Training arc: part 1
Alrighty! Here we go with chapter 2!
One week after departure
Naruto is sitting lotus position on the beach of Oceanus palace in deep concentration while Oceanus watches him.
"Your doing well, now, magic is the physical embodiment of your mental power. But you must give it form before it can become whole, in order to do this you must tap into its core by reaching out to the physical string that attaches itself to your core. Now reach out and grab it!"
Naruto takes a deep breath enjoying the ocean air to calm his mind before slowly raising both hands out in front of him. He clenched and unclenches his fists in an effort to grasp his power like Oceanus told him to.
This last for several minutes before Naruto released a frustrated sigh leaning back and digging his hands into the sand to support himself.
"Dangit, I come so close all the time but I just can't reach it."
Oceanus chuckles, "Naruto, magic is very complicated even with people from it's own world, it's not something that can be learnt overnight even for you. You have been accustomed to using chakra, so naturally tapping into a foreign energy source is even harder to learn for you."
"I know but it's just that I've been doing this for the past week and every time I come close to getting it something happens and I lose that tingling feeling in my hands."
"Hmmmm, could it be you get over excited and thus lose concentration? If that's the case then all you need is to experience that sensation enough times to where you don't expect to succeed, then while you expect to lose the sensation you will embrace it."
Naruto thought it over a bit before nodding, " Then I'll just have to work harder!"
Oceanus stood to his full height before saying, "Now, while you do this on your own send about twenty clones with me and I'll bring them to my library where I'll start them on learning wind manipulation."
Naruto looked at him questioningly with a tilt of his head.
"Why, I thought we were focusing on unlocking my magic?"
"You are, but, you have seven years before you must leave to the nation Fiore. If we spend all your time on magic it will make it that much more difficult to mix chakra with magic."
At this Naruto shoots up, "NANI!? You can do that!?"
Oceanus merely nodded, "But of course, the splintered Element may have had multiple reactions to different people, but the were originally a whole, so it's like putting a puzzle together to see the whole picture. So since they were originally a whole that means that everyone has the latent ability to use the whole element but it is the power of Gods so it will put a massive strain on the mortal body."
Naruto at this point was holding his head with swirls in his eyes, "Sorry, but could you repeat that in English please?"
"*Sigh* The potential to use the element are in everyone, just blocked by mental barriers you are currently learning to overcome."
"Ohhhh, ok I get it. But what do you mean mental barrier?"
Oceanus just shook his head in disappointment, "Your mindset, if you grow up knowing of one specific energy and neglect to acknowledge any other power present in your body then your mind subconsciously creates a barrier that blocks access to it. Now, no more questions, summon your clones and get back to meditation."
Naruto nodded and did as he was told disappearing in a large cloud of smoke. When it clears twenty clones of Naruto are sitting on the beach looking at Oceanus.
Oceanus motions for the clones to follow him leaving the original to continue trying to draw on his magical energy.
Three hours later
The library Naruto's clones are working in seems more like a tower made entirely from books and scrolls with several medium sized rotating globes floating spinning in a complete circle.
The clones were currently reading up on different elemental techniques and elemental manipulation exercises until another Naruto walked through the huge double doors panting lightly.
"Hey everyone, is Oceanus around?" The voice echoed while the clones all pointed towards a column of water the led up into the darkness.
Naruto cupped his mouth and shouted, "Oi, sensei! What are you doing up there?"
The column of water began to rotate in the opposite direction before Oceanus appeared standing on the water holding a thick brown leather book that looked worn down by time.
"Nothing that immediately concerns you my boy, now is there something you need?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head before responding, "Yeah, I've been thinking, if chakra and magic were part of the same 'element' then wouldn't it be easier for me to learn if I just mixed my magic and chakra? If a mental barrier is all that's blocking it, it should be simple to take down."
"It's not that simple Naruto. The problem is you could put yourself in danger if you don't have decent control over both chakra and magic."
"How so?"
At this Oceanus face grows stern demanding attention and respect, "think of chakra and magic as two separate rivers. One flows to the north, the other flows to the south, and along the way the two rivers meet and the two opposing forces clash and duel for dominance until they both swell and overflow the river bank." Oceanus pauses to let the info digest before continuing. "Your chakra flows through your body much like a river supplying your body with energy in a single continuous flow in one direction. If you try to connect your magical reserves with your chakra coils and have them interrupt the flow of your chakra, your coils will expand exponentially so until they finally pop, in the area the energies struggle for dominance, instantly killing you."
At the explanation Naruto gulped in slight fear of the consequences.
"So you're saying I only have one chance to mix them both otherwise I'll die."
Oceanus nodded, "Now you see why we're not going to force the matter until you can use both chakra and magic separately?"
Naruto nodded frantically, "I'm just glad I asked before doing it myself."
Oceanus chuckled at the dark look Naruto adopted after the revelation, "Don't worry Naruto, by the time we're done you'll have minimal chance of something like that happening. There will always be risk with every decision, but every decision always starts with a choice. And I believe your choice to come here will help not only your world, but the one I'll be sending you to when your training is complete. Now go get some rest after you dispel your clones and remember too..." Oceanus was cut off by multiple clouds of smoke signaling the clones being destroyed. Now an unconscious Naruto lies on the floor with anime swirls in his eyes.
"Destroy them separately. Damn, the boy's brain is going to be fried by the end of training. *Sigh* Oh well, he has to learn."
Oceanus let a small smile Grace his lips as he looked down at Naruto, "Still, I'm happy he came, good night... My son."
Mindscape
Naruto once again found himself in the sewers of his mindscape in front of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
Naruto frowned slightly irritated by the Fox, "What now Kyuubi?"
The large Fox grumbled under its breath, "Show some respect gaki, I believe I've earned that much. I helped you get here didn't I? You would have been strapped to that bed in that hospital all night if I hadn't stepped in. So the least you can do is show a small glimmer of respect."
Naruto hummed in thought before smiling, "I suppose you're right. Thanks for helping me out Kyuubi-san!"
The large Fox scoffed, "Drop the San suffix, just Kyuubi or Kyuubi-sama is fine gaki."
Naruto nodded, "Alright Kyuubi, so what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Kyuubi lay his head on his paws with a single eye looking to Naruto indifferently, "It's about the reason you're having a hard time channeling magic."
Naruto instantly widened his eyes in full attention directed at his tenant.
"It's the seal, since from what I've been able to gather on magic from here it's almost exactly like my chakra only lacking emotion. So because of its similarities with my chakra it's absorbed into the seal the second it is used, but if you take a part of the seal off it will drastically reduce the amount of magic it absorbs and changes to chakra. Thus enabling the use of magic."
Naruto was absorbing everything like a sponge up until... "Ok, now can you repeat the thing about the seal?"
Kyuubi looked at Naruto like he was stupid before banging his head on the gate painfully, causing the sewer to shake and the gate to creak muttering, "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid ningen!"
After the amusing display that had Naruto struggling to maintain control of his laughter Kyuubi sighed, "The seal is absorbing so much magic that if something isn't done you won't be able to use it for several years."
Naruto smiled brightly, "Oh, why didn't you just say so? How do I stop it?"
The large Fox grew a sinister grin, "You must tear a corner of the seal off to allow more magic to flow."
Naruto's eyes narrowed while his glare settled on the fox, "WHAT!? Why would I damage the one thing keeping you from killing me?"
The Fox chuckled in amusement, "Worry not ningen, a corner will not do much more than establish a psychic connection between us. Of course it would make it easier for me to influence you by allowing more of my chakra to escape the seal but as long as you don't lose your temper there's nothing to worry about."
Naruto took a cautious step towards the seal never once taking his eyes off his tenant. Naruto reached for the upper right corner of the seal and removed the absolute bare minimum with the tearing of paper.
The effects were instant, a golden light filled the room while the Fox had an ominous red glow surrounding its form. The two powers clash violently against each other in the air above. The shin high waters of the sewer churned and began to grow violent as knee high waves crashed against Naruto and the walls of the sewer. This vicious battle raged for several minutes before both energies receded slowly. The golden energy taking the form of a massive golden ball in the center of the room and the red ominous energy returning to the Kyuubi.
The large Fox raised an eye towards the glowing ball of energy before looking back down at Naruto.
"That certainly was interesting. Normally my power has the ability to corrupt and corrode energy. But this energy is a neutral force of Nature. It absorbed my malicious chakra but I can't control it. It seems to only respond to those it belongs to." The Kyuubi lowered its head to rest in its paws before closing it's eyes with a loud sigh that blew Naruto onto his rear.
Naruto for one was at awe at how this new energy fought against Kyuubi's, he could literally count on one hand how many times this has happened.
Naruto turned his attention to the glowing ball of energy once more before he felt a familiar pull on his conscious causing him to be ejected into the dark hallway of his mind.
Naruto awoke to one of his new favorite smells, the salty smell of the ocean. Naruto slept in a hammock held up by two Palm trees on the beach. If he was honest it was his favorite way to wake up now, the smell calmed him and reminded him of his choices that led him here. Sure he wasn't proud of a lot of things he had to do in his life but what was important for him was he didn't let his betrayal bother him, in a way, Konoha betrayed him and he merely reacted by cutting the root of his problems.
Naruto breathed in the wonderful salt water smell and released it feeling refreshed. It wasn't long before he got up and went to find his sensei. The best thing about being in a pocket dimension is the normal laws of reality don't apply. He could spend the entire day running full speed and although he'd get tired he would never 'Break a sweat ', and his body was stuck ageless while his normal body stopped working normally, he no longer needed to eat, so all in all while in the pocket dimension he could train as long as he wanted and not have to stop for lunch breaks, but Oceanus had him learning to cook for when he returned to the Elemental nations, in added bonus in his words "Girls are more likely to go after a guy who can cook." The perverted giggle he allowed afterwards still sent shivers down his spine.
Naruto walked through the massive stone doors of the temple and walked down the hallway towards the kitchen for his first lesson of the day... Cooking.
The kitchen was well stocked in everything one can look for in a variety of different meals. It certainly helps that the kitchen leads straight to the garden for vegetables and fruits each categorized by the type of fruit it was. The garden itself seemed to be larger than the island but after asking Oceanus he was told the 'Garden' was actually another pocket dimension that coincides with his so he uses it as a garden.
The kitchen's freezer was actually a room with countless glass containers large and small lining the edges of the room and creating a full circle in the center. Every meat that could be found everywhere seemed to be there. Intricate seals lined the glass, although he wasn't a sealing genius like Jiraiya it was fairly obvious the seals were for preserving food.
In the kitchen Naruto stood in front of Oceanus his arms folded over his chest.
"You've got to be kidding. You said you would be teaching me more recipes. I like learning jutsu I can't deny it but my reserves are almost gone after tearing of a portion of the seal, it would weaken me above all else." Oceanus stared at Naruto for a moment before he let out a sigh of defeat.
"Fine, you can have the day off to replenish your reserves but now your physical conditioning will be an extra four hours long to fill the gap." Naruto's face twisted into one of horror before Oceanus continued, "And while you can't over do it, you will have a clone learning new recipes for an hour before he moves to studying my ocean based healing spells."
Naruto at this point was visibly pale. His normal training schedule was hell anyway. Now taking out jutsu does ease the load Oceanus is taking full advantage of his seemingly endless stamina.
Naruto stood frozen in terror before Oceanus chuckled darkly, "That isn't all either, I'm now officially starting you on kenjutsu training, so you'll spend three extra hours studying sword katas, styles and techniques."
Naruto froze at this point before he found himself staring up at the ceiling on his back.
Oceanus chuckled at his antics, "Now come Naruto, it's time to start your physical conditioning."
Naruto whimpered before standing shakily and following his sensei out the door. _
Time skip: one week later
Naruto was now panting heavily from his use of resistance seals his sensei had him wear. The seals had multiple levels each feels two times worse than the last. First felt like walking through water, second would be sand, third stone, and so on until level ten where it shouldn't be possible to move. But although the seals were annoying as hell he couldn't question the results when he turned them off before bed.
His sword technique was one of Oceanus creations called the
Kindan no kaiyō no mei! (Forbidden oceans dance!), a single sword style mainly used with a katana. The aspects of the style are to weave around your opponent and slowly using superior speed and agility to find weaknesses in your opponent's defense. But the more aggressive use of kindan no kaiyō no mei devastates the opponent's guard by parrying all manner of physical attacks, without the use of chakra mind you, and immediately strike back at your disoriented enemy. The spinning motion of the style was originated from the Uzumaki style so in honoring the legacy of the base of the style, whirlpool motions were mixed into the style allowing the best mobility to fight in medium crowds, the use of the sheath as a non-lethal weapon was used to help in keeping the spinning effect more balanced.
The sheath of katanas used for this style of fighting are custom made for when unsheathed would release a Soundwave that would mess with the opponent's senses.
All in all it was an ingenious style that was a royal pain in the ass for Naruto to learn.
"Damnit! What am I doing Wrong?" Naruto clutched his hair and pulled roughly to relieve his frustration.
Oceanus saw Naruto struggling and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Patients Naruto, you are doing nothing wrong as of yet, you just need to learn to focus my ocean God slayer magic through your blade while you draw it from its sheath. So when you are able to form a magic circle we will begin channeling it into objects."
"That's another thing I don't understand. It's water that will go through the sheath so how will it create a sound that screws with my opponent's senses?"
Oceanus chuckled at Naruto's growing curiosity and vocabulary. Every since he started using the library oceanus had been forcing Naruto to learn more about things he wasn't taught in the academy.
"Well Naruto, magic is a type of energy that can be manipulated just like chakra. The type of magic like my ocean God slayer magic can be either raw energy, or can be made solid water for attacks. So you just need to learn to manipulate my magic to that level of mastery."
Naruto frowned, this could take longer than he thought.
Sighing in defeat naruto nodded, "Fine but I want a sword of my own, these are ok and all but these just feel...I don't know...off."
Oceanus smiled approvingly, "I was wondering when you'd ask about that. I have something I believe will satisfy you."
Naruto's eyes shone with curiosity while Oceanus motioned for him to follow.
Oceanus led him back to the library with the leather book from the previous week sitting on the table, its name was scratched off but oceanus didn't seem to care as he picked it up and turned to him.
"This book was created from the compressed power of two gods. Within holds untold knowledge which is why it isn't in the mortal realms. Power is but a tool that is easily bought but knowledge is priceless. Think about what sword would be best made for you, and the knowledge and approximate location will be revealed on its pages."
Naruto had never heard Oceanus speak so seriously. He felt honored he was trusted enough to hold such an item of power. So Naruto honored Oceanus instructions allowing his request to seemingly flow from his hands in a silver glow into the book.
The book flew open while it's pages turned as if by hurricane winds until it stopped on a single page.
In the center of the yellow pages was a black bladed with a long red strip ran down the blade katana with a whirlpool shaped guard, the hilt was of two dragons coiling around each other, one black the other white. The Dragon heads tilted towards the other while both held a single orb the color of blood. The name along the top of the page red 'Crimson Death'. The bio was something he hadn't seen coming.
Crimson Death- Blade forged from the fiery pits of Hell by the shinigami. Legend says the blade was forged for a child foretold to be the savior of the ninja world. The test of the shinigami is running the blades edge along the Palm of your hand, the blade will read your intentions, your heart, your very soul and judge weather to kill the holder or make them it's master.
Abilities- A/N
Current weilder- non-existent
Location- Uzumaki ruins
Naruto closed the book with a pale complexion with a thought 'this book is trying to kill me!'.
Oceanus saw the look of horror on his face and pat his back to comfort the blonde.
"Just know that I have complete faith in your abilities, you can choose when to retrieve your weapon but I recommend you hold off on such an endeavour until you have a basic understanding of my spells and magic."
Naruto's shaking steadily stopped with Oceanus words, and when the rational side of his brain rebooted something he read in the book clicked, "Wait, Uzumaki?"
Time skip: three months later
Naruto sits lotus position on the sands of the beach listening to Oceanus lesson on his strongest attack.
"The Ocean God's Bellow is in a word, destructive. Most artificial God slayers are implanted with the knowledge of our techniques but what hinders them from pushing forward is learning the attack from scratch. As I've said before, the reason an artificial God slayers attack is black is because they weren't trained by an actual God. Now let me see if you've improved. And remember, to Narrow the flow of the bellow you must guide the flow of magic."
Naruto nodded and stood tall. Naruto scrunched his eyebrows in concentration while a light golden glow emanated from his being like an aura. Naruto inhaled deeply arching his back and holding his fists in front of his mouth to channel his magic called his attack, "Ocean God's Bellow!"
The beam of salt water erupted from his throat with the pressure of a waterfall, spinning straight out towards the ocean clearing a straight path through the water until the trench formed on the ocean surface collapsed.
Naruto fell to the sand panting heavily, this had been his fifth time using that spell today alone. The other spells were rather easy to learn because most just covered his body and it was similar to channelling chakra, but anything that shot projectiles was much harder to learn.
Oceanus pat naruto on the back, "Well done Naruto, it isn't perfect, but that is where experience comes into play. Now go get some rest, we will pick up training tomorrow."
Oceanus was turning to leave when he felt Naruto grab his arm. He turned to see a contemplating look on Naruto's face.
"U-um, I was w-wondering if i-i could go to the U-Uzumaki ruins."
Oceanus surprise was evident when his eyes widen slightly before a calm smile found its way to his lips.
"Of course, but I suggest you rest tonight to regain your strength. The Uzumaki were a powerful people before they were scattered, and they may have left a few surprises for unwelcome visitors."
Naruto just nodded before leaving to sleep for the night in his hammock.
Naruto lie in his hammock staring up into the stars thinking about his journey tomorrow. What would he find? What would he see? Would he meet anyone? Oceanus said it was a possibility. He still remembered when he was told of his clan the day he learned of crimson death. He flinched when he remembered how he took it.
Flash back: three months ago
"Wait, Uzumaki?"
Naruto looks away from the book and to Oceanus who smiled sadly at the blonde.
"The Uzumaki are a clan?"
The sigh oceanus gave was answer enough, "No Naruto, they 'were' a clan."
Naruto felt a pit grow in his stomach, "Wh-what?"
"The Uzumaki were attacked decades ago. Nearly wiped off the map. A few survived, now all that remains of one of the greatest clans that ever existed in your world has been scattered to the four corners of the elemental nations. Your are the only surviving member of the main branch family."
Naruto's brain was currently on overload. He had a clan. He had a family. It proves he wasn't alone. He felt relief knowing there may be others. But one thought kept nagging at him. Why were they attacked?
As if reading his mind oceanus spoke sadly, "They were masters of the sealing arts. They could create seals for many purposes but there defense seals proved to be unmatched and thought to be impassable by anyone other than another Uzumaki. That strength with seals made them powerful and feared, and three of the great Nations felt they would use their power to conquer them. So they 'Neutralized' the threat."
At this point Naruto felt utter sadness swell within his being. It hurt, his heart cringed, it felt like someone drove a rusted knife through his chest while his eyes glossed over with tears.
He fell to his knees and wept, he cried for the family he never knew, he felt cheated. Why was it always him? What did he do to deserve this hell?
And then the rage began to burn, that spark had ignited into a small flame which grew stronger with each passing moment.
His hair still shadowing his eyes naruto questioned Oceanus, "Who? Who took my family?"
After a moment of consideration on Oceanus part he knelt to Naruto's level.
"Do not follow the path of hate Naruto, you may be justified in some cases but that hatred will consume you and force you to lash out at those closest to you."
Naruto looked up to his teacher revealing his eyes to be menacing red with his slit pupils.
"I want to know! I deserve to know that much don't I?"
Oceanus studies him for a brief moment before he takes a step forward.
"Kumo, Mizu, and iwagakure are responsible for them, they feared the Uzumaki would conquer them so they formed an alliance based on the desire to see to it the Uzumaki fell."
Naruto glared down at the ground while adrenaline pumped through his veins, his rage coming to the point his brain throbbed from the pressure until the red Malicious chakra began to swirl around his being. It began coating his skin slowly forming long Fox ears and a single tail made from the chakra settled.
Naruto let out a monstrous roar and began attacking everything wildly without restraint. His tail lashed out towards Oceanus who simply moved to the side. Oceanus grabbed the tail and flipped naruto over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground creating a five foot crater with naruto in the center.
Mindscape
Naruto Sat fetal position arms wrapped around his legs and his face buried in his knees sobbing. 'Why is it always me? What have I done to deserve this? Why can't everyone just leave me alone?'
His sorrow hurt, that feeling gripping his heart, this icy chill that wrapped around his form, he knew it all to well, he grew up with it after all... The feeling of being alone, absolute solitude.
Naruto was so engrossed in his suffering he didn't even notice the Fox behind him pushing chakra through the seal.
It isn't common knowledge kyuubi was a monster on the battlefield, but never let it be said he was heartless. He may not show it but he cared for his container, it wasn't something he liked to do but this was the only way to force him to grow stronger. He wanted Naruto to be able to defend himself and his emotions will get him killed if not controlled. So he forces his chakra to make his negative emotions stronger, if he learns to control them when there heightened he would be much better off.
The Kyuubi growled irritated at his container's show of weakness, "Kit, enough of the waterworks. You look pathetic!"
Naruto looked over his shoulder showing his red puffy eyes and the tear streaks down his cheek, "I don't care Kyuubi. I just don't care anymore."
The Kyuubi didn't like that answer if him slamming himself against his cage was any indication causing the room to shake and the bars to groan in protest, "Enough Kit! Yes it's tragic about what happened to your clan, but it happened several years ago! It happened and crying about it won't change that! If you want to sit and cry tear this seal off and free me from suffering the pain of having to sit and listen to you blubber!"
Naruto looked at him in shock, it was a rare occurrence when the Fox spoke in so many words, but it's unheard of when the Fox actually gives a motivational speech so his shock is understandable. The mere thought would make the usually stoic Itachi uchiha burst out laughing from how ridiculous it sounds.
Naruto sniffed and wiped his eyes with a grateful smile towards his tenant, "I love you to you overgrown talking carpet."
Kyuubi growled in annoyance towards the name and thrust him back out of his mindscape before Naruto could see the smile of acceptance on the foxes snout.
"You're welcome hairless monkey."
Naruto lie in a small crater with the red chakra seeping back into the seal before the cloak fully dispersed Oceanus standing above him.
"I want to know about my mother..."
Flashback end
Naruto sighed at the memory, it was difficult hearing how he attacked his mentor the way he did. It hurt how he learned his clan was destroyed. But after a while and a few talks with Oceanus he finally felt normal again. If you can call a boy with a 12 ton mountain sized Fox with nine tails and a spring loaded temper normal then yeah, he was peachy!
But enough of the depressing thoughts, he was headed out early tomorrow morning to search for the Crimson Death.
So without a long drawn out sigh Naruto closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.
Its finally come, the day so many family secrets would be found. He would finally see his ancestral home.
Naruto walked to the end of a long concrete dock Oceanus had built for travel, the time was here. The wait for the dimensional portal was over, so here he stood, next to Oceanus who looked at him full of confidence.
"The time has come Naruto, you shall appear back in Nami No kuni at the exact spot you left. Travel to the harbour and ask for a boat to Uzushiogakure and state your name. Most don't go because of the Uzumaki island defence but your name may inspire someone to aid you."
Naruto nodded in understanding. He stood tall and confident but inside he was terrified, there was a chance he would die. Not only that, but it was his home, left in ruins no less. Could he handle it? Would he be overcome with emotion when he saw his home like he did when he heard about how they were defeated? He didn't know. But it felt like something was drawing him into the decision, a weird pull in his stomach whenever he considered leaving it be. Like something was coaxing him to accept. So that only left one choice.
"If it's surrounded by whirlpools how can I get close?"
"The Uzumaki used their own blood as the key to their great defence. Draw blood and allow it to be swallowed by the Ocean."
Naruto released a shaky breath before nervously laughing, "Hehe, shouldn't be too hard... Well. I guess it's time."
Just as Naruto was stepping forward Oceanus grabbed his shoulder.
"Be careful Naruto, and remember, five days you must return, otherwise you must wait another month to come back."
Naruto waved of the statement and disappeared down the portal leaving a smiling Oceanus.
Nami No kuni: Great Naruto Bridge
The portal spit Naruto out onto the bridge in an unglorified heap. Mumbling to himself indignantly he stood.
'Damnit I swear he did that on purpose!' Naruto began walking towards the harbour like Oceanus instructed him to.
Naruto stayed in the shadows of building while occasionally jumping from rooftops when there's no other way to proceed when an easier idea practically smacked him in the face.
'A henge! God I'm so fucking stupid, this woulda been so much easier if I thought of this earlier!'
So while in the shadows of a building naruto focused his chakra and in a poof of smoke a tall brown haired man with black eyes replaced Naruto dressed in civilian clothing.
"Sigh* much better, now it shouldn't be too hard to go unnoticed."
With that happy thought in mind Naruto made his way through the small crowd occasionally looking at the stalls that sold foods and luxuries. All in all, Nami No kuni looked to be in better shape than when he had been here on his first C-rank mission turned A-rank. The memories of Zabuza and Haku still weighed heavily on his heart but he couldn't do anything now and he only had a small window to get back to Oceanus so he couldn't even visit the graves.
After about an hour of walking he finally managed to find the harbour which in retrospect shouldn't have been that hard to find considering Nami is called "The land of waves" so it's only natural it's close to the open sea.
The only person docked on the Harbour was a seemingly feeble man in his late 60s with a white shirt and brown trousers. Naruto walked to the man in greeting before requesting his service to travel to Uzushiogakure. The man put up a small fight about the idea due to the whirlpools surrounding the island but agreed hearing his last name was Uzumaki.
The trip took about an hour but the view was worth it. The violent and chaotic swirls of the whirlpools surrounding the landmass that should be considered a small country respectively was quite a site especially with the 30 meter high wall of solid stone surrounding the landmass like a natural defense.
Naruto stood from the boat and bit his thumb to draw blood and held it over the water. The drops of blood reacted strangely to the water. Although it was only a few drops the blood spread quickly until a row of whirlpools turned crimson before they dissipated leaving behind a calmer ocean.
The man Naruto had help from stared at him in shock, if he hadn't believed Naruto of his heritage it was obvious now. Before he could speak Naruto looked over his shoulder.
"Thanks for the ride, I'll be waiting on the beach in 4 days early morning, I'd appreciate it if you were here to pick me up around then."
Naruto jumped from the boat onto the Ocean and dashed for shore.
The kind man waved back with a kind smile assuring the blond he would be here. With the man gone Naruto released the henge and found the a large gate between an opening in the wall. Upon closer inspection Naruto noticed the large wooden gates were covered in carved seals somehow to small to see from a distance.
No matter how hard he tried the gate wouldn't open, the scene was actually quite comical. But eventually he got frustrated enough to grow a tickmark over his eye and jump back from the gate.
Naruto channeled his Ocean God slayer magic to his shaking fist and ran full Sprint towards the gate with his fists pulled back and with a might battle cry of, "Ocean God's breakdown fist!" All became silent until Naruto released a pained scream holding his now red hand.
"SON OF A BI..." Naruto's pained cry was cut off by the bellowing laughter of his tenant.
"BAHAHAHA, OH YOU STUPID MONKEY, AHAHAA. Hehe, the gates reinforced with can you believe it? Reinforcement seals! HAHA, you really should have figured it out when Oceanus said the Uzumaki were famous for their speciality in the sealing arts. Same concept of shutting of the whirlpools, it's a blood seal, smear blood on the center seal you pathetic excuse of an Uzumaki."
Naruto grit his teeth in frustration of the jab to his heritage, it wasn't his fault his knowledge of his clan and clan speciality is so limited! If the hokage had bothered to explain a few things to him he would probably have taken training seriously.
"Oh shut it you glorified rabbit! It's not like I had much time to study my family history, and alongside the fact I've been so booked on improving my kenjutsu, chakra control, and Ocean God slayer magic, I think I deserve a little slack! I haven't even had time to study Fuinjutsu."
The 'Glorified rabbit' snarled at the name, "Pitiful excuses ningen, your father wasn't of Uzumaki blood yet he managed to become one of the greatest fuinjutsu masters since the age of that blasted whore Uzumaki Mito. And he did it with blood, and sweat. If circumstances permitted he would have had my respect for several of his feats."
Naruto blanked out hearing how Kyuubi supposedly knew his father and was desperate for answers, "Y-you? You k-knew my f-father? Tell me, who is he?"
Naruto couldn't see it but he could actually feel the malicious smile that broke out on Kyuubi's face.
"Oh I knew your father as well as your mother did. I would tell you, but sadly I enjoy watching you squirm far too much to tell you anything."
Now Naruto was fuming, "Listen here you damn carpet, it's my right to know who my parents are and you're gonna tell me!"
The Fox slowly rose to its feet growling menacingly with a single crimson eye focused solely on him, "Right? Rights? Who are you to order me to tell you something? Human hypocrite, you speak of rights while you deny me mine! If I was one to complain I would scream for the freedom that was my birthright forcibly ripped from my hands by you humans! SO DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO ME ABOUT RIGHTS YOU HAIRLESS MONKEY!"
The Kyuubi's anger became more obvious as his rant went on but it did hit a nerve on Naruto. He hadn't even thought of that as idiotic as it sounds but in reality, if you're constantly avoiding death it's much harder to consider the perspective of others.
"I suppose you have a point, I'm sorry Kyuubi."
Kyuubi for this part was actually stunned, never in his his time of being sealed was he ever apologized to for anything. But he broke the uncomfortable silence with a scoff.
"Damn right I have a point. Now shut up and get started searching!"
Naruto sighed before biting his thumb enough to draw blood and smeared it on the center seal on the wood lock. The gates made an audible click before they slowly swung open.
The village beyond was truly something else. The road he stood on was unlike any of the roads he walked on while in Konoha. If he had to guess the stone the brick road was made from he'd say marble from the pure white. The road was curved at a rather large angle further down the road and on both sides were destroyed stands which would promote a market. Good for instant access when entering the village but bad for walking to the other side of the island for groceries. And the hokage tower standing tall and proud in the middle was stunning. It was basically a much taller version of konoha's but what caught his attention was the four pillars on the four corners of the tower, giant dragons rose like they were taking off each with an uzumaki spiral on the chest, one black, orange, yellow, and red.
He decided the tower would be the best stop but decided to rummage through the stalls and buildings beforehand to see if anything is left.
XXxxXX
It took longer than he hoped but with the ever useful shadow clone technique it only took 2 hours to clear the market district and it was worth it. Most of the weapons and armor type goods were taken in the invasion but he found minor books on Uzumaki style Fuinjutsu which is leagues above normal fuinjutsu.
Nothing else was recovered but if the Uzumaki were as powerful as rumored to believe then he'd wager there is something in the tower.
Naruto stood at a large bridge overlooking a large whirlpool, oddly enough, with the hokage tower supported by a large tower of stone that crawls along the bottom of the tower. Naruto shakily walked across all the while looking straight ahead while his heart pounded in his chest.
"Don't look down, Don't look down, Holy shit!" A board snaps under Naruto's weight causing him to nearly fall into the spiraling pool of death below. Naruto grabs the board and hauls himself up, "This sucks".
"Shut up kit, it's annoying when you complain. Keep sharp though, I feel a dark malicious chakra somewhere on the island, something close by is screwing with my sensory abilities."
"Ok, thanks furball I'll keep an eye out." Kyuubi grunted in response and went silent. Leaving Naruto to search outside the tower.
After an hour of searching Naruto decides to call it a day with the sun setting. It sucked their wasn't any freshwater he could take a proper bath but it happens. Naruto makes himself comfortable in a building just across the road from the tower. It was by luck the bed was, moderately, comfortable. But the family picture on the nightstand brought a tear to his eye. A reminder of what could...should have been. A family of 4, all red heads, 2 men that look like brothers, a woman who could have been a wife, and a little girl probably a daughter, all with large smiles on their faces.
A visible tear fell on the little girl startling Naruto who vigorously wiped it away. Naruto sighed and placed the picture back on the nightstand with a sniff and proceeded to sleep.
XxxxxxX
The next morning wasn't all that hard, Naruto ate a good meal of fruit from Oceanus dimension and headed to search the interior of the tower with the help of clones. It took a majority of the day but the results of the search came up positive, there was a hidden seal on the roof of the tower that generated a genjutsu that hid a long ventilation duct that lead straight down and through the stone column holding the tower.
But for some time now it's felt like he's been watched. Like a predator hunting its prey he's been on edge. It could just be nerves because Uzushiogakure was said to have been abandoned. Of course things had been missed such as the seal created genjutsu. But no one could survive here for more than a few weeks... Right?
XxxxxxxxX
Konoha- 4 months after Naruto's escape
"Has there been any sightings Jiraiya?" A tired and half drunk Tsunade asked.
Jiraiya sighed, "Unfortunately not, wherever the gaki went can't be in the Elemental nations. Usually rumor spreads at least of people who go missing or runaway, even the Akatsuki have rumors spread about them but absolutely nothing on Naruto."
Jiraiya sat in the window next to Tsunade's desk pondering over possible places his missing apprentice could be when a thought struck, "Hey, what about Uzu? It's the only place that my spy network can't reach, and the last place we can look without causing a war."
Tsunade thought for a moment before nodding, "How soon can you reach uzu?"
"Three days at top speed, two if I summon."
"Good, summon and get your ass back here with anything you can find, if you find Naruto drag him back, but I want force to be a last resort, talk him back if you can. But please, Jiraiya, bring my little brother home." Tsunade let a tear streak down her cheek to show how much she truly cared for Naruto.
Jiraiya rubbed her back soothingly, "Don't worry hime, I'll bring him back, believe it!" Tsunade chuckled at his joke before summoning shizune.
"Is their something wrong Tsunade-sama?" The woman said appearing in a shunshin.
Tsunade rubbed her temples trying to relieve the migraine, "Yes, I am assigning you to hospital duty while Sakura takes over for you for the time being. She won't stop bugging me about training so I plan on making the fangirl walk through hell for her training."
Shizune bowed hiding the dark smile on her face, "Hai Tsunade-sama."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Uzushiogakure unknown location
"Hey Kyuubi, did you know about this place?" Naruto finally reached the bottom and the sheer pressure of being down so deep made it hard to think with his ears popping.
Kyuubi groaned in irritation, "No kit, I've never seen anything like this before. Your clan had my respect before but they just raised themselves a peg in my book."
"Good to know, but I don't understand how Iwa, Kumo, and Mizu missed something like this. It's too unrealistic to think with the size of this place."
Naruto felt the Fox nod in agreement, "True, Iwa prides itself on its earth release jutsu and manipulation. To think they didn't find this massive cavern is truly something to think about. And if this place stayed hidden then there may be more Uzumaki alive than previously thought."
Naruto felt himself hope that what Kyuubi said was true but didn't let it overwhelm him. His talk with his tenant was cut short when the sound of a blade being drawn echoed through the dark cavern.
"Who are you! How did you find us here!?" A deep angered male spoke
Naruto turned around multiple times trying to find the source of the voice, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, I just happened to stumble upon the seal generated genjutsu."
"Uzumaki?" The voice took on a surprised tone before going monotone, "If you are Uzumaki, who were your parents? All Uzumaki are born with red hair, so you can see my scepticism is well founded."
Naruto took a deep breath, "Uzumaki Kushina was my mother, I don't know my father."
The voice was quiet before footsteps were heard behind him and lights came on from above.
Naruto turned to see a tall slim man with pure white eyes and a cross pupil, his hair a deep crimson, a large sword strapped to his back black trench coat with red trimming grey long sleeved shirt with a silver uzumaki swirl lit in black flames, and black Anbu pants with black boots.
The newcomer slowly approached Naruto who was eyeing him carefully until he stood but a few feet from each other.
The man broke out into a grin, "It's nice to see another surviving member. You wouldn't believe how boring it is sitting here for so long. I've been watching you since you stepped into the tower."
Naruto was on full alert next to this man, he couldn't explain it but there was something, off, about him.
Naruto's took a deep breath calming himself, "You know my name but I don't know yours."
The man looked shocked for a moment before he bowed respectfully, shocking Naruto, "Forgive me Naruto-sama, my name is Makaza, Makaza Uzumaki."
Naruto started shaking his hands trying to dismiss the formal atmosphere, "Wo wo wo, what's with this Naruto-sama crap? Just Naruto is fine thank you!"
Makaza blinked and bowed again, "My apologies, you must be unaware of your mother's political standing. Kushina Uzumaki, your mother, was the daughter of the previous Uzukage. Our leader is chosen from the direct bloodline of the clan or the purest. I would have taken over as clan head but my mother was only half Uzumaki and my father held no Uzumaki heritage for me to inherit making me 1/3 Uzumaki. And Kushina was as pure Uzumaki as humanly possible. So by the laws of old Uzushiogakure, you are the next Uzukage." Makaza finished his rant with a bow leaving a stunned Naruto and a hysterical Kyuubi.
"Oh Kami, if you're the next Uzukage the Uzumaki clan are as good as dead. Hahahahaha"
"Hey! I resent that carpet face!" Naruto was cut from his inner rant when Makaza waved his hand in front of Naruto's face.
"Um, Naruto-sama are you ok? You spaced out for a second."
Naruto blinked once, Twice and shook his head and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly with a grin, "Sorry about that, what were you saying Makaza-san?"
Makaza chuckled lightly, "I was curious as to why you came here."
Naruto made an O with his mouth and immediately got serious, "Im looking to wield crimson death."
At this Makaza looked at him strangely, "You sure about that? You must know the legend of the blade to know it exists."
Naruto nodded with a smile, "Don't worry about it, my luck hasn't driven me wrong before! You wouldn't happen to know where it is would you?"
Makaza shifted uncomfortably for a moment rubbing the back of his head before he stiffened, "I do know where it is but I'd like you to stay a bit, being alone down here for so long drives normal men mad after no interaction to the outside world." Makaza then bowed in apology to Naruto.
Naruto thought felt sympathetic towards his supposed distant cousin. He was beyond happy to hear him say his name but his time with Oceanus drove off some of the moron that wasn't a mask. It made him cautious, and the chances finding another living member of the Uzumaki clan in Uzushiogakure were slim at best.
Naruto sighed and said, "I'd love to, but I'm on a time sensitive mission. If I'm not back in 3 days it will take a long time to get back home."
Makaza sighed rubbing the back of his head, "Well I'm sorry to say the room that holds crimson death is locked up tight with a calendar seal and reinforced with the strongest defence and burglar seals. It isn't opening until tomorrow coincidentally enough. I'll show you if you want but it's locked up tighter than the gate to the village. By the way, that water coated punch was hilarious when it backfired hehehe." Naruto fumed at the comment while Kyuubi and Makaza snickered at the memory.
Naruto huffed and crossed his arms, "Fine, but this would be cutting my time close. Hey have you seen any other Uzumaki?" Makaza stiffened and turned towards the opening.
"Now that you mention it someone else just stepped onto the island. 2 People actually. One chakra is absolutely vile and tainted while the other is confused, sad, and betrayed?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes when he heard the first description, only two people he knew had chakra that was a bastardized version of bijuu chakra, "Orochimaru" naruto whispered tone dripping with venom. Makaza noticed and smirked.
"Friend of yours Naruto-sama?" Naruto scoffed at the question and turned away from him.
"The snake-teme corrupted a friend of mine, killed my jiji, and has hurt Kami knows how many people. Can you take me to them?"
Makaza closed his eyes and furrowed his brows in concentration before shaking his head, "Sorry, no can do. I don't know what it is but I can only sense people who land on the island and when they enter the ruins the signatures vanish. If I had to guess it probably has something to do with the first trial of crimson death."
Naruto tilted his head, "Trial?"
Makaza smirked, "What? You didn't think it would be easy to get your hands on a legendary weapon said to be handmade by shinigami-sama himself did you?"
Naruto nervously laughed while Makaza sweatdropped, "Seriously? Oh well, I'll explain. There are 3 trials one must pass before you can obtain crimson death, trial 1, find the vault containing it, 2, and this is the no turning back Mark, you allow blood to flow across the seal locking the vault and you are forced to relive every moment that makes you worthy of wielding it and binding your life force to the sword until it either accepts you as its master or kills you for being unworthy, 3 you must be the chosen one, prove this by offering a blood sacrifice to the blade, at this point you will either live or die."
Naruto paid close attention to the description but shook his head afterwards, "Wait! This is about Orochi-teme not the trials! Although the information will be useful." Naruto added the last part under his breath.
Makaza turned serious, "I have detection seals all over the island so I'll tell you if anything comes to close."
Naruto nodded his head in thanks, "Is it alright if I sleep here tonight? If I've learned anything about Orochimaru its that if your caught unprepared you get a hickey."
Makaza nearly choked on air for the comment and looked at him strangely, "A hickey? You mean he rapes people!?"
Naruto chuckled and nodded, "Pedo-teme bit my friends neck and he went nuts. Well I want to see the vault before sleeping so do you mind?"
Makaza blinked at the info before nodding and motioned for Naruto to follow him down a darkened tunnel with the occasional torch for light.
XxxxxX
Undisclosed location
Two hooded figures stood in an empty room, both wore long brown cloaks that hid most of their features but the shorter of the two had a visible strand of blood red hair falling from a gap in the hood.
"Sasuke-kun, why are we here?" The shorter questioned raising her head enough to reveal a set of twin crimson pupils.
Sasuke looked at the girl annoyed and sighed, "We're here to find my new sword. Orochimaru told me it was here. You're only here to help me find it using your sensory ability."
The shortest nodded with a smile, "Anything for you Sasuke-kun!" The high pitched voice suggested it was a woman, the figure wasn't denying anything either.
Sasuke turned and walked away until he looked over his shoulder, "Karin, search the beach, if you find anything flare your chakra."
The now identified Karin nodded and dashed off towards her objective all the while thinking of the object of her obsession. Unknowingly heading towards a familiar blondes chakra signature.
XxxxxxxxxxX
Naruto Sat on the beach outside a cave he found entrance to in the labyrinth of his friend Makaza. He stared at the ocean reflecting morning light off its waters thinking of starting his mental training.
Oceanus had created a spell to help him come to terms with the evils of the world by reflecting his worst encounters from his childhood onto the waves and having the waves around the image mimic the voices he experienced. It was an emotionally painful training but oceanus had said that he would be more resistant to them if he can come to terms with them, thus making mental torture like Itachi's Tsukynomi useless.
So taking a deep breath Naruto held his hands above the water and spoke loudly, "Ocean God's: Path to recovery!"
The water of the ocean swirled in front of Naruto and expanded until the diameter was 12 meters across in every direction and within the diameter smoothed until it was completely flat while along the edges the water arched and formed tubes of water some small and some large.
A picture started to form in the smooth water and revealed a scared and frightened Naruto at least 7 years younger curled into a ball in the corner of a wooden room with shadows dancing across his form and the walls.
"So what do we do first? We have 2 hours to enjoy this, I want to take our time and enjoy our money's worth."
Naruto didn't notice the figure watching and listening from the distance, so he watched on as the memory played before him.
"What toys do we have to start out? I'd favor slowly digging his eyes out with a scalpel." The shadows slowly turned to a cowering and horror stricken Naruto in the corner before maniacal snickering came to be heard.
The scene that followed was simply gruesome, Naruto being held down by a large bulky man with no notable features. Naruto subconsciously placed his hand over his right eye and let a small tremor rake his body while another featureless man slowly pushed the scalpel into Naruto's eye ignoring the terror and pain filled screams that ripped from the younger Naruto's throat. While the figure still unnoticed by Naruto covered her mouth with her hands in a silent gasp while the scene continued to play out.
"Hehehe, that was fun Nii-san, think the demon brat has suffered enough?" The one holding Naruto down burst out laughing while he watched Naruto try to stop the bleeding from his now empty eye sockets.
"No dear brother, our parents still need to be avenged. Hand me the bottle, been saving it for a special occasion such as this." The other man quickly handed the man the bottle with a grin.
"Now demon, this is a product I've been working on since you were discovered. It is purely meant to lead to your end in the most slow and painful way possible." Naruto tried to back away in fear but he couldn't tell where the man was because of losing his eyes and backed into the other man who held him down again.
The other man chuckled darkly taking out the cork and walked up to the struggling Naruto. He grabbed Naruto's jaw and forced open Naruto mouth and poured in the poisonous yellow liquid and held his mouth and nose closed forcing Naruto to drink the liquid so he could breath.
The two watched for the rest of their time as Naruto screamed until he lost his voice squirming and writhing on the floor in raw agony. Naruto tried clawing at his stomach to stop the pain but only worsened it by causing external bleeding. Naruto then started vomiting uncontrollably until he passed out from the pain slowly still whimpering and holding his stomach.
Naruto at this point was openly crying holding the places of his ghost pains while the figure stared at him and the picture of Naruto lying in a pool of his own vomit and blood mixed not even sure what to think other than 3 words whispered, "Oh. My. God."
The figure took off silently back towards the meeting point made with her partner silently sobbing for reasons she couldn't understand. But one thing was obvious, the years she spent with orochimaru. All the experiments she was forced to watch and heal afterwards. All the times she watched and heard the sounds of torture. They were nothing compared to what she just witnessed. All that blood, all that pain she saw him suffer, it was unlike anything she'd seen even the king of sadists orochimaru inflict. She couldn't understand why he would willingly watching it. So she left to inform Sasuke of what she saw in hopes of comfort, even though somewhere deep in her subconscious she knew she wouldn't get any.
Meanwhile Naruto was on his hands and knees trembling before deciding to head back and try to collect crimson death.
XxxxxxxX
After a short while Karin finally met an irritated Sasuke who wore his trademark scowl, "Did you find anything Karin?" Sasuke noticed Karin shaking uncontrollably and couldn't help but wonder what she'd seen to make her act like that. After all, it isn't often someone who deals with Orochimaru is scared beyond their wits.
Karin shakily nodded before she described her encounter with Naruto down to her description of Naruto. Sasuke for one was slightly shocked but hid it well, he didn't have time for petty things like pity, or maybe, a small, miniscule amount of regret. He had to find his weapon and get strong enough to face his brother.
"Karin, take me to where you found him. If he's here, he must be after my blade and we can't let a nobody have it."
Karin looked slightly hesitant but she squashed the hesitation almost immediately and replaced it with fiery determination, "Hai Sasuke-kun! It was near the shoreline on the other side of the island."
Sasuke immediately dashed off towards his goal with only the thought of getting his power and the side goal of finishing what he started at the valley of the end.
XxxxxxX
Naruto met up with Makaza just outside his room he had slept in the night before and immediately asked about getting crimson death.
Makaza answered with a sigh, "Yeah, today is the only day the calendar seal will unlock so you do need to hurry and face the trials. But be warned, the last two trials must be finished before you can leave the room. I would go with you but I must stay in order to keep an eye on..." Makaza stiffened with wide eyes before shoving Naruto along.
Naruto was curious about the sudden change in character but was cut off by Makaza, "We must hurry, someone else found their way down here. Get into the vault and find the sword. I'll hold off any pursuers to buy you time. And know that if one of the two accepts the trials you will be on your own to face them now go!"
Naruto started fighting back when he heard that though, "Makaza, what the hell? If it's that snake bastard Orochimaru I want a crack at him! If it's Sasuke I want to kick his patent uchiha ass off my island and send any of his fangirls with him via my fucking boot!"
Makaza ignored him however and shoved him into a large room with large Intricate golden double doors with a red seal plastered holding the twin doors together.
Makaze then spoke to Naruto, "I am going to buy you time. I know you want to help but if they are down here they must be after the blade, from my research on it, there is a seal that permanently binds it to its wielder and thus loses the ability to be used by anyone else. You must make the blade yours before helping me otherwise it may fall into the wrong hands."
Naruto hesitantly nodded and let Makaza seal the entrance. Naruto turned and approached the golden doors, and cut his hand to draw blood. Naruto the let his hand bleed onto the seal before his wound closed.
Naruto waited several seconds before a deep demonic voice echoed through the entire labyrinth, "The blood of the offered has accepted the challenge. Your second trial has been complete. Offer yourself to the judgment of the shinigami and claim your prize." The golden doors slowly opened with a loud creak until the large circular room was revealed.
The walls were triangles that leaned inward to create a dome roof in triangle pattern with orange and red Uzumaki swirls on each triangle. The floor was several layers of rings that rose in completely random locations around the room in a wave motion until the center with a raised platform with a statue of the shinigami holding crimson death like one would an offering being constantly protected by rings that surrounded it and rotated in every direction.
Naruto's stared at the room with a blank look while Kyuubi's laughter echoed through his brain, "FUCK ME!"
XxxxxxX
Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Now I've gotten some pretty nasty reviews on the first chapter some saying it's no longer the same story but the truth is I felt like I didn't do enough to progress Naruto's growth. And honestly, I screwed up severely on the overall relationships between characters. I never described half the crap Naruto did. And not to mention the whole scene with Angel in the last chapter of the previous story. I felt like I cheated you guys out of something that could have been one he'll of an awesome story but I was too lazy going about it. So if anyone wants they can recreate my old version but I don't plan on stopping this version here. I've been working my arse off recreating the plot twist, relationship growth, even a few filler and side arcs I've noted down on a reference sheet. Know this I do plan on giving Naruto the Rinnegan and the ultimate goal is still the same. I have the shippuden arc planned for after the grand magic games while if I feel like adding in an extra effort I may come up with some crazy side arcs that may or may not bring a certain red head back to life for the chance she missed out on for fairly obvious reasons.
But note there will be absolutely no relationship between them other than family bond.