I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.

After Them

Naruto sprinted out of the village, running along the street and reaching out with his senses. He could sense traces of Hinata's chakra but it was distorted, as everyone's had been here, with the exception of Rai's. As he ran, he sensed more chakras, each even more distorted than the last. Then, a creature leapt out of the trees at him. It wasn't something that should belong in Rai's world, because Naruto had seen a million of them. It was the creature the Forbidden could create. Naruto drew his big sword and spun, bisecting the creature before a larger one leapt at him. He split that one as well as three more leapt out, each taller than the next. Before he could attack these three, they grew faces. One had the face of Omoi, the next the face of Chojuro, and the last had Suigetsu's face.

"What the..." Naruto began as the three began forward.

Naruto put his sword away and drew his Double-Edged Swords, sprinting forward as the creatures met his charge. The one with Suigetsu's face swiped at him with its claws. Naruto blocked it then jumped as the Omoi creature slashed at him, accidentally hitting the Suigetsu creature instead. Naruto smashed both feet into the Omoi creature, blasting it into the ground then spun, slashing the Chojuro creature across the chest. Naruto spun again, stabbing the other two creatures before ripping his swords up and continuing. Thirteen more creatures, each with a different face sprinted out of the trees. Naruto slashed one of his blades, blasting the group with a barrage of Air Bullets but the creatures. continued. He slashed the other sword, sending a barrage of Wind Swords at them. This time, the creatures were shredded and Naruto sprinted past.

"Where the hell are they coming from?" Naruto growled. "There shouldn't be any."

Just as he turned a corner, he skidded to a stop. There was a man ahead wearing a white kimono with tomoe around the collar, a small triangular brown beard, spiky brown hair, horns growing from his forehead, black boots, and a khakkhara standing in the road directly ahead of him.

"Welcome, Naruto Uzumaki," the man greeted. "Now die."

The man raised his staff and Naruto tensed but the man was suddenly behind him, facing away and staff by his side. Naruto began to turn just as his left arm went numb and blood spattered to the ground. He stared down at the gash in his shoulder for a moment before kneeling, picking up his fallen Double-Edged Sword and connecting the two then putting it away. He turned around, looking to the old man as the old man turned around, raising his staff to level with his chest and pulling his arm back. Naruto formed a spectral sword in his good arm, raising it to block the slash but it smashed straight through. Naruto managed to bend backward, the staff only narrowly missing his head. Then, Naruto fell. He landed hard and the old man stood over him, raising his staff.

"How disappointing," the man sighed. "When my brother kidnapped that girl, I had expected a great warrior to pursue us. Not a weakling that can't even stand on his own two feet."

Naruto released the clone he had left a distance back then rolled aside as the old man's staff crashed down and Naruto entered Sage Mode. Naruto stood and the old man raised an eyebrow.

"You impress me boy," the man stated.

Just as he did, his eyes paled and ripples spread from his pupils. Then, a third eye opened in his forehead with another Rinnegan, this one with nine tomoe spread on the three innermost ripples in sets of three.

"I never expected you to have mastered Sage Mode," the man commended. "However, I suppose I should have expected it. Now, shall we continue?"

Naruto drew a kunai and readied himself. The man darted forward, slashing at Naruto with his staff. Naruto raised the kunai, barely able to block the staff. The moment the staff hit, the kunai sailed away and Naruto leapt back grabbing another. This was repeated several times over before Naruto finally ran out of knives. He drew his sword and the man raised his staff again.

"Sorry," Naruto sighed. "I have no intention of dying here. And while I can only do this maybe twice before I lose my strength..."

Naruto appeared at a kunai directly behind the man, slashing upward at him. His sword passed within three centimeters of the man before he was behind Naruto, staff embedded in Naruto's back.

"Goodbye Boy," the man growled. "It's a shame you were too weak to stop us.

"You think so huh?" Naruto growled. "Try me."

Chakra chains shot out of his right shoulder, wrapping around the man then hurling hims away, doing the same with his staff, though the chains that touched the staff disintegrated shortly after releasing it. Naruto placed his right hand on his left shoulder and sent a pulse of chakra through it. His wounds mended himself as his Chakra level dropped away to nearly nothing. The man stood, his staff returning to him then looked back at Naruto and raised an eyebrow.

"You impress me Naruto," the man stated. "I didn't know you possessed Gelel Stones. I will return and report to my brother. You are free to follow, if you can keep up."

Then, he was gone.