NetherRealm
Quan Chi's Fortress
Quan Chi | Sasuke Uchiha
The sorcerer and shinobi stood head-to-head.
Each set of eyes evaluated the other. Taking in possible fighting styles, assessing balances, weapons, and traps.
Sasuke spoke first, "It's been a while….Naruto."
"Indeed. For some it has been centuries, Sasuke." Naruto said.
A thick silence floated between the two before Sasuke interjected again,
"I can see the alleged centuries have not been wise to you fashion sense."
Naruto stared at Sasuke for a while before the two erupted in laughter.
Naruto clapped his hands and two lofty chairs with footrest and side tables materialized. He gestured Sasuke to take one and went towards his shelf.
Hmmm. Vintage Edenian. Nodding to himself, the former sorcerer pulled two goblets full of wine and presented one to Sasuke.
The two drank in silence as they began to reassess each other. Sasuke shamelessly stared at Naruto.
To think this was a bubbly blonde who was sad hurting a fly.
Infront of him sat a pale sorcerer in naked tribal armor with ferocious red eyes and arcane sigils tattooed to his skull.
A man that had caused realms to crumble and undead to rise with a mere whisper.
Sasuke was impressed and jealous in equal measure. While he had lived the life of a rogue missing nin, Naruto was crafting the fates of the empire from the shadows.
It was still a lot to take in for Sasuke.
Xeno physiology, realms, gods, warlords, strange attires – it was almost too much to take in.
He had heard whispers of alien beings from his summons and intelligence nin he had interrogated. Sasuke had almost imagined alien contact to be from outer space and not interdimensional.
Then there had been her. The Goddess Cetrion. Her domain being life and virtue. She had shown how his friend's life had been. He saw the so-called God he had served under, the warlord's court he had infiltrated, the lovely daughters of the said warlord he avoided, and the woman he had lusted after.
At least the women across the realms were much better than what was in his.
"I trust you have questions, Sasuke. I will do my level best to answer, but this is not the place for long discussions" Naruto said, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the implication.
"What the fuck?" Sasuke asked and Naruto nearly snorted his wine out.
It took a while for Naruto to compose himself.
"Forgive me, Sasuke. Its been a while since somebody has been so direct with me." Naruto said.
"Most I imagine are whimpering on their knees in front of you. One favor or another." Sasuke said.
Naruto knowingly smirked. After a short pause he asked,
"Now onto more pressing matters, I trust Lady Cetrion has briefed you about our predicament."
"For a Goddess, she is delusional. Not even with the two of us combined, can we take over Elemental realm." Sasuke said making air quotes for the realm.
Naruto raised his eyebrow in response.
"You don't really know what's happening back home do you?"
"As a matter of fact of I am. The resurgent Yondaime has turned the cards around on Iwa and Kumo, no? While you run errands for Orochimaru in exchange for protection." Naruto remarked.
"You are well informed. The entire realm has been torn apart by the war. A resurgent Uzumaki-Senju political coalition dominates Fire country. While handful in number, the individual members are unbelievably powerful. Rumor has it the Yondaime's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, has been rounding up whatever Uzumaki's remain for a revival." Sasuke briefed Naruto.
Sasuke took a mighty gulp of his wine to compose himself,
"As such, the rest of the clans follow their lead for now. And why shouldn't they? The war has made them all mighty rich. The Yondaime granted them all prime real estate when they annexed wave country. Orochimaru has held out in Grass country, but he won't last long."
"Most troubling of circumstances." Naruto said.
"I agree. And the Goddess expects just the two of us to battle S-class shinobi and their armies and take over the realm? Not even Madara was able to do that. We simply don't have the numbers."
"Oh, ye of little faith Sasuke-kun." Naruto chided him.
Sasuke eyes twitched in annoyance.
"Don't have faith in the Gods, Sasuke-kun. Have faith in me, old friend. We shall have our armies in due time." Naruto said.
"Fine. If you are anything like what Cetrion showed me, I will play along for now." Sasuke conceeded.
"Goddess Cetrion, Sasuke dear. Let us not cave in our mission with blasphemy."
Sasuke sarcastically snorted and Naruto grinned in response.
"If we are too succeeded in this mission, we will need to move with utmost stealth. If we fail, death will be the most preferabble. The last thing either of us need is to bring our enemies's attention to Elemental realm's wealth. We need to consolidate ourselves over there as soon as possible." Naruto said.
"Uh huh, and what exactly is in it for me once you crown yourself Imperator?"
"Why Sasuke, the rebirth of Uchiha clan of course! A new and mightier Uchiha reclaiming what is rightfully theirs."
"You can do that?!" Sasuke inquired sitting up straight.
"Not without Shang Tsung's flesh pits currently located in Outworld beneath the Kahn's palace."
"What do you need me to do? Name it." Sasuke said.
Naruto smiled, "I admire your professionalism."
Outworld
Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke grunted as the nausea from the first-time portal use washed over him.
He knew Naru- No Quan Chi as he liked to be called was testing him.
Fair enough, he would best whatever test that dobe laid before him.
He steadied himself against a nearby tree and yelped and jumped away.
THE TREE HAD A FACE LEERING AT HIM!
He scowled as Quan Chi's amused laughter echoed in his head.
Of course, the bastard would find this amusing.
1 hour ago.
Quan Chi leaned back, a wicked smile playing on his lips as he briefed Sasuke on the mission ahead.
"Well, well, Sasuke," Quan Chi began, his voice dripping with elegance. "This mission will be your test. You, my dear friend, will infiltrate Outworld posing as a refugee towards that fool Kotal Kahn's camp. The civil war between Mileena and Kotal has caused much destruction."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his gaze meeting Quan Chi's with a hint of suspicion. "Kotal Kahn, huh? The warlord who took control of Shao Kahn's palace?"
Quan Chi chuckled, his tone laced with mockery. "Ah, you've heard of him. Yes, indeed. Kotal seized power after a coup against Mileena. Such a pitiful display, don't you think? But it provides a perfect opportunity for you to blend in, weapons and all, without raising an eyebrow."
Handing Sasuke a map of Shao Kahn's palace, Quan Chi's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Your target is the treasuries section, my dear Sasuke. Inside, you'll find those precious little magical crystals. Oh, the power they hold."
Sasuke studied the map, his expression growing gruff and curt. "What's so special about these crystals, Quan Chi?"
"These crystals are attuned to Outworld's frequencies, my friend. They allow me to open multiple portals, a realm-hopping extravaganza. With these in your possession, you'll have the power to traverse Outworld at will. As if right now, I can only open a portal for one. Shao Kahn's wards you see. With these crystals we can move an entire squad of shinobi undetected."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed further, an unnerving aura surrounding him. "And what am I to do once I secure these crystals?"
Quan Chi's smile widened; his voice laced with dark amusement. "Return them to me, of course. We shall harness their power for our own purposes. But don't worry, Sasuke, I'll be eagerly awaiting your triumphant return."
"Remember the fate of the Uchia rest with your success."
With the nausea receding Sasuke ventured forth once again.
In a quick succession he made a series of hand seal and henged.
His muscles of steel and lethal physique transformed into a farm hand's physiognomy. His spiky hair transformed into dirty brown locks that reached his ears.
Now none will mistake him for a warrior. He would present himself as a farmhand looking for work.
He said a silent prayer to the inventor of D-rank missions whose repeated exposure allowed him to masquerade as a man of many professions.
He tightened his dark cloak around him and ventured forth, wary of leaning against surfaces lest their leering faces bite him.
Follow the north star. It will lead you towards the main imperial highway where you are sure to run into refugee caravans. Quan Chi's voice echoed in his head.
With the nausea finally subsiding, Sasuke ventured forth once again, moving through the dense forest of Outworld. The alien colors and vibrant life that surrounded him were unlike anything he had ever seen.
This was his first journey to an extraterrestrial realm, and despite the challenges that awaited him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement.
As he continued his trek, Sasuke's senses heightened, taking in the peculiar sights and sounds of Outworld. Three-eyed ravens croaked and observed him from the shadows, their gaze unnerving yet intriguing.
Wild dogs with two heads attempted to stalk him, but his mastery of Genjutsu allowed him to mask his presence, eluding their pursuit.
The howls and roars of unfamiliar creatures echoed through the forest, reminding him of the untamed nature of this strange land. Towering trees with leaves of blue and green stretched as far as the eye could see, creating an otherworldly canopy above him.
Eventually, Sasuke reached the main imperial highway, a rough path carved out of rock and mud. However, to his frustration, the highway appeared to be completely abandoned. Letting out a sigh, he contemplated his next move.
With a surge of chakra, he propelled himself into the treetops, seeking a vantage point that would provide a bird's-eye view of the main imperial city. From there, he hoped to spot any signs of the refugee caravans he was tasked with intercepting.
As he leapt from one tree to another, Sasuke's keen eyes caught a flickering light in the distance. Curiosity piqued, he veered towards the source, cautiously approaching what seemed to be a campfire. However, as he drew nearer, he realized that the camp was surrounded by a group of bandits, their intentions far from peaceful.
Sasuke's demeanor turned serious as he assessed the situation before him.
He activated his Sharingan and took in the sights.
Common bandits. Humanoid in appearance. No latent abilities. Crude weapons.
A chakra pulse sent through the ground confirmed 5 souls.
Their formation was more pitiful than their weapons. 4 of them stood harassing a caravn of elderly and children.
Only 1 stood a few feet away in darkness acting as a lookout. The fools had his own fire going where he warmed his hands.
You fucked up your nightvision, son.
He landed silently behind the foolish bandit. Like a panther he stalked him, pulled out a kunai, and slit his throat.
The bandit's eyes widened as he felt his neck tear open and he panicked.
Another kunai lodged itself in his spine and nervous connection severed.
The bandit gently laid himself on the ground courtesy of Sasuke. He then analyzed the situation again.
No way I want to expose my powers in front of the caravan folks.
A crow cawed overhead.
A distraction it is then.
With a few hand seals another he sent a loud tiger's roar in the area and a man screamed in agony.
The mocking banter of the bandits immediately silenced itself.
"Oi! Something's attacked our mate!" A bandit yelled.
"Lets spread out and find him!" Another yelled.
"You fools! That thing will kill us all! We have to run and leave these tied up idiots to be eaten by it."
Several murmurs of agreement sounded before the bandits fled the scene.
Several old men and women fearfully clutched their grandchildren, their eyes filled with worry. Sasuke, maintaining his henge as a poor scrawny farmboy, cautiously approached the group. An old man shouted at him, warning him not to come any closer. Sasuke's eyes sparkled with feigned innocence as he played the role of an eager child.
"Don't worry, sir! I just helped scare off the bandits!" Sasuke exclaimed; his voice filled with excitement. "I hit one of them on the head with a rock, and then I made these big, scary roars like a wild beast!"
The tension in the air eased as Sasuke drew nearer, his actions earning him grateful smiles and relieved expressions. With skilled precision, he approached the captives and swiftly cut their bondage ropes, setting them free. The others praised his quick thinking and resourcefulness, their voices filled with admiration.
Curiosity piqued, one of the elderly men inquired, "Young boy, what brings you here all alone? It's dangerous for someone your age."
Sasuke's face transformed into a mask of sadness and longing. "I'm an orphan," he replied, his voice filled with melancholy. "My parents were killed in the war, and I've been traveling alone ever since. I'm hungry and looking for work in the imperial city."
The caravan members exchanged sympathetic glances; their hearts touched by his plight. "You're not alone, child," one of the women spoke gently. "All these children here are also war orphans, and we're heading to the Imperial city as refugees. You're welcome to join us. We can look out for one another."
Sasuke's eyes shimmered with gratitude, his voice reflecting a mix of relief and hope. "Thank you. I would be honored to travel with you all," he replied, his tone sincere.
As the group began their journey once again, Sasuke fell in step with the other children, his true identity concealed beneath the henge.
He couldn't help but whistle as the imperial city came into his sight.
Z'Unkahrah.
A mighty name for a mighty city. Massive walls separated the urban sprawl from the wilderness outside. The caravan had been right in their navigation.
Tall blue skinned henchmen prowled the battlements sneering as another disgusting sprawl of refugees settled outside the city walls.
Their caravan had been denied entry due to security reasons. Apparently, Kotal had grown a brain somewhere.
Quan Chi's apparation appeared before Sasuke.
This is not a setback. During my time at court, I have forged many alternate identities and means of entry. At night head back into the forest and use your chakra to dispel the illusion. The Dark Brotherhood has a smuggling tunnel built beneath to infiltrate the walls.
Sasuke merely nodded in response and waited for dark.
A refugee kid nearby threw a leather ball at him, egging him on for a contest.
Sorry kid, duty calls.
He ignored the child's whining and headed into the forest. The henge discarded for another disguise.
The moon stood still over the forest as the illusion broke and the tunnel revelaed itself.
He entered and ran through the entire length of it till he encountered a solitary ladder and exited through the sewer shaft.
He was inside the city.
Waste no more time and head straight to the palace. The castle's magicks will not affect you from the northern isle. The fighting has severely damaged it.
He broke the farmboy henge and Uchiha Sasuke stretched his limbs.
He pulled out a sealing scroll and it spat out his gear. Sasuke adorned himself in his gears. A formal black shinobi outfit to help in the darkness, a tanto, blunted knuckles, and a dozen kunai and shuriken with ninja wire.
Sasuke smiled wildly under his mask as he ran straight towards the palace walls.
Uchiha Sasuke was unleashed.
Sasuke observed the palace from the outer walls, his keen eyes scanning the bustling courtyard below. The osh-tekk guard, engrossed in his task of cutting tobacco leaves, bickered and sneered, oblivious to the impending danger.
The absence of the Kahn from the palace seemed to have made the guards more lenient, as they took liberties where they needed to.
Seizing the opportune moment, Sasuke swiftly moved through the shadows, his presence masked by his ninja training. As he closed in on the distracted guard, a kunai glinted in his hand. With lightning speed and precision, he flung the deadly weapon, and it found its mark, lodging itself in the back of the guard's skull.
The guard crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Wasting no time, Sasuke grabbed a ledge and hoisted himself on top of the guard tower. The main courtyard was riddled with patrolling teams of 6 souls each. They made frequent sweeps of the area. Confronting them would be unwise.
Luckily, the palace had many guard towers to spy on the ground below, his chakra will allow him to crawl along the walls easily.
Outworld's armies were too used to fighting in one sphere. The air, underground, or other dimensions was beyond them.
Like a snake he crawled along the walls. Several watchtowers went dark as shurikans whired in the night, their targets finding home. He jumped away from his current wall and hung from a bell tower. Luckily, it had a bridge leading upto a opened door.
The guards on the bridge tower were the first to spot him as he ran at them. The braver of the duo challenged him first as he too charged at Sasuke with his large spear lowered towards him.
The guard misjudged the distance and struck at the ground, missing Sasuke. Sasuke in turn run along the length of the spear and delivered a solid kick to the man face. A satisfied crunch sound signified his neck was broken.
The other younger guard panicked at the disparity between their skills and made a bid to run towards the opened door. He stumbled as something wiry wrapped around his legs.
The last thing he saw were angry red eyes and foot stomping on his neck.
The doorway led to a storage room of the guards. He stalked along its length untill he reached the main bridge leading properly into the palace. Not wanting anymore combat, Sasuke trailed along the underside of the bridge and jumped on the chains when the bridge's mouth was raised.
An eagle-eyed archer spotted him on top of the bridge leaping towards his tower. He readied his aim and let loose an arrow, watching it satisfaction as it aced towards Sasuke's chest
And then passed through it. The archer's eyes widened in horror at the magical display. He pulled out his horn to sound the alarm but found himself unable to move.
For his brave display, Sasuke snapped his neck from behind. Looking at him, Sasuke ran through hand seals and henged into the man's shape and colors.
"Yusuke!"
A voice shouted behind him as Sasuke approached the sally portal near the main gate.
Yusuke turned around to see the night watch commander approach him angrily.
"You better have a damned good reason for leaving your post!" The commander angrily yelled at him.
A pair of red eyes met his and the man's demeanor changed.
"At once Yusuke. We must protect the treasury at all costs!" The commander said.
Yusuke smiled as the commander whistled for the main doors to be opened.
Massive wouldn't do justice to the treasury's size.
The commander's headless body had been bleeding for 2 minutes straight and still hadn't covered the entire floor.
And frustratingly it had been ransacked. A few scraps of damaged armor and gold coins littered the area.
Kotal has literally drained outworld to finance his war.
He moved swiftly through the empty room till he spotted a glint coming from under a crushed pillar.
Gottcha!
Sasuke removed the crystal from below. Clearly Kotal felt no needs for such crystals since travelling to Outworld would not be an issue for him.
"Prepare for your death thief! I am Kintaro!" A voice roared out as Sasuke pocketed the crystals.
Sasuke prepared himself for combat and his eyes widened at the behemoth standing in front of him.
Standing at nearly 8 feet tall, a 4 limbed tiger-humanoid creature charged at him.
Kintaro swiped at Sasuke, and he dodged it. Kintaro struck the stone pillar in his place and shattered it.
Kintaro did not relent as a barrage of four limbs charged at Sasuke.
The bastard is not only bloody strong but bloody fast as well.
Sasuke decided to engage him at range. Quickly backflipping to create distance between the two, he formed several hand seals and blew a torrent of fire at Kintaro.
The flames engulfed him, and Kintaro merely laughed at the attack. The gust of fire had merely singed him at worst.
"A fire bender huh? Fool! Shokan are dragons!" He yelled at Sasuke and spat a fire bullet at his location. Sasuke's eyes widened as he once again dodged.
He was quickly running out of options till his Sharingan eyes swept up a large bronze statue in front of him with a Warhammer on its pedestal.
Perfect.
He pulled at a smoke pellet and lobbed them towards Kintaro.
"Deception will not save you thief!" Kintaro roared.
A pair of kunai flew out of the smoke, Kintaro deflected them with his bracers and charged in their direction.
Kintaro realized his brashness too late as he rammed into a heavy bronze statue. The sizzling sound of burning paper caught his attention as massive explosions rocked the treasury.
Kintaro howled in pain as two of his limbs were blown away by rigged explosions. Through his pain he saw Sasuke approach him with a large hammer that crackled with lightning.
"Immune to fire, are you? Try this!" Sasuke yelled as he swung the Warhammer.
The hammer struck true, and Kintaro felt his ribs shatter and pierce his lung. He tried to stand up and continue the battle, but Sasuke was relentless.
He once again bought the hammer in an overheard arc and crushed Kintaro's skull.
Sweat poured down his forehead as he took a moment to compose himself. The heavy sound of armored steps pounding on the floor outside filled the room.
Time to leave.
The portal crystal glowed, and he left Outworld.
NetherRealm
Quan Chi stood impressed as a pair of courtesans dressed Sasuke's wounds.
Not only had the shinobi infiltrated and obtained outworld crystals, he had slew Kintaro as well.
The man had talent if he could go toe-to-toe with a Shokan and come out victorious. The twins of Argus had similar potential. Above all, the man stole Shao Kahn's warhammer right from under Kotal's nose.
Lets see if Sasuke-kun will either falter like them or rise to the ocassion.
"You have done the cause a great favor Sasuke." Quan Chi said.
"hm" Sasuke merely grunted.
"Rest and recuperate for now. We plan our next move when you are better." Quan Chi said and turned to the courtesans.
"Slaves. Address whatever needs Lord Uchiha has. Make sure he is stress free." Quan Chi commanded and the courtesans only bowed and giggled at his response.
The Next Day
Quan Chi watched as Sasuke underwent katas with his new weapon.
Unlike how Shao Kahn who sheer strength allowed him to wield the weapon like it was feather, Sasuke relied on bursts of Chakra and momentum to create devastating hammer falls.
"Kotal has so far not appeared to shocked about the assault on his Palace." Quan Chi remarked.
"Perhaps, he does not wish to appear weak in front of his potential allies and has supressed the news?" Sasuke replied and swung the hammer in an overhand and multiple opponents crashed away from him.
"Indeed. He has given chase to Mileena and is deep in the badlands. Based on your reports, his treasury lies empty and unbdoubtedly his supply lines will falter. Mileena despite her imminent defeat will keep guerilla attacks to make it a pyrhic victory for Kotal." Quan Chi stated.
"So what's our play now?" Sasuke grunted as he blocked a sword strike from a brotherhood member.
"While I will instruct Brotherhood members to aid Mileena, we will return to the Outworld." Quan Chi said.
This caught Sasuke's attention as ducked under the assailant and upper cut him into unconsciousnes.
He turned towards Quan Chi and said,
"Why?" Sasuke simply asked.
Quan Chi coyly said, "Why brother, to get one step closer to reviving the Uchiha of course."
"How?" Sasuke remarked
"Now that I am able to move more men to Outworld, its time we took Shang Tsung's isle for ourselves. It is afterall where the largest flesh pits are. Pits that will help us mass produce the Uchiha clan." Quan Chi said as Sasuke's eyes widened.
A pause followed before Sasuke asked,
"Will the two of us be enough to take the island?"
"Not at all. Three will suffice!" Quan Chi said.
"Three?" Sasuke asked before Quan Chi grinned impishly and pointed to something behind him.
A sound of metal cutting through the air reach Sasuke and he instinctively raised the warhammer in a swing.
Sickle met warhammer and was turned away as Sasuke angrily glared at the new comer.
"Uchiha Sasuke, meet Noob Saibot."
A bubbling inkwell of darkness appeared and a man stepped out of it garbed in outfit of the darkest black.
The lights dimmed in his presence and cold seemed to takover the room. Like chalk grating floor, the man's voice intoned,
"Welcome to hell, little Shinobi."
Quan Chi's laughter echoed through the room, reveling in the unfolding scene as the two shinobi circled each other.
Author Notes: Lemme know in the review section what you think of the story so far. Also, if you have any recommendations for future arcs or pairing for either Sasuke or Naruto - lemme know. Pls review =)
Also note, Kronia+Cetrion have transported Sasuke and Naruto forward in a mixed timeline of MKX events. Shinnok isn't here cuz Kronika can't move gods. As such, Quan Chi has no revenants ala Cetrions "orders". I will have the "light" forces show up soon enough as they are watching from the darkness.