak again, the flying little ghost girl began to do so.

"I've finally found you two. You will help me achieve my goals", she stated bluntly. Naruto was perplexed. Did she want to pass onto the afterlife or something? He never did find out how that works, with the whole "immortality" thing. The closest he'd gotten was when he met the Sage, and that was more of a conversation than it was him going towards any "bright, white light" like he'd heard in those tv shows. As if he was reading his mind, Sasuke spoke up.

"She's not a ghost, and she doesn't want to pass onto the afterlife, dobe. You'd know that if you bothered to try and gauge her power." Sasuke could not deactivate his rinnegan, so he was always reaping the benefits of it. It drained chakra, but the amount was negligible at best. When he looked at her through his special eyes, he saw a large conglomerate of energy that was perfectly still. Naruto went into sage mode near instantaneously, and he concurred.

"Oh, you're right! She's a lot stronger than those two lizards." She felt the same as the two dragons they had fought, but she was immeasurably stronger if the amount of energy in her was any indication (it wasn't chakra, but something similar). They'd have to take her more seriously if she was picking a fight.

"Join me", she stated simply.

"I don't know what it is you want, kid, but you seem plenty powerful enough to do it on your own." Naruto wasn't good around women who tried to court him, but a kid he could handle.

"Kid?" She questioned. "Kid" was a term mortals used to describe someone infantile in nature, if she remembered correctly. Was her physical appearance not adequate for the request? No matter, she could shapeshift. Ophis body began to grow right before their very eyes, undergoing puberty and filling out all in one short instance. Her waist thinned out, her hips become wider, and her bust grew to be large and seemingly soft. Her face matured as well to fit the rest of her body. Once she was done, she began to speak again.

"Will this do?" She felt the slightest hint of pride at having shown off her power. Her voice had gone from that of a child's to that of a grown woman's as well.

Naruto's jaw dropped to the ocean floor. This little girl turned into a full-grown woman in 10 seconds! With a bust as big as grandma Tsunade's, and a figure that outdid even his patented sexy jutsu.

"What the hell is this!?", he shouted. Sasuke did a better job of keeping his composure, but he was inwardly confused as much as Naruto was. Was she trying to seduce them? Get them to lower their guard? Whatever it was, he grabbed hold of his sword with his one good arm ever so slightly, and whispered to Naruto, who was still a bit shell-shocked.

"Hey, Naruto. Keep your guard up, she's planning something." Naruto turned to Sasuke, his pupils those of a frog as he was still in sage mode, giving him a look that said "I know."

"I don't sense any negative emotions from her… or any emotions at all", Kurama chimed in from the seal. Normally, if someone wanted to harm Naruto, they couldn't hide from Kurama. Emotions weren't something that could be concealed, they either were or weren't there. Jealousy, hatred, rage, greed, he could sense them all, but this woman was… empty, entirely devoid of anything. Her body language nor her mind gave away even the slightest hint of feeling or even being alive, and that struck Kurama as odd. Even he himself, merely a sentient mass of chakra, was capable of feeling emotions. Just who was this mysterious dragon?

Ophis noticed that the two deities were standing on water and had some strange energy source concentrated at their feet. It felt like chakra, but their brand was different from the one she knew of. Maybe they'd be more at ease and accept her offer if she replicated them? She didn't have chakra, but she didn't need it. The son of another deity had done so without chakra, and she was greater than any one deity in this entire universe. Slowly descending, she touched one foot to the water's surface, then another, both of them planted firmly on the rolling waters.

Then she sunk.

"… Did she just try to copy us?" Naruto's confusion was evident.

Sasuke didn't reply, not knowing what to say anymore. Both of them could've swore they heard laughter in the distance, but payed it no mind.

Ophis floated back up out of the water, her clothes soaked but her expression as stoic as ever. She stayed airborne, however, apparently not wanting to risk sinking again. She turned towards the two shinobi, who, even in their confusion, still had their battle stances ready. Pointing to their feet, she spoke once more.

"What do you call this technique?"

Naruto scratched his head, and Sasuke facepalmed. Whoever this kid/woman/thing was, she wasn't smart enough to be effectively hostile. They relaxed their stances.

"It's just basic ninja techniques", Naruto blurted out. He saw no harm in telling her what they were doing. If someone could kill them just by figuring out how to do something as basic as walking on water, they never had a chance in the first place.

"… Nin-ja?" Ophis cocked her head, unfamiliar with the term. "What is this nin-ja?"

Naruto turned to Sasuke, silently pleading with him to back him up. Sasuke sighed, as he knew he couldn't avoid being thrust into the frying pan in this situation. He quickly came up with a half-baked, vague answer that he hoped would get her to leave them alone.

"A ninja, or more accurately, a shinobi is one who endures." He remembered Naruto saying that to him. Apparently, Jiraiya had once told him the same thing. It was the truth, but not the entire truth.

Ophis pondered this newfound information. These two were strong, easily disposing of Ddraig and Albion from what she'd seen. That petty civil war between the devils, angels, and fallen didn't catch her interest until these two had shown up. Perhaps, if she were to acquire these "ninja" techniques, she could convince them to help her remove the giant red pain in the ass taking residence in her abode. She inquired about the possibilities.

"Is it possible to learn these… 'ninja' techniques?"

"Um… yeah?" Naruto blurted out. Sasuke widened his lone visible eye, already knowing where this was going.

"… Teach me", she said. Yep, she was trying to become their disciple, just as Sasuke had guessed and, apparently, Naruto had missed.

"Come again?" Naruto asked.

"I said teach me", she repeated. "You two are easily able to fool the lower beings, but not me. I can tell that you wield power beyond anything this world can naturally produce, much like myself. I will have you teach me your abilities, and I won't take no for an answer. I will follow you to the end of the cosmos and spacetime, if need be, for I am immortal." Ophis was firm in her statements and demands. Naruto glanced at Sasuke, seeing if he had thought up a way out of this mess. Fighting her would only draw attention to themselves, seeing as how she was pretty powerful, and that's not something they wanted.

A lightbulb dinged over Naruto's head, and he placed his fist in his palm as if he had just had an epiphany. Sasuke looked towards him, not quite sure what he was thinking of.

"Alright, shapeshifter lady, we'll teach you… on one condition."

Ophis was not surprised. Beings had asked many things of her over the centuries, be it power, blessings, or even luck. She could grant nearly any wish one's heart desired, even those of a deity. This situation was no different.

"Very well. Speak your wish." Naruto opened his mouth.

"Could you show us around? We're kinda new here and don't exactly know our way around. If you're gonna be traveling with us, you could impart some knowledge, ya know?" Naruto was unaware that he had stacked his mother's verbal tic on top of his own as the years passed by.

Sasuke briefly thought about this decision. It would be helpful having someone that knows their way around guide them, just so they could find a place to settle down. Naruto could sense life signatures for miles around and he himself could teleport, but they weren't acquainted with anyone here. There was no telling who or what might try to ambush them for their power (as they are apparently unnaturally powerful in this world, if the she-dragon was to be believed). The dragon herself is an uncertainty, but she seems to act more like a child with immense power rather than a cunning tactician. Still, he'd have to keep an eye out if she was going to be accompanying them. Looks can be deceiving after all, as Obito showcased back in their world.

"I second my peer's request", he blurted out after finishing his thought process.

"... That is a very… simple request." They were essentially just asking for directions. A very low-maintenance request, but she'd grant it nonetheless. It only made things easier for her.

"Very well. Is there any place you would like to reside?"

Naruto and Sasuke conversed with each other, turning their backs to Ophis but still keeping a keen eye on her with their senses.

"We were supposed to be going to the place golden-armor gramps was sending us. Some 'Hindoo" territory."

"I know", Sasuke replied, "but we don't have to go there now, especially with no knowledge. There's apparently already an 'Indra' in this reality, and some group called the 'Asura'. I don't think they'd much like it if we just showed up impersonating them. We need to blend in, then we'll get our stories straight after figuring things out." Though Sasuke was confident they could take just about anyone, unnecessary conflict was just that, unnecessary. It could spill over into some bitter rivalry or blood-war that neither of them were interested in. It's better to gather data on this place's customs, rules, and history in discreet. Where was a place they'd blend in most? Turning around back to Ophis, they both seemed to have made up their minds.

"Bring us to a place with chakra", they said in unison.

Ophis smiled her characteristic non-smile, and opened a portal behind her, gesturing for the two to follow her. Chakra? She knew just the place, and they weren't far from it to boot. It was filled with youkai, all of whom used chakra on a daily basis.

Kyoto, if she remembered the name correctly. A gust of wind rushed past the trio, and all three of them felt a presence. Ophis payed it no mind, but Naruto and Sasuke looked back as they were stepping into the portal. Both of them knew they were being watched, but whoever the perpetrator was hadn't made a move, so neither did they. If push came to shove, they'd do what needed to be done, but for now, they walked into the portal.

Fujin appeared, riding on the winds. His green face had broken out in a sweat, terrified of the conglomerate of power he had just felt. He must report this back to lady Amaterasu. Directing the winds so he could go back where he came, he spoke to himself to release some tension.

"I know what I said about lady Amaterasu, but those three… are the real monsters."