Chapter 3
"J-Jones? H-How are you on dry land? Y-You can't be here unless—" Kisame mumbled while still being held in the Captain of the Flying Dutchman's clutches.
"Foolish Kisame. This bathhouse is built atop of the sea. And as you sure well know, I am the Sea." Davy Jones proclaimed cruelly as Itachi could only step back and not get in between the Devil and his contract. The shinobi of the Leaf village were shocked and scared at seeing a ghost story of a Sea Lord that was skeptically written in the Bingo books right in front of them. Samehada feared Jones that it left Kisame and was comforted by the massaging touches of the Tsuchi Twins. To later to be given to a more worthy wielder, along with the Shark Summons Scroll that Lian held after removing it from the severed arm.
"Now what shall be your punishment, hm? One hundred years aboard the Dutchman, or spend an eternity in me Locker? Will ye serve?" asked the tentacled man.
Kisame spits defiantly into Davy Jones' face and smirks at his mutinous action against the Sea Lord. Jones frowns before smiling wickedly as he lets his tentacled beard touch the shark man's skin before it crept up to his face. Kisame squirmed and tried to escape his fate, while baring his shark teeth to try and bite at the tentacles creeping all over his face. A tentacle pokes through and destroys his left eye, while the end pops out of his right nostril. Several wriggle inside his gills, making him suffocate as he was forced to open his mouth wide without retaliation as other tentacles slithered down his throat.
The torture of Davy Jones continued for several seconds until Kisame stopped moving and his neck broke under the quick motion of the immortal pirate. Davy Jones let the body of the former Monster of the Mists fall as he let his crab-like leg make a large thumping sound that summoned his favorite pet. Large tentacles of the one of the seven monsters of the deep, the Kraken, broke away a wall of the bathhouse as the Flying Dutchman could be seen outside with cannons ready to fire. A tentacle of the beast wraps arounds Kisame's body as it pulls under the floorboards into the open mouth of the Kraken that the Leaf could barely see in the bubbling waters.
Jones turned to Naruto with a satisfied look plastered on his octopus face. "You have fulfilled your end of the bargain, boy. You can have Master Arashi. Our debt is settled."
"Thank you, Jiji Jones." Naruto thanked his new grandfather figure.
Suddenly, some of the Root agents attacked Jones by stabbing him in the chest. While he was distracted, three other Root had their weapons out as they were ordered to target Mikoto Uchiha. Kushina stepped between Mikoto and Root as she faced the drones of Danzo.
"Stand down! Why are you attacking my friend?" commanded Kushina.
"For the Good of the Leaf, we have been ordered to eliminate Mikoto Uchiha for revealing secrets of the Leaf Village. She must be silenced and executed for her betrayal and all those she has shared her secrets with." Sai spoke in an emotionless tone.
Kushina was about to pull out her sword when Jiraiya restrained her and jumped back behind the Root agents. The Root nin slowly creep towards Mikoto and her lover. Davy Jones was laughing as he fought the three Root that were cutting and slashing at the squid man. But to no avail since he cannot die. Jones cut down two of them and shoved the other into the hole in the floor where the Kraken still stayed to have more tasty morsels. The captain then vanished as he passed through a damp wall after seeing his work was done. For now.
"Jiraiya! Let me GO! I can't let that mummied warhawk do this to Mikoto! Again!" Kushina yelled as she was still in Jiraiya's grip. His other hand holding his jar of dirt since he saw some of the Kraken's tentacles gliding towards him. His black spot was sensed by the beast, but it could not touch him while he held the piece of land.
"Sorry, Kushina. But she made her choice." Jiraiya then starts to slowly walk back with Sasuke, Sakura, Menma, and Hinata following with him. Sasuke would have gotten to Itachi to claim his vengeance, but the rogue Uchiha turned into a bunch of crows earlier and was gone. Heading back to the Akatsuki base to report on this new development.
"Do you still want my help, Toad Sage? It seems you do not want my strength in your war. And I still hold the charts." Ryunami waves the charts in his other hand while the Kubikiribocho is held sideways to guard against the three Root.
"Give us the charts. And I will call off the Root agents." Bartered Jiraiya, who was not really going to spare them since they knew too much and could jeopardize Konoha's security.
Naruto remained still, not worried since the Kraken would not harm him or his loved ones. The Root did not see some small tentacles creeping on the floor towards their feet. "How about a counteroffer?" Naruto proposed as the Kraken grabbed the Three Root and dragged them to their deaths with Naruto, Mikoto, Lian, and Park moving aside before reforming after the Root's disappearance. He then secretly pulls out a copy of the map that looks like the original but only leads to World's End and not revealing any of its other secrets.
"You give me Kushina Uzumaki, and I give you the charts." Jiraiya was stunned at Ryunami wanting Kushina. But Kushina's trade would secure Konoha's survival as Jiraiya and his group would take a vessel and sail to World's End and bring back the Hokage that were trapped in the sealed portion of the afterlife where those who died at sea and those taken by the Shinigami personally were kept.
Jiraiya looked to Menma and gave him a look. Menma understood, though he did not want to do it. He'd rather have his mother not be a slave. Plus all the Uzumaki items kept at the Senju Clan compound would become his. Jiraiya nodded his head to Ryunami and released Kushina to walk toward Mikoto and the others. Not noticing Menma's sudden Rasengan attack into her back after Ryunami tossed the charts to Jiraiya.
Kushina was shocked that her boy would do this. Mikoto holding her old friend as Kushina turned to look at her son who stared blankly at her. Ryunami growled beneath his bandages at that low blow from his supposed twin brother.
"M-Menma…Why?" Kushina croaked.
"It's nothing personal, Kaa-san. It's just 'good business'. I can't fulfill my destiny as the Child of Prophecy when you withhold my birthright as the last Uzumaki and Namikaze heir. I will make Tou-san proud when I destroy Oto, Iwa, Kumo, and the Akatsuki!" Menma proclaimed, until he was struck in the chest by the appearance of a red blur.
Jiraiya caught his student and saw an elaborate seal atop the Kyuubi seal. He looked to see the one Uzumaki he hoped to never see again after escaping his blade when he dismantled Uzushio's defenses when Jiraiya disguised himself during the attack of Uzushio. Arashi Uzumaki no longer looked like a cursed member of the Flying Dutchman. (A:N Think Kenshin Himura but without the cross scar on his cheek)
Kushina was surprised at seeing her older brother. Here, alive. His swordfish arm now a samurai gauntlet with his signature red katana.
"You may make your father and godfather proud, nephew. But you shame the Uzumaki Clan by attacking your own family! You shall never possess the secrets of our clan unless you repent and leave your sinking ship of a village, Dattebing! Ugh… still got it." Muttered Arashi at his verbal tic.
Menma was fuming that his revealed uncle thought that he was unworthy to save the world. Never! He will prove him wrong once his father returns to the land of the living.
Jiraiya throws a smoke bomb as their group escapes to take a boat and follow the map to World's End. Arashi put away his blade and picked up his sister who fell unconscious from the pain her Menma caused her. Ryunami led the group out of the bathhouse safely as the Kraken returned to the deep waters and swam to the open ocean until Davy Jones would have need again.
Scene Change(Open Sea on the Chimera)
Kushina woke up in what appeared to be a sea captain's quarters. Her back feeling sore but bandaged along with her chest and bosom to cover her modesty. She got her clothes after reading a note from Arashi saying to meet him and Ryunami on the steering wheel. Also it mentioned that Arashi removed the hidden seals that Danzo was using to spy while she was in Hot Spring Country.
The Red-Hot Habanero was furious that Jiraiya, along with her son Menma, had left her to die. If Ryunami was sailing her to World's End, she would have a violent family reunion with Minato and the old monkey. Pushing those thoughts aside, Kushina went back to getting herself dressed.
After getting ready, the door opened with Lian and Park Tsuchi walking in kunoichi outfits with their weapons strapped to their backs and their hair out and tied on the tips. "We are pleased for your recovery, Uzumaki-hime." Park said with the two bowing respectfully to Kushina.
"Thank you. Are you here to take me to your captain on deck?" asked Kushina.
The two nodded their heads as they went up the stairs towards the Chimera's deck with Kushina following behind. She has so many questions that needed to be answered. How are Mikoto and Arashi still alive? And if they were alive, did that mean her son, Naruto, also survived as well?
"How long was I out for?" she asked as she continued to follow them up the stairs.
"You have been unconscious for almost a day. We bandaged your wounds while your Uzumaki regenerative powers did their part. Captain Ryunami took his crew and destroyed the remaining Root that were in Hot Springs before rejoining us and Arashi, who carried you, to the ship. We are now meeting up with another Sea Lord, Lady Harribel. The captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge. After that, we sail after the Konoha fools to World's End." Lian explained to Kushina as they reached the double doors that led to the upper deck./
When the twins opened the doors, Kushina was blinded by the light of the sun as she stared at the beautiful open sea that she had not seen since her time at Uzushio before it fell. Arashi was steering the ship with Ryunami looking through his telescope. When her brother saw Kushina, he smiled and let go of the wheel.
"Kale, take the wheel." Said Arashi as a tall Kumo like man cried 'Aye sir' and took the wheel.(A:N Kale from Dreamwork's Sinbad, along with the rest of the Chimera crew)
Arashi was going to say something but Kushina rushed to her brother and gave him a bear strong hug. "I missed you so much, brother. I thought you died when Uzu fell."
"Aye, I would have died by that slippery Toad Sage when he escaped after dismantling our defenses. But I got the lucky when I became a member of the Flying Dutchman's crew. It was years later that I was given a way out when Ryunami offered to bring Kisame to pay piper." Arashi explains to his younger sister.
"But why did Ryunami get you out of Davy Jones' service? Is he secretly an Uzumaki like us?" she asks. Hoping that Ryunami is a lost family member of the clan.
"He's much more than that, Kushina-chan." Says Mikoto as she went to give her old friend a hug after she finished her duties on board by checking the ship's supplies and memorizing the real map with her Sharingan. Now sporting a black leather outfit with a sleeveless zipper vest over a white tank top, overhauled shorts with a long cape and her katana strapped to her left side, fingerless kunoichi gloves, and high heeled black boots.(A:N Think Tifa Lockhart's outfit from FF7: Advent Children)
Naruto decides to reveal himself as he puts down his telescope and starts removes his bandage wrappings from his face to show his signature whisker marks. As soon as Kushina saw the face markings, she was stunned as she cupped her face and her eyes started tearing. Ryunami was her supposedly deceased son she was forced to abandon, Naruto Uzumaki.
"I've wanted to meet you and get to know you for so long, Kaa-chan. Arashi-oji has shared a few stories while he was training me to become the Sea Lord and secret Uzumaki heir. We have so much to talk about… But before we get to that, I want to hear something I have always wanted to know from you, that Konoha would never give or share. Did you love me? And do you still love me, even without me harboring the Kyuubi and no longer a loyal Leaf shinobi?" Naruto asked as everyone on deck was silent to hear Kushina's reply. The twin acrobatic crewmen, Jin and Li, were quietly bidding on what may happen next.
Kushina closed her eyes as she thought long and hard on what she would say to her child that lived a very lonely life at the beginning of his birth. It didn't take too long, that Kushina rushed to give Naruto a big hug and kissing his forehead and whisker marks. Causing Naruto to blush since his whiskers were sensitive, and everyone on deck knew it. Especially Mikoto, Lian, and Park, who took full advantage of that in their relationship with Naruto.
"Know this, Naruto Uzumaki. I always loved you my son, and I still do now! And I would have made certain that both you and Menma were always nurtured and protected against those that would hurt our family. For an Uzumaki always puts their family needs first! If only I could have been strong enough to fight Jiraiya's seal and overwritten it, I would have stormed my way back to Konoha, beat those civilians that were hurting you and then beat Hiruzen Sarutobi, his Council, and then take you far away from that village to never see it again until they got their heads out of their rears. Which is rather unlikely since they still are chasing Uchiha fairy dust, and now my fallen son, the second coming of the Yellow Flash, Menma. It's sad that all that I had taught him was tossed aside for Pervy Sage's teachings and world revolving prophecies. I promise that I will never leave you again, my sochi. Just don't leave me like Menma and Minato did." Kushina hugged her son close, afraid that he will leave her alone with her now alive brother.
The crew cheered in relief and celebration at the captain's reunion when Naruto returned the gesture and hugged his mom back while wiping the tears from her face carefully with his claws. The gesture causing Kushina to slightly blush with Mikoto, Arashi, and the Tsuchi twins seeing it. With Jin paying Li several yen at losing the bet. Rat swung his way to get Captain Ryunami's attention which separated the two as it cleared both their heads.
"Sorry for the intrusion, Captain and Senorita. But Queen Anne's Revenge is coming on our starboard with several enemy ships firing behind her. Should we assist?" asked Rat as Naruto pulled out his telescope to see for himself.
He sees Captain Tia(A:N Tia Harribel from Bleach, Espada form with a White captain hat to go with her face covering jacket), riding on top of her sea beast companion, the Leviathan(A:N Second Sea Monster from Ocean Hunter) as it is demolishing one enemy Iwa ship. The two other ships, which are from Kumo, are attacking The Queen as she is trying desperately to escape while her captain fights the main force. Naruto sees the Queen's steerer, Anne Bonny, waving for help while Mary Read cuts down two Kumo nin with her cutlass(A:N Yes, I brought in the FGO Rider Servant as they are a part of the POTC Queen Anne's Revenge). Tia's other crew, her amazon fraccion and several crew members from Water Country, are fighting the rest of the shinobi that boarded Tia's ship.
Naruto quickly goes into captain mode as he puts his scope away, puts his bandages back on, and brandishes Kubikiribocho to get his crew to attention. "Men, our fellow Sea Lord and her crew appear to be in a pinch. Let's show these Iwa and Kumo shinobi that coming down from their mountain and clouds was a major mistake!"
The crew roars in agreement as the Chimera sails towards them and chaos ensues.
Scene Change(Hidden Base in Rain Country)
"Are you certain of this, Itachi?" Pein asks after Itachi returns to Akatsuki base and informs of Kisame's demise and Jiraiya's expedition with the Kyuubi jinchuriki to Davy Jones' Locker.
"Yes, I was able to slip away without drawing more attention to our organization." Says Itachi, since the Akatsuki are keeping it quiet on what they are doing with the jinchuriki from their alliance with Orochimaru, Iwa, and Kumo.
"Zetsu, can you follow the Jiraiya and his squad?" asked Pein.
"Unfortunately, our abilities are focused on land. We would not be able to follow them out at sea." Said Zetsu.
"The return of the Yellow Flash and the first three Hokage will make it more difficult in retrieving the remaining jinchuriki." Konan notes.
"Just because they are bringing them back to the world of the living, doesn't mean they are immortal. Zetsu will watch the coastlines and inform us when they return to land while we get the hiding Eight-Tails. We will then ambush and send them back to the afterlife, with some extra passengers while we claim the last Biju for ourselves." Madara, formerly known as Tobi, tells the rest of the Akatsuki. With Pein agreeing with him while Konan is slightly conflicted inside.
"Itachi will join the immortal brother to retrieve the Eight-Tails while we let Kumo and Iwa focus on their war with Konoha. Our weapon will be finished, and all will know pain. Not even the Hokage of the past can stop us." Nagato directs them as the hideout dims back into darkness.
Scene Change(Near World's End)
Jiraiya was cruising their commandeered ship across the still waters that perfectly reflected the night sky as he steered the ship to where the map led to where they need to be. Sasuke was in his quarters with a stern look plastered on his face. Sakura tried comforting him, but his mother's betrayal stun him just as bad as Itachi killing his father and clan.
Hinata was by herself near the front of the ship, trying to keep her distance from Menma. She thought that Menma would be her shining light, more than Naruto could ever be after he saved her from bullies and fought Neji for her during the Chunin Exams. However, she now saw that Menma should never have been a replacement for Naruto. Even when the village celebrated Naruto's death, she did not but hoped that becoming Menma's girlfriend will help bring closure to the boy she wished to have been by his side.
"How long do we continue not talking?" Menma asked behind her.
"I can't believe you killed your own mother just so we could get the map towards rescuing your father and the other Kage. I thought Uzumaki value family above all." Said Hinata, still not looking at Menma directly.
"It was for the greater good. I spared my mother from becoming a sex slave to that Sea Lord. You know how I need those scrolls my mother kept from me, in order to help me be ready for our war. My father would understand her sacrifice." Menma defended his actions. Following Jiraiya's and Minato's example of putting the Leaf Village's survival first.
"Would you sacrifice me, yourself, or your own father if it meant Konoha remained standing? Or if you were to survive and become Hokage?" asked Hinata. Her Byakugan peering into Menma's soul.
Menma stayed quiet while fighting the Kyuubi's taunts at being such a loser compared to his other hosts. Hinata did not like the silent answer from the Namikaze heir and walked past Menma to go below deck.
Menma balled his fists as turned his sights to the sickening sea as fogged covered their destination ahead. He hated how some of the Konoha residents, like the Konohamaru squad, the Ichiraku's, and Lady Tsunade and Shizune, compared him to his worthless twin brother. He would outshine Naruto further by bringing the legendary Hokage back and making Hinata his wife for the Namikaze bloodline to be more renowned then the nearly extinct Uzumaki Clan.
He was brought out of his brewing when the fog lifted, and he saw that the water started picking up speed and the sound of a waterfall. But there are no waterfalls in the oceans or seas. That's when Menma realized World's End 'literally' meant the edge of the world before falling into the unknown.
He turned to quickly warn Jiraiya Sensei of their predicament when he was blocked by that Tia Dalma woman that vanished months ago.
"For what we want most…there is a cost, must be paid in the end." She told him.
Menma brushed her off as he ran to inform Jiraiya sensei as they picked up speed as they neared the edge of the world. The goddess vanishing as her warning was given.
"Jiraiya sensei! We must head back!"
"What are you talking about, Menma? We are nearly there. Once we find my student, sensei Sarutobi, and convince the First and Second Hokage, we will end this war sooner and destroy the Akatsuki before they use the Biju to force a peace across the Elemental Nations." Jiraiya was confused by Menma's outburst.
"But sensei, we are literally sailing to the end of the world! Once we fall into the abyss, we have no idea how to get back." Menma explains, pointing to the great falls that grew louder as they sailed closer.
Jiraiya's eyes widen in shock as he did not expect to be going over a giant waterfall. He thought they would be sailing to a portal that can take them to and from the Elemental Nations and the Afterlife. He quickly gets everyone on deck as he has Menma take the wheel as he and their hired crew try to turn the ship around.
But it is already too late as they are caught in the currents and are now going over the edge.
"Hold on!" shouts Menma as he holds the steering wheel for his life, Jiraiya holding his jar of dirt and mast with Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata doing the same as they all fall into the darkness of World's End. Not knowing when they'll reach the bottom as darkness overtakes them.
Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I am now hoping to finish the last chapter of the Mummy before I continue with my other works. But its difficult when your mind is thinking of more ideas on how to further along the adventures.
Happy Halloween(in two weeks)! Stay Healthy and Stay Safe!