To the Future

by cbehrills

Uchiha Sarada is the 9th Hokage. A legendary shinobi, the first Uchiha to have become a Hokage. However, her reign is not easy, the village is under attack from a threat greater than any that have come before. When even the Five Kage cannot stop the incoming threat there is only one person who could, Uzumaki Naruto. There is but one problem, he is dead.

161. Return to the Academy

THE IMPERIAL PALACE – RETURN TO THE ACADEMY

Towards the Academy

Minato and Kushina walk a short way behind those at the front of the pack, watching them with a smile. They agreed to go back to the military academy with Sora, judging that it would be the safest place for them to learn under him. Bumping into him has proven to be a real stroke of good luck, a rare fortune in a time when they are cursed with war. At the front of the group Naruto and Hinata are walking alongside the old man, each of them smiling and laughing as they get to know him. It turns out that Headmaster Muto Sora is just what they needed to push them in the right direction.

Sora listens to Naruto and Hinata's stories intently, as if he has missed out on the lives of his own children. The two shinobis stories are easy to listen to, gripping for parts. Compared to normal pocket worlds, theirs has an extraordinary history. Sora keeps vigilant throughout, listening for details about Naruto's life, hoping to see reflections between Akashi and this young man. He sees them endlessly, their attitude, their unbreakable determination, their ability to inspire, their talent for making miracles happen.

"So, you knew the previous emperor right?" Naruto asks, "Endou Akashi was his name wasn't it?"

Sora nods. "Yes, this world's saviour during the last war and the only other person to use 'life' as their element. Endou Akashi was a true hero. He was also my best friend. He and I never had a chance to say farewell. I wish I could have said goodbye."

"You must know about Emperor Furst as well?" Hinata asks.

"Emperor Furst Jonas. He had a meteoric rise, I was there for most of it, I know it better than anyone," Sora explains, "I always suspected that he would become something special. I never foresaw him becoming this powerful though. I think Akashi probably knew about his talent, he probably realised a long time ago, but that naïve fool couldn't ever doubt a friend. He refused to give up on us, even when he should have."

"I think that it's good he trusted his friend in spite of everything," Hinata says, "I know somebody just like that, someone who just won't let go. I think people like that are the best people."

"He would be happy to here you say that," Sora replies, "Pocket worlders were a people he tried to protect, he truly valued you all."

Near the back of the pack, Lara walks along grumpily, her hands in her pockets. Clyde drops back through the pack to talk with her, struggling to supress a laugh when he sees her behaviour. Lara certainly isn't conservative with her thoughts or opinions. The Head General of the military can be child-like when she wants to be. After everything they have been through together, he had wondered if she would change. In many ways she has, her soul is very different to what it once was. However, in terms of demeanour, Lara is unlikely to ever change.

"I thought you were going to refuse," Clyde says as Lara arrives by his side, "I thought you were going to go and attack Furst all by yourself."

"Huh!" Lara harrumphs, hitting Clyde in the back of the head, "Who do you think you are? How dare you accuse your leader of being stupid. You're only a general, Clyde."

Clyde rubs the back of his head. "I'm not accusing you of that, I promise you."

"Listen, I made the decision back when I saw the girl and the owl-"

"What owl?"

"Shut up," Lara shouts, "I made the decision that you would be there when I killed Furst. I still want to kill Furst. I'm still going to kill Furst. I'm just going to take a bit longer than I planned."

Clyde grins as he walks alongside her. The head general is crazy, she's the most insane person that he has ever met. However, the way she is now, is the way that he wishes she had been all along. This Lara would have had the guts to stand up to the aristocracy from the very beginning. This Lara would have protected her subordinates from the get-go. Perhaps he and this Lara could have been closer.

At the front of the pack, Naruto has more questions.

"Sora, if you have been trying to overthrow Furst for so long, how have you kept the title of Headmaster? Surely he would take it away from you?"

"I'm not going to make it obvious that he is my enemy," Sora says, rolling his eyes. "That's not what you mean though, is it."

"Please answer."

"Furst Jonas is a genius," Sora sighs. "He is a genius of battle. He is a genius of tactics. He is a genius of science. His mind is unparalleled, it is and it always will be. He knows that I oppose his rule, but he also knows that he can use my ability to teach, he knows I can give him greater power. All he has to do is manage me well, and that would make me an asset."

"Do you believe that you've made things worse since he became emperor."

Sora goes quiet for a moment. "I have made things worse, yes. I've helped him more than I've hindered him. But from this moment, that's going to change."

"So you're a good teacher?" Naruto asks.

"I'm the best teacher."

"Then would you be able to help Hinata to control her power?"

Sora grins, placing his hands confidently behind his back as he walks forward. A gleam comes into his eyes, "What power would that be?"

"We don't know what the source of her power is. Clyde doesn't know, Lara doesn't know, nobody has been able to understand it," Naruto explains, "But there are times when her divine energy suddenly becomes much stronger, and when that happens she loses control."

"Is that so?"

"She's saved us a few times with that power, but she may bring harm to herself if she can't control it soon."

Hinata apologises to Naruto at length, never having fully understood the length of her power and its consequences. Sora watches as Naruto consoles her about it and as Hinata worries about the situation. It's like looking into the past for him, looking back at his sister and brother-in-law.

"That power does sound rather unusual, doesn't it?" he grins.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?"

"I may be able to help her harness that power," Sora responds, "Yes, I may be able to help with that, and put yet another nail in Furst's coffin."

Somewhere in the Imperial Palace

Swen groans as he leans back against the wall, raising his goggles from his face to reveal his brilliant eyes, shining pink in the darkened room such that even Carmen can see them. He shares a glance with Nadia, who looks thrilled despite the situation. Looking at Nadia, Swen wonders how she manages to understand the world so well, how she knows almost everything that is going to happen and yet remains so gleeful as she watches events unfold. There is something beautiful about seeing the world in that way.

"She hasn't had any thoughts about these questions for almost an hour, I think she's doing pretty well, yep," Swen says beginning a sarcastic applause, "I'm getting bored now, can I have a nap sir?"

"Shut up Swen," Petra shouts at him, "We keep going until the emperor has the answers he wants."

Swen decides to glance into Petra's mind, wondering just what is in there. As usual, he comes up with nothing interesting on the 'control' using queen. She is very good at disguising her deepest thoughts, the only ones that come to the surface are shallow praises of the emperor. She is known by the other royals to be his closest and most loyal supporter, but she is surely just like the rest of them. Surely in the back of her mind there are dark and disturbing thoughts.

"It's unlike your power to be so ineffective Petra," Nadia chuckles as she scribbles in her notebook, "Don't tell me the stress of the situation is getting to you?"

Swen smirks, Nadia always defends him against the other royals.

"You're not helping at all Nadia, why don't you just leave?" Petra demands.

"Silence Petra, your bickering is irrelevant," Jonas says, instantly bringing silence to the room, "Carmen is about to start talking, that's why Nadia has started to speak up."

"Am I that transparent?" Nadia grins, gesturing Swen towards Carmen.

Swen groans but steps forward and lowers his goggles back over his eyes. He once again listens to Carmen's thoughts and notices that Nadia and Jonas were right. Thoughts are starting to come to the surface, they are quiet right now but any second they will become much clearer.

Jonas puts on a demanding voice. "Carmen, tell us, who passed through the secret entrance that you don't want us to know about."

"He… he… he…" Carmen desperately tries to remain quiet.

Swen hears the name from her thoughts. "His name is Uzuma…"

"SWEN!" Carmen screams, silencing the king.

Jonas is stunned by Carmen's sudden outburst. Nobody has dared to be so disrespectful to him in so many years. It does not bother him, but it makes him curious. Carmen had respectfully been referring to them all by their title previously, even when she knew there was no hope of escape. Now that this name is finally being pulled from her mind she has become defiant, more defiant than any aristocrats have been in such a long time. The emperor cannot help but wonder just what has gotten into her.

"I'll answer the question myself," Carmen says, "I would sooner answer than hear his name pass from your lips."

"Oh?" both Jonas and Nadia wonder what she will say.

"His name is Uzumaki Naruto," Carmen answers.

"Someone who kept their family name?" Jonas asks, "A rebellious aristocrat? It's not a name that I've ever heard before."

"He's a pocket-worlder, he's from a world we sent one of our finest generals to invade," Carmen recalls, smiling as she does so, "We sent Clyde and his army to invade a pocket world, but they didn't return after several years, because they couldn't defeat him."

"What happened?"

"The kid reminded Clyde of the honour he once felt. He defeated him in a captained six contest and then spared him. Then Lara investigated the pocket world, invading with a force of several generals. But the result was the same. Lara was unable to defeat Uzumaki Naruto, together he and Clyde managed to change her. The last time I saw my students, they were different."

"Lara," Swen mutters, "Nadia, who is Lara again?"

"Lara is the Head General of the military Swen, I told you that you should have read the reports from the Imperial Guard."

"Is Uzumaki Naruto nearby?" Jonas asks.

Carmen laughs at him. It's been a long time since someone dared so brazenly to laugh in the emperor's face like this. While Furst Jonas remains calm, the three royals watch on with a morbid dread, even they would not dare to act this way to him.

"He's long gone now, but he will be back my emperor, and I'm betting on him when he does return," Carmen explains, "He's going to be back, he'll come back with so much more power behind him and then he will become your greatest enemy."

"A pocket worlder?"

Petra shakes her head. "This interrogation has been corrupted, I think Carmen's become delusional. There's no way that a pocket worlder could threaten us."

"She does believe what she is saying," Swen insists.

"Then she's stupid," Petra replies.

"He worked together with Clyde and Lara," Carmen recalls, "They worked together and they managed to defeat me, he used 'life' energy."

Silence grips the room once again. Petra goes back to her original theory that Carmen is deluded. Nadia looks on in amazement, practically begging for more details as she watches her colleagues carry out the investigation. Swen recalls the only other person to use 'life' energy as he watches for his emperor's reaction. There is only one person that Furst has ever considered a worthy foe, only one person who has directly challenged him in combat for the throne of this world, that man used 'life' energy.

"Uzumaki Naruto, a pocket worlder, is using 'life' energy?" Jonas looks at Swen.

"She's telling the truth sir," Swen says, reading her mind.

Jonas looks back to Carmen. "Tell me where he is, now!"

As Jonas makes this demand, Carmen's whole body begins to glow brightly. A light shines from within her that gradually gets brighter and brighter until she no longer looks like a person and instead a shining star. To the warriors of this world, this is a final call for respect, a warning to ones enemies and a farewell to ones friends.

"She's given up," Petra concludes, "She's going to detonate the divine energy in her body."

That is the technique that Carmen has decided to use, the true last resort. Rather than give any more information away, she has decided to make the ultimate sacrifice. Carmen has decided to detonate all the divine energy in her body, and to give her life to protect Naruto and the others.

"She knows that isn't going to hurt us doesn't she?" Swen asks as he raises his goggles.

"Of course she does," Nadia answers, "She's just refusing to tell us anything more."

"Oh my naïve little royals and my stupid emperor, I'm going to tell you one last thing," Carmen declares. "It's not a fact but a deep seated belief that I truly hold. Furst Jonas, you made a huge mistake when you betrayed Emperor Endou."

Jonas expression doesn't shift despite the mention of his deceased predecessor, a man who once trusted and fought alongside him.

"Now Uzumaki Naruto is going to come for you. He is going to fight you, and he is going to kill you!"

In her final act of defiance, Carmen detonates the divine energy in her body and creates an enormous explosion, one that levels not only the room, but the entire building they are stood in.

Despite her efforts, all Carmen managed to achieve was her ongoing silence. The three royals and their emperor stand amongst the debris unharmed.

"How foolish," Jonas scoffs, "You keep giving these people false hope, Akashi."

Outside the Military Academy

Naruto looks out ahead of him in the moorland environment. Now they are so far into this part of the world that he cannot see the other biomes around him. Likely only those gifted with remarkable vision like Sarada would be able to see back into the grasslands they began their journey from.

In front of the group is the enormous stone building, yet another remarkable structure, a feat of engineering that is simply beyond the people of the pocket world. This is the military academy. This is where Clyde and Lara spent so much of their lives learning all they know about fighting, training in how to use their skills.

A group of ten men and women run forward from the academy, approaching the group.

"Lara," Mirai grabs the head general's arm, "Should we prepare to fight?"

"Don't be stupid, as much as I hate to admit it, with that crazy old man here, we are not in a position to determine our own fate," Lara admits, "Whether we live or die depends on what decision he has made."

One of the aristocrats approaches Sora and bows. "Sir, we have made the preparations you requested, shall we transport the alliance?"

"Please do."

The various aristocrats each pull out a gemstone from their pocket. Naruto has never seen such a beautiful gem in his own world. He watches as the aristocrat in front of him removes the gemstone from her pocket and holds it out in front of her. As she releases the gemstone, it floats in the air unassisted, and mist begins to spread from it. Within a few seconds, the entire group of shinobi, soldiers and aristocrats is clouded within the mist and they all begin to walk forward into the academy building.

"She just called us the alliance, didn't she?" Naruto asks.

"The people of this world, the people of your pocket world, working together to free ourselves from the tyranny of Furst Jonas, what is that if not an alliance?" Sora answers.

As they make their way through the academy, the soldiers all reminisce, some of them recognising this part of the huge complex from their days training. Some of them trained in these very corridors, for years of their lives that seemed so much simpler.

Colonel Burns approaches Clyde. "Sir, it's been a while since I've been to the academy, I don't recognise this part, do you know where we're going?"

"As you know, the closer you get to the centre of the academy, the higher the level of training the students are granted," Clyde recalls, "We've just gone past one of the rooms where Carmen used to teach Lara and I."

"So we're very close to the centre?"

"We've gone past where students are supposed to go," Clyde answers, "Presumably we're moving into the area where aristocrats train now."

The group continue to move forward until they reach a staircase. They follow the staircase downwards, and after the first few steps it becomes clear that the descent isn't going to stop anytime soon. The stairs continue downwards for what feels like hours as they plunge to deeper and deeper depths. They go to a place that Clyde and Lara never even knew to exist, the underground military academy.

"It's like a dungeon," Naruto comments.

"I apologise for the shoddy workmanship," Sora chuckles, "We're fighters not builders, and this place is not built for luxury. The walls are built of stern stuff and its' deep enough to have high ceilings for your practice battles."

"Our practice battles?"

"This is where you will train, this is where I am going to teach you how to kill Furst," Sora explains.

On reflection it is perfect. Naruto examines the surface of this room, which are far harder than stone, closer to diamond. The ceiling is so high that he can only just make it out. This is a training utopia, where nothing can be damaged other than the people using it to train.

"Are the villagers going to be safe while we're down here?" Naruto asks.

"This world is much larger than yours, nobody would have found them without an astoundingly fortunate coincidence," Sora notes, "But don't worry, I'm planning to have of my teachers move them to an even safer location, somewhere where nobody would ever find them."

"It would probably be a good idea if one of the Hokage went with your aristocrats," Minato suggests, "That way the villagers would know that they can trust them."

"Who would be the most appropriate person to send with them?"

"I will go," comes the voice of the 6th Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, "Most of the villagers will know me, the true me, from well, you know about the situation."

Naruto nods, "Yes, they will all remember you, you're probably the best person we could send."

A few words of advice and messages are passed between Kakashi and the other Hokage as he prepares for his expedition. Sora quickly introduces him to a couple of his aristocratic teachers, swearing that the 6th Hokage will be able to trust them. With the introductions made, Kakashi swears to return as quickly as possible so that he too may begin training for the battle against Furst, and then leaves.

"The rest of you will remain here, this is the best place for you right now," Sora explains. "These aristocrats may seem distant but they are my very best teachers, they will remain down here with you and help me to teach you."

The shinobi are reluctant at first, but a few well placed words from the leaders amongst them settle them down. It's only logical, coming this far would have been impossible if Sora had bad intentions for them; it would have been impossible if Sora didn't want them to defeat Furst. Now all that they can do is train diligently for the day that they will need it.

"Every one of you has the potential to become stronger, to become an asset in the fight against Furst," Sora explains, "You have the potential to harness divine energy, even pocket worlders do, something we never knew in the past. I will teach all of you how to do that. I will turn you into sharp swords that your leaders can wield in this war."

The alliance perks up at the prospect of a war. This is not an assassination attempt anymore, they are taking the fight to their enemy.

"You can trust me as your teacher, because enhancement is what I'm best at," Sora says. "Because it's my element, because my divine energy is 'enhancement' energy, because training you to slay Furst Jonas is my destiny"