*Dawning Arc-Japanese Dead Zone*

Hinata tasted blood in the back of her mouth, inwardly grimancing as she was running out of time if she did not get medical treatment. SIVA could only do so much for her while she's active, if she went into another medical pod like the one Aksis had been guarding dutifully when the Guardians raided their lair. This disease that the Hive had was something else, and her younger body wasn't fully developed in its immunity systems as it was harming her the more she tried to push herself. The Eliksni were worried and Sirius Prime explained their plan of why they challenged the Guardians one last time...The Guardians and their City had dealt major defeats to the Hive, and more knowledge on them than their whole crew with more sophisticated medical technology than whatever they could ever create.

This gambit to save their beloved Priestess was all or nothing.

As Hinata entered another medical pod, the gel-like medical substance filling it, she began closing her eyes as she entered a dreamlike trance and recalled a long old memory that haunted her several lifetimes.

/Fragments of Cyphers-Betrayal/

She walked beside him, his blank expression and hollow eyes as he walked forward without a single word. Jiraiya looked at the boy with concern in his eyes as the sole focus of the two. "Are you alright Naruto? You've been quiet this whole time." he asked his godson, concerned with Naruto's mental state as the Uzumaki gave him a tired smile. "Just some thinking...They're all gone and I am all that remains."

The two other Cyphers knew what this was about, Camelot Neos had fallen in a daring raid against the Ramanite bio-weapon and sealed it and the world it inhabited until the end of time. Sasuke and Sakura went to aid him with other factions to stop this menance with the price of Naruto being the only survivor of the battle.

His fiance had sacrificed herself to seal the Ramanite at its heart, to ensure that it would never threaten humanity across the Multiverse ever again. This heavily affected Naruto deeply, and had not been seen for seven months afterwards. Why he returned after self-isolation was sudden and suprising, but when Naruto asked Hinata to come on a journey with him and not anyone else, she agreed to a heartbeat.

The bond and trust between the two friends was still there and she would not trade it for anything else.

"So brat," Jiraiya spoke up, gaining the Uzumaki's attention. "What are you seeking exactly?" he asked as Naruto had a solemn look to his face. "Camelot Neos has fallen, we may have won the battle against the Ramanite, but the fight isn't over...Her seal will last for so long and it is only a matter of time before the plague returns. I will rebuild it one day, but for now...I need to grow not just in strength, but in experience, knowledge, and wisdom so that I can lead the next generation of Camelot's knights against it." he explained as Hinata saw a spark of life in his eyes.

He was starting to rekindle that old spark he had before the incident, he found a purpose again. "That's nice Naruto, but where are you going to start?" Jiraiya questioned as Naruto looked at his own hand and clenched it. "Chakra, I'm going to get chakra." he responded as Jiraiya had a hopeful look on his face. "I'm not interested in being a shinobi, but having alternative powers and tricks will prove useful in the long run. The clone technique especially..." Naruto chuckled.

Hinata giggled at that, he just wanted the Kage Bunshin just to exploit it for training purposes. How did she know? She's his childhood friend, and understands where he comes from with his thought patterns. Neither of the two noticed the disappointment Jiraiya had on his face as he had a small switch button in his hand that he secretly pulled out, "I'm sorry Naruto, but I've got no choice...!" he thought as he pushed the button.

Then chaos bursted forth.

"-ll's going on!?"

"Seize him!"

"Ultra Burst!"

"So this is the Prism Star's power..."

"Jiraiya, you've betrayed me...? WWHHHYYYYYYYYYY!?"

"Forgive me Naruto, it was the only way to make sure you were safe from the culling."

Hinata jolted awake from her dream to see a white light and three figures looking over her. One was an Awoken male, his hardened face had a soft expression while another was an honest to gods human woman and she was dripping with curiousity, the third was a machine in the shape of a human, something she never saw.

"Doku da...?" she began.

"That's ancient Japanese there, never thought I'd hear genuine Japanese from a person." the robot man commented in English. "What's important now is that she gets medical attention. I'm detecting Hive diseases in her scans and if not treated properly will kill her." the woman spoke up as the Awoken man began ordering machine frames to escort the medical pod towards some place. But now she knew where she was, she was in the Last City, the home of the Guardians. She was in the heart of enemy territory and was at their mercy, which filled her heart with dread.

/Vanguard/

"So let me get this straight," Cayde-6 spoke up, looking at the Young Wolf and her fireteam oddly. "Your ships were shut down by anti-aircraft cannons augmented by SIVA, crashed at the beach and fought your way through countless waves of Devil Splicers-armed with multiple modified Spider Tanks, Shanks, Skiffs, and an entirely militarized city of Tokyo with millions of Fallen that had weapons aimed at you from all corners with buildings turning into giant robots and you still made it out of there with the Priestess alive?" he asked.

The Young Wolf nodded their head as Cayde looked straight at them, "I'm really missing out on the good..." he pouted as Shaxx looked quite proud of the fireteam. "Why can't those rookies in the Crucible be as fierce as this fireteam?" he asked, practically excited with the video telemetry the Vanguard plus Shaxx were watching. The video showed that the Fallen weren't fooling around with SIVA, a city modified by it with multiple types of weaponry, a Prime Servitor of unknown design that was replicating SIVA en mass, dangerous density of SIVA as the fireteam got closer to the heart of the city, and even a one-on-one sword duel with the Young Wolf against the infamous Randal the Vandal.

"These Fallen have clearly had some new improvements after their major defeat in the Plaguelands. Perhaps thanks to their Priestess, whom may I add is now in our custody." Zavala noted as Ikora was scanning the videos for various intel that perhaps her Hidden did not find.

"We should talk to her, get her to understand what's at stake here." Ikora suggested as Cayde held up a hand in a small protest. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Not so sudden with her! She's a kid, and kids don't open up to strangers that easily." Cayde spoke up, clearly aware of how...inadeqate the other two Vanguard Commanders are with children. Shaxx...he knows how to make dodgeball a miniature Crucilble.

"And what do you suggest Cayde?" Zavala asked, arms crossed as the Exo Hunter gave his impression of a smirk. "Once the girl is all better, I'm gonna break the ice and show her we're all pals just wantin' to get along. She can't say no to a bowl of ramen now, right?" he answered in a confident tone. The Guardians shared a look with each other, knowing that if anyone were to take the seriousness out of orbit, it would be Cayde.

He sat on the throne, observing the memories of his time with his family and Team 7, the laughs, cries, and touching moments of a bond that will never be the same ever again. But the truth revealed to him made the boy look at the people of today with utter contempt, "So many Cyphers...So much potential, squandered for so long." he muttered as a figure walked in.

"My Lord, the army is ready for deployment." the figure spoke as the boy looked at one final memory of his. It was his choice to walk a different path from that of a Shinobi, and the aftermath of his decision was caused by those trying to convert him into one against his will. "It's time to set things right." he muttered as he stood, the dark savage glyphs etched unto his flesh, the burden to be the source of all evils in the world glowing in the darkness as he walked forward. "We will invade this world, tearing down anything that might protect them. And then when its too late, when they're powerless and alone-they will realize the truth." he instructed as he looked at his army.

"They could have been gods." He growled angrily as he harnessed the Darkness to his side as his Demons and Taken armies began their invasion. Bonds have shattered, love converted into hatred, peace now becoming chaos as Naruto Uzumaki would soon become a symbol of calamity and ruin.