Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Sonic the Hedgehog game franchise.
ITAOJ
The Next Set of Suprises
Previously on In the Aftermath Of Judgment,
"So that is it Tower. That is how they are going to react since their time was four thousand years ago." Naruto said while staring at a few screens; one with the clan heads together, another with most of Konoha's Residents in their cells, another with those released living in Station Square and another one showing everything that happened when the Konoha Shinobi teams had returned back to the very village.
"Y-yes Master. That is why we are going to maintain those conditions you asked of us until further word." Tower may be the boss of GUN but he knew not to cross his master or the wife of whom. He was just wondering the main reason he was approached years ago and asked to found an organization like GUN with the order on the side to build those cells. The discovery had earned the funds and notary to make GUN official but all this is something that makes Tower's head spin.
"Very well Tower. Proceed as such while Naruto-koi and I figure out what to do next." Hinata said in his usual motherly tone; soft and kind but also strict and not tolerate of the nonsense.
"Y-yes madam. I take my leave." Tower said before backing away during his bowing and finally stood up straight once he was outside the room. Meanwhile, the ageless couple continued to witness as the events unfold.
"Do you think that it is time for us to finally appear Naruto-koi? They are already scared and frustrated about all this." Hinata never doubted her husband's word and so she was asking since she had noticed that the blonde was troubled by all this.
"I do want for all this to finally be a lot clearer. I feel like we are nothing but puppets to some inhuman force that cursed us all eons ago." Naruto voiced how he looked on all this. "I just don't understand on how the entire village will anger a being no short of a god or that it wanted only us to remain on the face of the Earth all those years."
"I know dearly. I feel the same way, married to the bravest idiot on the planet is so exciting." Hinata said while changing from worried to teasing which made Naruto chuckled.
"And I am married to the world's most mysterious woman. Now that is exciting." Hinata giggled at that statement. And yet the couple never said another word and kissed with great passion. But there was another being who was watching as well and it was one of a voice that hadn't been heard in four thousand years.
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Somewhere in the cosmos, outside the reaches and sight of any mortal living being,
"I Have Indeed Heard Your Thoughts Of Regret Chosen Ones." Even in its home, this force has yet to reveal its face. Only that it has the arms longer than the tail of any comet and resembled that of a tentacle belong to octopi. "The Village Has Incurred My Wrath. It Dared To Hurt The Mortals I Have Chosen To Carry Out My Influence. The World Needed To Bury Its History In Blood In Order To Learn How Peace Truly Is. You Both Have Done A Perfect Job, Looking After Your World. Keep Up The Good Work." And just like that, the unknown area within the Cosmos had turned cold and empty as the silence which followed this godly voice.
"Sensei?" Sakura asked her teacher who just sat on his log, reading his book. "I mean, wasn't everyone in the world supposed to hate us, then why did she help us?" Sakura asked.
"In this world, pride will only make things worse so that is why we accepted help from this 'Tikal' creature and she was right." Kakashi said while closing the book shut. "Now we can go anywhere in this strange but hostile world now all we have to do is either stay here in Konoha or return to it regularly."
"Okay Sensei. I do feel a little trapped though. And we still haven't found where the Baka and his bitch are." Sakura said that last sentence in pure venom. There were just some people in the world who hold onto grudges even for four thousand years.
"Hey! That is my bitch you are talking about! And I don't care if you are a girl too, I won't have my Hinata get stolen even by a lesbian fan girl like you!" Sakura sighed, Kiba was a lot like her. He still has this belief that Hinata is his property and that everyone is against him and wanting her as well; and this all started when Hinata supposedly disappeared around the time they heard that strange voice and that was even before when everything went black.
"I wasn't asking you Kiba and I am not lesbian!"
"I wasn't asking you either girly and I know you are not lesbian. You are a fan girl chasing after a clearly gay bastard, which is even worse!"
"Sasuke-kun is not gay!"
Now it was Kakashi the one who sighed and this one was in disapproval. After having to admit it that his team was never one to begin with, now Kakashi can only listen to Sakura argue about Sasuke and the said boy ranting that his brother is still out there for the killing but was prohibited from leaving the village because of what happened in Station Square. Maybe what Naruto said to them before they blacked out was true after all.
"I can't believe that we are actually flying and it is all thanks to that Emerald underneath us!" Kakashi was tired of loud voices but at least it wasn't like with Sakura and Kiba. This voice was Ino and it came from the closest edge of the Konoha village to Kakashi. And this proved that ever since they ran into that strange girl who asked about floating islands, the entire village and the chunk of earth that was resting on had lifted from the earth, again, and this time it was indeed floating; just like Angel Island back above Station Square.
Kakashi then finally placed his book away and walked up to Ino, only to pull away from the edge that she was dangling on. "Don't be so reckless or you will fall and break your neck!" Kakashi scolded Ino who pouted like a little girl caught stealing cookies out of the jar.
"I just wanted to see it for myself…" Ino pouted and whined which didn't amuse Kakashi one bit. "And besides, if we are floating then where are we going? Back to that city?"
"I thought Asuma told you a thousand times already. We are not going back to the city, we are going in the opposite direction." Kakashi said and Ino pondered,
"But if we are then where precisely are we going?"
"We already seen the area where Suna used to be is nothing but a barren wasteland and the Village of Wave is still a fishing town so we have no reason to go there." Kakashi started, "We are going to the direction of where the County of Water used to be. So that we can actually get a more clear idea on how different this country has become."
By the time Kakashi finished explaining, he finally let Ino back on her feet who still glared at him for that. "Okay Sensei and personally, what do you think we will find there?"
"I can't tell at the moment. After all, even four thousand years can turn a desert into an ocean and vice versa."
"I just hope it is something because somehow, this Village is making me feel like a bird stuffed into the cage it grew out of." Ino said and she didn't notice as she walked down the road that Kakashi nodded in agreement. It must be scary, to have one's home feel more like a prison instead.
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"Ah! Welcome back Master! We kept the place in one piece while you are gone!" Sonic yelled and his friends were alerted to when Naruto and Hinata returned to their cottage on Angel Island.
"Thank you Sonic. You and you friends always know how to make an old man like myself and his wife feel welcome." Naruto chuckled, like a kind and gentle grandfather visiting his grandchildren and friends.
"Of course Master. We did learn from the best so please come in." Naruto and Hinata did as such and made themselves comfortable in their favorite place within the cottage; the loveseat that nobody, not even Sonic or his friends, were allowed to seat in. "So please tell us Master. What is going to happen?"
By Sonic's side, Amy and Tails and even Knuckles nodded as they wanted to know too. Ever since Sonic and Amy had witnessed a village appear out of a void in the sky and then was merely asked to have a lookout for any 'strange people in stranger clothes' coming their way into Station Square.
"What is going to happen is the next part of the plan Amy. A plan that we were given to wait for four thousand years to undergo." Naruto said. "It can be good and it can be bad. But we promise that it will all be clear once the time comes."
The anthropomorphic animals looked at each other since they 'clearly' saw the regret and supposed guilt that Naruto tried to hide in his speech. Then Sonic spoke up like he usually does for himself and more importantly his friends. "We know what you are thinking and feeling right now Master. And for the umpteenth time, we will never be mad at you for raising us and improving our lives. Not even if it all leads to Armageddon."
"I know Sonic. I will see to that your training will be complete and so will be your lives before we are through." Naruto said and that was to be the last words spoken on that island for the rest of the day.
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Meanwhile,
"I don't know about this. Maybe this wasn't a good idea." Tsume said while looking down on herself. Only that she wasn't wearing her battle armor or even the clothes that were standard to her clansmen. She was wearing civilian and more modern style of clothes. And since she had very limited insight to what she will like, Tsume was wearing remarkably light.
She was only wearing a simple blue t-shirt and black pants. Tsume was not wearing sandals and instead shoes as the latter seemed to be more popular than the former. And her arms and hands were bare which was unusual for a woman like Tsume. "I think Kiba won't yell at you and we finally leave that snow castle of a headquarters only if we do get a makeover. And they said to wear these clothes or otherwise we will have to go back to all the crumby food and no spare underwear." Shikaku retorted and didn't even bother to keep an eye out of Tsume's expression of disgust.
"I just hope that when we were taken in, that out kids will know what to do with the help of their Jonin. Their boss definitely knows something but we are still not told about our children." Inoichi added and his two friends grunted in reluctant agreement.
"HEY!" All three of them heard someone call out to them through the door to their room. "We got company and you need to see them now!" With no good reason to stay, not even to argue some more, they all left their room only to see a couple of people that gave off this atmosphere of being strangers. They were even wearing regular street clothes along with some additions that not a single, former Shinobi present had ever seen before. But they all knew these strangers by face still.
"Naruto…" Tsume said to break the ice.
"Hinata…" Hiashi said to do as well.
"Greetings noble old men and welcome back, to what is left of the Elemental Nations." Naruto said like he was some kind of tour guide to the aftermath of some kind of destruction or something. But Hinata said nothing, there was nothing for her to say at all to this crowd at all.
End of Chapter 8.
*Hey guys! This is still one of the hardest stories I ever made but I am glad that you like it. For all those who are not familiar with Stephan and especially one of his stories called The Langoliers, I am making a reference to it in this chapter and throughout the rest of the story. I won't try to spoil the story but when I made it that Konoha is the only safe haven for the Konoha Shinobi is a reference to how the plane was called 'today' compared to the 'yesterday' surrounding it for the majority of the story.
Anyways, as long as they get a good dose of the Konoha's air that is kept within by a time bubble, the Konoha Shinobi will be just fine. Naruto and Hinata are perfectly aligned with the time period of the present so they will not ever suffer that fate. And if you are wondering the others back in G.U.N. Headquarters or the Ichiraku family then you will have to find out some time in the story, I will think of something.
One last thing. I have added something in the ending to this chapter will be explained in the next chapter. Can you find it and show it in a review because I will include that reviewer who got it right in the next chapter. That is all and have a nice day and keep warm!*
