[Cypher Naruto]

Before the battle with Nanoha, after the death of his mother-Naruto went to Konoha and beheld a sight. Necropolis was the word to describe it, a living necropolis as deformed monstrosities inhabited this once great village of shinobi that had become fellow Cyphers like himself.

"This is dire, I've been trapped in the Abyss for quite some time and it seems the village has faced the dreaded degeneration I've heard about from dad." Naruto's thought as he recalled Cypher's Degeneration. It was a mental condition for Cyphers, born of age and dedication to mastery. It was an obsession to hone one's powers to their peak at the cost of devolving into monstrous abominations that are considered A-rank threats to humanity or higher depending on powers.

He needed answers, the Wicked Gods and Jiraiya were planning on attacking his clan and family and he needed to know where they went. The best bet to ask for such questions would be the shinobi he was already familiar with and possibly still alive: Tsunade, Shizune, Shikamaru, Ino, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Chōji, Konohamaru and Iruka-sensei. He just prayed they were alright and proceeded to go find Chōji first. That bottomless pit of a living stomach should be in his clan's compound gouging meals without care.

The truth of the sight would change him for good. The sight of the proud Akimichi clan's home was replaced with a massive food factory as the smell of cooked meat lingered in the air, in a suffocating level that was nauseating to a degree Naruto wanted to gag. Thankfully since he's a wraith now, he has no problem with the smell but did it out of habit. "They better not degenerate into gluttonous pigs or so help I'll turn them into pork chops after this." Naruto growled out with disgust.

As he entered through the entry way Naruto felt sick to his core at the sight before him. Corpses, mountains of corpses belonging to people lying on a grill being cooked. Women, children, men of both youth and elderly were being cooked-some of them still alive. Naruto didn't want to believe it but...Choji and his clan have fallen into cannibalism.

"Do not worry, I'll make sure they pay for this." Naruto vowed to the few still living as he gave them a quick death and ran off to the heart of the factory.

It was disturbing how the place was empty as he ran through it, deactivating facilities without any guards or members of the Akimichi clan was disturbing to the maximum level. There had to be at least one person operating all of these. As he traveled through the factory and deactivating the systems he noticed that despite it all, several unique conveyor belts carrying cooked bodies of victims were still operating-that was the lead he needed.


Belly of the Beast

[In the heart of a noble family, a Beast of Glutton thrives in a pit of bones]

The conveyor belts lead to a pit at the heart of this massive factory, dumping the cooked corpses into it as the sounds of crushing bone and gnawing hunger came from within. Naruto peered into the pit and beheld a beast, a ginormous beast of fat, sweat, blood, pus and filth gorged itself on human flesh without a care in the world.

"So...this was at the heart of the factory. A beast that claimed Choji's home as it's own domain as it cannibalized without a shred of humanity in it. This must be a well-fed wendigo monster of American lore, a beast out of many born out of human cannibalism throughout various cultures." the wraith thought as the creature paused from its eating to sniff the air.

"Well...that's a scent I haven't smelled in eons..." the creature spoke-voice warped by repugnant decaying corpse meat still in its bloodstained jaws before it turned to look up as the reaver of souls widened his eyes at the facial marks and large face. "Choji?!" Naruto exclaimed in horror and shock as two old friends locked eyes with each other.

"Naruto...it can't be. You're dead-the abyss damned you to eternal imprisonment by the Wicked Gods." the now confirmed Choji spoke to him as the Uzumaki looked down at his own destroyed form to his friend's grotesque appearance. "Time has not been kind to either of us friend. What has become of you and our home-our people?" the wraith inquired as Choji paused for a minute before biting the head of his next meal and chewed on the brain mush before swallowing.

"Lots of things have changed since you were casted down old friend. Shinobi Cyphers of the Elemental Nations have isolated themselves from the other Cypher worlds and factions to hone their powers...all to pay homage to your legend." the monster replied as it went on to feast on the spine, slurping it up like a noodle. "You slew many gods down in the prison-even blasting an eye out of Wicked Thor before they stripped you of your might and banished you to suffer in the Abyss. Then a great war, a terrible darkness caused by your mother's grief as many sides have suffered losses beyond compare...We needed to become strong as you..."

"I'm not flattered by this exaltation at all," Naruto told him with narrowed eyes and hints of contempt at what his friend has become. "You've become a beast, devolved into a monster of glutton that prey on innocent people like pigs before a slaughterhouse. Was this power worth it in the end old friend?" he demanded as Choji looked to the side, a snarl on his face.

"Do you think I would not have regrets over this revulsion that I have become!?" the Akimichi growled out with contempt before a realization came unto him as he gazed at Naruto with hope in his eyes. "Naruto, I ask this once of you as a friend and kill me." Choji told him, surprising Naruto with confusion and alarm. "You are a Heavenly King, thus entitled to the gift to devour souls into the Wheel. Take my soul, cleanse it so I can be free and use my power to free the others from their own degeneration. Please...Naruto...end this suffering." he begged, honest tears escaping his small eyes as Naruto narrowed his eyes in frustration before looking around and realized a giant device above the pit meant to crush, grind and cut meat ready to activate.

Naruto looked at his friend and spoke, "Are you sure you wish to go through with this? It will be unpleasant and painful with your current...condition." he had asked, concern and a hidden pain in his voice as the creature merely nodded his head. "This life of cannibalism torments me so...Grant me the salvation I foolishly rejected when I broke the taboo of feasting on humans."

"...Consider it done."

The pained screams that followed afterward echoed throughout the now deactivated factory as a bright light illuminated the place as Naruto sat against a wall in contemplation. "Am I to be reduced to a ghoul-a murderer? Of genocide?" he demanded to no one.

"Not reduced my child...but elevated." the deep baritone voice of the Elder God replied from inside his head. "Consuming the soul of Cypher Choji has endowed you with a gift. As you grow in power, your kitsune and dragon forms will grow in mass to help contain the power within, making you a towering apex predator with no equal when the time comes. Your fragments Tenryu, Naraku and Turanox will also acquire the gift in this instant as well, for you are all united to the soul."

Naruto didn't care if he got a new gift or not, the pain of killing a friend left a bitter aftertaste in his none-existing mouth as he had to do this atrocious act once again in the future against his fellow friends in Konoha that have degenerated as well. It was going to be messy, but he was still a Cypher and it was his duty to protect humanity from threats beyond that of normal heroes, including other Cyphers could handle-even if the threat were themselves.