Unlikely Survival

Author Note:

This first chapter is to explain why people can cross from the Naruto-verse to our world and vice-versa. It twists the existing lore into something hopefully interesting.

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This Chapter is also an exposition for the main OC character to explain her background.

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If you find it boring skip to Chapter 2, just don't be too surprised if some things don't make sense.

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There will be darker aspects to the story later, perhaps, if the plot bunnies breed as planned or not planned. -_-* you know how bunnies get in plot season...

Disclaimer: I do no own Naruto, or any of its character, Kishimoto does. I only own my original characters.

Warnings: Language. There are a few curse words in this chapter

Italics are Thoughts

Bold is English

Preface

Once long ago there was a great tree that grew taller than the mountains, containing unimaginable power in its very being. This divine tree not only grew in one dimension but many, its roots intertwined with its reflections, connecting one world to another. One day, in one of these worlds, the power of the divine tree was stolen by a mortal woman who ate the thousand year fruit, taking the power into herself. Without its power, the divine tree began craving a replacement. Kaguya would sacrifice people to the tree to appease it until there came the day the tree was no longer appeased. Starving for its power the divine tree began rampaging, hunting all that had a life to replace the power it had lost in Kaguya's world while the other tree began to wither without its counterpart, its power sinking into its roots in an attempt to balance both worlds. The rampaging divine tree was named the Ten tails and sealed in the sky by one of Kaguya's sons. All the while, the other tree continued collapsing into itself, leaving a large scar in the land itself in the shape of a gaping hole, its sap and power sinking into the ground. These two gaping holes in the ground where the two great trees once were, were filled with water over time. In the bottom of this lake, the great trees roots still entwined, linking both worlds together with the power of the other tree.

920 years later - Warring Clan's Era- Hashirama

Tori was not a Senju by blood. She had been found as a small orphaned child by a few Senju ninja on patrol and when faced with leaving or killing the child, the barren but powerful warrior woman had adopted her instead. Now, after all these years, her adopted mother had been given the chance to create life, but her age and battle wounds were threatening to kill her. Tori knew the place was as forbidden as it was sacred, legends going back hundreds of years to through the clan, but she was as desperate as she was determined.

Landing at the edge of the lake, she took in the abnormally serene waters and the small island that stood at its center. There, on the island was a small tree and on that tree was a tiny fruit. Nervously she ran across the water, praying that the vengeful spirit of the lake would not be alerted to her presence.

As she drew closer she realized the tree was far bigger than she thought and the fruit was the size of her head. Looking around nervously once more she threw the windmill shuriken. The moment the fruit was severed from the tree Tori was forced to dodge as the roots began to attack her. Dodging desperately, knowing that if they caught her, she would be drained of life, she managed to leap past it all and catch the fruit. She was forced to kick off the tree and gasped at the sudden drop in her energy as she landed and ran across the water, barely able to make herself continue on.

On this day, several things happened.

The wife of the Senju Clan head, Tori's adopted mother was fed the forbidden fruit and later that day, a healthy Hashirama Senju, the future first Hokage, was born with all the fruit's power and none of its white coloration. His ability to grow trees and his near-unlimited power would be a source of fascination and mystery for years to come.

The remains of the tree in the middle of the lake withered away, leaving a gaping hole between worlds as its twin in the parallel dimension began to get pulled through the gap between worlds.

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In the parallel, our world, a Shadow seeped from the tree's dying roots with one purpose; to restore what had once been stolen.

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In 1661 on Earth, the French trader screamed as the shadow dragged him into the lake, the other villagers and natives screaming in horror as the creature continued to pick them off the boat, out of the houses, and drag them offshore into the lake's unseeing and glowing depths. At the bottom of the blue glowing waters, the dark silhouette of ancient roots could be seen.

60 years later-Earth 1994

The woman groaned as she left the house to look for the small bush on the other side of the island. She rubbed her large round stomach, knowing she shouldn't endanger the baby with the unknown fruit but being unable to stop herself, the craving was so great.

Not that she really wanted the child, but a child with defects would be blamed on her.

Ever since she had smelt the scent of the tiny fruits on the small tree, she had been unable to resist coming back for more. She ate greedily not seeing the fresh bones buried in the soil giving the tree chakra or the Shadow watching her from the lake's edge.

Also unseen to her, a camper on the other side of the lake suddenly disappeared.

3 years later- Earth 1997

The tiny child was crying again, left neglected outside the house despite being surrounded by water and unsupervised. Again. The shadow watched uncertainly, having gained over its long life sentience beyond its original purpose to restore and protect the tree. A ripple went across the water and the shadow moved with inhuman speed as it caught the ninja that rose through the water. It barely had a moment to wonder what had happened before the Shadow broke its neck. The ninja in the Anbu uniform didn't move. With one last look at the small toddler, it moved to the small tree on the other side of the island, intent on feeding it the ninja's chakra before it faded from the corpse. After all, more would be coming through over the next few days.

Time passed faster on this side of the lake.

A few moment's later the child found its way to the tree, smelling fresh fruit and the Shadow sighed, wondering if it should stop the little creature from feasting on his hard work. It was hard to when it looked so thin.

That year seven more campers and hikers went missing. The other world was greedy for more.

1 year later- Earth 1998

The Shadow watched uncertainly as the child was shut out of the house again. It did not cry, already well used to the treatment. The tiny girl began to play on the edge of the water and the Shadow tensed, having to fight the urge to drag her to the shadowy depths of the water, knowing that it wouldn't help the tree. She had no chakra, unlike the ninja from the other world. This world's energy had been drained into the parallel by the collapse of the other tree. If only he could go into that other world and stop the drain. His little tree was so small. Only hundreds of years of work had managed to save it from withering away. The other world was a greedy one, he had decided. When his little tree died, the connection linking the two worlds would be no more and he would be left alone with no purpose and his unending existence.

There was a gasp of surprise and a splash suddenly bringing the Shadow out of its reverie. Where was the child?! Suddenly with trepidation, it moved to where she had last been seen and found her struggling not to drown as the greedy other world tried to pull her through the lake. The Shadow was suddenly struck by the comparison to his own little tree, struggling to survive despite the infertile place it grew. Unconsciously he scooped the struggling child out of the water and she gasped for breath before coughing the water from her lungs, wide black eyes meeting his own. He nearly dropped her as one thin hand touched his face. As they stared at one another, he decided that he would change things. She would no longer be so thin, as his own little tree was so thin.

"Who you Mista?" she asked curiously as he cupped her thin little cheek. Yes, his little tree would flourish. Never did he realize that he wasn't thinking of the tree on the other side of the island.

1 year later-Earth 1999

The Shadow was content as it buried another four more ninjas at the base of its little tree. It was ripe with fruit and starting to grow to his happiness, just as his other little tree grew. Like the tree, she was no longer so small or thin.

It had been a good year, with more and more ninja teams coming through the lake to discover the world on the other side. Some had managed to elude capture but had swiftly died as this world crushed them with its gravity and poisoned them with its polluted air. Some were already chakra-less when he found the corpses. Seeing no use in keeping them, he took them to the bottom of the lake before sending them through the barrier he dare not cross, not knowing if his little tree would survive without him since time passed faster on this side of the lake.

The door opened and the little girl was left outside once more. The pitter-patter of her tiny feet brought her to his side and she beamed as he plucked a high rich piece of fruit for her to eat. She beamed up at him as he stroked her hair.

"What are we gonna do today Shadow?" she asked him as they sat under the tree, resting on the rich fertile soil.

There was always the possibility the other, greedy world would take his little tree away again. If that happened, he would follow.

Until then, he would prepare her.

He held out a scroll and she pouted, knowing today would be another day of language lessons. Maybe tomorrow, she could learn more about fighting.

1 year later- Earth 2000

The shadow was agitated. Again, his little tree was gone for her daily lessons at school, leaving him nothing to do but guard the lake. As a ninja came through the lake, the shadow swiftly dispatched it, gathering its weapons, scrolls, and supplies.

Thank god! It had been such a lean year, compared to last and both his little trees were suffering for it.

That stupid, greedy world!

The Shadow flared in alarm as the body was suddenly dragged back toward the lake, the unseen rope pulling it swiftly away. No!

He dove in after it, clawed finger accidentally tearing gouges in its soft skin before it too drifted through the rift. Seething, debating with itself it followed. Both his little trees would need more. Swiftly decided, he moved through the rift. He would bring them more.

The stronger the better.

Throughout the years powerful ninjas would disappear from the elemental nations.

21 years later- Earth 2019

The shadow watched contentedly as the branches of the tree swayed high above him, its fruits so rich they now fell to the ground with their ripeness. Not so little anymore he thought contentedly though sadly. With his growing sentience, he had come to understand that the tree he had once nurtured with such ferocity had been broken by the greed of the other world. It should only be able to make one fruit every thousand years and span the sky with its branches. This had only been the part that hadn't died and was only a shadow of what it had been. He didn't care though, he still loved it, just as he loved his other little tree.

"Hey Shadow!" the young woman greeted cheerfully as she loped to his side, all athletic build on a lithe powerful frame. He patted her head fondly as she grinned up at him. She would always be little to him.

He waved as she left, going up and over the bridge in her beat-up VW, knowing she would be back in the evening from her college classes. He was alarmed when he heard the screech of tires as the car suddenly crashed into the side of the bridge and watched in abject horror as it was slowly pulled over the edge as waters began to froth below. No! Not his little tree! Moving with inhuman speed, he grabbed the bumper of the car as he fought the pull of the greedy world below. With an almighty rip, the bumper was ripped off, her muffled scream filling his ears as it plunged into the waters below, already swiftly disappearing. Everything in him howled with rage.

With purpose, he dived in after her knowing the greedy world would never let her return, intent on swallowing her up.