Chapter Five

Naruto did not wake in the forest nor under the lustful touches of Ama. Instead, he stood in a stony valley next to a parched savannah under a blistering sun. Antelopes grazed on yellow and brown grasses, unaware or unbothered by the afternoon heat. At the same time, zebras trotted towards a pitiful stream of murky water barely a foot high. The beasts paused as a line of wretched creatures descended down the valley's slopes towards the creek. Their clumsy movements showed they struggled to walk on two legs, with the worst of the creatures preferring to walk on their knuckles like apes. The comparison between the animals and apes continued as Naruto approached them. Thick black hair covered their bodies like a chimpanzee, while their faces resembled that of a human with lengthened snouts and broad jaws. They did not speak but grunted and whimpered to one another, yet something in their eyes reminded Naruto of himself. No amount of hair, however, could hide the starvation slowly killing each one. Neither fat nor muscle clung to their frail forms.

"They were doomed to extinction." Ama appeared next to him in her vulpine form, though she did have the decency to cover herself with a silk shawl. "The world has changed much since their arboreal ancestors decided to walk the surface. A drought dried much of the planet, making life hard for all but the fastest or mightiest animals. These were neither."

Naruto watched one of the smaller ape creatures, an infant, drop to the ground. The others did not pay any attention to its pitiful cries beyond an empty stare that barely hinted at sorrow. He moved forward to help but paused when Ama took his hand.

"Stay. You cannot help her."

"Why?" Naruto tried to break her grip.

"Because this is a memory." She glanced at him. "My memory. Ah! He comes 'Father.'"

Father, a giant ape creature, departed from the group to scope the discarded youngling into his arms. He cradled her gently to soothe her suffering before walking towards the stream to allow her a chance to drink. The zebras, content with their neighbors, joined the ape creatures to drink what little water remained. Naruto watched the scene with a frown, wondering why the monkey-men did not kill one of the zebras for food.

"Are you the little monkey?"

"No." Ama focused solely on the creatures drinking with an oddly motherly smile. "But I am here."

"Where?"

"Everywhere." Seeing him unsatisfied with her answer, she chuckled and shook her head. "The form from which I watched this scene is beyond your current understanding. Perhaps, in time, we will rewatch this again so you may see me." She paused as the ape creatures started to forge for seeds and berries from the numerous bushes and tall grass. Each found barely a handful, far from enough to satisfy their hunger. Father split his meager meal with the infant.

"Is she his daughter?"

"No."

"Then why is he giving her his food?"

"Does one need to be family to be shown compassion?" Ama's tone took a sharp edge. "That is the Hokage in you speaking. Abandon such thoughts, Naruto. They do not suit you." He flinched at her words, suddenly ashamed for asking such a ridiculous question. "I show you this moment because it is the most important moment in my life that I am willing to share with you at this time. This one's compassion for the orphaned girl changed my life and this world's fate."

As the dusk cast long shadows across the savannah, the ape creatures returned to their cliff-side caves to take shelter from the encroaching night and the numerous predators looking for an easy meal. Once the sun slipped entirely beneath the horizon and the moon's reign began, the light show started. It began simply enough with a shooting star that cut through the night sky, leaving a trail of gold to scar the darkness. Golden rays slithered from the heavens to form a pillar of light at the bottom of the valley. One by one, confused faces appeared in the mouths of the caves to watch the ethereal display. A brief surge of courage called Father to climb down from his shelter to stand before the light. Soon, the others joined him, though they maintained some distance. Their near-human eyes glistened as beams of silver light danced among them. Each of them stood perfectly still as if caught in a trance, with even Naruto finding it hard to look away. Some of the ape creatures raised their hands to the sky, wiggling clumsy fingers, while others moved their crude lips in odd patterns as if mimicking speech. None of them seemed impressive, yet the potential existed for something extraordinary. The show ended instantly, leaving confused animals behind that returned to their homes quickly. However, Father remained behind to stare up at the stars with wide eyes dazzled with fresh understanding. He studied each star and reached out to grab the moon but frowned upon finding he needed to be taller. With an irritated, dissatisfied grunt, he departed for home.

"And he became the first animal on the planet to look up at the stars and wonder."

Ama closed her eyes as the scene changed to a future afternoon. The ape creatures came back down to the stream to drink and look for food, but once again, they only managed to find enough to stave off death for another day. The young ape-girl, brought down from the caves by Father, looked far weaker than the day before. Naruto guessed the poor thing wouldn't make it through the night before passing out. The giant ape seemed to have reached the same conclusion as he sat next to the emaciated form of the little one. His eyes, filled with sorrow and new emotion, hardened and gazed out over the savannah. The zebra and antelope approached the stream for their share of water like usual, barely acknowledging the dying specie. Yet, Father seemed to stare at the animals with a look that separated himself from every other creature that roamed.

Father's lips twisted into a savage, silent snarl as his hands curled into fists. Intelligent eyes looked around at the ground and other apes as if trying to find something. Hands uncurled upon noticing the large stone lying next to the dying ape-child. A mixture of confusion, wonder, and anger flashed over the primitive features of the creature as he picked the rock up and dropped it back down on the ground.

"He is thinking. He imagines a world where he and his kind were not hungry." Ama leaned forward with a grin that split her vulpine muzzle into two. "He does not want the little one to die."

Father picked the stone up but did not drop it back down. Instead, he took a tentative step to the nearest zebra, an older foal starting to become independent. Upon seeing the beast continue to drink, he creaked forward and raised the rock above his head.

The attack came without warning and ended swiftly. In a single blow, Father smashed the foal's skull in and cried out in triumph. The other zebra scattered at the unfamiliar sound from such a familiar species, unaware of the new age that had just dawned on the savannah. Those ape creatures nearest to him came over to investigate the unique sound and watched with awe as their new leader tasted flesh for the first time. He kept the others back for the moment until the ape-girl tasted the bloody prize and allowed the other to partake in the feast.

None of the ape creatures went home hungry that night.

The memory faded as the familiar scent of spring filled Naruto with warmth. In an instant, Ama teleported them back to his dreams.

"What were those things?" Naruto had never seen such an animal before and imagined what alien world they came from. "Why did you teach them?"

"Teach?" Ama sat under the sakura tree and patted the grass beside her as if commanding him to join her. "You overestimate what I did. I merely suggested certain things to them and allowed your ancestors' natural intelligence to do the rest."

"Ancestors?" Naruto shuddered at the thought of being related to such creatures. He knew of fringe theories that stated that mankind came from some type of primate instead of being hand-crafted by Amaterasu but always found such notions silly. While far from being devout, there existed certain truths that he honored. "I am not one of them. Amaterasu created all of us in her blessed image."

"Those beings you look down upon are the source of everyone you ever loved and respected. Those sixty primates are the far-removed grandparents of humanity created by natural selection stretching back into the primordial ages of the world." She yawned slightly and lay down in the grass. "As for Amaterasu…I did not create you or your ancestors, much less in my image."

"You are NOT Amaterasu." The sheer lunacy of the statement almost made Naruto laugh. Still, the look on Ama's face made it clear that the woman was being serious. "You are not her. There are no stories where Amaterasu is a giant fox monster."

"True. However, do you honestly believe all the stories? Some of those claims about me are bizarre." She removed her shawl with a giant tug to expose her breasts. "Then again, the truth is far stranger than the fiction."

Naruto rolled his eyes and began to undress. "I refuse to believe that Amaterasu walks around as a fox or fox woman and gets her head stuck in peanut butter jars."

"Fair enough. One day, you'll see that I am right." She smirked slightly. "And we both agreed that I never got my head stuck in any jar. Totally did not happen. Just a figment of your imagination."

"Right." He laid down and pulled her into his embrace. "If you're Amaterasu, then I'm a monkey man."

Ama began a trail of kisses down his neck and ran her claws down his back. She wrapped her tails around him to pull him closer. "It saddens me that your kind has forgotten so much about yourselves. Instead of embracing a system that cares little for the individual, I had expected your kind to have reached the stars again." She paused in her intimacy and pulled back with wide eyes that sparkled with glee. "That's it. Yes…that will open your eyes perfectly."

"Uh?" Naruto frowned as his lover pulled away and disappeared into the forest. "Man…just as I was starting to get into that fox form…."

"There will be time to satisfy your sexual delights later." Ama's voice thundered around him. "I am preparing you…no…humanity a gift to remind you of what is possible. Sleep, love, and wake to wonder!"

"Is big brother in trouble?"

Naruto glanced down at his daughter and smiled warmly. They sat together on the couch in his office, looking over one of her many books depicting the animals of the world. He decided to let her stay at his house the previous night, given the incident at the festival and sent one of his ANBU to notify Hinata. Conflicting emotions swirled in his mind about the new Church, Boruto, and Ayame's words to him. A part of him, much larger than he would admit to anyone, wanted to visit the Church with an entire host of ninjas behind him and put an end to their madness by force. However, his rational side warned against a heavy-handed approach that could lead to violence, knowing that the Daimyo would not look kindly upon him slaughtering civilians. While his powers as Hokage were nearly limitless, certain boundaries could never be crossed.

"That has yet to be seen. Your mother is talking with him right now." He hated forcing Hinata to handle the situation with Boruto. Still, he knew the boy hated him enough and would refuse to listen to anything he said.

At least Hinata had a chance to deter him from becoming a fanatic.

Shizune entered the office, followed by a servant from the Hyūga. "Sorry to interrupt, Lord Hokage, but Hinata sent someone to pick up Himawari."

"But I'm reading with papa!" Himawari waved her book at Shizune with a hefty frown. "We are looking at monkeys!"

Naruto took the book from his daughter and kissed her forehead. "We'll continue this next week over a big bowl of ramen. Sounds pretty good, eh?" He grinned as the girl cheered and ran to take the servant's hand. "How is Boruto?"

"Lady Hinata's son is being difficult at the moment. Lord Hiashi wishes to speak with you this evening at the compound." With the invitation delivered, the man left the office quickly.

Tenten dropped from the ceiling and removed her mask to reveal a smile full of pity. She rubbed the back of her head. "Looks like you're in for an evening full of fun."

"Get bent." Naruto returned to his desk and began to brood at the prospect of having to spend time with the Hyūga Clan. Between their creepy eyes and overly formal social customs, he debated sending a shadow clone to deal with it instead of showing up personally. But, unfortunately, Hiashi knew that tactic from the numerous meetings after the divorce.

Tenten took a seat and placed her feet on the desk. "So, I tried to talk with Father Yayoi. Turns out he never checked into the hotel like he was supposed to, nor did he decide to leave early. After your meeting ended, he walked out and seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth."

"Did you check the barrier team? I doubt some random priest can just disappear in our village like that. If so, we really need to start training our sentries more." His humor died as Tenten's smile faded into a thin line. He took a deep breath and braced for the bad news.

"Yeah, I did. They don't even have a record of him coming into the village."

"Excuse me?"

"Zero traces of him ever stepping through the front gates. We have CCTV footage of him entering the tower and talking with Shizune. Before that, however, nothing. It's like he appeared out of nowhere. I cross-referenced every camera from here to the front gate, looking for any frame with him in it. Nothing. Either that priest was trained as a master ninja or…."

"Or that wasn't Father Yayoi." Naruto frowned at the implications. "Could have been someone already in the village using genjutsu or a henge of some type. Did you pick up anything from the camera at the front door?"

"Nothing. It is like he appeared out of nowhere and walked through the front doors. I spent all morning trying to find a blind spot that possibly could have allowed someone to slip through, but everything is tighter than a nun's ass."

Naruto closed his eyes and leaned back to digest this unpleasant surprise. Tracking whoever entered his office would be nearly impossible given the time passed and everyone who had entered since then. More importantly, he could not imagine why anyone would pose as the priest from the Church or what they would gain from it. The fake priest's details of the events involving Sasuke's suicide matched perfectly with the sealed reports. Whoever impersonated Father Yayoi knew enough about the case to fool him.

"Send a team out to retrieve the real Father Yayoi. Beyond that, I want the village to be placed on heightened alert. Cancel all vacation and have all active forces brought up to combat readiness." Naruto watched as Tenten's eyes widened at the declaration. "Between this and what happened last night, someone is plotting against the village."

"How do you know that the Church of the Red Goddess and what happened to Father Yayoi are connected?"

"Simple…I don't." Naruto grabbed his cloak and threw it over his shoulders. "However, the fact that all of this has happened in a short time frame is too much of a coincidence for me to ignore."

Tenten scrambled out of her chair to follow him out of the office. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Church."

"You're actually going to confront them in their building yourself?"

"Yup." Naruto flashed a foxy grin at her. "Remember who you're talking to?"

"That's exactly why I am worried." Tenten placed her mask on and bowed. "I'll be right behind you, Lord Hokage."

"No." Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder. "As Hokage, I need to remind them that I am in charge. My statement will be far more powerful if I am alone."

She hesitated but nodded in the end. "I will be on standby if anything happens."

The black cathedral loomed over the district buildings like Cronus, ready to devour its children. From three blocks away, Naruto heard the midday chanting of the congregation. It felt a shiver run up his spine at the wrongness of the language. It reminded him of the common tongue mixed with syllables that no human mouth should have been able to make. The noise oppressed all other sounds, blocking out even the chattering of the crowds who seemed unaffected by the singing. How such a thing could occur without causing a noise complaint to the civil authorities remained a mystery to him. Gardens of exotic and local flora surrounded the cathedral on all sides. People gathered around statues of the Red Goddess, a feminine figure in flowing robes and hair tied into twin buns decorated with ribbons. Many dancers surrounded the goddess and looked upon Her with faces twisted in equal measures of terror and desire. Their bodies contorted into bone-breaking shapes that added to their suffering. A few of the more zealous members of the Church tried to mimic the dancers but only ended up stumbling around the statues.

"Where have I seen you?" Naruto rubbed his chin as he examined one of the statues with narrowed eyes. Then, it came like a jolt of lightning. The statues were near-perfect copies of the one in Ichiraku, even down to the horrific dancers.

"I built the one in Ichiraku to match these," Ayame approached from one of the groups. She wore a brown robe like a monk, and her hair was tied up in a manner similar to the Red Goddess's. "Though, I must admit that my artistic abilities are not as good as the masons in the capital."

Naruto turned to the woman and placed the steel mask of the Hokage on. "They are disturbing beyond words. How can anyone think them holy is beyond me."

Ayame winched at his tone and bowed her head. "I expected you to come here, Lord Hokage."

"It warms my heart to see there is still some reason left in your head." Naruto gave the statue one final disdainful look before giving Ayame his undivided attention. "You are lucky I do not come with a host of ANBU to put your church down."

"Last night got out of hand. I apologize for the actions of the flock."

"Such behavior does not just appear suddenly." Naruto gestured to the cathedral. "Indoctrination happens over a period through the use of many strategies. Between Shikamaru and my son, you have managed to sink your claws deep into Konoha."

"We mean no ill will towards you or the village." Ayame sighed and began to walk towards the cathedral. "Let's speak inside. Allow me to clear some things up." Naruto followed close behind the woman, flashing a quick signal to Tenten to maintain distance.

Much like the exterior, the cathedral's interior lacked the warmth of other churches and temples Naruto had visited in his travels. More statues of the Red Goddess looked down on the rows of pews leading to a main altar decorated with candles and flowers. Thankfully, none of the dancers appeared with the goddess. However, her many suggestive poses seemed more fitting for a whore than a divine being. People, civilians, and ninjas filled the air with chanting that seemed like the ramblings of a madman. Ayame guided him into a peaceful side chamber that blocked out the sound of the central area. A statue of the Red Goddess stared down at them with a motherly smile and a robe partly open to reveal her breasts.

"Apologies. We are in the middle of a holy week. Normally, things are much quieter."

"I'm surprised the civilian council hasn't fined the hell out of you." Naruto took a seat on the pew next to Ayame and watched as the woman leaned forward in prayer. He took the time to stare at the Red Goddess, noting her attractiveness.

"Most of the civilian council is partaking in the festival." Ayame shuddered as Naruto sent a glare at her. "Many merchants and business owners have joined the Church due to me. They think it will get them better deals with my company."

"Wouldn't be the first time in history such a thing has happened." Naruto thought back to the brief history lessons given by Jiraiya. Converts rarely joined a faith out of sheer belief. Monetary gain proved a far more effective means of luring people in. "Such things have made you and the Church very powerful. Shikamaru used to be my top advisor. You have influence over almost every facet of the village between him and the council. Have any of the clans embraced the Church?"

"No. A few missionaries have tried to establish conversations with the Hyūga and Inuzuka. But, unfortunately, their response to the blessed world was far from friendly. Therefore, we have decided not to appeal to the clans as a whole."

Naruto chuckled at the thought of someone trying to convert Hiashi or Hinata to the Church. Father and daughter, while different in many ways, were opinionated beyond belief. It would be a cold day in hell before either submitted to a religion. If only his son had inherited such a trait.

"I am not crazy, Naruto." Ayame closed her eyes and put her hands together once more in prayer. "You are not crazy either. I know you can see what the world is becoming. The coming of the Goddess gives us the hope to make it through the dark days we live in. We hope to save as many people as possible through our works."

"Dark days? The world is at more peace than ever before."

"Is it? We live in a world where we train our children to kill. We live in a world where the wealthy elite robs people of what they need to gain luxury. You might have brought the nations together, Naruto, but what will happen when things return to the way they were? Our current system needs war to survive. If there is no war, how can a place like Konoha survive?" Seeing his deep frown, Ayame continued with more passion. "Do you remember the cannon that the Fourth Raikage had hidden from the other Kage? That weapon had the power to blow up the moon with a single burst of energy. You might have saved Hinata and the world, but A single-handily caused an arms race for more powerful tools of destruction. Do you know that Gaara is building a bomb capable of splitting the atom?"

Naruto frowned at such a detail. However, his spies in Suna reported that his old friend had put a lot of money into research and development. It seemed so unlike his friend to build such a weapon.

"Kumo has their cannon, which has most likely been replaced by something far more powerful. Iwa, much like Suna, is working on a bomb that does not require chakra. Kiri seems interested in sealing and has been going through the ruins of Uzu in search of anything that could give them an edge. Imagine a scenario where the great powers of our world decide to use these weapons against each other. Mankind is marching towards its own destruction. Everything we know is coming to an end, Naruto. The Church offers people hope and shelter from a world on the verge of collapse. We are not out to take over Konoha or any other country. There won't be a Konoha in the future with how things are going."

"I won't let that happen." Naruto's fingers curled inwards as the desire to strike the woman down swelled. "The world isn't ending!"

"To deny it will only bring more suffering to those you love." Ayame remained looking at the Red Goddess but placed her hand on Naruto's knee. "Do you know she has been with us from the start? Even among the faithful, there is a misconception that she is a new goddess coming to replace the old. That's simply not true. Our Goddess had watched humanity for countless ages, guiding us down the right path."

"If she has been guiding us, why is the world coming to an end?"

"Because we refused to listen to her." Ayame gave a sad smile. "Do not worry about the congregation anymore. I shall speak with the priests and priestesses to have them tone down some of the more inflammatory preachings. At the end of the day, I am loyal to you."

"It is due to our past relationship that I do not shut this place down." Naruto sighed heavily and shook his head. "You and your father treated me well when no one else would. Despite recent events, I still view you as a friend. Therefore, I expect no more issues from your Church."

"A package has arrived for you, Lord Hokage."

"Eh?" Naruto glanced up from his paperwork to stare at the brown box in Shizune's arms. "I didn't order anything. Who's it from?"

"Hm. Doesn't say." Shizune placed the box on the coffee table. "The ANBU have already scanned it for threats. I thought you ordered a new pair of running shoes the other day from Kumo."

Naruto approached the box with a raised eyebrow and looked it over for any distinguishing marks. The only thing remotely of interest was the slight lingering odor of perfume that clung to the cardboard. "Nah. Those got shipped to my house directly."

"Is it a blow-up doll?" Tenten dropped from the ceiling with a kunai at the ready. "Mind if I do the honors, sir?"

"No and yes." He stepped aside to allow his bodyguard to slice the top open. "If you die in a fiery explosion, can I have your stuff? Those yaoi mangas are probably worth a pretty penny, given how many you own."

"Sorry. Those are to be donated straight to the Church of the Red Goddess. Should give one of those nutter-butters a heart attack." Tenten carefully inserted the kunai and pulled away from her. Sensing no trouble, she pulled the flaps back and frowned at the large amounts of packing peanuts. "And who dropped this off?"

"Don't know. I found it by the front door and haven't checked the cameras." Shizune took a step behind Naruto.

"Well, what the hell is it?"

"It's a plate of sorts." Tenten pulled out a golden disc from the horde of peanuts, groaning at the mess in the making. She looked it over once for seals or other traps before handing it off to Naruto. The golden disc contained strange symbols of lines and shapes. A small latch opened the disc to reveal a golden platter with a worn image and lettering that Naruto could not decipher. He turned it over and ran his fingers over the equally spaced groves.

"What the hell is it?"

Shizune picked up the case to examine it. "Odd. Binary." Seeing the confused looks on Tenten and Naruto's faces, she continued. "Binary is a type of number system used in old pieces of technology. All numbers are represented with a series of ones and zeroes."

"So, this thing ain't from here? Who the hell is sending me junk?" Naruto handed Tenten the record and returned to his desk.

"Maybe it's a gift," suggested Shizune, still examining the cover. "Though, I am unsure of what it is exactly. Besides the binary, I can't even begin to understand what the other symbols mean."

I am preparing you…no…humanity a gift to remind you of what is possible.

Ama's words rang in his mind. Why would the fox give him a glorified dinner plate? Perhaps the fox was starting to go eccentric with age. "Can you decipher it?"

"Maybe." Shizune took a seat on the couch with the cover and record. "There is a pattern to symbols that tells us that someone designed it in a particular way. Do you mind if I take it home with me tonight?"

"I can help!" Tenten grinned and plopped down on the couch. "We'll order some food and have some fun."

"At least you two will have a good time." Naruto glanced at the clock and groaned. "I better get going before Hiashi sends me an escort."

I am feeling better than I was compared to earlier in the month. The next chapter should be up sometime later in the week depending on its length. For other writing, I am planning on finishing this story (we're about half-way through it) before moving on to the Lonely Ones. The last part of the NaruTen oneshot will becoming next weekend.