The World Beyond
Bobby didn't totally understand what had happened. But he knew for sure he wasn't where he should be. He was in the Special Forces base one second and now he was in the middle of the woods, face deep in the dirt. Looking around he saw deep wooded jungle with no signs of Jax or Sonya.
It seemed clear to Bobby the first thing he should do was look for them. He himself was ready to panic. So he stood up and began wandering through the woods to try and find his comrades or anyone. This place didn't look very much like the woods and forests back in Arlen. But the truth would surely surprise him.
After some time of wandering around in the woods much to his relief Bobby came upon a familiar face. He heard grunting and groaning in the ridge below him. There was a spaceship crashed into the dirt with smoke shooting out from it. There were two legs poking out and kicking back and forth in the air.
"How on Earth did that happen?!" echoed a voice from inside the ship.
"Hold on. I'll help you." Said Bobby as he came up from behind him.
"Thank you!" The young man grabbed the two legs and began tugging."Easy! Ea-OH!" Bobby gave one hard tug and yanked the legs free. Then Fox McCloud came flying out from the ship and on top of Bobby, both of them crashed onto the ground." Bobby!" Fox exclaimed. Bobby looked up to see Fox upside down right in front of him.
"Fox!" The two rolled off each other and stood up." What are you doing here, what happened?!"
"I don't know." Fox replied as he put his hands on Bobby's shoulders." But I don't think your machine worked. I don't think it sent me home." He scanned the surrounding area.
"What? How can you know that? How can you be sure?"
"I'm not." He shook his head." But it wouldn't surprise me if what initially brought me to your happened again to bring me to another one."
"Are you saying we're on another planet?" Bobby now turned and scanned their surroundings himself." Is this what a new world looks like?" It surprised him, he expected another planet to look unlike anything he'd ever seen before. But the trees and plants here looked like the ones back at home.
"Don't look so down. I've seen dozens of new worlds Bobby, what could possibly be different about this one?" Just then Fox's ears twitched and he turned his head slightly, his eyes scanning the bushes around them.
"What is it?" Bobby asked concerned.
"We're not alone." Fox told. Bobby looked around startled." Calm yourself." He looked around some more." There's between three to five. They'll attack together and try to separate us." Everything was silent now." Here they come." Fox whispered.
Then just as he predicted a man jumped out of the bushes and ran towards them. In his hands was a knife and a kind of club, his voice echoed around as a screeching war cry. He came forward and swung his club down, dividing the two as Fox told. Fox pushed Bobby out of the way but only managed to knocked him into another one.
Bobby couldn't see the man who had grabbed him but he could tell he was big just by the bear hug he was caught in. Fox to was grabbed from behind but he reacted much quicker than Bobby. In one quick move Fox ducked under his enemies grip, grabbed his arm and swung him into the dirt. After that Fox looked up to see another enemy standing a few feet from him. He wore orange cloths and had bright blonde hair. Fox reached to his belt for his gun.
But then another newcomer jumped out only he looked much different from anyone else around. He looked like a human except for red flaming eyes, sharp teeth protruding from his mouth, and two long blades shooting out of his forearm. His appearance seemed to startle everyone. Fox turned his attention from the boy before him and to the monster coming towards them all. He swiftly pulled out his pistol and fired two shots. The first caught the monster in the shoulder, the second in the chest brining him down.
The crack of the gun startled the attackers and they backed off in fright. After firing at the monster Fox turned to the boy before him. The boy saw the weapon then looked to Fox. He raised his hands.
"Peace." He said in perfect English. Fox pointed to Bobby. The boy nodded to his comrades who allowed Bobby to rejoin Fox. The boy then encouraged all his followers to stand down with a nod of his head. There were four of them in all." Peace." He said again. Once all the attackers were facing in front of them Fox lowered his weapon." Peace." He said a third time his hands still up, his comrades did the same.
"Peace." Fox said and put his weapon away, though he put it where it was still easy to grab. Silence overtook them as the attackers looked the duo over.
"Where are we?" Bobby asked breaking the silence.
"I am Naruto Uzumaki." The blonde boy introduced touching his hands to his chest." I am a ninja of the Leaf Village." He took a step forward." We'll take you to a safe place." Bobby and Fox looked to each other concerned." Safe place." He said again.
"Why?" Fox asked.
"You've helped us." He pointed to the monster Fox had shot." We thought you were with them. But however strange you are clearly you are not with them."
"No." Fox shook his head." We are not."
"Will you come with us?"
"Where?" Bobby asked.
"Back to our village." Naruto told." It's safe there, the monster haven't breached our walls yet." Bobby now suddenly remembered there were others who came to this world with him.
"There are others out here!" He shot up." Other people like us."
"If they are not involved with these creatures-"
"They are not! There are two of them a guy and a girl-"
"I will spread the word." Naruto turned and pointed to one of his comrades." Neji." He pointed to a tall boy with long brown hair and white robes." Go, spread the word." Neji nodded and headed off." Will you come back with us to our home?" He asked taking a step closer to Fox and Bobby.
"We have nowhere else to go." Fox said. He looked solemnly over to his spaceship. Once again he would be separated from his ship, but his life was worth more to him. He turned to Bobby and nodded. And Bobby agreed as well, he feared for his life especially in a strange place he didn't understand. He'd take whatever help he could. He nodded his agreement to Fox.
So with that settled Fox and Bobby followed Naruto and his comrades back to their home. There were three of them now, besides Naruto there was Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi. Choji was the one who had grabbed Bobby and Shikamaru was the first to attack. Bobby stayed close to Fox afraid of another attack but their seemed to be no interest in attacking them. Shikamaru pulled out a cigarette and began smoking and Choji offered some of his potato chips to Bobby. But he was too nervous to accept.
Bobby walked silently the whole time but Fox made some small conversation with Naruto. They talked mostly of where the other came from, but these primitives could understand nothing beyond the sky. This talk went on until they reached the village.
"There." Naruto pointed from the hilltop.
Their village looked like any regular town but was surrounded by a wall. Looking from afar it didn't seem to impressive but up close was much different. The walls stood more than one hundred feet high and according to the natives was more than 100 years old.
The Guard at the top of the wall shouted a call as they approached to which Naruto replied, revealing their identity. A moment later the gates opened and they were allowed passage. Once inside Bobby found the village full of hustle, bustle and assorted commotion. He imagined not even New York City could be this busy.
"Welcome to the Village Hidden in the Leaves!" Naruto opened his arms revealing his home to his new friends. Any interest in the area was suddenly turned to the hollers and sight of a growing crowd.
"What's all that about?" asked Fox.
"Another scouting party has returned." Told Shikamaru." Most likely they've caught something."
"What do you do with them?" asked Fox.
"Burn them, hand them, whatever the Hokage decides." Shikamaru told. Fox cringed at the barbarity. Bobby suddenly remembered now that Jax and Sonya were still lost, what if they were picked up by one of these groups and killed? He wouldn't let that happen.
"That could be my friends!" Bobby hollered. Then without another word he raced off towards the cry. The others quickly followed after him.
As it turned out Bobby was right. There was Sonya and Jax covered in dirt and mud from their own adventures in the woods. Now they'd been caught and were standing on a block with ropes being tied around their necks as the people of the village crowed and called happily. In their current situation both Sonya and Jax maintained their military bearing with a stone cold face.
"No!" Bobby shouted. Maybe he didn't think his call would have been noticed but it was, by everyone in the crowd. Bobby immediately remembered his predicament and began backing up as the villagers advanced on him.
"Stand down!" Naruto commanded as he stepped up and stood between Bobby and his people. And as if they were listening to a commander they stood down immediately. Naruto immediately turned to the villager with the ropes." Kiba! Release them."
"What?!" the ninja named Kiba replied." Why-"
"Go on and do as I tell you." Naruto said. Kiba grunted his displeasure but did as he was told. Naruto turned and was approached by Neji.
"I told him your orders and yet he still wouldn't listen." He told." He was proud of his catch."
"Let him still be proud." Naruto now stood up on a small pedestal over his fellow villagers." These people are not our enemies. They are not linked with the devils that plague our land." As he spoke Jax and Sonya were released and rejoin Bobby.
Despite the situation Jax managed a smile. He glanced from Naruto then to Bobby.
"Looks like you've been making new friends." He smirked." Good job kid." He patted Bobby on the shoulder with a metal hand that made Bobby jump. Sonya was silent and grimaced as she looked around, a few seconds ago she was registered to die she would take longer to adapt.
Just then at that moment the villagers began to part and a man made his way through the crowd. He was a tall man in a long white robe and hat with a strange marking on the tip. The man himself had his face mostly covered except for left side of his face.
"Lord Hokage." Naruto addressed him as he approached. The Hokage turned his eyes onto Bobby and the others.
"Who are they? They are not of our people."
"No." Naruto nodded." They are strangers-"
"We cannot afford strangers now above all times. We cannot afford to waste food or housing. Not when our lands are plagued by the devils with bladed hands."
"Bladed hands?" Jax muttered aloud.
"They must go." The Hokage said. Naruto went to speak but Jax stepped up.
"Sir." He said with a raised hand as he advanced, but he advanced slowly and in a non-threatening manner." In my home we are also under attack from the same monsters you have here. I have fought them for years, I know their ways. There is much we can offer each other." The Hokage looked him over.
"If you are a warrior where is your mark?" With one swift motion Jax ripped his shirt to reveal his metal arms.
"THESE!" He roared showing them to all around." Are my marks!" All went silent as the simple people gazed at the man who's arms shined like the sun.
"They are warriors!" Naruto said aloud." And they shall break bread with my warriors in my home." And that seemed to have closed the matter as the Hokage nodded his head and walked away.
The village camps were divided into small sections where each war leader and his warriors stayed with their women, children, pets and so on.
Bobby, Jax, Sonya and Fox were made honored guest at Naruto's table of warriors. And at his table were more than 100 people with the most honored and trustworthy sitting close besides him. Whether they were strong warriors, wise, or loyal friends at Naruto's table they were all three, even women sat equal to men. The table was set with colorful kinds of fruits and vegetable all across the table, some of which Bobby didn't even know. Roast meats along with cold water, goat's milk or ale of any choosing.
The simple villagers were awed by Jax's metal arms. Great warriors like Kiba and Neji questioned it and how it was possible. Jax with a smile on his face and a drink in his hand was more than happy to indulge them, even if they could hardly understand it.
Sonya was stuck between Choji and Shikamaru, her grimace pouting between the two's smiles.
Fox and Naruto spent most of the time talking together. Bobby did not mean to ease drop but since he sat on the other side of Naruto he couldn't help it. Bobby himself sat next to Naruto's woman Sakura Haruno, a warrior just like he was. But she must have felt his discomfort and left him be.
Bobby learned that Naruto was the youngest of any war chief, as were those at the table. In turn Fox told them about himself, which most of the villagers were eager to learn. 'How could a man look like an animal?' they asked. But Naruto asked another questioned, one that interested him more. He asked about Fox, the tool the 'cracked loud as thunder'. Fox tried to put it as simply as he could.
Bobby was silent the whole time and hardly ate. And once Naruto had finished with Fox he turned in the other direction and spoke to Bobby, by cue of Sakura.
"You haven't spoken all evening." He said to him." Are you alright?"
"Yes." Bobby said weakly nodding his head.
"Do you not like the food?"
"No. It's fine." Naruto observed Bobby carefully before speaking again.
"You are a fighter?" He asked.
"I'm a soldier." Bobby said.
"Soldier." Naruto said slowly as he tried to both speak and understand the word.
"Warrior." Bobby corrected, changing to a word they'd understand.
"How many men have you killed?" Kiba asked across the table. Bobby froze up as he remembered back a few months to Afghanistan, where he killed three men. "How many?" he asked again.
"He doesn't want to talk about it." Sonya spoke for him. She remembered what Bobby did to save her and now she saw he was uncomfortable with having to remember it.
"Warriors in your home to not kill?" Neji asked. Sonya positioned herself to answer but by the look on her face what she had to say wasn't something nice.
"Not unless we don't have to." Jax spoke up. He waved his hand to Sonya, signaling her to calm down.
"It is a badge of honor here." Told Sakura." The more warriors you kill, the more respected you are. Each day in battle Naruto has lead us."
"And each time he has faced the same enemy." Said Kiba." Three days in a row, three battles." Everyone at the table jumped up and added their own to the conversation. They told of Naruto and this great rival as if they were David versus Goliath, as if the battle had only taken place between these two. Everyone spoke on the subject except Naruto himself.
"Who is this guy?" Bobby asked leaning over to Naruto.
As it turned out the leader they spoke of was none other than Ermac. He was charged by the Emperor to lead his armies and take over this realhm. Not only tarkatans and other hideous creatures but there were not only monsters in Shao Khan's army but men as well. Warriors from the Lin Kuei.
The son of the Grandmaster Sektor. The Lin Kuei's greatest warrior a giant of a man named Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero's younger brother Tundra and his friend Smoke. Cyrax had once been apart of the Lin Kuei and was one of the first to be turned into a machine, however there were unforeseen complications and the robot defected. The Lin Kuei is still trying to work out that problem.
The monster Ermac had served as enforcer of Outworld for thousands of years and in all that time he knew no defeat, no equal, no mercy. That was until now. Each day he led the army into battle he had met the same foe each time, and each time that foe had fought him to a draw. It was a simple concept yet to confusing for the him to comprehend.
Ermac stood on a boulder overlooking the village below, ablaze with lights. He was so concerned with that he wasn't aware someone had walked up behind him. Ermac looked back and saw Reptile, who was about the closest thing Ermac had to a friend. Though they could hardly speak to each other because of Ermac's strange speech and Reptile's broken English but this didn't seem to bother either of them.
"What do you see?" Reptile hissed as he stood next to Ermac.
"We see flames." He replied." And people, all down there." He pointed down to the village.
"When do we attack next?"
"Tomorrow." Ermac told.