Konoha; a once bustling village that was prospering with slowly growing technology was now stands as a remnant of a once golden age. It reminded Hinata of Old Russia and the Cosmodrome in that one Universe. How ironic that just like that world, Konoha has faced its own version of the Collapse and Dark Age. The last twenty years have really done a number on its once towering buildings, now sporting collapsed roofs as they fell inwards to now crumbling towers. She recalled how busy and full of life this place once had, of days past that she could never regain.
"Are you alright Lady Hinata?" Sarada inquired as Mitsuki placed a hand on her shoulder. "She's recalling happier days long past. This was her home after all, just...give her some space." he told her as Shikadai looked at the place his father once called home as the sun was setting in the sky as evening was upon them.
"The sky..." Hinata spoke up, a deep sadness in her heart as she looked up at the sky; "Clouds cover the sky, but there's no rain, no stars, no songs of nature...just silence and blood." she uttered to herself, unaware the others heard her speak. They remained silent, for this was a large pill to swallow for the Hyuga as she tried to take in on what has happened to what she loved and cherished. "This place is...sad. So much grief fills these ruins, of both the dead and the in-between." a lone tear escaped her eye as she heard the lamentations of those who had suffered here; her home's dark future coming to pass if history is not corrected. She didn't want to sound like Neji, but perhaps Fate brought her here to try and get a better throw against destiny.
Then she caught whiff of it, a horrendous dark smell that blighted the ruins of Konoha as a menacing screech echoed far into the coming night. The screech sending chills down everyone's spines as the faint sounds of fluttering wings and growling echoed throughout Konoha. "Who dares enter these ruins?" the echoing voice demanded, deep baritone and full of menacing anger as Hinata noticed a strange negative light nearby. "This presence...can it be...?"
The air grew heavy around them, as Sarada, Shikadai and Mitsuki got back to back as they drew their weapons in alarm. "Stand down, he won't harm us. Isn't that right, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as the wind twisted into a tornado before them as a menacing shadow of darkness and pale blue fire took form. "Can it be...an Echo of Oryx?" Hinata asked herself quietly, yet the shadow chuckled at it.
"So, you've met my teacher, the Taken King once before..." the shadow mused as its wings flexed as the glare in its eyes startled Shikadai. "It has been nearly over twenty years since we last met Hinata. But alas, I am nothing more than his loyal Echo." Naruto's Echo spoke, a hint of fondness in his rather menacing voice. "It's been too long..." Hinata replied softly, her eyes softening as she looked at the Echo.
"Naruto-kun, what happened to you? The real you?" she asked. "...Menma happened." the Echo replied with a hiss. "Menma is a being of darkness that was born from my corruption by All the World's Evil. He has taken my body, and this Echo you speak was a last resort of momentary freedom." it explained as Hinata was horrified by the thought of having your body stolen as you're a prisoner of your own flesh. She was a victim of it once, and Naruto has saved her. But now the roles are reversed; Naruto was the prisoner, and she had to save him. If this was a better time, she would have a joke of the irony of the situation at hand.
"Naruto-kun," she spoke up, "Is there any way to free you from your suffering?" she asked as the Echo shook its head. "No, I am beyond salvation. I must be destroyed before Menma begins his plan." The Echo replied with a grim tone. "What is Menma planning? From your tone I'd calculate that it is something dangerous." Mitsuki spoke up for the first time in the exchange as the Echo turned its attention to him. The shadow's stare intimidated him a bit with the power it had as the Echo nodded its head.
"It's dire...ever heard of Earth Prime?"
That startled everyone, for it was the reason why Cyphers were created in the first place. Earth Prime, the original world from where the Multiverse originated from. The First Cypher, Primordial Planet, The Origin, several titles Earth Prime was referred to and revered as a divine planet. It is the very core of all parallel worlds and universes that is protected by forces of old with extreme care.
"Don't tell me he's planning on conquering it?" Sarada asked, "Because I doubt the other Cyphers will take light of such an offense when the older ones are protecting it." Naruto's Echo shook its head. "No...He seeks to destroy it." he stated as everyone's eyes widened to the utmost degree. "W-Wait a second, Earth Prime is the core! Why would he destroy the very core of all worlds?!" Shikadai demanded in shock as the Echo turned its menacing gaze unto him.
"He wants to be the ultimate evil, greater than the one who slays gods and sunders the heavens. He wants the utter annihilation of all creation and will relish in the existence of ruin. It's too late to stop him in this time, he's nearly found Prime." it answered, startling them as all the Cyphers there as they recalled the tales of the Justice League in one parallel world stopping a group called the Crime Syndicate from destroying Earth Prime.
"This is bad, since the Cyphers have been severely reduced in numbers; there won't be enough of us to even leave a dent in that monster...no offense Naruto-san." Shikadai added in politely as the Echo merely waved it off. "What do you mean 'leave a dent' Shikadai?" Hinata asked as Mitsuki was the one to supply the answer. "He means that even our strongest attacks aren't capable of inflicting lasting harm to him. He's practically indestructible, and we don't even have a clue if he even has an Achilles' heel on him."
The Echo snorted in dry amusement as he regained the attention. "Child, ever heard of the Fell Dragon Grima?" it asked. "Only in tales...He was only put to sleep until he returned and the former Heart of Grima, Robin killed him." Mitsuki replied as the Echo nodded its head. "Now tell me, what this Robin did to permanently kill Grima?" it asked. "Well, if the tales were true, Naga said that the only force capable of killing Grima was his own..." Mitsuki paused as everyone looked at each other in realization. "Are you saying that his own power is his weakness?" Shikadai asked as the Echo growled. "I am Menma, and Menma is me. The difference in Naruto and Menma are the choices of their parents past, and their current self's own choices but are essentially the same being."
"But the question is, how do we acquire the same power to harm him?" Mitsuki asked as the Echo looked at Hinata, and for some reason she knew the answer. She had learned of the Taken King and the sword-logic his kind followed, in other words...
"You, an Echo that has some of Naruto-kun's power must be slain and by right of the sword logic, the winner claims the spoils." Hinata spoke up, causing the Echo to chuckle. "Well said Hinata. Now then, show me the resolve in you, that fire to save me from myself." the Echo replied as with a might flex of wings and a booming roar, the city around them was reduced to rubble before them as they felt a formidable amount of power flowing through the Echo of Naruto. "Should you lose, you will bow to ME!"