A/N: This story is part of my Project Cypher series. While my main one focuses on Naruto, there will be a few dedicated to either Shana Uzumaki (my OC) and Hinata Hyuga.
The young Cyphers looked at awe as Hinata decimated the beasts single-handedly. There were records of her feats long ago, some of them rivaling Cypher Naruto's in terms of overcoming the impossible. Now she was here, the myth herself reborn before them. With a hiss, the lightsaber turned itself off as Hinata turned to them and raised a brow. "Are you alright?" she asked, taking note their appearances looked eeirely familiar. "We're fine," the boy replied, the one Hinata noted was a lot like Shikamaru in appearance except for the eyes. One she identified was a a boy with yellow eyes and blue hair and a pale complex that made her wary of him. The third one was familiar, the forehead and the black hair, those dark eyes...could it be?
"How long..." she swallowed the dread in her voice as she spoke. "How long have I been gone?" she asked. "You've been gone for over twenty years Lady Hinata." the Nara replied, causing her to gasp in horror. She had been flung forward in time, a forbidden action that Cyphers are heavily punished unless it was dire. "What happened to the Cyphers-our people when I was gone?" she asked, praying this nightmare of a future was just a bad dream and she'd wake up back in England from Naruto's attack.
"Menma is what happened." the girl replied. "I'm Sarada Uchiha, daughter of the next Cypher Sasuke and Sakura after the previous generation died during Camelot's clash with the Cyphersbane."
Hinata winced at that incident; the most infamous event in Cypher History when Naruto was recruited by Camelot Neos, Cypher Sasuke and Cypher Sakura became his shield siblings and she recalled with fondness of how close they were. They started out as squires when Naruto wanted to be a knight and convinced his teammates to follow him. That faction they joined was one of the most sought after in terms of membership and Naruto was worthy of joining them. They and a thousand knights went to another world in sought of some sort of plague. A plague that is the anti-life, capable of ending everything in its path. What happened was unknown and Naruto was the sole survivor of a terrible battle that traumatized him.
Sasuke and Sakura...they never reincarnated and rejoined their fellow Cyphers. Since then, Naruto kept his distance from everyone and isolated Camelot's great castle fortress in another world and locked it up. If what Sarada said was true, then another Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno were selected to become Cyphers and took their place. Naruto will not be happy with this if he's heard about it.
"Some time after you disappeared, Menma Namikaze appeared and brought hell upon countless worlds." Sarada began explaining, a deep agony hidden within her voice as she began telling the tale. "He's conquered, slaughtered, controlled people to his will like a tyrant and is destroying everything else. We've fought back due to him being a threat to the Multiverse, but many have fallen. We were ignorant of how dangerous he was, as he permanetly ended Cypher after Cypher with powers we've never experienced before. He's consumed such knowledge like fire, and brought ruin to the realms. We're struggling to survive in a twisted world that's dying with each passing second." she finished explaining, hints of tears ready to burst as she did so.
Hinata understood now, Sarada had seen things her young soul wasn't ready to experience. It agonized her to know a child was forced to face such a reality at such an age. But she needed to know one more thing before she made her decision. "What happened to Naruto-kun?" she asked. The three tensed at the name and looked around in akin to fear. "He's gone, but his remnants haunt the village of Konoha. Echoes of his rage for loss of his family, it caused Konoha to be abandoned as the real Naruto has been long lost to us. It's as if he disappeared completely; although he did leave Konoha a clue. A prophecy that the traitor," they seemed to not mention Jiraiya's name, as it would seem he was a disgrace for some reason. "Found and tried to prevent, was the reason why it came to pass."
"Where is this prophecy?" Hinata demanded with a eyes of steel and narrowed, startling the three. "That's the troublesome part." the Nara child replied. "It's in Konoha's ruins, and Cypher Naruto's Echo haunts the place. A few dare brave the place but never return."
"...I'm going to Konoha." Hinata announced, startling the children as they looked at her. "Wait miss, you don't know the way, and not to mention you might not come back alive." the third teammate, the blue haired boy with yellow eyes spoke up. "That's a risk I'm willing to take. Before I was flung to the future by accident, I talked with Naruto-kun, he mentioned of a prophecy as well." she told him as the three were stunned at the one person who was the last person to see the Maelstrom King before his disappearance.
"Very well then, we'll join you. Your sister, Lady Hanabi spoke of how close the two of you were. Perhaps those feelings will be our boon." Sarada spoke up, unaware Hinata was blushing at the implications of intimacy with Naruto. "Maybe the Echo will cease hostilities with you and we can find the prophecy that the traitor hid from the Cyphers."
"Alright, but I think we'll need proper introductions. My name is Hinata Hyuga, First Generation Cypher." she introduced herself politely. "My name is Sarada Uchiha, First Generation Cypher." the girl anwsered politely while adjusting her glasses. "How troublesome,Shikadai Nara, First Generation Cypher." Ah that confirmed Shikamaru had a kid, she should have at least attended the wedding of one of her friends. Maybe when she gets back to her own time? "I have yet to introduce myself, but my name is Mitsuki. No family name and also a fellow First Generation Cypher. Pleased to meet you." Mitsuki greeted formally out of respect for her.
Standing over the ruins of the Hokage Monument, watching the Echo of Naruto prowling the dark streets of Konoha's ruins, the horned shadow narrowed its red eyes. "So...Hinata was flung forward in time, eh? Naruto should have killed her to spare her the agony of what lies ahead. Something I'll correct myself." the Dark Messiah smiled with the kind worthy of a demon's.