A/N: I can't even explain to you WHY a Naruto x HotD (that isn't GoT related) crossover fic has been buzzing in my head for weeks in freaking 2023. The Last of Us and the ResEv4 remake may have something to do with it. After some friends hyped me up, I figured I'd give it a shot! Worst case scenario no one reads it LMAO.
As for the fic itself. Why Naruto and HotD? Idk they're both sentimental to me and remind me of the good old days. I don't think I plan on taking this past the Mansion cos that's all I remember from my reading years BUT I do have a story to tell here and I'm hoping to practice my writing so please bare with me! I'm also very aware HotD is a horny af show but for the sake of a story you can take somewhat seriously I won't be getting TOO freaky-deeky.
*Typical warnings for a rated M fic apply. Character Death. Language. Blood. Gore. Sexual themes. Etc. Also, this is Altered Universe and yes Naruto is nerfed but it's plot relevant and not just relative to plot-armor.
*My views and beliefs are not reflected in anything I write. It's all just for fun and the sake of a (hopefully) good story. Enjoy!
You're Not Here
Naruto Uzumaki awoke to the sounds of talk and a shriek of the bell filling his ears. The inside of his eyelids turned red and he could no longer ignore the light that was streaming in from the window. With a heavy heart, he stifled a yawn, gathered his belongings, and stood up from his chair. 'Time for lunch. I should hurry.' He made to squeeze into the moving crowd of students when a slender hand grasped his shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Naruto turned his head to greet her, gaze traveling downward until a pair of scarlet-colored eyes stared back at him. Rei Miyamoto was the class president and a massive pain in the ass. Unavoidable because of circumstances beyond his control, she was a pain he couldn't shake—here or anywhere else, since she was also his roommate. Not that anyone here knew.
"Um, to eat?"
"You dozed off again, you lazy fool." Rei folded her arms across her chest. "Do you know what kind of message that sends? Especially when you're in your last year? Get your act together. You're such an embarrassment," she fixed him with a frosty stare.
Naruto cleaned his ear out.
"Huh? What did you say? I didn't catch that."
"Are you serious? Unbelievable!"
The fringe of hair couldn't mask the flush of red in her light complexion. She was about to speak again, her lips parting for a moment. She left without saying a thing, her hands clenched into tight fists. A mane of auburn flowing behind her as the forgettable crowd made a gap.
'... Tonight's gonna be weird.'
Tuning out the whispers, he strode into the bustling hallways of Fujimi Academy. The towering white walls and ceilings made a labyrinth so vast that even the most experienced students could get lost, and they often did. Faces passed, but no one looked his way. Not a single person smiled or waved. Naruto paid no mind. He was quite familiar with their treatment. His physical features—blonde hair, blue eyes—and his distinct situation set him apart from the rest. A late transfer. No family. No history—a cripple. He was too far gone. Not worth the effort. The list kept going.
Maybe they're right?
"Found you! Thought you could escape me, didn't you!?"
Naruto stopped in his tracks and braced himself. Within seconds, a brawny arm wrapped around his neck, and the only other student who bothered to act like he existed brought him into a headlock. It filled his vision with pearly white teeth and warm brown eyes.
"Yo!"
"Hisashi. I have a massive headache."
"Oh! Crap. Sorry."
He released himself from his gray-haired friend's tight grasp and fixed his shirt.
"It's fine. And I wasn't hiding from you. I was coming to meet you."
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time. Anyway. You're never going to believe this. Here's a clue, though. It involves someone we both know."
"Of all the things... Rei? Again?" Naruto asked, the two of them moving in the cafeteria's direction. "You haven't shut up about this for weeks."
Hisashi let out a laugh.
"I did it! I asked her out! And would you believe it, Naruto? She said yes! I got a girlfriend, man! Not just any chick! My dream girl!"
He didn't expect that.
"What about Takashi? Does he know?"
The third of their childhood trio. Rei, Hisashi, and Takashi. Rei's mother had pictures of them as children framed all over their house. Hisashi spent little time with Takashi since they no longer visited the Miyamoto household, yet, as far as he was aware, he and Takashi were still close.
Too bad Hisashi wasn't listening.
"She looked surprised at first, but then the tears flowed and she just kept nodding her head yes! I'm the happiest I have ever been, dude. She's my best friend! Now she's my girlfriend! No hard feelings, us being friends and all."
"... Right."
As Hisashi talked, too excited to contain himself, they strolled. He did his best to focus, but the aroma of cooked food soon disrupted him. It wasn't long before the two reached their destination. Swarms of students filled the room and their voices echoed alongside the clattering of trays.
"Hey. Grab those seats over there. I'll get our lunch for us. Same as usual?"
"Yeah."
"Alright! I'll be right back."
Naruto scanned the room. He saw the empty table where he made his way and sat down, propping his head up on his left hand. He stared ahead, his gaze fixed on nothing. Sometimes felt he was in a dream. He often questioned if Madara had emerged victorious in their last battle, if everything that followed was some illusion. Is a lunatic perched on a throne right now, overseeing his perfect world—laughing at him?
No. The reality was crueler.
"You've got that look again. It's no surprise people can't talk to you," Hisashi said, frowning. He placed a tray of food on the table for the two of them and sat down on the opposite side. "How's the arm doing? I saw you messing with it." His gaze fell to the bandaged stump. "Wanna check in with the nurse again? I wouldn't mind a quick peek at her."
Naruto had not realized he had been clutching it.
"It's nothing." He shot his friend a skeptical eye. "Didn't you just get the girl of your dreams?"
"What? Can't a guy look?"
Naruto focused his attention on his lunch.
"You're hopeless."
—
If asked how the Fourth War would end, a 16-year-old Naruto Uzumaki would say something dull like, the good guys will win! What made it so tragic was the fact that he believed it. There were no good guys. Nobody won.
"How's your arm?"
Naruto looked her way. She held his gaze behind the rim of a pair of expensive silver glasses and waited for his response. The clock on the wall ticked, and he counted the seconds.
"Does it look like I'm hurting?"
Kyoko Hayashi cracked a smile. Rosy lips curved, her wrinkles showing a lifetime of wisdom and beauty in that second.
"Depends on your definition of pain."
"I'm fine."
She gauged him with shrewd eyes, studying him.
"Really? I keep hearing you're not doing so great. I heard you're sleeping in class. Avoiding gym. You haven't signed up for any of the clubs I recommended either. Do you really think this can go on?" She stopped for a second, then she started again, her voice more gentle. "Is there something going on in your personal life? Something you want to talk about?"
"No. The classes bore me."
Kyoko's face scrunched up into a frown. "I'm your guidance counselor, Naruto. I'm here to help." She leaned forward, her long red tresses flowing down her shoulders. "You can't face everything alone."
She is a good woman with a kind heart. He never once questioned that. She showed him fairness in her treatment. Did not probe too deep. She was not snooping around serving her own ego—she sought to aid him. If it were somebody else, she could have.
After a few seconds of silence, he spoke.
"It's been hurting a lot more these past few days. Happens now and then. I just have to grit my teeth and let it pass. It always does."
His attention shifted from Kyoko to the papers and coffee mugs scattered on the table and then to the dampened television mounted on the wall behind her. He wasn't interested in whatever topic the newscaster was discussing, but he welcomed the distraction it provided.
"I see... You don't want to talk about anything else? It's just a little pain you'll get over?"
Although her gaze was invisible to him, he could feel the intensity.
"Yeah."
A weary sigh escaped her.
"Well, I can write you a note for gym class. Teshima-san will understand the situation. However, you will need to go to the nurse tomorrow and get her signature. I'm sure you can figure out a way to stop yourself from sleeping through class, right?"
Naruto nodded his head.
Kyoko made herself comfortable, leaning back into her red chair and tugging the tan cardigan draped around her body closer. With a slight frown, she adjusted her glasses.
"That's the end of our session today. Be sure to stop by tomorrow morning and I'll have that note for you. Use the hand sanitizer on your way out. It's like this entire school is getting sick. And don't forget Naruto. Anytime you need to talk, I'm here."
"Thank you, mam."
He offered a bow and was gone. Fortunately, the counselor's office was situated close to the main entrance of the academy. The journey to the courtyard was a brief one, and the most peculiar thought crossed his mind as he strolled, gazing at the dazzling blue sky above. If Hisashi and Rei had begun a relationship, Hisashi would visit the Miyamoto home more often.
Naruto will have to clarify the situation.
"Busujima-san! Over here!"
"Hey, out of the way!"
Two girls ran past him, their voices reverberating with a name that was recognized throughout Fujimi Academy and the city of Tokonosu alike. Another girl stood near a fountain that sat in the center of the courtyard, waiting for them. She was taller than everyone else and her hair, dark as night, framed her beautiful face. A color so deep that it appeared to be a rich violet. She was stunning, the envy of the entire school, if ever there was one. Even he learned her name—Saeko Busujima, heir to the Busujima clan.
For a moment, Naruto was almost certain he felt a pair of striking blue eyes upon him.
The last bell of the day rung. Louder than all the rest. It wasn't long before the doors flung open and students and teachers poured out in droves. Not wanting to be surrounded by all the madness, he began his trek home.
Home.
Is that what it was?
—
Naruto peered at his reflection in the mirror. As if it were a stranger, gazing back. Time had given him a stronger resemblance to his father, with a sharper jawline and broader shoulders, but he kept his mother's eyes. His hand moved to touch the thin creases that had been on his face since as far back as he can recall.
'Kurama...'
As a child, he thought he was alone. In the past year, he understood the true meaning of the word.
A light knocking on the bathroom door shook him out of his trance.
"Are you okay in there?"
Kiriko's voice drifted in from the other side. Rei's mother was an anxious woman, spending countless hours worrying about her husband's safety at work, her daughter's progress in school. After spending so much time being with them, she worried about him, too.
Naruto was often at a loss on how to express his gratitude. He helped with the household chores and kept a low profile—but the debt he owed Kiriko and Tadashi was one he could never repay. No matter how hard he tried.
"Yeah. I'll be out in a minute."
"Don't forget to wash up!"
He looked back towards his reflection one last time, idling there. Though the bags under his eyes had lightened, it was still obvious he had gone days without a good night's sleep. What had once been memories that comforted him were now shadows of a past that plagued his dreams. His gaze settled on the bandages that were wrapped around his chest and arm.
'I'll need to change them soon.'
Naruto heaved an exhausted sigh. Doing as he was told, he put a navy-blue shirt on and stepped out of the bathroom. The living room was warm and inviting, with comfortable couches and chairs, and decorated with soft pillows and blankets. The walls were adorned with family photos, artwork, and trophies running up the stairs and into the second floor, proudly displayed for all visitors to admire.
"Naruto! I kept you a spot right here!"
Tadashi had already drunk half of his beloved bottle and was in a good-natured mood, patting the vacant chair next to him, across from Rei. The older man demanded that everybody had to be at the table for the seafood dinner that Kiriko had been planning for the week, and that included him.
"Gramps." He said, taking a seat.
"Don't call me that!"
"Dad, no more yelling!" Rei growled, holding her head in her hands, giving them both a look of displeasure. The scowl from earlier was still there.
"Sorry, honey."
Kiriko's face lit up with joy as she clapped her hands together. "Alright. We've all gathered, so let's eat! Don't hold back either! Tell me how it tastes. I spent days looking into the recipes."
"Oh, darling. It's terrific! A master chef couldn't top this. I'm so lucky. She's got the looks! She can cook! Your mom's pretty awesome, isn't she, Rei?" Tadashi answered while chewing. Somehow, he squeezed in breaths of air between bites of food.
"Careful not to choke, gramps."
"What did I just—?"
Without looking his way, Naruto passed a glass of water. Too used to the older man's eccentric personality. Despite his rigid demeanor, Tadashi was full of life. "It's good," he said.
Rei glowered at him.
"It's not just good. It's amazing. You should be grateful."
"It's good."
Naruto nodded in Kiriko's direction, making it clear he was not paying attention to her daughter. He was just about to take another bite when a large hand smacked his back.
"Whoo! Much appreciated! I almost didn't make it. Then what would you do?" Tadashi tilted his head back and let out a loud laugh, turning to Rei. "How was school this week, eh? Anything exciting happen to you guys?"
"No. Nothing happened."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow while straightening himself and shifted his eyes to her. Rei paused in her eating to give him a hard stare.
He got the message.
"That's as good as it gets from that school. If it wasn't the best around, I'd find an alternative for you both. Those overconfident snobs. They're all elitists. Not you guys, though! You're the best!"
"Thanks, dad..."
"I'm worried about the reports on the news. Hospital admissions are rising too and there's no explanation. We've been drowning in work because of it. Yami-san thought it might be a new strain of the flu."
"No one has died yet, right? Chances are it's nothing to get worked up about!"
For days, weeks, months. It went like this. His days were full of peace. The Miyamoto's cared for him as if he was their own. Naruto's hand clenched into a fist beneath the table.
'I don't deserve it.'
Home was the subject of his thoughts more often than not. What happened to the Shinobi way of life? Was there anything left? Could he ever return? Emerge from this dream to the sight of precious friends and his people?
No...
He knew he couldn't go back, and yet his heart still wandered there—pointless as it was.
"Hey! Slacker! Did you zone out during dinner too? Stop daydreaming and hand me the bread rolls."
Naruto blinked once. He took hold of the plastic pot and offered it to Rei.
"Here."
She plucked it from his hand.
"Thanks."
Never has there been such an aggressive showing of gratitude.
—
After dinner, he waited for her by the stairs, making sure that Kiriko and Tadashi were already in their room and not around to hear what was going on. Rei's expression conveyed a lack of amusement, and she tapped her foot.
"What the hell do you want?"
He didn't feel the need to ask why she had been in such a foul temper of late, nor was he particularly interested in the answer. Only one thing bothered him.
"Nothing happened, huh?"
She tightened her gaze, her eyes narrowing as her eyebrows drew together. "I wasn't expecting much from a guy as selfish as you. At least you're smart enough to know when to keep your mouth shut."
Naruto ignored the insult.
"I think getting with your childhood friend is more something than nothing, don't you? Why didn't you tell them? Your parents think Hisashi's great."
"What do you care? We barely talk."
"We don't, but Hisashi is a friend."
Her face was a mask of rage.
"Don't you go lecturing me about friendship! Move! We're done here. I have enough on my plate," she snapped.
Naruto let Rei pass and listened for the door shutting behind her. When he was sure it was clear, he headed up the stairs to his room. He closed the door and walked towards the bed, then fell onto it—staring up at the fan spinning above. He didn't adorn the space they provided him with much, and beyond the clothes scattered about, there was nothing aside from a nightstand in the corner and a mat.
Taking out the phone that Kiriko had bought him some time ago, he glanced at the time on the display which read 10:17 PM, on the fourth month of the year 2013. He opened the contacts list, and as expected, there were only four numbers. Tadashi. Kiriko. Hisashi and Rei, the latter who had not been keen on giving out her phone number, but gave in after her mother insisted. The emergency hotline was there as an option, too.
After switching off the screen, Naruto was greeted with his own likeness on the smooth glass.
The voice in his head echoed, "Run," as it had done so many times before.
And go where?
The minutes turned into hours until he finally drifted to sleep.
—
"While it's true, I once desired destruction and the only goal I had was revenge. Things are different now. Because that which is destroyed can always be fixed and rebuilt. Villages freed from the clutches and employ of darkness. What I desire is to reform the entire Shinobi world! What I am calling for, what I am bringing forth...is revolution."
The battle raged on for days, with the clash of blades and the screams of the wounded filling the air. The ground was slick with blood and the smell of fire and death hung heavy.
"We can put an end to this. You and I.
Together."
Sasuke offered his hand with a smile, but the expression felt out of place. His figure was silhouetted against a red sky, with the towering remains of the Tree of Life in the background, bodies dangling from its twisted branches. When Sasuke realized he would not reach for it, the smile faded and his disappointment was sincere.
"No, of course not...you wouldn't do that. Then, this is where we part ways. The next time we cross paths. We'll be enemies again." Sasuke let out a stale laugh as the surrounding space began to warp and change. "Goodbye for now, friend."
He was at a loss for words. He felt as if every inch of him was screaming to follow Sasuke, yet his strength suddenly deserted him and he collapsed. As his vision faded to black, a pink hue filled his sight, and he could make out a voice calling his name.
"Naruto!"
Blue eyes shot open and focused on the digital clock on the nightstand, the only source of light in the dimly lit room.
"I'm late."
—
Naruto dashed across emerald fields faster than any normal man, opting for the longer route to school to avoid attention. Dark clouds beset the morning skies. It was much quieter than usual, but he ignored it, since the stillness made things easier. Both Tadashi and Kiriko were hard at work, and the buses were running late, leaving him no other choice. He knit his brows together. Rei hadn't thought to wake him, of course.
'I'm not looking forward to another lecture.'
He could see the walls that formed the west gate in the distance. Fujimi Academy towering behind it. He stiffened his legs and sprung across the river with a single bound, settling just beyond the school entrance—hidden in the gate's shadow.
Naruto agreed with Tadashi's analysis of Fujimi Academy. The wealthy and influential families who provided the funding for the school regarded it more like a castle than a place of learning, and he could see from where they drew their inspiration. Fujimi sat on an artificially created island, much like the airport, connected to the mainland by two roads. The only one of its kind in the entire country.
'I should hurry before—.'
He heard the flock of seagulls overhead first, then the shuffling of feet, and there was an unpleasant stench in the air. Not the stink of the ocean, but something much more familiar.
A guy in a stained, wrinkled suit passed. He was sluggish in his movements and groaning to himself. Despite being near each other, he failed to take notice of Naruto and he kept following behind the birds, stumbling. Without a doubt, the man seemed drunk—but Naruto noticed wounds hidden beneath his disheveled hair and layers of silver and grey fabrics.
'Are those... bite marks?'
Much to his amazement, the guy kept going until he stumbled into the school's gates and fell onto the street. He stayed in that spot for a moment, then got up and did it again.
And again.
And again.
Naruto stared, not quite understanding what he was seeing. Had a familiar voice not interrupted, he would have kept watching.
"Excuse me, sir? This is private property and you don't have the right to be here."
The mans neck snapped toward the sound of her voice and his entire demeanor changed. His movements had gone from sluggish to sudden and jerky, and he was attacking the gate with renewed strength. A terrible feeling of unease settled in the pit of Naruto's stomach.
'This guy... he isn't breathing.'