Everything hurts. She couldn't eat or sleep and often found herself looking down at the floor. Once more entering her deceased son's room, she broke down. It felt unfair. He was here, breathing and enjoying life. Now he's gone. Just like that.
She got to her knees, tired of everything. Why would this happen? What sort of deity would make this possible? Do they not care or simply don't exist?
So, for the first time in her life, Hinata prayed.
She called to whatever deity was listening to heed her plea. To give her answers on why her son had to die. Unknown to her, an entity is listening to the prayers.
Hinata feels a warmth brush behind her. The shinobi instincts kick in and stand up. But before anything else happens, her body goes numb. It felt like her nerves were on fire.
A voice in the back of her head made itself known. "You will do."
Information enters her mind. She knew what to do. Find this apprentice from the stars and convince her to help. And together she will have her vengeance.
Months later, Hinata stands atop a ruined village. A grand lion roared at a divine being above her. Vengeance is so close now.
She jumps towards the Horsemen, fists engulfed in flames. Uchū darts backward at incredible speeds. Hinata didn't bother swinging her flaming fists. The Horsemen prove to be too quick. Prismatic-colored strings wrap around her limbs, and with a mighty yank of his arm, Uchū brings Hinata towards him. He grabs her by the jaw, holding firm and cold. His stare is calculating and emotionless.
"I know you're strong, Princess. This is your body, meaning your control. Just focus and let your mind flow."
Uchū sees her eyes react with signs of recognition and awe. Heat flows from her body, eliminating that little piece of consciousness left. Uchū groans in disappointment. He raises his right metal hand and flicks at Hinata's forehead. Her body ragdolls downward when the lion catches her before hitting the earth below.
The Lion raises its flaming form, stalking its prey in the sky. The projection of Proxima floats behind Hinata, caressing her cheek. "Don't worry, young one. With my power, you will soon strike him down."
Uchū scoffs. "I will not play games." He snaps his fingers.
Space rips open, revealing the infinite inside. There is a roar, and then two gigantic spiders leap out and land in front of the Lion. One is made of flesh and stone, while the other is mechanical. They stood up, threads flowing freely as they stared at their prey.
Golden threads sprout from the portal, and thousands of spiders begin to pour out. All of them laughed and gleamed with joy. Using the golden threads, the spiders float to the sky and into the clouds, where they commence construction.
Proxima scoffs, yet she can't hide her admiration. "Those pests grew in number and power. It looks like I have to drag out my demons."
Her jaws dislocate and slowly form a mouth. Wider and wider her mouth goes. A loud screech that somehow sounds both high and low-pitched. Both tones go at the same time.
The cracks in the earth heat up. An orange glow emerges from them, the ground turning into lava. Devilish laughter begins to echo from the cracks, growing louder and more wicked.
Humanoid creatures pounce out of the lava cracks, landing on the surface. Their skin is red, with horns sprouting from their foreheads. Ears are sharp and long. Skimping clothing fashion with collars and chains decorated all over. The amount of revealing and collars depended from demon to demon.
Creatures once thought to be myths had revealed themselves. The Succubus. Climbing up, they find prey. They stare at humanity like a cat observing a bird. Licking their lips and giggling playfully.
The Queen of Queens calls their attention. "Ladies! We have more pressing matters." She points to the army of spiders amassing in the sky.
Some voice their delight, while others nod in agreement. Together, using their magic, ethereal chains manifest and go up into the air. The strings on the clouds come to life as they strike down any fiery chain that comes close. The Succubi chuckle as they prepare another attack.
Naruto looks upon the chaos. He is stunned at the sudden armies clashing in the sky. The first thought in his head is the safety of the village.
Looking over the synthetics, he tries to reassure them. "It's okay. I'll keep you safe." Naruto looks back at the sky. "Come on, we have to climb to the surface. We'll be safe from the debris."
The Hokage spots Kanari already halfway up. Ku floats near Kurama's head. "They haven't seen the outside world. They'll be lost and afraid."
Naruto gazes back down at the terrified clones. "I know you're all scared. Your life was one way, then it changed in an instant. You want to hide in the dark, thinking what if. That won't bring you peace. Nothing will. What will make you feel better is getting out there and doing something. So please, help me help you. Get to safety and help where you can."
There is silence in the basin while chaos echoes above them. Naruto feels stones rolling in his stomach. He started to believe they were going to remain down here.
A synthetic clone claps his hands together and performs a remarkable jutsu. "Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence."
The walls of the earth split open as giant trees depart to reach the surface. Synthetics jump on the trees as they continue to grow and travel to the surface. Naruto is stunned. They were very fast, equal to or greater than a Jonin. In just a few moments, all synthetics have reached the top.
All the ethereal aura retracts back into Naruto. He looks up in Nine-Tailed cloak form. "That really is something." Kurama remarks.
"Yeah. Good thing they're on our side." Naruto replies. "Okay! We have to stop this fight. Any plans, Kurama?"
"That Proxima lady holds firm control of the soil. Perhaps we can rip that control away from her."
"Good point! Take away the corrupted earth, and she'll probably lose her summons. But how are we going to terraform the earth? I can't handle that much terrain."
"Maybe if you contact Oto, we can-"
"Wait! I think I know someone who can take control of the earth."
"Huh? Who?"
"Hold on. I'll bring them to us." Naruto bites his thumb, drawing blood. He slams his hands on the ground and shouts. "Summoning Jutsu!"
Smoke engulfs the basin. The summon swipes the smoke, pushing it aside. A beast large enough to tower over trees, round like a ball, emanating stinging wind with the gentlest of movement, and lots of sand.
"Yeahahaha! It is I, The Incarnation of Sand, the monster Tanuki, the One-Tailed. Shukaku of the Sand!" Shukaku points in front of him, only to realize he's pointing at a wall. "Uhh…"
"Why!?" Kurama shouts, almost deafening Naruto.
"Ow! Hey, we needed someone to rearrange the earth, so I got someone."
"I'm pretty sure we can get someone better."
"Stupid fox, can't get the job done?" Shukaku mocks Kurama. "All that brute strength yet yields zero results."
"Everyone, focus!" Naruto calls out.
"Right, right. So Naruto, who am I killing?"
"No killing. In fact, you'll be doing the opposite."
"I… What?"
"Up there, someone has terraformed the earth to summon some underlings. With your earth's prowess, we can change the terrain and cut off the soldiers."
"But… But I wanna kill!" Shukaku complains, almost childlike.
"No killing. Focus on the earth. I'll leave you to it."
Shukaku grumbles, made worse when he hears Kurama chuckle. Naruto jumps before the One-Tailed can throw a fit. At the peak of his jump, Naruto spots a speck of light far away moving erratically. It moves closer and closer when he realizes it isn't a piece of ember but someone moving in quickly. Naruto raises his arms and blocks the hit from this comet-like attack which sends him crashing back down.
The Hokage quickly recovers, looking at the glowing orange light gently approaching the ground. This light dissipates revealing a woman to be the source. Red skin, short hair, horns from the forehead, and pointed ears. Unlike the other succubi, she has 4 arms, and messy hair, yet wears a full-tailored suit. Black coat and tie with a white undershirt.
She reaches into her coat and pulls out an entire bottle of whisky. Popping open the glass container she swigs the whiskey, drinking a significant amount. Her lips let go of the bottle and she breathed heavily. Bottle in hand she points at Naruto.
"Name's Yargui. And I'm guessing you'll be my opponent."
"I don't have time for this. People are dying, and I need to be out there."
"Yeah, you're the Hokage or whatever. It's your job to… Uhh, well I guess it's essential. But my job is to protect my Queen no matter what she is doing. Even if what she's doing is pretty stupid."
Naruto raises a brow. Not all of Proxima's subjects agree with her. "You seem sensible. Help us end this senseless battle."
"I'm drunk, not sensible. Now put them up. The Kage are apparently strong. Right? Show it." Yargui places the whole battle back into her sleek coat, seemingly disappearing. After straightening her coat she extends all four of her arms. "Hit me."
"What?"
"I would like to measure your strength."
Naruto didn't know what to think of her. He figures to give her what she desires. With his speed, he comes in close and swings his fist. The punch connects yet Yargui did not faze. She readjusts her gaze back to Naruto, a disappointed look.
"Well, that's sad."
That comment irked Naruto. He punches her again and this time he goes for it. An uppercut hits Yargui on the chin sending her flying and crashing the wall up high. Once the dust settles Yargui finds herself stuck in the wall. Removing herself from the earth, she smiles.
"Now that's more like it." Yargui jumps toward Naruto, all four arms enveloped in flames. The Hokage moves out of the way, allowing her to shatter the ground below.
The smoke clears. Arms still engulf she steps forward. "Please, show me the power of a Hokage."
Both took a fighting stance and prepare for a fierce battle.
A giant chunk of raw earth is cut in twine as it misses a group of Oto shinobi. The ethereal chakra avatar retracts its blade, the user standing in the center observing his surroundings.
"Get behind me!" He orders.
Oto Jonin scoffs but the underlings do as told. The Jonin begrudgingly follow behind them. A group of shinobi regroups inside the Susanno. An elder Oto shinobi steps next to Sasuke.
"This is complete anarchy. Please tell me if you have a plan."
"I'm sorry, but I don't. Innocent lives are caught in the crossfire, and that's what I'm focusing on."
"That's a good start." The Oto Jonin replies.
Sakura lands next to her husband, panic look on her face. "It's all falling apart out there. I can't reach Sarada." She dreads.
"You're the legendary Sakura Uchiha, right." The Jonin questions.
"Yes. Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"
"Civilians could use your help in the village."
"I'll need an extra pair of hands."
Sasuke places a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll keep the skies clear for you. And I'll reach our daughter."
Sakura reaches for his hand. "Thank you."
She walks next to the Oto Jonin and he begins to speak. "Usually the Medical-nin stay in the back. But since you are Sakura, I'll be more comfortable if you join the front."
Sakura cracks her knuckles. "Just how I like it."
With the Oto forces behind her, Sakura jumps into action.
Shikadai protects Yui from the oncoming debris of the battle. He has no idea what is happening. All he could do is protect Yui and hide. From a glimpse, Yui spots a bunch of golden strings accumulating in a single location.
"There." Yui points out. "They're gathering there."
"Are you suggesting we interfere?"
"Any chance to stop this chaos!"
Shikadai swears. "Fine, but you'll stay behind me."
Yui and Shikadai carefully traverse the burning village. Finding the source of the golden strings is a prisoner—the self-titled Otokage.
"Nasu!? What the hell happened to you." Shikadai questions.
Groggy and dazed, she replies with her eyes closed. "I tried to stop the spiders. They tied me up and nullified my powers." Nasu opens her eyes spotting her rescuers. She doesn't recognize them. "Who are you?"
The young Nara studies the strings while continuing the conversation. "Shikadai Nara." He pulls out a kunai. "Hold."
"Nara? Are you Shakamaru's son?"
"Yup." Shikadai carefully grabs a string and instantly feels his whole arm go numb. He lets go gripping his arm as it slowly returns to normal.
"Shikadai!" Yui yells in worry.
"Gah. I'm fine." He looks back up to the golden strings. "Guess we can't cut them normally."
Shikadai pulls out a scroll and from the scroll summons a giant folding fan. He bites his thumb and smears his blood across it.
"First time. Hope this works." He swings his fan, summoning a sizeable white-furred weasel with a dark green eye patch concealing his left eye. On it is a sickle the same size as him, with other smaller scythes hovering around him. A whirlwind is formed as the weasel floats with the wind, and with great effort, cuts down the golden strings.
Nasu falls to her feet, already feeling her stamina returning. "Thank you."
The weasel, Kamatari, studies the golden threads. "Is this the gold of legend?" He whispers.
Yui overhears Kamatari and inquires. "Legend? What legend?"
"Long ago there was a clan of spiders who enjoyed toying with humanity. Misinformation, experiments, and a few murders. Then, they encountered a god. The diety found them amusing and gifted them with golden strings. With those strings, they ascended to a higher plane and faded into legend."
"So these spiders are lesser deities in their own right?" Nasu questions.
"Maybe. Remember, I thought they were a legend until now."
"Legend or not, they'll pay for inflicting harm to Oto."
A wave of power wash over them. Like weight is placed on the shoulders. And the sense of someone watching. They can feel someone up high in the sky, watching them. Observing, judging. Then just as quickly as it appears the feeling is gone.
"One of the gods noticed our actions," Kamatari whispers.
"It… doesn't matter." Although she tries to put on a face, Nasu couldn't conceal her fear. Fingers shaking, breathing heavier. "I will protect my people."
"Do you mind if we tail you? Feels safer with you having our backs."
"You're capable. Fine, just don't slow me down."
The Uzumaki clan escorts Gaoh down to the ruins. Juggling with equipment and making sure the Headmaster stays stable. He's in terrible condition. The run-in with Sasuke almost ended his life. If it wasn't for his Uzumaki genes, he would be dead by now.
And now Eddy-reborn is exposed, with a massive battle erupting over them.
"Dammit! I need another oxygen tank! This one is ruptured."
Gaoh begins moving and removes the oxygen mask. "C- chamber… take me to the central chamber. Begin… ritual… on me…"
"What!? We never perfected it." The doctor worries.
"I'm dying…" Gaoh coughs. "If we find the throne, there's a chance." The coughing intensifies, and then the Headmaster goes limp.
"Gaoh? Gaoh! Dammit!"
The doctors stare at each other. It's the will of the Headmaster. Even with doubt in their minds, they knew what to do. For the sake of the clan and the future of humanity.
"Let's go."
The doctor is knocked to the ground by a shuriken that pierces his back. A woman in a pale wooden mask appears in front of them. She raises her head and glares at her foes.
"I've come to terms with my failure. That I'll never see you again. Yet, through some strange miracle, you lay before me. Dying." Purple radiance pours out of her body. "I will not let this chance walk away."
Sumire summons a giant beast that roars at its enemies. The Uzumaki step forward prepared to fight this demon.
A dozen Naruto clones drop to earth with deadly force, causing them to disperse. The original barely manages to land on his feet. Yargui lands in front of him, shattering the ground.
She smiles. "You are fun! No wonder you're held in high regard."
"Dammit! This fight is achieving nothing. I need to reach the sky."
"She is no pushover. Slipping past her will be difficult."
"I have experience running away from women. I got this."
"D-Did you really think that was a cool line?"
"It sounded cooler in my head. Let's go!"
Hundreds of shadow clones appear before Yargui. She grins in excitement, flames growing large upon her frame. Two large swords form on her third and fourth arms, ready to restart the fight.
Both sides clash. Yargui holds fairly well with the clones jumping at her. During the chaos, the original moves through the earth, trying his best to remain hidden. Up the gorge and reaching the fields. All the chaos disheartens him. Naruto refocuses and looks up. He needs to save his wife.
A giant purple hand grabs him and lifts him high up from the ground. He found face to ethereal face of his best friend. Inside the Susanoo, Sasuke confronts Naruto.
"Naruto! What the hell is happening!?"
"Two Horsemen are fighting each other. One of them has Hinata; I need to reach them."
Sasuke looks up at the sky, where the two gods are located.
He has an idea. "Get ready."
The Susanoo curls Naruto into a ball and aims. He reels his arm back and throws Naruto toward the Gods at high speeds.
"You dicaaaahhhhh-"
The Hokage is flying through the air. He is able to readjust and put himself in a comfortable position. Naruto starts to lose momentum, and he hasn't reached them yet. When thinking of a way to continue his accent, Naruto realizes he is accelerating. Going faster and faster towards the gods. Losing his balance Naruto spins wildly as he approaches the First Horsemen.
Uchū catches Naruto by his face with a single arm and holds him firmly. "I'll deal with you later." He spat. His eyes briefly met Hinata's, and an idea came to mind.
He presents the incapacitated Naruto to her. His back was facing her gaze. Uchū coldly glares at Hinata.
"Catch."
In an instant, Naruto's golden glow turns into ice. Uchū lets go, leaving gravity to deal with the Hokage.
Hinata's spell is broken. "Naruto!" She yells.
An arm grabs her forearms, preventing her from chasing after him.
"Forget him. Focus on Rigel!"
"Get off me!"
Hinata fights back against her exploiter. A back and forth for control of her body. With her byakugan, she spots something falling from the sky. Proxima hasn't noticed, and she uses it to her advantage. Hinata ducks, leaving Proxima exposed.
A black blade cuts through Proxima's skull. Her lava head is cut diagonally as she lets go of Hinata as she recoils.
Megami returns to Uchū's side as she observes the damage she causes. Hinata is still latched on to Proxima but is conscious of her surroundings. The Lion below begins to go wild as his Queen is struck. Threads wrap around the Lion from the flesh spider as it tries to hold it down.
The ground turns to sand, sinking the Lion and the giant spiders. And from the sand, Shukaku emerges, carefully catching Naruto safely. The One-Tail laughs at his opponents, proud of their superior abilities.
"Mekhane." Uchū commands.
The Mechanical Spider reacts by slamming its legs further into the sand. Threads erupt from the sand and wrap around each other. Together, they form materials like wood, stone, and metal, assembling structures akin to buildings. Building over Shukaku and the Lion, large gaps were left like missing windows.
Small shadows move around the pillars.
Rodents wearing capes and armor are taking positions. They all throw their treads toward the One-Tail, enveloping and halting its movement.
"Begin the sealing process!" A rat commands.
"Uh oh." Shukaku panics.
With the little control he had left, Shukaku fired sand bullets at the towers. Some hit the rodents, knocking them out and losing control of the threads. Yet most of them remain and hold down the beast.
An orange glow shines through the sand, and a giant tail sweeps at the treads. The Nine-Tails avatar emerges from the One-Tail desert, immediately attacking the towers. Parts of Naruto were still frozen, so Kurama has taken control.
Shukaku speaks up. "I'll handle these towers. Focus on the clockwork creating them."
Kurama scoffs. "Tch, fine."
The Nine-Tails jump in front of the mechanical spider, Mekhane. It grips its front legs and opens its mouth. The chakra accumulates into a ball, growing larger by the second.
Silver threads pierce the ball, halting its growth and nullifying its gravitational force. It then turns to stone and crumbles. Kumara looks back, finding the flesh spider to be the one responsible. More threads entangle the Nine-Tails, nullifying his powers.
Shukaku inhales and takes in a tremendous amount of air. It pounds its stomach, releasing a giant ball of wind and hitting the tower directly. The tower is obliterated, rodents flung with the winds. At that point, the chaos freezes and begins to rewind. Any damage done is reversed, and the rodents return to their place.
"What? Y-your joking!" Shukaku is baffled.
Kurama looks back. "They can manipulate time?!"
Naruto regains consciousness and examines his surroundings. He finds himself inside the head of the Kurama avatar, faced with a giant clockwork spider.
"K- Kurama!" Naruto worries.
"I'm fine. Focus on the enemy in front of us."
"Right!"
Sarada and Himei cling to the lion's fur. The threads have confined the lion in place, allowing them to safely descend. They make contact with the ground and flee the mayhem above them. They leap into a huge crack in the ground and follow it down.
"Get moving farther down. We can reach the village if we are careful." Himei warns.
Together, they traverse the chaos and gradually reach a safe distance. Reaching the edge, they look below at the hidden village, mostly destroyed. With their Sharingan, they spot a peculiar detail—a dying headmaster.
"Is that-"
"He's dying."
"Those around him, they're trying to save him."
"We should stop them. Make sure he stays down."
"Looks like he's dying either way. Why jump down and risk a fight?"
"I don't think we have a choice." Himei points at the battle behind them. "This is the only path forward."
Sarada ponders. "It would be nice to guarantee his death."
"Great. We're doing this! You have my back?"
"As long as you have mine."
Both girls jump into the air and fall in front of them. Yet they haven't noticed.
"Quick! Keep going; we'll lose her in-" The Uzumaki soldiers finally notice the Uchiha in front of them.
"W-what?! How are you?" One of them barks.
"The ones who are going to end this."
"You're that rogue synthetic!"
Nue bursts from the rubble with Sumire on its head.
"We're surrounded!"
"We'll fight our way through."
"Ready, Sarada?"
"Let's end this."
A/N: I wished this was longer, but my attention is somewhere else. Picked up a coding hobby and been toying with that. Came back finally to finish this chapter. Also, whenever I finish writing a chapter an earthquake hits. What the heck, am I cursed or something?
On to the copy-paste outro! Please favorite and/or follow, share, and leave a review. Don't be shy, tell me what you think of the story and leave me tips on how I should improve my writing. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you next time.
