Naruto: Journey to Lyonesse Remastered
Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This is a remaster of my very old (2015) fic Journey to Lyonesse. The plotline is generally the same but the writing and details have changed quite a bit. The first 6 chapters are the original updated but starting with Chapter 7 it will be all new, Here is Chapter 1; Enjoy!
ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Summary: This is sort of a cyberpunk AU. There are elements of Bioshock, Shadowrun and myths of Atlantis, Ys and Lyonesse of various eras and probably a lot of other stuff included. I have to thank SPeCTeR-117 and Solvdrage for ideas they put forth that somehow amalgamated and morphed into this story. The general time frame is after the Fourth Shinobi War is over and before Naruto: The Last movie It will primarily involve Hinata, Shizuka and Naruto as they are the main pairing.
Chapter 1
Fire Country, Konoha, Hokage's Office
The Sixth Hokage Hatake Kakashi was looking over a rather odd request from the Fifth Mizukage; Terumi Mei. The message concerned the Nadeshiko Village. It was an odd request because Kiri was very near the kunoichi run village. The Nadeshiko Village was very close to Water Country and yet the Mizukage wanted Konoha ninjas to undertake this particular mission. While Mei didn't go into detail; it seemed there was some kind of political tension between Kiri and the Nadeshiko Village that prevented the Mizukage from sending her own ninjas to do the job. Something amiss was going on in the kunoichi village and Terumi Mei wanted to know what it was. The Mizukage requested an all kunoichi team from Konoha to go there and wanted Uzumaki Naruto to lead it. The orange loving blonde had grown famous since the Fourth Shinobi War ended a year ago and was in high demand as a result. Terumi's note said the Naruto had some previous connection to the Nadeshiko Village and that was why she requested him personally.
The Sixth Hokage summoned Naruto to see if there was something he didn't know. Kakashi decided to ask the blonde about the mission parameters as his gut reaction was suspicion. Naruto soon arrived by coming in through the window of the Hokage's office. The blonde was obviously in a good mood. The silver haired Hokage looked at his once student and was quite amazed at how much Naruto had grown up although he was still dense as a rock when it came to women. "I'm here Kakashi-sensei. Do you have a mission for me?" asked the blonde.
Kakashi nodded and said, "I might have a mission for you but I need to ask you some questions first. Go ahead and have a seat."
Naruto sat down and asked puzzled, "What is it you need to ask me Kakashi-sensei?"
"Can you tell me if you have ever been in contact with the Nadeshiko Village in Water Country?" asked the former sensei. "The mission has a specific request for you personally stating you've had previous interactions with them." explained Kakashi.
Naruto pondered for a moment and then said, "I once battled their Village leader Shizuka because of a stupid promise Ero-sennin made to their previous village leader. Shizuka came to hunt me down and defeat me."
"She was out to defeat you?" asked Kakashi. "Why?"
Naruto sighed. "At some point in time Ero-sennin made a promise that his student would defeat Shizuka-sama and take her hand in marriage. Needless to say I knew nothing about it." The blonde shrugged. "Anyway, Shizuka and her attendant Tokiwa came to Fire Country find me and settle things. The traditions of the Nadeshiko Village are that a kunoichi has to find a husband that is stronger than her and bring him home."
"So what does Shizuka-sama look like?" asked Kakashi wondering if his student was going to have a chance for some 'fun' on this mission.
"She is really pretty." said Naruto. "Shizuka has green eyes, long black hair and really fair skin. She's a very formidable kunoichi and has a great body too." Kakashi giggled perversely at his student's description. "Anyway, I fought her and some nutcase named Kokuyō came up and captured her so he could force her hand in marriage. I ended up kicking his ass and she decided I was worthy to be her husband."
"And…? Did you two have some enjoyable times together afterwards my dear student?" asked Kakashi wanting the details.
"Nah; I told her I was interested in Sakura-chan at the time and that she should change her village rules so she could marry someone she loved." answered Naruto. Kakashi face faulted and wondered if his former student had a brain in his head. "Anyway, after that she gave up on the idea of an arranged marriage and told me she was going to get stronger for her certain someone. We parted ways on friendly enough terms. The whole experience was kind of surreal –ttebayo."
Kakashi wanted to groan at his student's epic failure to get some action with a hottie but decided it wasn't worth pressing the issue. The silver haired Hokage explained, "I have a mission request put forth by the Mizukage for you and a kunoichi team to go to the Nadeshiko Village and find out what's going on there. According to Terumi Mei she can't send her own ninjas for some reason so she requested you personally."
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "So what is the nature of this mission Kakashi-sensei? It sounds like a simple investigation but going into a foreign ninja village to just 'check out' what's going on could be considered a hostile action. I'm not about to invade the privacy of a whole village full of tough kunoichis and get my ass kicked so the Mizukage won't have to get her hands dirty. I can't think of any plausible reason a team and I would just be 'passing through' Water Country. Konoha is so far from that island that there is no way Shizuka wouldn't be suspicious. This has disaster written all over it Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi nodded and said, "The thought crossed my mind as well which is why I wanted to talk to you about it first. The Mizukage claims she already has a cover story for you Naruto." Naruto looked expectantly at Kakashi who sighed. "In a nutshell; you and your team are going to Kiri for a diplomatic mission from Konoha and you decided to visit the Nadeshiko Village while you were in Water Country. Since you met Shizuka-sama in the past and you thought you'd visit her….It sounds perfectly harmless and you and your group will hopefully get a tour of the Nadeshiko Village. If you're a smooth enough talker you might be able to find out whatever is going on. Afterwards you will report back to the Mizukage with your mission results. This mission is S-ranked and realistically I think Terumi Mei is right that you are the only candidate for the job."
Naruto's gut feeling was to just say no because he had a bad feeling about it. On the other hand he'd never refused a mission no matter how tough it was and he was being specifically asked by Kakashi-sensei…."Alright; I'll go but I want it stated I think this mission is a very bad idea. My instincts tell me this could end up being a total clusterfuck for me and my team."
Kakashi nodded figuring that was as good as he was going to get from the blonde. He was surprised that Naruto was so hesitant though. It wasn't like the orange wearing ninja to ever give a mission a second thought. "Alright Naruto; I've already picked out three kunoichis for this mission. They are Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Hana and Mitarashi Anko. All three of them are good trackers and Anko in particular has years of espionage training. Between Hinata's byakugan and Hana's nose they should be able to see if anything else is amiss. Hana's good with medical jutsus as well."
"When do we leave?" asked Naruto.
"As soon as I get confirmation you'll head out." answered Kakashi. "I'm sending a message to the Mizukage and once the mission is confirmed you and your team will head to Kiri to report to her because of your 'diplomatic' mission. I'd pack for about a month's trip if I were you Naruto."
Naruto grunted. "I'd already figured that much out Kakashi-sensei. Give me some credit."
Kakashi chuckled. "Sorry Naruto; I guess I'll always think of you as my student. Anyway, I'll inform your teammates and there will be an additional briefing for the four of you before you go."
….
Fire Country, Port City
One week later Naruto and his team were at Port City on the east coast of Fire Country. They were quietly awaiting the ship to take them to Water Country. The trip had been peaceful although Anko had raised the question more than once why such a powerful team had been assembled for what she considered a B-rank mission at best. Naruto had been sworn to secrecy about the investigation in the Nadeshiko village and simply told them there would be additional instructions from the Mizukage when they got there. The Snake Princess seemed pacified for the moment but Naruto really didn't like keeping secrets from his teammates….
Hinata was planning to get closer to Naruto on this mission no matter what. He was growing more and more popular with the ladies since his fame in the Fourth Shinobi War was spreading….
….
Flashback….
"I'm on a month long mission with Naruto-kun Hanabi-chan. What am I going to do?!" asked the Hyūga heiress as she nervously packed for the mission.
Hanabi giggled. "You need to tie him up and have your wicked ways with your boyfriend Hinata nee-chan. You've waited far too long as it is."
The pearl eyed beauty blushed scarlet and said, "I c-can't do that Hanabi-chan! What if he doesn't feel the same way for me? I'd be devastated…."
"You need to let him know how you feel nee-chan." said Hanabi. "If you don't some other woman is going to come along and take him away from you. You've loved him forever. Promise me you'll confess your feelings to him on the way back."
"Hanabi-chan, I-" started Hinata.
Her little sister cut her off. "Promise me nee-chan! This is for your own good."
Hinata sighed. "Alright Hanabi-chan. I promise I'll confess to Naruto-kun after we've completed our mission tasks."
Hanabi hugged Hinata and said, "I just want you to be happy Hinata nee." The byakugan princess returned her little sister's hug and after a few minutes the two resumed packing….
Flashback end….
….
Hinata sighed and hoped she could go through with her promise to Hanabi….
Hana and her three ninken, the Haimaru Triplets, were happy to be on a mission outside the village but weren't too happy to be stuck on a ship. The triplets tended to get antsy being cooped up on a boat even for a few hours so she had already given them a talk about behaving over the next few days and not using any of the crew as chew toys….
Anko was sitting back at the docks relaxing while the younger ninjas burned energy pacing around. Truthfully she'd put enough pieces together to figure out the S-ranked mission was for the Mizukage and probably required hunting someone or something down. Naruto was a sensor, Hinata had her byakugan and Hana and her triplets could track just about anything they could scent. Anko herself was a skilled tracker and could use her snakes to help in the task. Truthfully Anko hoped they were hunting a missing nin or something tough; she was eager to get onto the real mission.
….
Water Country, Kiri Village
It had taken a four day's trip by boat and an additional day's travel through Water Country to make it to Kiri Village. The trip to the Village Hidden in the Mist could have been made in no time at all but between the multiple security checks and having to travel with others at a civilian pace it had taken forever as far as the Konoha ninjas were concerned. After one final security check at Kiri's gates they were escorted to the main administration building where the Mizukage had her office.
Terumi Mei was sitting at her desk with the four Konoha ninjas in front of her. She smiled and said flirtatiously, "Uzumaki Naruto-kun, you've grown so much taller since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War. It's so good to be in the company of such a handsome man." Naruto would have sworn he heard Hinata growl but figured he must be mistaken. "I trust you have the 'diplomatic' scroll from the Hokage?" Naruto nodded and handed it over. Mei broke the seal and read over the notes from Kakashi regarding the team. Nodding to herself she said to them, "Everything is in order here. Your real mission starts now. You are to investigate the recent goings on in the Nadeshiko Village nearby Water Country and report back to me with the results. The situation doesn't appear dangerous at this point but the kunoichis of the Nadeshiko Village have pointedly been keeping our Kiri ninjas away."
"Can you tell us anything about the situation in Nadeshiko Village and why it has you alarmed Mizukage-sama?" asked Naruto.
"Just call me Mei Naruto-kun." said the Mizukage with a purr. "As to the situation, we have been finding recent wide scale fluctuations of chakra in the area around Nadeshiko Village and they seem intent on keeping us out of the know about it. It's as if a tailed beast or the like is reforming itself there. Terumi tapped her finger on her desk. "Since we have made peace with the tailed beasts we know their whereabouts and stay in touch with them. I have spoken both to the Sanbi and Rokubi and they say they have sensed it slowly building up over the last two months. They seem unaware as to the nature of the situation either but seem concerned."
"I'll have to contact them and find out more if I can." said Naruto. "I should meditate this evening before I go to sleep."
"You have such amazing qualities Naruto-kun. We should get to know each other better." said Mei seductively.
'He's MINE you Kiri slut!' thought Hinata angrily.
Hana sweat dropped. 'I guess the Mizukage's like a bitch in heat. She hasn't spared one of us a glance except Naruto. I'm surprised she hasn't invited him to her bedroom.'
'Could she lay it on any thicker?' thought Anko. 'I won't disagree that Naruto's grown up to be a hottie but this woman's blatantly eye raping him! I wonder how he hasn't noticed.'
Naruto was totally oblivious to Mei's obvious pass at him and was wondering if there were any decent ramen places in town….
….
That evening Naruto was in deep meditation talking with Kurama. "We need to talk to Saiken first as he's little more knowledgeable….even if he's too hyper for my tastes. Since he's got six tails you'd think he would be a little calmer and have more self respect…." said Kurama.
"You really should lay off your siblings Kurama; sure they're not perfect but who is?" asked Naruto.
"Well I consider myself the pinnacle of all living beings." said Kuruma haughtily.
Naruto sweat dropped and said, "….And how did I get stuck with you again?"
"Your Father sealed me in you at birth moron….off topic but why did you make an excuse and practically run when the Mizukage asked you to eat with her? I know you're starving and she's not unattractive for a human female. I thought hunger strikes were against your deep seated philosophical beliefs."
"Actually, the Mizukage's pretty hot but I felt a burst of killing intent from someone over in Hinata-chan's direction that told me I shouldn't." said the blonde. "Then Mei-sama told me how much she loved fresh vegetables and we could enjoy a nice salad together….Well, you know I loathe greens with every fiber of my being so I decided it was time for a tactical withdrawal."
"So if she had asked you out to ramen you would have gone?" asked the ancient fox.
"In a heartbeat!" said Naruto enthusiastically. "Of course, I would have invited everyone to enjoy the food of the gods."
'My god you are clueless….' thought Kurama.
Naruto reached out with his thoughts to the six tailed Saiken. The six tailed beast appeared in the 'gathering place' in Naruto's subconscious. Saiken said, "Naruto! I wasn't expecting to hear from you or Kurama. It's been a while. I sense you're close. Are you here in Water Country?"
"That's right Saiken; I'm here to see about that chakra disturbance centered around the Nadeshiko Village." explained Naruto. "I'm hoping you or Isobu might have some insights about it."
"Is there anything you can tell us Saiken?" asked Kurama.
"Well, about two months ago Isobu and I sensed what felt like a space/time ninjutsu inside the Nadeshiko Village.' said the six tail. 'We didn't think much of it at the time since it seemed like a localized thing. It wouldn't be the first time that humans tried something of that nature. Anyway it kind of came and then went away so I figured the kunoichis of Nadesiko Village had failed. Then about three weeks ago it suddenly came back much stronger and Kiri ninjas noticed it. I haven't seen it but I would guess whatever they are experimenting with has stabilized. I'm glad you and Kurama are here now though. A jutsu throwing off that much chakra could be really dangerous."
"Alright, we'll look into it after we talk to Isobu." said Naruto. "Thanks Saiken."
"Anytime Naruto; Kurama! Just let me know if you need my help and I'll head your way." said Saiken as he signed off.
"Well, he's as energetic as ever." muttered Kurama. "If it's a space time ninjutsu it could also be caused by a seal as well."
"That's a good point." agreed Naruto. "Let's see if Isobu knows anything."
Isobu appeared a few minutes later. "Kurama; Naruto? Is that you?"
"It sure is Isobu." answered the blonde. "We're investigating that chakra disturbance at Nadshiko Village. Can you tell us anything about it?"
Isobu nodded. "Well, I can tell you this is the third time it has happened. The first time was when I was still young and had just moved out to this region. I didn't know what caused it but a lot of humans appeared suddenly so I thought it was some kind of portal that opened from somewhere. About five hundred years later more people appeared the same way. I was able to observe them from underwater and from what I could tell they were escaping some kind of cataclysm but I have no idea what the disaster was. They weren't chakra users or invaders as far as I could tell and mainly migrated to the mainland to settle there."
"So are you expecting a lot of people to come here Isobu?" asked the blonde.
"It's difficult to say." Answered the three tail. "The first time it happened the whole process took a week or so but it was steady and much stronger. The second time the disturbance it was strong and only lasted a day but this time it's fluctuating and has been going on for a couple of months. If I were to venture a guess I'd say it's not strong enough to let people through like before."
"We're going to check it out Isobu. We'll let you and Saiken know what we find out." said Naruto.
"Alright, good luck guys. Call me if you need my help." With that Isobu vanished from the meeting place.
"What do you think Kurama?" asked the orange loving blonde. "It kind of sounds like stuff Kaguya could do."
Kurama nodded. "It does to me too Naruto but we would have sensed if it was Kaguya. I'm sure she's gone so it must be someone trying to use a similar technique. I think we should check this out quickly."
'Agreed.' answered Naruto….
….
Kiri Village, Front Gates
Naruto and his team slipped out of Kiri early in the morning to head for Nadeshiko Village. The blonde described what information he'd learned to both the Mizukage and his teammates. The information from Isobu had been particularly alarming to the Mei. It would be bad enough dealing with a bunch of immigrants but the possibility of an invasion loomed large in her mind as well. The Konoha team took a short boat trip from Water Country and soon landed on the island the Nadeshiko kunoichi called home.
Keeping their eyes and ears open Naruto's team moved quickly and stealthily through the misty woodlands and around the many lakes. Eventually they came across a mountainous region with lush forests. In the center of this were three steep, massive hills connected to each other by bridges. Atop of these three hills sat the heavily fortified Nadeshiko Village. "It's extremely well defended." said Hinata as she described the brick and stone walls that dominated the village as the group openly trekked towards the three hills. If they were 'just visiting' as per their cover story the best thing to do would be to take an open path where the sentries would easily spot them so they could assure the Nadeshiko kunoichis their intentions were harmless.
As the group traveled they felt a wave of chakra travel over them. Naruto zoomed in on it with his sensor abilities and Hinata did the same with her byakugan. "In the center of the highest fortress is a deep natural lake." said Hinata. "The chakra seems to be coming from inside the lake near the bottom."
The group travelled a little more cautiously for about fifteen minutes before four chunin level kunoichi intercepted them. "I am Ayumu of the Nadeshiko Village." stated the leader of the four. "State your identities and why you are here." she demanded.
"I am Uzumaki Naruto and these are my companions." he said before introducing each of his teammates. "I was here in Water Country on a mission for the Hokage. Now that it is done I thought I would seek out your village to see Shizuka-sama. We met a few years ago and I thought I would see how she is doing. I felt a strange wave of chakra on the way here though. Is your village in danger? If I can help in any way I will."
Ayumu and the other three kunoichis looked a bit star struck. "You are the Uzumaki Naruto; The Savior of this world?!" asked one of them.
"Ummm, is that what they are calling me now?" asked Naruto with a blush. "I am one of those that ended the Fourth Shinobi War by sealing Princess Kaguya."
Three of the kunoichi looked completely excited but the fourth looked less than convinced. "Can you prove you are the Uzumaki Naruto? It's said he is a great Sage with unparalleled powers. How do we know that you are not just some infiltrator trying to harm our village?" she asked with hostility in her voice. "You look like a pretender to me."
Naruto felt his team tense for battle behind him and rubbed his chin. "Well, I can think of one way to prove it to you."
"And how it that?" asked the hostile kunoichi.
"I will demonstrate the six paths sage mode." said Naruto. "Observe." With that a shockwave of chakra exploded from him knocking the four chunnins back and surrounding himself with a flaming chakra cloak as truth seeking balls surrounded him. The skeptical kunoichi saw him towering over her with crossed shaped pupils. She was completely overwhelmed by Naruto's sheer presence in this form. She stared in shock as Naruto said to her, "Do you still doubt me? I can take it up a few notches but your village will probably think they are being attacked when all I planned to do is say hello to Shizuka-sama."
Ayumu blurted out "W-we believe your words N-N-Naruto-sama! Apologize to him immediately Maki!"
The now named Maki blurted out an apology so fast that no one could make heads or tails of it but Naruto just nodded and released his sage form.
Hinata had felt Naruto's warm sage presence before and felt she could bask in his warmth all day. She smiled seeing Maki skitter back behind her comrades. Hinata personally felt the girl deserved to be scared witless for doubting her Naruto-kun's words.
For her part, Anko hadn't witnessed this before even at a distance since she had been incapacitated at the time of the last battle. 'My God! The power he wields is beyond comprehension!' It both frightened and excited the snake mistress at the same time. 'Is it wrong to feel attracted to a guy several years my junior?!' she wondered to herself.
Inuzuka Hana had a different, more clinical reaction. 'Okay, I just thoroughly drenched my panties in the presence of the ultimate alpha male. I know as a medic it's only a natural biological reaction….Yes if I had him alone I'd ravage him in the dirt right here and now! I'd take him by force if necessary even though he's one of my kid brother's friends….Oh gods! What the hell am I saying to myself?!'
….
Nadeshiko Village
It was a real surprise to the kunoichis of Nadeshiko Village that Uzumaki Naruto was there. All of them knew that he had the rights to Shizuka-sama and with his heroism during the Fourth Shinobi War no one had any doubts that he was indeed worthy to be her husband. Shizuka herself was the most shocked of all he was there. Had he come to claim her at long last? When he let her go years ago she secretly wanted to go after him. She'd grown much stronger over the years for her 'certain someone' –Naruto. Shizuka and her advisor Tokiwa came out to greet them. "Naruto-sama, you've grown so much taller since I saw you last. How are you?" asked Shizuka.
Naruto waved his hand. "You don't have to use honorifics with me Shizuka-sama. My team and I were in Water Country and I thought I would stop in and see your village since I never get out here. I hope you don't mind me coming unannounced."
Shizuka blushed slightly and smiled. "No, it's fine. Just call me Shizuka….I'm very happy you came."
"I'm glad." said Naruto happily. "Oh, let me introduce my team to you." Naruto made the proper introductions to both parties and finished with, "Do you have an inn or something for visitors? I don't want to impose or anything but I think we'd all like to freshen up."
"It's no trouble at all." said Tokiwa. "I'm sure that Shizuka-sama would enjoy your company for dinner later Naruto-sama."
"Well, the four of us are awfully hungry from the road. Would that be okay with you girls?" he asked his team.
Every kunoichi present (even Hinata) thought, 'Tokiwa just meant you moron! Can you be any more dense?!' as they all sweat dropped.
Shizuka said, "Naruto and his party shall dine with me this evening then. Perhaps I could show you around the village tomorrow Naruto."
'Jackpot!' thought Anko.
Hinata was wringing her hands. 'Please don't turn this down Naruto-kun.'
Hana had other thoughts on her mind. 'These kunoichis all have the hots for Naruto. He's in a pervert's harem paradise and doesn't even know it!'
"That sounds great Shizuka. We'll go to the inn and get cleaned up." said Naruto beaming.
Shizuka smiled and clapped her hands together. "Wonderful. I'll see you at dinner. Tokiwa, please make arrangements at the inn. They are my personal guests and will not be charged for lodging."
"As you wish Shizuka-sama." said Tokiwa as she led Naruto's party away to the inn to clean up.
Shizuka returned to her residence and was assailed by her older advisors. "Shizuka-sama! At last you can make him yours. He's probably the most powerful ninja in the world and he's ripe for the taking." said one.
"Think of how powerful your future children could be! Make it your mission to win his heart Shizuka-sama!" added another.
Several others added their opinions and it made Shizuka blush. "I have to prepare for dinner. I need a bath." Soon Shizuka was being beautified by her attendants. If they had their way Shizuka-sama and Naruto-sama would be announcing their wedding the next morning.
….
Naruto and his team were soon having dinner at Shizuka's residence. The group was having a fairly 'light' conversation while they ate. In reality, Hinata was showing her claws over Naruto and she and Shizuka were glaring at each other when Naruto wasn't talking directly to one of them. Hana wanted to duck and run. She'd known about Hinata's love for Naruto for years because Kiba was her teammate but now wasn't the time to show her possessive fangs. Just as bad, Shizuka was doing her best to flaunt that she and Naruto were meant to be together because of the contract between her mentor and Jiraiya-sama. Hana was cringing because the two equally tenacious kunoichis were digging their unconsciously chakra enhanced nails into the wooden table as they 'chatted' about Naruto-kun.
Naturally, the blonde ninja in question was totally oblivious to all the tension and was more interested in the food than conversing anyway.
For her part, Anko wished she had some popcorn. This kind of entertainment was hard to find. Tokiwa was standing by in case either of the youngest kunoichis went for and all out catfight. She saw her job as preventing an international incident. About the time the friendly chat was about to break out into a kunai duel, a massive wave of chakra nearly bowled them all over from the lake. Naruto was the first on his feet. "What the hell was that? Are we under attack?" he asked. Experiencing it from range was one thing but point blank was quite another.
Hinata immediately activated her byakugan and said. "It's coming from the bottom of the lake and rising fast!"
Shizuka led the group down to the lake and the water was bubbling and foaming. A thick mass was emerging from the lake like hot water was boiling over but there was no apparent heat. "It's never been this bad!" yelled Tokiwa over the noise of the rushing water.
"What is it?" asked Hana.
"We don't know!" answered Shizuka. "It started months ago but never rose to the surface before. It just was a mass of chakra underwater so we've stayed out of the lake."
The churning water swept forward right at Shizuka but Hinata yelled out. "Watch out Shizuka-sama!" and tackled her out of the way. Shizuka was about to thank Hinata for saving her when another wave crashed over them and pulled them into the massive undertow.
"Hinata-chan! Shizuka!" yelled Naruto. Going into six paths sage mode he leaped in after them. It felt like he was swimming though a jelly like substance. It was clear like water and her saw Hinata and Shizuka holding on to each other trying to swim to the surface. He reached out to them and felt his fingertips brush with Hinata's before the thick liquid seemed to implode into a whirlpool sweeping them away from each other and Naruto blacked out….
"They're gone…." said Anko as the water turned back to normal. "All three of them are gone….What are we going to do…?"
It would be a long night in the Nadeshiko Village….
….
Location: Unknown
Naruto came crashing out of the strange liquid, through some sort of glass-like barrier and landed on his back hard. He was stunned and tried to wipe off the gelatinous goo. When his ears were unplugged and he could see properly the soaking blonde heard a string of curses that would make a sailor blush and saw he was surrounded by some sort of yakuza gangsters. Judging by the pile of them laying on the ground below him; he'd just landed upon a large group of them and squashed several. He rolled off the moaning pile of limbs and said, "Sorry guys…."
They weren't happy. By that point the gangsters had him surrounded and had switchblades or daggers they were waving threateningly at him. A couple of them were aiming cylinders at him that were….'What were they called again? Guns;*① that was it.' thought the blonde. Naruto had seen a few hunters in outlying areas used them instead of bows. They were really too noisy in the ninja world but some civilians liked them.
"Who is this fucker and why is he covered in slime?" asked one.
"Is he here to help the princess?" askedd another pointing towards a platinum blonde woman in the distance.
Naruto turned and looked at the girl they were pointing at; she was in her late teens and was very attractive. She had flawless ivory skin and her platinum blonde hair was done up in elaborately curled pigtails.*② She had the general appearance of a runway model but looking into her light green eyes briefly Naruto got the distinct idea that she had the personality of a glacier. Her long black and white dress was flawless and had odd gear patterns on it. All in all she was quite striking. She stood fearlessly behind two men armed with katanas that appeared to be her bodyguards.
Beside her stood a middle aged man in a black tuxedo with gray hair and a goatee that was urging her to flee. She turned to the goateed man and said, "Kraven; I paid good money for these two enforcers to do their jobs, I want to make sure they live up to their reputations."
"This slimy idiot isn't helping Steelside's daughter." said a man standing on the opposite side of the yakuza in a gray suit. The aura this man gave off reminded Naruto distinctively of the corporate pig Gato that died years ago. "Kill her two enforcers and manservant and bring her to me. I'm sure her father would pay a king's ransom to get his only daughter back. She looks like she'd be good to have some fun with too." he said with a leer. Naruto frowned. This guy was real scum.
"What about this guy Mr. Ren?" asked one of the thugs pointing at Naruto.
"Just kill him, he's in the way." said the now named Ren as he brushed his nails nonchalantly on his gray suit.
Naruto saw most of the gangsters rush the two bodyguards and five stayed behind to deal with Naruto….
Benibara Steelside was irritated. Her hover limo had broken down and had to land in the streets in between the Arcology*③ she was visiting and her home one, Whorl. She had no doubt that Mr. Ren had one of his lackeys sabotage her vehicle. Why else would he be down here in the urban decay waiting for her? Her two Enforcers she had hired to guard her were failing. One was dead from gunshot wounds and the other was losing against Ren's thugs.
The platinum blonde could fight and knew the goken style but she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to escape. Her manservant Kraven had suggested they retreat in his usual cowardly way but in this case she really should have listened to him instead of hanging around. In the distance she saw the blonde man that fell out of the sky fighting five of Ren's yakuza and completely dominating them. To her trained eye she could tell he was easily ghosting around them as if they were standing still….
Naruto knocked out the last gangster with a brutal punch to the face that sent him flying end over end. The blonde looked at the frightened Ren and said, "….And then there was one…." as he stalked towards him.
Ren was panicking. Whoever this blonde haired guy was; he was a monster. Ren yelled to his men, "Forget Benibara! Protect me from this guy!"
The sixteen remaining thugs had just finished off Benibara's second enforcer and looked back only to see their comrades on the ground lying in their own blood. The yakuza in charge said, "You heard the boss. Take that guy out!" Rushing back the yakuza soon found themselves in a total mess. Naruto body flickered in amongst them and started crushing them with contemptuous ease using the toad style. He often body switched with gang members causing them to shoot or stab their comrades. Finally Ren opened fire into the crowd from range trying to shoot Naruto heedless of the fact his men were still there. Naruto once again body switched; this time with Ren. Ren was shocked when the bullets he just fired hit him and they killed him. The two remaining thugs tried to run but Naruto appeared behind them and cracked their skulls together which knocked them unconscious.
The whole confrontation took about two minutes….
Benibara looked on with a cold, calculating smile and said, "Kraven, hire that man to escort us to the Whorl Arcology. Tell him the Steelside family will consider this a personal favor and he will be paid handsomely."
Kraven nodded and timidly came over to the powerful blonde who just decimated over twenty men without breaking a sweat. He saw Naruto was trying to get whatever the goo was off of him. "Ummm….excuse me sir?" asked the goateed man.
Naruto looked up and locked eyes with Kraven for a moment before realizing he wasn't a threat. "What is it you want?" asked Naruto.
Realizing Naruto wasn't going to lash out at him, Kraven relaxed a little. "I'm Wilhelm Kraven. My mistress Lady Benibara Steelside would like to secure your services as an escort over to the Whorl Arcology. You will be paid handsomely and the Steelside family would consider this a personal favor."
"Well, I've never heard of this Steelside family." said Naruto. "What's a Whorl Arcology anyway? I've never even heard the word before."
Kraven went bug eyed. 'Has this guy lived in the undercity all his life?' "Where might you be from Mr….?
Naruto scratched his neck embarrassed. "Oh, sorry. My name is Uzumaki. Uzumaki Naruto. I'm from Konoha. I was swimming and got sucked into this….goo. When I came out of it I crashed through some sort of window and fell to the ground. I don't know this place at all."
'He's from OUTSIDE the barrier!' thought Kraven. "Well Mr. Uzumaki, you are in the nation of Lyonesse. The structures you see are self contained cities called Arcologies. The one we are going to is that one, the Whorl Arcology." he said pointing towards a several mile high structure in the shape of a spiraled nautilus sea shell. It glowed a bright neon green color.
"So you need me to escort you and that lady about a mile to that giant sea shell shaped place?" asked Naruto.
"Yes, that's precisely it." said Kraven "The streets are a dangerous area and judging by the way you dealt with Mr. Ren and his thugs I would say you could protect us easily."
"Why are these streets so dangerous?" asked Naruto looking around at what seemed to be an urban jungle in an advanced state of decay.
"The Arcologies are safe havens for humanity." explained Kraven. "The streets are what's left of the original Lyonesse from hundreds of years ago. It's a lawless wasteland not fit for human habitation. Dangerous creatures of all sorts live here as well as gangs and criminals as you saw earlier."
Naruto shrugged, "Okay, fair enough. I'll escort you two over to the giant nautilus shell. Maybe I can get a shower or something there to wash this gunk of me. Do you have any idea what this goo is?"
Kraven paused and said, "I'm taking a guess but I believe it's heavy water that surrounds Lyonesse and keeps the sea out. Shall we go Mr. Uzumaki?"
Naruto followed Kraven over to the impatiently waiting Benibara Steelside. She assumed the blonde man was arguing with Kraven for an outrageous protection fee but in this case she was willing to pay. When she saw Kraven a Naruto approach she put on her 'socialite smile' and said in a friendly way, "Well hello there; I trust we have an accord for you to escort us to Whorl?"
Naruto looked into her calculating light green eyes and said. "Yeah, I'll escort you over there. Let's get going."
Naruto was about to turn and start walking when Kraven said, "Mr. Uzumaki; might I introduce Lady Benibara Steelside. Lady Steelside, this is Mr. Uzumaki Naruto."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Uzumaki." said Benibara as she held out her hand for him to kiss her knuckles. (Truthfully she didn't to have Naruto touch her; he was covered in slime after all.)
Naruto just bowed slightly and said, "It's nice to meet you. We should go." Then Naruto turned and started leading them towards the Whorl Arcology.
Benibara was a bit incensed at Naruto's perceived lack of manners. 'Just who the hell does he think he is? Doesn't he know who I am?' she fumed. Calming herself she said to Kraven in a whisper tone, "So how much damage has this done to my bank account Wilhelm?"
Kraven thought, 'Here we go!' "He didn't ask for anything my Lady. He's from outside the barrier and has never even heard of Lyonesse. He didn't even know what an Arcology was. All he asked for was a shower to wash the slime off of him which I'm ninety nine percent sure is heavy water." He saw his mistress' eyes widen and then Kraven could literally feel the gears whirring and clicking in her head.
Benibara gave a beatific smile that basically frightened Kraven and she said, "How fortunate for him that he fell into the hands of the generous Steelside family then."
….
POSTSCRIPT:
*① Guns: there are actually drawings here and there of guns in the background of Naruto that Kishimoto included. For whatever reason they apparently never caught on.
*② Benibara Steelside: This character is based on Rose Bernstein from the King of Fighters series by SNK in appearance and (somewhat) in personality.
*③ Arocologies are architectural designs for very densely populated, ecologically low-impact human habitats. They are often portrayed as self-contained or economically self-sufficient.
Okay, the first chapter is in the books and posted, I hope everyone enjoys this version. See you Next Time. Blue out. 12/16/18 -Original Version: 3/23/15