Happy 2023, my fellow Fanfictioners! How ya doing?
I'm a terrible person lol
I tell you guys I won't post anything new for a while…and here I am posting something new. I curse my overactive imagination, my whimsy, and my weak will.
OKAY! Now that we got THAT out of the way!
This story is inspired by my love for the "Isekai Anime" genre, and you know by this point that it will have our favorite knuckleheaded Maelstrom as the lead. However, this won't be a true Isekai story. Instead of Naruto going to another world entirely, it'll be something different.
I hope you all like this, and HUGE thanks to my friend Curious Kitsune654 for helping me flush out this idea.
One last thing, as a heads up to y'all:
This story will have characters in it that aren't normally seen in Isekai Anime. So, if you see a character that seemingly doesn't make sense, their appearance in-story was planned out by me and Curious.
Also, fair warning: this first chapter could be classified as an "Info Dump" chapter. There won't be a whole lot of action going on until roughly the end, and it will be pretty minimal at that.
Without further ado, shall we begin?
Disclaimer: I, Raymond Smith (aka pain17ification), own nothing
Labyrinthian Maelstrom
Chapter 1: Accidental Trespass
'How did it come to this…?'
He was unable to move, staring at the distant sky framed by twin walls of sharpened spikes while lying on his back. His body had been broken by his impromptu fall down the chasm he was staring at, having been recklessly pushed into its depths by his, at the time, instructor.
Already, the foul energy of his unwanted prisoner was in the process restoring the broken bones and damaged organs of his impact with the ground beneath him. Beside him, rubbing herself against his blood red locks in concern, was his oldest friend.
'Wish I could tell her I'm fine…'
Truly, he lamented how weak he felt; how close to death he had been brought to. He couldn't do it. He couldn't save himself. For the sole purpose of summoning forth a Toad, he had been told by that perverted hermit to summon or die.
'I guess I found a third option, thanks to the fox… Kyuubi, I doubt you're listening, but thanks for helping me survive…'
Unfocused cerulean eyes slowly closed, his body demanding that he rest while the Bijuu within him recovers his body. Just before he blacked out, he had his gaze shift to the side as much as possible so that he could see the red squirrel that had leapt after him into the chasm. Her black eyes conveyed so much worry for him that he felt guilty for his inability to reassure her.
'Hazel…' (1)
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in what could only be described as a hallway of a basement or boiler room; one similar to the one underneath his apartment building. It even had some leaking pipes that were clamped to the ceiling above.
Interestingly enough, he wasn't in any pain, nor was he lying on his back when he became conscious in this place. He was standing on his feet staring at one of three hallways at a T-junction, with the hallway he was facing giving off a faint crimson glow in the distance.
Having a guess as to what that glow originated from, he steeled himself and swallowed the lump in his throat before pressing forward. It seemed as though he would be meeting his tenant, and as the landlord, it would be rude not to introduce himself; let alone not thank the beast in person for the help.
He couldn't tell how long or how far he walked, but he eventually reached an opening that revealed itself to be a massive room that he would bet could comfortably store the busts of the Hokage seen on the mountain behind the village. He couldn't see the ceiling anymore, as it led to darkness; but he could see the large gate before him.
Approaching the gate, he saw a small tag with the symbol for Seal written upon it. The tag rested upon the gate, acting as a lock for the massive structure that barred off the owner of the crimson eyes residing in the shadows beyond.
"Well," a whispery voice that sounded akin to a growl spoke up, "this is a rather peculiar situation you've found yourself in, boy."
Despite the predicament, the redheaded teen couldn't fight the small chuckle he gave. "I live a charmed life, I suppose…"
"That's incorrect."
"Hmm?"
"What you said. If you truly lived such a charmed life, you would've remained out of danger as if through magic or by some miracle or other. No, I'd say you and I live cursed lives."
Now, he couldn't help sweatdropping at the fox so casually correcting him on proper use of a metaphor.
"But we've got other things to discuss other than your misuse of sayings."
While his sweatdrop doubled in size, he nodded and sat on the flooded floor beneath him while somehow remaining unaffected by the water. "…thank you," he began, "for saving me."
"Understand this, boy: I didn't save you out of some sense of concern for your wellbeing. It was simply for my own survival. If you perish, so shall I."
"Is it because that's how the seal works?"
"Partly because of that. However, the main reason for my future demise would be because of what happened to me before I was sealed within you. My chakra – my very being – was split in two; my Yin, which was sealed away into your Hokage, and my Yang, which speaks to you now."
"…so, because you're not whole, and because the Fourth used a seal that summoned the Shinigami, you can't properly reform…?" guessed the young man.
"Correct, though I'm curious where you heard about the workings of the seal used on you."
"Well, for starters, the seal on me isn't what I'm talking about. Can you view my memories?"
"I haven't bothered to."
"Right… Well, on the night I took the Sacred Scroll, I didn't just learn how to do the Shadow Clone technique. I also read ahead and saw what was called the Sealing Technique: Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Apparently, it can seal away practically anything into whoever uses it, but then the user of the seal eaten by the Shinigami in exchange. What the illustration of the seal looked like was different from the seal on me."
"I see…"
"Yang cannot exist on its own with Yin, right? So, if you managed to get out of me, it wouldn't do you much good because you wouldn't be able to reform correctly."
"You're surprisingly more astute than I thought you'd be."
"Oh, I'm still an idiot," Naruto admitted without an ounce of shame, which surprisingly had the Bijuu sweatdrop. "There're still plenty of things I don't know or understand. It's just that I pay more attention to things when they're interesting to me. All that stuff we learned back in the Academy was so dull and boring that I couldn't pay attention to it; which is why I failed so many of my tests and was labeled as the Dead Last of the class."
"Understandable. So, you now know why I preserved your body to survive the impact. What will you do when you awaken?"
"Well, if I couldn't grab onto the wall during my fall, I doubt I'd have better luck trying to climb out. I guess the only thing I can do is see if there's some other way out of this chasm floor."
"That'd be the most prudent course of action. However, I'd advise caution, boy."
"Why is that?"
"This place we're in… It feels ancient… Almost otherworldly, even. I doubt anyone back up top even knows what could be down here; so be on your guard."
Nodding, the Uzumaki stood back up and gave the fox a pensive look. "…are you willing to work together while I look for a way out of here?"
"I had already considered something like that. I'll lend you my chakra when the situation calls for it; but it will be at my discretion. Do you understand?"
"So, if I think I'm in trouble, but you think I'm not, then you won't help me… That about sum it up?"
"Exactly. As I said, boy: use caution. Don't get in over your head."
"Got it. But uh… Could I ask one last thing? Merely because I'm curious about something."
"Speak."
"You're called the Kyuubi, but that's not really your name…is it? It feels more like a title than a name, y'know?"
A rare chuckle escaped the Bijuu. "You'd be the first of my jailors that has bothered to ask for my name. It isn't something I give out lightly, so I will say for now that Kyuubi isn't my name. As for my actual name, I'll tell you if you manage to survive long enough."
"Okay. Do you mind if I just call you Fox, then?"
"I have no issue with that."
Nodding, Naruto gave the Bijuu a small smile. "Then I hope we can get out of this together, Fox. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for you being here. Neither of us asked for this, but we're stuck together. Best to make the most of it, right?"
With that, Naruto faded from the seal's representation, leaving the Kyuubi to chuckle softly once again.
"We shall see, boy…"
"Ugh… My everything…"
Cerulean eyes flickered open while Naruto slowly sat up, grimacing as his joints popped and crackled with every movement. However, his frown soon turned into a smile as the familiar fluffy face of Hazel popped into his field of view, chittering nervously before nuzzling against his cheek. "Hey, girl… Glad to see you're alright."
Pulling away, Naruto could almost swear the squirrel was giving him a dirty look as she squeaked and swatted at his collarbone rapidly, making the redhead chuckle guiltily. She was still upset, it seemed.
"I know, I know… I'm sorry for worrying you again, but I swear it wasn't…my…" he started to say, only to end up trailing off mid-sentence.
He blinked once in confusion and saw a little translucent box appear in his vision with the words Ready to Start? highlighted within it. Staring at it in wonder, Naruto reflexively tried to grab at it, only to find there was nothing to grab. And yet no matter where he looked, or even when he closed his eyes, that same little box stayed right in the middle of his vision.
"What the hell is-?"
"Hello!"
"GAH!"
*SQUEAK*
He was cut off when a female voice cheerfully greeted him, making him jump in surprise while Hazel squeaked in shock, clinging to the side of his head. When he turned to the source, the redheaded teen was thrown for a loop when he saw what could only be described as a chibi angel. She wore a white gown that matched the shade of her wings, and her green eyes shined like emeralds while her smiling face was framed by curly blonde hair.
"Uh… Hi?" he greeted back unsurely.
"Hello again, brave one. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Infinite Labyrinth, an ever-changing maze of caverns named after whom it was created for."
"The Infinite Labyrinth…? Does that mean it goes on forever?"
"To some extent, due to the ever-changing nature of this place. A path you take one day might be significantly different on the next."
"And…you are…?" he fished for a name.
"Oh! Apologies! I am the Guide Assistant for Basic Rules and Information of Explanatory Literature. It is nice to meet my current partner."
"…So, you're G.A.B.R.I.E.L., then? Can I just call you Gabriel?"
"You may. Most adventurers and travelers in the Labyrinth call us such."
"Us? So, like, there are more of you?"
"Of course! My kind was created to assist every new inhabitant that is born within or enters the Labyrinth," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. explained as she landed on Naruto's hand, either not noticing or ignoring the suspicious glare she was getting from Hazel. "There are many variations of us as well, such as the L.I.L.I.T.H. Units and the M.O.N. Units. However, us G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Units are the most common…erm model, I guess you could say. So, you will most likely see many versions of myself during your journey. Our primary task is to ensure that new players such as yourself are able to get a firm grasp of the rules and workings of the Labyrinth to ensure maximum chances of survival." (2)
"So…you're basically a personal mini teacher?" Naruto asked as he scratched his head thoughtfully, getting the tiny angel to nod enthusiastically. "Huh, this sounds like the Gamer's Guide in that weird board game that Pervy Crow showed me a few times before." (3)
"Pervy Crow?" G.A.B.R.I.E.L. repeated curiously with tilted head, only for Naruto to wave the question off.
"Nothing, just something from when I was little. So, could you tell me what this weird box is?"
"I would be happy to. If you'd kindly press the Start command, I can explain the functions of your HUD System; or Heads Up Display. Be sure to channel some of your energy into your fingertip before doing so, or else it will not read your input."
Sharing a look with Hazel, who looked rightfully confused about what her friend got them into, Naruto pressed the command key and saw the box expand in size while showing a variety of options for him to access.
"Stats, Skills, Inventory, Codex, and Options…?" he read, moving down the list. "What is all this?"
"All who inhabit the Infinite Labyrinth, whether they were sired here or fell in by chance, are given their own personal HUD System. All HUDs are the same, but personalized with information on who they are linked to, and only by going to the Share command function in the Options Menu can you access all of the information of other peoples' HUDs," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. explained. "But please, let us focus on your HUD before we start your journey in this place. Please start by selecting the Stats Menu, Uzumaki-san."
"How the hell do you-?" he began asking suspiciously.
"As your personal G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Unit, I have basic insight on you. This includes your name, age, date of birth, and some knowledge of your ancestry."
"Wait, so you know who my parents are?!" Naruto asked hopefully, earning a gentle smile from the G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Unit.
"After we go over the different menus of your HUD, you will know for yourself, Uzumaki-san. Now, if you would kindly…?"
Nodding, Naruto pressed the Stats command, prompting his HUD to change from the initial menu to a screen depicting information about him.
Naruto Uzumaki
Level: 1 (EXP: 0%)
Title: Undiscovered
Hit Points: 200
Energy Points: 300
Strength: 9
Defense: 10
Speed: 6
Skill: 6
Magic: 8
Resistance: 7
"Only Level 1…?" he asked with a small pout of annoyance.
"All who start their journey in the Infinite Labyrinth begin at this level, and their stats are averaged to match what they would represent at such a level. It should be noted that very rarely does a person have a stat value at or above a 10 at Level 1; save for Health and Energy. For you to have one of your stats at that point and one nearly there is most impressive, Uzumaki-san," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. complimented with a smile.
Now, the redhead turned bashful. "Um… Thank you…"
"There's no need for thanks. Now, I should explain the basics of Stats. Firstly, here in the Labyrinth, you will see a manner of inhabitants, monsters, and even some divine or demonic forces that will range between Levels 1 to 100. No being in existence, save for the Infinite One, has ever gone above Level 100."
"Holy shit…" Naruto whispered in shock.
"As for the stats themselves, all stats – except for Health and Energy – have a natural cap of 999. Only through the use of weaponry, armor, or special items and gear may those stats go above their natural cap. As for Health and Energy, it is unclear to their actual limit; however, the highest readings on record have been 1,000,000 Health and 750,000 Energy. So, it is hypothesized that 1 million is the cap for those two stats."
The young Uzumaki swallowed heavily at the thought of facing something with that amount of Health or Energy, though something still confused him.
"By Energy, do you mean chakra?"
"No, the term refers to a variety of different energy sources. While chakra is the natural energy of the World Above, the Labyrinth houses beings that use other kinds of power; the most prominent examples being Magic, Mana, or Chi."
"So, rather than have a bunch of different names for all those powers, Energy was used to simplify it?" Naruto guessed, earning a smiling nod from the G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Unit.
"Precisely."
"What about the Title? It says mine is Undiscovered…?"
"Titles are the terms used for different Classes or Ranks here in the Labyrinth, and they can change based on the choices and experiences of each individual. Most achieve their first Title around Level 5 or so. Many Titles are similar, with a few exceptions; but there are still some Titles that have yet to be recorded or discovered."
"Huh… So, I might be lucky enough to have a Title that hasn't been seen before," he mused before snorting at the notion. "Yeah, like I'd be so lucky or unlucky. I'll probably get some basic Title like a Mercenary or Scout."
"Moving on," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. continued, "if you would please exit this page so we can move onto the Skills Menu?"
Complying with the request, Naruto went back to the main menu and selected the Skills command. Like before, the box changed to a list of the different abilities he knew; though, it sadly was only a handful.
However, there was something else that caught his eye.
Skills:
Transformation: A basic jutsu that allows the user to take the form/shape of someone or something. (Note: Naruto Uzumaki has somehow found a way to make this jutsu a true transformation, and not an illusion. Reasons are unknown.)
Replacement: A basic jutsu that allows the user to swap places with an object or person to avoid damage. (Note: The size and distance factor into the energy required for this jutsu.)
Shadow Clones: Labeled Forbidden, this jutsu evenly splits the energy of the user to create solid copies of themselves to assist them in a fight or to act as a scout. (Note: Naruto Uzumaki has yet to discover the true potential of this Skill at this time.)
Perks:
Stamina Beast: Unit recovers from the Exhaustion Debuff much faster than normal.
Passive Regen: Unit recovers 5 health points every 30 seconds while in combat. Perk is doubled outside of combat.
Willful: Unit has a higher tolerance to Skills that can affect their mental state.
"So, it looks like my jutsu became my Skills. What are Perks?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Skills and Perks are different abilities or techniques that are acquired through different means. Skills are normally learned through practice or are a part of one's bloodline, whereas Perks are naturally acquired through personal growth or experience." G.A.B.R.I.E.L. looked thoughtful for a moment before adding, "A small addendum: some bloodlines or Titles can offer specialty Skills/Perks; but the bloodline or Title must be discovered or achieved first."
"Boy," the Kyuubi spoke up, making Naruto fight the impulse to jump in surprise. "Ask her if having the Uzumaki bloodline offers any sort of Perk."
Interested, Naruto relayed the query to G.A.B.R.I.E.L., who smiled kindly and replied, "See for yourself, Uzumaki-san. You may find something extra, as well."
Eager to see what she could mean, Naruto returned his attention to his Perks.
Perks:
Stamina Beast: Unit recovers from the Exhaustion Debuff much faster than normal.
Passive Regen: Unit recovers 5 health every 30 seconds while in combat. Perk is doubled outside of combat.
Willful: Unit has a higher tolerance to Skills that can affect their mental state.
Uzumaki Bloodline: Unit has higher Energy Points growth rate, has a naturally higher tolerance to a multitude of Status Ailments, and has a higher aptitude for Seals and Runes.
Kyuubi Jinchūriki: Unit has access to the Energy of the Kyuubi, providing a multitude of buffs and debuffs depending on the relationship between them. (Note: Effect is lessened due to only holding half of the Kyuubi. More details can be found in the Codex Menu under the Kyuubi Page.)
"The list was updated," Naruto noted aloud, earning a nod from the G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Unit.
"That is correct. Your Skills and Perks will update frequently on your journey. So be sure to check them often. Shall we move on to the Inventory Menu?"
"Sure, though I doubt it'll have much," he mused, looking down at his damaged clothes and the sole kunai knife still holstered to his pants leg. His other pack had been lost during his descent down the chasm.
Still, he selected the Inventory command and opened the newest window.
Armor:
Tattered Jacket: An orange jacket that has seen incredible wear and tear, recently reduced to little more than rags held together by stitching.
Defense Points: 0
Resistance Points: 0
Weight: 0.5
Damaged Pants: Orange bottoms that have mild wear and tear, recently damaged from a great fall and harsh landing.
Defense Points: 1
Resistance Points: 1
Weight: 0.5
Weapons:
Old Kunai: A small, but reliable knife with many uses. The go-to tool for shinobi and kunoichi.
Attack: 10
Magic: 0
Weight: 0.5
Weapon Perk: Critical Hit (5% chance of dealing 10x Damage)
Gabby Dagger: A small but sharp knife given to adventurers by G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Units at the start of their journeys. Slightly weighted for better Damage Value.
Attack: 15
Magic: 0
Weight: 2
Weapon Perk: Starter Boost (Grants wielder a 1.5x boost in EXP gained (Up to Level 10))
Special Items:
Leaf Village Headband: A headband associated with the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Meant to be used to show affiliation to the village, but offers little else in terms of usage or value.
Tools:
Empty
Food:
Empty
Resources:
Empty
"Wait, what dagger? All I have is-"
"Check your belt, please, Uzumaki-san," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. advised to the confused redhead, smiling when she watched him feel around his belt and discover the dagger in question strapped to the back of his belt. "My fellow Units are each given one of these daggers for each new challenger of the Labyrinth. Think of it as a tutorial weapon, if you will."
Unsheathing the dagger, the young Uzumaki tested the feel of it in his hand and gave a few practice swings to get a sense of how it handled. While heavier than his standard kunai knife, it would be a much-needed weapon for his journey.
Holstering the dagger, Naruto closed the Inventory Menu and pressed the Codex command, which revealed a submenu of choices.
Character Bios
Location Index
Synthesis/Forging Index
Enemy Index
Journal
Kyuubi
"So, the Codex is a massive log of what I see, hear, or encounter in this place. It's also where I can check on my connection with the Kyuubi. Is that about right, Gabriel?" he asked G.A.B.R.I.E.L., who nodded.
"Correct. If you recall on the Inventory Menu, there was a section for Resources. This refers to the items dropped by monsters or enemies that are intended for Synthesis or Forging. Synthesis is the creation of items through the use of materials or ingredients, while Forging is similar but focuses on weaponry and armor."
"Cool," he commented before deciding to check the Character Bios submenu. So far, only three names were listed; his own, Hazel, and the G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Unit.
Deciding to test the knowledge of this Codex, Naruto clicked on his own name.
Naruto Uzumaki (Age 14)
Born on October Tenth, he was made a Jinchūriki of the Kyuubi due to the machinations of an unknown assailant who was thwarted thanks to efforts of his parents. The Fourth Hokage – Minato Namikaze, and Naruto's father – chose to seal half of the Kyuubi within Naruto while taking the other half into himself to protect the Hidden Leaf. Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's mother, initially opposed this choice, but conceded to Minato's reasoning; though she was reluctant to turn her son into a Jinchūriki like she was.
Ostracized by a majority of his fellow villagers, Naruto grew up mostly alone and found friendship with less people than fingers on a hand. These people were the two Ichiraku Chefs – Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku – and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Later, he would find another in Iruka Umino.
Labeled as the "Dead Last" of the Academy, Naruto was assigned to Squad 7 under the leadership of Kakashi Hatake, alongside fellow Genin, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. The relationship between the squad was strained at best; but they managed to make it through up to the end of the second stage of the Chunin Exams.
Naruto's heritage is known by a select few in the Hidden Leaf, but none of them ever revealed the truth to him out of a misguided sense of trying to protect him. Recently, Naruto attempted to train under the Toad Sage, Jiraiya; but the reckless attempt to get him to use the Kyuubi's chakra resulted in his entry into the Infinite Labyrinth.
Stunned silence was all Naruto could manage after reading his bio. Never had he thought the someone he had once idolized – the Fourth Hokage, and "Hero of the Leaf" – was his father. The same man who made him a Jinchūriki was family. He didn't know what to feel.
On one hand, he was happy to finally know who his father was; but on the other hand, he was angry and distraught that the man who should have been there to raise him made him into something that almost the entire village hated or feared.
And his mother, Kushina. Truthfully, he had never heard of her before, which saddened him since he thought she would be honored for helping the Fourth Hokage on the night of his birth. But, he assumed that her name was stricken from records to keep potential spies – plus Naruto himself – in the dark about her connection to him. And to think that she was a Jinchūriki of the Kyuubi like he is.
It was with somber realization that he noticed the Codex provided no pictures of his parents; only having a screenshot of his face next to his bio page. He knew what his father looked like – he'd seen the man's image used for patriotic propaganda before; but he would've loved to see what his mother looked like.
If for nothing else than to imagine what her smile would be like to see.
The last thing that caught his attention was that someone else was responsible for the Kyuubi's attack on the village. Naruto is not only a scapegoat for the Bijuu, but also the one to take the fall for this mysterious person. It made his blood boil at the thought of someone going after his mother and freeing the Kyuubi from her.
Sniffing in an attempt to stop any tears, Naruto wiped his eyes with his sleeve while Hazel climbed onto his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek, having sensed his depressed mood and hoping to comfort him. He gave her a weak smile in thanks and rubbed her head in gratitude.
"Thanks, girl…"
She still looked concerned for him, but she settled on nuzzling him some more.
"I'm sorry you had to discover your parentage this way, Uzumaki-san," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. apologized sincerely, a saddened frown on her small visage. "I know my words may offer no comfort, but I hope you can grow stronger from knowing where you come from."
"…thanks, Gabriel," he replied softly, taking a moment to recompose himself. He could process his feelings about his parents later. "Is it possible for me to see the stats of others? I kinda wanted to see if Hazel was changed when we landed here, and I'm wondering what your stats would look like compared to mine."
"Certainly. If you'd go to your Options Menu…?" G.A.B.R.I.E.L. requested.
Naruto exited the Codex Menu and pressed the command for Options. What was odd about this menu was that it had only three choices, and two of those three were unreadable. The only available choice was Share, which he pressed before the screen changed to an empty box with a buffering symbol in the center that flashed as it spun.
"One moment, please," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. spoke as her emerald green eyes flashed, prompting Naruto's screen to stop buffering and show that he was linked to her. "You should be able to access my Stats page."
"What about Hazel?" Naruto asked curiously while the small squirrel climbed onto his head and settled in his red mane of hair.
"Well, she could link herself to you, or you could go back to your Options Menu and see what may have changed…?" she replied hintingly.
Complying with her suggestion, Naruto went back to the menu in question and saw the previously unknown options had become available. Beneath the Share command were commands that read Form Party and Disband Party; though the Disband option was grayed out.
More than likely because he hadn't formed one yet.
Pressing the command to Form Party, Naruto was directed to a submenu that had two options: Invite or Join. He looked up to Hazel, despite not actually seeing her, and stated, "I'm gonna send you an Invite, Hazel. Okay?"
When she chittered a response, he pressed the command in question and waited. Not long after, he was notified that his invitation was accepted, which changed his screen to show his new Party. His name was highlighted in orange with the word "Leader" attached to a box framing it, and the box branched off to another box that had Hazel's name in it.
"Only when a Party is formed will there be a Party Menu on your main menu," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. informed him. "In this menu, you can access the HUDs of your Party, but cannot make any active changes to them; even if they are incapacitated. So, if one of your party members has an item in their Inventory that you need, but they are unable to get it themselves, then it is unavailable until they are resuscitated. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, I get it. It just means I'll need to make sure everyone has emergency items on hand in their Inventories for the future. For now, though, I'd like to see your stats please, Gabriel."
"Of course. By all means, Uzumaki-san. I'll also reveal one of my Skills and my Specialty Perk to you on the same page," she replied with a smile as she shared her Stats screen with him.
G.A.B.R.I.E.L (Guide Assistant for Basic Rules and Information of Explanatory Literature)
Your personal helper and assistant for your journey through the Labyrinth!
Level: 10 (EXP: 0%)
Title: Labyrinth Guide
Health Points: 500
Energy Points: 250
Strength: 5
Defense: 50
Speed: 50
Skill: 50
Magic: 100
Resistance: 100
Skill:
Encyclopedia: A passive Skill that provides an innate knowledge of most things of the Labyrinth (Unique to the Labyrinth Guide)
Perk:
Salvation: In the event of near death, G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Unit will automatically be transported to the nearest Haven or Outpost
(Extra Note: G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Units are NOT one's personal property. Any attempts of intentional harm, abuse, mistreatment, or sexual assault will result in immediate revocation of partnership and the Doom Debuff)
'Wow, some of her stats are amazing. I wonder what mine will look like at Level 10…' he mused before he saw the Extra Note and voiced aloud, "The what now…? And I'm guessing that last part was added for a reason…?"
The chibi angel sighed and nodded. "Indeed, when we G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Units were first implemented, many adventurers tried to use us as a form of…stress relief. There were so many reports of it that our creator installed a Punishment Protocol if it happened again. Hence, the Doom Debuff; which is unique to the Labyrinth Guides."
Naruto grimaced in disgust. "Fucking creeps… So, what does it do?"
"In short, it puts a timer on them that, when depleted, activates Warp on them to his location…where he prepares for them with a pair of rusty scissors and no anesthesia."
Pale and with a heavy lump in his throat, Naruto swallowed nervously and squeaked out, "…oh…"
"But you needn't worry, Uzumaki-san. Given the life you've led, I have total confidence in you treating me with fairness and respect. In fact, it is my hope that you come to rely on me and see my as an ally and not just a guide."
His composure returned to normal and he gave her a warm smile. "I hope I can, too. I thought it'd be just me, Hazel, and Fox in here. I'm glad to have you around, Gabriel."
The sweet, yet tiny, angel had rosy cheeks that she held as she twirled happily in midair. "He's happy to have me! I'm so excited!"
The young Uzumaki couldn't help chuckling at the adorable moment from her, unaware of Hazel looking a bit pouty at what she had just witnessed.
"Okay, let's see Hazel's stats now," he stated as he dismissed G.A.B.R.I.E.L.'s HUD and accessed Hazel's from the Party Menu.
Hazel
A close, personal companion. Loyal and protective, she's always got your back!
Level: 1 (EXP: 0%)
Title: Undiscovered
Health Points: 50
Energy Points: 25
Strength: 1
Defense: 3
Speed: 8
Skill: 5
Magic: 10
Resistance: 5
Skill:
Scavenger: A passive Skill that grants a higher chance to spot and collect hidden materials (Unique to animalistic species)
Perk:
Nimble Frame: 75% chance of attacks missing
"Not bad, girl," Naruto praised his furry companion, who sat up proudly atop his head. "I wonder if you might be able to learn magic or something similar with your stat being a 10?"
"It may be possible," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. replied. "If she can, she'd need to find the means to learn; either through an instructor's guidance or by means of a tome or scroll."
"I see… Well, that's everything from the menus. I'd like to look at the Kyuubi Page in the Codex, but I'll wait to do that later. For now, I think we should get moving, since there's not much sense in standing around and waiting for someone – or something – to find us."
"I agree. Are you ready to begin your Tutorial Session?"
Naruto blinked when the question asked to him showed up on his screen in verbatim, with the options for Yes and No being available to him. Confirming that he was ready, the screen disappeared entirely from his viewpoint.
"Now that you've gotten the basics of your HUD down, you can call for it at any time. Simply ask for it to open, and it will appear before you."
"Got it. I'm ready to move on, now. Looks like it got pretty late with all the time we spent looking over everything," he noted, looking up at the chasm opening he fell through and seeing the skies colored by the setting sun.
"Very well. Let us begin your tutorial, Uzumaki-san. For starters, I'd like for you to fashion yourself a source of light. This section of the Labyrinth will be engulfed in darkness soon."
"What do you mean?"
"This chasm you fell through? The 'floor' of it will close, cutting off access between the Labyrinth and the World Above. You'd better find some materials fast, Uzumaki-san."
Frowning at the thought of being left helpless in the coming darkness, Naruto set himself to work looking for materials to make a torch of some sort. With Hazel's help, he found a decent looking branch, but he was having trouble finding a stone to act as a flint.
[Acquired: Wood x1]
Ignoring the message ping for the moment, Naruto asked his friend, "Hazel, could you use your Scavenger Skill to find me some limestone or quartz? I remember Old Man Hokage mentioning something about them when he told me some of his old war stories…"
Hazel clambered atop Naruto's head and unconsciously activated the skill, looking amongst their surroundings for a few moments before she spotted a section of the cavernous floor highlighted as limestone. She chittered as she leapt from his head and guided him to a fairly large rock.
Grinning, Naruto bent down on a knee and patted her head before he picked up the rock; albeit, with a little difficulty due to its weight. Throwing it with all his strength against the wall, he was pleased to see it break into smaller pieces and crouched down to find a few that could act as flintstones.
[Acquired: Spark Stone x3]
Once again ignoring the ping, the Uzumaki teen pulled off his orange jacket and used his kunai to cut off the sleeves so that they were strips of cloth.
[Acquired: Rags x6]
Using half of the strips, he wrapped them around one end of the stick and positioned it so that he could attempt to light it with his flintstones. He then tested them on his kunai and his dagger, comparing the sparks made between both weapons. He felt surer of the sparks made with the dagger, so he holstered his kunai and started striking one of his flintstones with the dagger.
Sparks emitted with each strike, but they weren't catching fire on the makeshift torch.
"C'mon… Light, already…" he muttered to himself as he kept striking the limestone. When the sparks finally caught the fibers of the rags and lit aflame, he smiled in relief under the glow of the torchlight. "About time…"
[Resources Lost: Wood x1, Rags x3
Tool Acquired: Makeshift Torch x1 (firelight remaining: 2 hours)]
"Very good, Uzumaki-san," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. praised with a smile. "Now, let us press onwards."
She floated over to the Uzumaki and positioned herself slightly behind him, allowing Naruto to take the lead while Hazel took her place in his red mane. With a breath to compose himself, and his eyes narrowed in grim determination, he and his two companions took their first steps deeper into the Labyrinth.
According to the time remaining for his torch, the trio had traveled for roughly an hour. Naruto had used this time to ask G.A.B.R.I.E.L. about the message pings he had received, as well as gathered more resource materials with Hazel. According to G.A.B.R.I.E.L., occasional message pings would happen whenever he found materials, used up materials to craft items or gear, or when he and his party defeated enemies. In combat, other potential message alerts would occur, but he would need to wait until he was in a fight to witness it for himself.
Speaking of which…
"Uzumaki-san," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. spoke up, "we are about to begin your Enemy Encounter Tutorial. Around the corner of this rock outcropping will be a low level monster for you to fight. The encounter will begin at your discretion."
Blue eyes narrowed at G.A.B.R.I.E.L.'s warning, and Naruto looked to Hazel, who had moved to his shoulder. "You ready for this, girl?"
With an adorable look of determination, the little red squirrel bared her teeth and nodded.
Pleased to see this, Naruto crept along the face of the outcropping so that he could peer around the corner and try to get a glimpse of the monster he would be facing. Unfortunately, because of the torch he had been carrying, his shadow was cast upon the wall and alerted the monster of his location.
Screeching at him and standing up from the small fire it had made was a gangly looking, but rather miniscule creature with a bulbous nose, pointed ears, and dark green skin with glowing yellow eyes.
[Enemy Encounter Tutorial: Start!]
(Play "Strength" by Jyc Row (4))
This message popped up in front of Naruto, who had whipped out his kunai as soon as the monster spotted him. He frowned in confusion when it didn't advance on him and only screeched at him every few seconds while the message screen faded from view and the chibi angel floated between them.
"Enemy encounters can happen in a variety of ways, Uzumaki-san," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. explained as she opened up a new window showing silhouettes of two people squaring off against one another. "There is the basic encounter, which is when you and your enemy are both aware of the other's presence and simply face off for a fight."
She swiped the window to a new image, depicting a silhouette of someone creeping up on another silhouette that had their back turned.
"There is the sneaky encounter, which is when you catch you enemy off guard. However, certain factors lower your chances of sneaking up on enemies; for example, your torch casting your shadow and revealing your presence."
Naruto's brow twitched at this since he had just gone through that, but G.A.B.R.I.E.L. ignored this as she swiped the window to a third image. This one depicted a lone silhouette with an exclamation mark floating over them while they looked to be trapped behind prison bars.
"There is the trapped encounter, which occurs in specific locations of the Labyrinth; most instances happening when going after some resources or loot near a dead end, or when you enter a room with various points of entry. You are not allowed to flee from these encounters and must deal with all enemies to move onward."
She then swiped to one final image, depicting the silhouette facing off against a formless shadow with glowing eyes.
"Lastly are boss encounters. These occur when you are up against either a more unique enemy or monster. Boss encounters cannot be dealt with by means of stealth, for it is up to the adventurer to willingly enter their lair or general location to begin the encounter."
Dismissing the window entirely, G.A.B.R.I.E.L. floated over to the monster and hovered behind it.
"Uzumaki-san, I will gift you with the Observe skill. Use it now if you would, please?"
Nodding, Naruto looked the monster square in the eye and stated, "Observe."
His cerulean eyes flashed, and a window appeared next to the monster.
Cave Imp
A common monster found in more cavernous sections of the Infinite Labyrinth
"As you can see, the Observe skill allows you to get some basic information on a target. At its current level, you can only see what the enemy is and a brief description about them," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. instructed as she floated back over to Naruto's side and gently poked him in the forehead.
[Skill Increase: Observe Level 2]
"As part of your Tutorial Session, I will administer EXP to certain skills so that you can have a more thorough understanding of the Labyrinth's mechanics. Now, with your Observe skill leveled up, cast it again on the Cave Imp before you."
Naruto nodded in both thanks and understanding before he complied with the request.
Cave Imp
A common monster found in more cavernous sections of the Infinite Labyrinth
Level 1
Health Points: 50
Energy Points: 10
Strength: 5
Defense: 3
Speed: 6
Skill: 4
Magic: 1
Resistance: 1
"With Observe Level 2, you can see the stats of your target. As Observe increases in level, it reveals more information on your target. Please note that Skills can only grow up to Level 5. However, upon reaching this point, they can either create newer Skills that are complementary of the original, or they can upgrade into newer variants to be leveled up once more."
"Okay, I get all that. But what about combat itself?"
"I was just about to begin explaining that, Uzumaki-san. Please, be a little more patient. I am having you go through these Tutorials so that you are better prepared for the Infinite Labyrinth," she gently scolded.
Wincing at the reprimand, Naruto muttered an apology and silently awaited her next explanation.
"Thank you. Now, your stats determine damage depending on the attack used. If it is a physical based attack, then the damage is based on your Strength Stat, while your Magic Stat determines the damage value of energy based attacks. If you are not using a weapon, and are not using Skills specific to unarmed combat, then your total damage is solely your Strength Stat."
"Then…does Defense and Resistance take away from the total damage?" Naruto asked, earning a smiling nod from G.A.B.R.I.E.L., which made him smile back. "I think I get it. So, since my kunai has an attack power of 10, does it add to my Strength Stat for a new total?"
"Very good, Uzumaki-san. Now, some weapons and armor will calculate differently, but let us focus on here and now. I want you to strike the Cave Imp with your kunai."
Nodding, Naruto leapt forward and sliced the Imp, which hissed in pain before Naruto quickly leapt back to where he originally stood. He noticed, upon striking the monster, a large, red-colored "16" popped up for a moment before vanishing. What's more is that Naruto saw the green light of the Imp's Health Bar shorten in length.
"As you can see," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. continued with her Tutorial, "your total damage would've been a maximum of 19; but this total was lessened to 16 because the Cave Imp has a Defense Stat of 3. 19 with 3 subtracted from it totals to 16. It's basic mathematics, Uzumaki-san."
While not looking forward to what looked to be the first of many instances of mathematics, Naruto nodded to show he understood. "Got it. Anything else?"
"Armor, like weapons do for your offensive stats, increases the total value of your defensive stats. Some armor focuses more on one of those defenses, but the concept is the same in the end. If your total damage is greater than their total defense, you will do damage to your target."
"And if your total damage is lesser than their total defense…?" the Uzumaki asked with a hint of concern.
"If that happens, then you will take the difference as recoil. So, be very careful when in combat, and make good use of your Observe skill. It may be the difference between making the correct decision or making a fatal error in judgment."
Swallowing nervously, Naruto nodded before he was caught off guard by the Imp swinging at him without warning. However, upon striking him, the Imp flinched and staggered back while cradling its hand, a red-colored "5" bouncing off of it while its Health Bar dropped by that amount.
"That was a perfect example of recoil damage," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. stated. "Normally, we G.A.B.R.I.E.L. Units don't have partners with such a high Defense Stat during the Tutorial Session. You're one of the rare few, Uzumaki-san."
Naruto smiled bashfully for a moment before refocusing on the Imp. "What's next?"
"Let's move on to the Skill and Speed Stats, since they directly interact with one another."
"How so? Is it like how Strength and Defense interact with each other?"
"Brilliant deduction, Uzumaki-san," she praised with a warm smile that he blushed bashfully at. "The Skill Stat is divided by the Speed Stat, providing you with a total Hit Percentage against your target. So, if we take your Skill Stat – which is 6 – and divide it against the Speed Stat of Cave Imp – which is also 6 – the answer is 1; which means that you have a solid 100% chance to hit when you're in range of it."
"That's awesome, ttebayo!"
"Now, if we did the reverse, the score has more different value. The Cave Imp has a Skill Stat of 4, whereas your Speed Stat is 6; just like your Skill Stat. If you divided 4 by 6, its answer is roughly 0.66; giving the monster a Hit Percentage of 66%."
"Holy…! That's insane!" the Uzumaki teen exclaimed in absolute shock.
"Amazing how a difference of two points can have such an impact in this place…" the Kyuubi mused with interest.
"It can be," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. agreed with a small giggle. "But remember this: stats can only reach a certain level on their own naturally. Weapons, armor, gear, and Perks can have a serious impact on stats; which will impact combat. The Infinite Labyrinth is not just a physical maze; it is an intellectual one, as well."
"No kidding…" Naruto muttered before shaking his head to recenter his focus. "So, is that it for combat; at least, in terms of the Tutorial?"
"Yes. Go ahead and finish off this Cave Imp, and the Enemy Encounter Tutorial will be completed."
"Sweet!" he cheered before turning an almost menacing grin at the Cave Imp, who shivered at the gleam in Naruto's eye. "Here I come, you bastard!"
(End Music)
Two more strikes of his kunai ended the life of the Cave Imp, which dissolved into nothingness upon death; much to Naruto's wonderment and concern. However, before he could question it, he saw that there was something left behind. Hazel jumped off his head to inspect it, only to recoil and gag at the smell hitting her more sensitive nose.
"What is it, girl?" Naruto questioned curiously as he approached the item, only to turn a little green at what looked like some meat scraps still attached to some rib bones. "…that's nasty…"
"As nasty as it might be, that Monster Scrap is still a resource," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. informed the duo. "My advice? Pick up any and all resources, even if they are on the more repulsive side. You never know what it could be used for."
"…super," the Uzumaki muttered with a twitching brow as he reluctantly grabbed the so-called Monster Scrap; which thankfully disappeared as soon as he touched it.
[Acquired: Monster Scrap x1]
"Yay, I got a new resource. Goody, goody…" he cheered in sarcastic deadpan while Hazel hurled behind a rock.
Giggling, G.A.B.R.I.E.L. teased, "Don't be such a baby." She then became more excited as she exclaimed, "We've only scratched the surface of the kinds of creepy, nasty, disgusting monsters you could find here in the Infinite Labyrinth! And we haven't a moment to lose! Onward, Uzumaki-san! We're still in the middle of your Tutorial Session, after all!"
Despite how he arrived, despite the craziness of this Labyrinth, and despite the potential danger that was yet to be encountered, Naruto couldn't help his eagerness for what may come. Hazel, after composing herself, climbed up onto his shoulder and nuzzled his neck, which made him look to her with a smile.
"You ready for this, Hazel?"
She nodded and chittered a determined response, making his smile blossom into his signature grin.
"Then let's keep moving! Look out, Labyrinth! Naruto Uzumaki is here, ttebayo!"
1~ I wonder how many people can guess who this is
2~ Dropping a couple hints on some of the MANY series this story will have mixed into it
3~ Just who is this "Pervy Crow"? Hmm~? *wink*
4~ Curious and I wanted to come up with a sorta "playlist" for this story. This track will be used for all of Naruto's "Tutorial Enemy Encounters". I'll update the "playlist" as the story continues!
And there y'all have it! The intro chapter of this idea!
This project between me and Curious Kitsune654 is perhaps one of the biggest we've ever attempted here on Fanfiction. I hope you lovely readers appreciate the work we're putting into this idea, and I'm eager to see your thoughts in reviews.
If you have questions, don't be afraid to PM me. I may not reply immediately, but I'm always happy to talk to interested readers. Although just because you have a question on your mind, that doesn't mean I'll give you a straight answer. I want to try and avoid as many potential spoilers as possible, after all.
And I shall immediately contradict that by dropping hints about the harem list of this undertaking! lol
The hints shall be the series each girl is from, with only ONE from each series listed! Have fun guessing!
So I'm a Spider, So What?
Skeleton Knight in Another World
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Monster Musume
Disney
And that's it! Seven ladies for our knuckleheaded Maelstrom! I'm curious who will guess them correctly!
Actually, if one of you manages to guess ALL SEVEN correctly (meaning ONE choice for each source listed), then I'll let you have a deciding voice on a future idea for this story!
Happy Guessing!
Until next time!
Stay safe, stay healthy, stay positive!
Dreaming of the Future
pain17ification