Here's chapter 2 after releasing chapter 1 not so long ago! My inspiration and motivation for this story is high right now, so I want to capitalize on it before it dies down. Also, don't worry, I didn't forget about my other story if anybody is interested in that.
The next edition of The Warrior that Shined is here! I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or "Mortal Kombat," they belong to their respective owners.
Evening the Odds
"...So let me get this straight, you are a deity of another world," Kakashi then pointed at Raiden, "...and you wish to take Naruto…" he then looked towards the most unpredictable ninja he knew, "...on a journey to help protect your 'realm'? Is that right?"
Raiden nodded his head, "Yes, those are my intentions."
Kakashi digested everything that occurred in the last fifteen minutes. It was another day for the sixth Hokage when Naruto barged in and a person in unique attire followed suit. It was a sudden intrusion, but once he saw the serious expression on both individuals, Kakashi sent his ANBU out of his office to ensure privacy.
Once some seals were placed by Naruto to ensure nobody outside could hear their conversation, the explanations began. Naruto then explained everything he was told with Raiden corroborating his story. He would've been more surprised if he did not personally have experience with other dimensions already. His time fighting Obito in another dimension as well as Kaguya opened his mind to the thought of other worlds long ago.
"Well, Naruto is my highest-ranked Shinobi under my command and is probably one of the strongest beings on our planet, to be honest with you. However, why should I allow him to leave our village? What incentive gives me that option?" Asked Kakashi. As much as he hated to think of Naruto as a tool, he needed to see this situation from the viewpoint of a Hokage. The safety of the village was his priority after all. Having their strongest fighter leave for an undefined amount of time could hurt their defenses.
"That is very true Lord Hokage," exclaimed Raiden, "However, I have promised Naruto to grant him anything that is reasonable and within my power. If you'd like, I am willing to extend this offer to you, however, I must warn you that is the extent I am willing to go. I cannot easily make these promises to others so freely."
Kakashi pondered Raiden's words and stayed silent for a few moments. After a few more seconds of silence, Kakashi turned towards Naruto.
"Then let me ask you this Naruto, how do you feel about this?"
Naruto took a deep breath and gathered what he wanted to say. "Well Kakashi-sensei, I truly sense that Raiden feels his world is in danger from some unknown threat. If possible, I would want to join his cause and protect others. Even if they are strangers with no relation to us, I have never been able to stand aside if I could willingly help those in need."
Naruto then began to reminisce on events that had taken place in his lifetime. He continued with his speech, "Nagato, Tsunade, Neji, and even Zabuza were all people that I didn't need to care for. In the end, though, I was able to help change them. I've realized that helping others is a passion that I have always cherished and no amount of time can take that away from me. So, if allowed, I would like to help Raiden with his world, Kakashi-sensei."
After a few moments of information digestion, Naruto continued. "Plus, our world seems to be at peace. Sure, some conflicts might pop up here and there, but we are truly much closer to peace than we have been in a long time. I would love to give Raiden's world the same luxury we have. My friends have moved on into serious relationships which comes with age, but I don't fall into that category. I may be wanted here, but I almost feel like I am not needed here. If I can still use my skills to help those in need, then I would do it in a heartbeat."
Seeing how his former student was finished, Kakashi smiled. He assumed Naruto would wish to help, he just always had those characteristics. No amount of bloodshed, gore, violence, or hate could break Naruto's spirit. It was one of the things that Kakashi truly admired about the blond-haired shinobi.
Awaiting Kakashi's decision, both Naruto and Raiden peeled their ears when he began to speak.
"I always knew you were destined for great things Naruto, but I never would have expected you to be a savior to a different world," Kakashi chuckled. Many more seconds passed before he began to speak again. "I think you should go help Raiden, it's always been in your nature to help. I can give you a modified version of traveling rights, so you can always return when needed and not be labeled as a missing ninja."
"Not like we could do much if you did decide to leave willingly," laughed Kakashi within his mind.
Seeing his agreement, Naruto let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. After thanking Kakashi, Raiden then shared his thanks as well. He was grateful this new world was reasonable in granting them one of their strongest warriors.
"As for your Raiden," Kakashi began, "I do not require a fee or wish from you, I am doing this out of my own volition. I owe it to Naruto, as much as I hate to admit it, I was not there much for him as a child. His father, my sensei, instilled many values that I still hold dear. I re-payed his kindness by overlooking his only child for too long. One of my biggest regrets was not helping him more to develop into the person he is today."
"Kakashi-sensei," thought Naruto in surprise. He never knew his former teacher felt this way about him.
"I just ask, when do you plan to depart?" asked Kakashi.
"If possible, within the day. I cannot be gone for long as I am my realm's sworn protector," answered Raiden.
"I understand. Well then, if everything is settled, I think Naruto has to go pack his belongings and say goodbye to his friends until he returns. Naruto, you are dismissed but return to the Hokage office once you're ready. As for you Raiden, if you could please remain behind, I would like to have a few more words."
Naruto nodded and used the Shunshin no Jutsu to travel to his apartment. With a small gust of wind, Naruto disappeared and prepared to take everything he would need for his unknown journey. Thank goodness he could seal a lot more things with his newfound knowledge in fuinjutsu.
"What is it you wished to discuss Lord Hokage?" asked Raiden in respect.
"I just wanted to have you make me one promise before you and Naruto both leave," replied Kakashi in a serious voice.
"And what is that?" asked a cautious Raiden.
Kakashi then did something that truly shocked the electric fighter, he stood up and bowed. "Please, protect Naruto with all your power. He is strong, maybe even stronger than anyone I know, but he is precious to me. I have failed him and he still turned out a great shinobi, but he is vulnerable just as anybody else. Take care of him while you are away and ensure to me his safety will be your priority," exclaimed Kakashi.
Seeing how the promise was not that of power, but of protection, Raiden dropped his cautious stance. He now understood just how deeply the village leader cared about the warrior in orange. He wondered what kind of person Naruto was to earn such a deep loyalty from the man behind the mask.
"I, Raiden, protector of Earthrealm, vow to keep Naruto safe to the best of my ability. I shall cause him no deliberate harm and will guide him when needed," promised Raiden with his right arm raised and slightly bowing.
Seeing how it was good enough for him, Kakashi stood straight, nodded, and smiled. Now, they both awaited the return of the hero of Konoha.
Many Hours Later
Gathering his belongings came easy to Naruto. After all, he has had to prepare for missions last minute and still fluently packaged his necessities. It wasn't the packing that was hard for the shinobi, rather, it was saying bye to his friends.
Growing up without a family led Naruto to attach strong bonds to those he deemed close to him. Jiraiya became a father figure to him while Tsunade was the mother he never had. He saw Sasuke as a brother and even viewed his friends as his precious people. Some may call his relationships with friends as overbearing, but Naruto truly values his friends. He believed if he did not have those around him when he did, he may have turned out like Gaara as a child.
Being pulled away from the darkness of loneliness is only possible with people at your side. In his opinion, Naruto owed many thanks to his friends for taking away the curse of emptiness he used to feel daily.
It was relatively easy to track down many of his friends and say goodbye. Rock Lee, Tenten, Shino, Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Tsunade all received an explanation of why he would be gone for a while. He told each individual he may be gone for a long time as he would be on a mission away from the village that was approved by Kakashi. If a friend would push for more details, Naruto would just smile and say it was confidential but that he would always cherish their friendship.
Most of Naruto's friends were confused by the blonde's cryptic message, but they accepted it nonetheless. What they didn't realize was that Naruto was treating this as possibly the last time he would see them because deep down inside, Naruto understood the risk he could die while in Raiden's realm.
Sakura and Hinata were the two interactions that he felt were the toughest for him. Sakura almost cried at Naruto's verbiage. To her, it sounded like the blonde was accepting the fact he could be killed on this long-term mission. The thought scared her as she didn't think there were many things out there that could kill him, but she just supported her former teammate on his journey.
As for Hinata, their interaction ended with a close hug and silence. Hinata always believed in Naruto and it still rang true for her. If the blonde was to be sent away on a confidential mission approved by Kakashi, she would trust in both of their judgments. She gave the orange-loving ninja a hug goodbye and expressed her thanks for everything he did for her. Naruto almost released tears when they departed from each other. Emotion-sensing was both a blessing and a curse for the war hero.
Finally, it came down to Sasuke. He expected to find him within the home he shared with Sakura, but after a quick explanation from the pink-haired kunoichi, he found out Sasuke was returning soon from a mission.
After waiting at the village gates for the Sharingan-wearer to appear, his patience was answered.
"So what makes you want to wait at the village's entrance for me, Naruto?" asked Sasuke with a raised eyebrow as he was walking into Konoha. After a few more moments of walking, both shinobi stood across from each other.
Once his explanation of his departure was finished, Naruto awaited a response. Thankfully, Sasuke gave one back.
"So you're leaving for a while huh?" mumbled Sasuke with closed eyes. He stayed that way for about a minute and let the rustling wind fill the silence.
"...You know dobe, you may be able to fool the others, but I can tell mission means more to you than you're letting on. I also get the feeling you're not sure if you'll return, which worries me since I should be the only one capable of challenging you," smirked Sasuke. Naruto also gave a smile at his old rival's words.
"But, if this is something you hold dear, then I will await your return. Just promise me when you come back, we'll have another spar. I still haven't beaten you and that needs to change if you ask me," spoke Sasuke.
After giving his own nod, Naruto held out his fist. Understanding what the blond-haired ninja's intentions were, Sasuke held up his fist for a small fist bump. With that being over, Naruto turned around and began walking away. As he began to get out of his view, Sasuke looked towards the person who pulled him out of the darkness that consumed the majority of his life. Once he could no longer see the war hero, he let out a smile he would never let anyone see him with, and began walking home. He knew Naruto would shake up anywhere he would go, and he didn't expect any less out of his rival.
In the Hokage Tower
Raiden and Kakashi were both having a pleasant conversation about each other's worlds. Raiden spoke about how many realms there were and how each realm was broken down into. Kakashi thought this Shao Kahn from the past was an undeserving ruler. While Raiden did not go into much detail about him, the snippets he did tell him, were definitely unpleasant.
As for Raiden, he learned much about the shinobi world. The different nations, each consisting of a different Kage, were fascinating to him. The food here reminded Raiden of the Asian dishes of Earthrealm which was interesting to him.
As the conversation was underway, both beings turned to the window that housed a crouching Naruto. After slipping inside the room, Naruto stood up and they took in his appearance.
The once iconic orange clothing worn by the unpredictable ninja was completely changed. The importance of stealth had grown on Naruto so he wanted to make sure the last thing to give him away would be clothes.
His hair, which was once spiky, had smoothed down over the years and now reached just above his blue eyes. His face had lost a lot of baby fat in the war and he had a much more pronounced jawline and visible muscles under his clothing. Naruto was not overly muscular and was much more akin to a swimmer's physique, but he held amazing power regardless.
His whisker marks still remained on his face, but he learned long ago to accept them. As for his wardrobe, it changed dramatically after the war.
Naruto changed out his sandals for steel-toed black combat boots. His legs were covered by black pants that reached all the way down to his ankles. His upper body was coated in a dark gray, long-sleeved shirt. He had a small yin-yang necklace hanging over his shirt, but he was known to tuck it underneath if he needed to. He had made the purchase one day when he looked into a vendor's store and it stuck out to him.
He also wore black, finger-less gloves on each hand that were a present from Tsunade a few birthdays back. Even though they were years old, he still kept them in great condition and they seemed new.
Over his dark gray shirt, he wore a dark brown leather cropped jacket. This was the only piece of clothing that had orange, which was coated along the inside of the jacket. It was personally made for him by a merchant whose family he had brought back after Pain's attack. He had to admit, it was stylish and he liked wearing it, it also zipped up if he needed to, but he kept it unzipped a majority of the time.
Finally, depending on the mission, Naruto brought a Kakashi-style mask with him in case he needed to hide his face. It would cover everything to the point only his eyes were visible. He tucked it away on the inside of his leather jacket.
He also had the traditional kunai and weapon pouches, both black, on his hip and leg. With all the clothing he wore, nobody could guess the amount of seals he placed on his person. They were in for a surprise if they managed to push him far enough in battle.
Naruto began to speak, "So Kakashi-sensei, before we leave, I wanted to ask if you needed my headband back?"
Kakashi shook his head and gave out a small chuckle. "Unless you plan on abandoning us, you may keep it Naruto. You've earned it more than any other ninja, so wear it with pride for as long as you want."
Giving a smile and nod in return, Naruto kept his Konoha headband fastened around his forehead. It would sometimes be obscured if his hair fell over it, but it wasn't too much of a hassle to deal with. Having smooth, flattened hair over his traditional spiky hair really messed with him sometimes.
"Also, before I forget-" Naruto snapped his fingers and reached into his weapons pouch on his hip, "-here is a Hiraishin kunai I made. Just like my father's, it will notify me of its use once it has been thrown. Use it if the village is in an emergency or you need me back for an important reason. I don't know if it'll work since I'll be in another world altogether, but it wouldn't hurt to try."
With that being said, Naruto gave the marked kunai to the sixth Hokage and Raiden digested this newfound information as well.
"Interesting, a teleportation technique based on focal points placed in these kunai. Naruto is certainly not one to be underestimated for his skills." thought Raiden, even more confident he made the right choice in choosing this shinobi to represent Earthrealm.
With goodbyes exchanged, a final farewell was given to the current Hokage. Raiden then walked up to Naruto, told him they were going to be transported via his lighting, and placed a hand on his shoulder. With a quick shout and a crackle of lighting, both warriors were gone from the Hokage's office.
"I hope that wherever he goes, Naruto affects others with his positivity like he did us," said Kakashi as he talked to himself. With that being concluded, he gathered some final paperwork to finish at home and looked out his window to the sunset.
In Earthrealm, on the Special Forces Base
Once leaving the Elemental Nations, Raiden and Naruto continued to travel to various realms. Despite his best efforts, Raiden could not locate another realm with life that could defend Earthrealm. It seemed his best chance would be with Naruto, which he did not mind. After concluding he would not be able to travel much longer without exhausting himself and possibly getting them both stranded, he returned back home.
With a flash of lightning, Raiden appeared with Naruto back in Earthrealm's Special Forces Base. This time, he interrupted a debriefing that was being given by Johnny Cage to Cassie Cage's team.
Seeing his long-time friend, Johnny Cage paused what he was saying and gestured for everyone to look. After seeing Raiden, each member of Cassie's team showed respect, either by nodding or giving a bow.
"Greetings warriors, I apologize for my long absence and interruption. I was able to scout the various realms, and could only find one with life strong enough to help our cause. Worry not, however, as he is a dependent kombatant with fighting experience. Please welcome the newest Earthrealm defender, Naruto Uzumaki from the Elemental Nations," said Raiden as he gestured towards the blond-haired ninja.
Seeing that all eyes were now on him, Naruto decided to speak. "Nice to meet you all, as mentioned by Raiden, my name is Naruto. I don't know much about Earthrealm or how things are run around here, however, I wish to be a great assistance to you all. I am a shinobi or ninja as you may say. I thank you for having me here." Naruto then gave a bow of respect to the others in the room.
"Whoa, you're a ninja from another world?" asked a perplexed Takeda.
"Yes, I am," responded Naruto with a small smile.
"So if you don't mind me asking," said Johnny Cage, "How old are you? You don't seem much older than my daughter and her squad members?"
"I am twenty years of age," responded Naruto accordingly.
The comfortable atmosphere was soon interrupted by a person scoffing. "Big whoop, so Raiden brought back a kid our age. How is he even going to help if he's not as experienced?" expressed an annoyed Kung Jin. Don't get him wrong, he doesn't have anything personal against this Naruto individual, but the way Raiden made it sound felt as if he was some big hot-shot.
"I did not say I didn't have experience," began Naruto with narrowed eyes to Kung Jin, "I simply said I'm twenty years old. I've actually been on countless missions since I was a young child and I've even fought in a world war. Please don't assume my age brings inexperience," finished Naruto.
After a nod from Raiden to show he confirmed Naruto's allegations, Kung Jin gained a small blush of embarrassment for sounding like a complete ass in front of his team. Jacqui kept her laughs muffled under the palm of her hand. It wasn't every day that somebody was able to shut up Kung Jin in a few seconds.
"Well, I for one think if he has the capabilities to help, then let him assist us," said Cassie Cage. She didn't have a problem with working with others, after all, she started working with both Takeda and Kung Jin not too long ago. If somebody was willing to help, they had the right spirit and could fight, they were alright in her book.
"I second that sweetheart," said Johnny Cage as he gave a smile to his daughter. Cassie just groaned in embarrassment from having her father call her that in front of the people she worked with. She couldn't handle her father's antics sometimes.
"If you would like to, I welcome Naruto to join Cassie's team. However, before you go on any official mission together, I think you should all get to know each other better with training exercises and team nightouts! What do ya say?" Asked Johnny Cage with a grin. He knew the new kid meant well, but until he mingled with the rest of the team, he would be treated with caution. While this may sound like an excuse to slack off, it was truly for the benefit of the team to gain a better understanding of teamwork.
Both Raiden and Naruto shared a quick glance before Naruto looked to Johnny Cage and gave a short nod in acceptance. Seeing Naruto's approval of joining the team, Johnny walked over, clasped his arm over the younger adult's shoulders, and began walking him over to Cassie's team.
Knowing he was finished for now, Raiden gave a quick farewell and returned to the Jinsei Chamber to recover his strength. Traveling to multiple realms drained him fairly well and he needed to catch up on any events that passed while he was gone.
"So, has Raiden explained anything at all? Such as what the Shirai Ryu clan is? Who Kotal Kahn is? Or even what the Black Dragon is?" asked Johnny Cage in rapid succession. He needed to know how well-versed this newcomer was so he could catch him up in this world's politics.
Seeing Naruto shake his head, Johnny knew he had a lot on his plate to catch him up. He wished Sonya was here, she was always better at explaining events than he was.
Knowing he would have to update the blonde, he simply told Naruto to take a quick seat and that he would be back with him shortly. He then walked over to Cassie's team and finished his debriefing.
"So, with Naruto's addition to the team, I expect you all to treat him with respect. However, before you can all mingle with each other, I will catch him up with our world's history. While I am doing that, you all will continue with your first official mission together." Johnny then walked over to some documents on the table.
"As I was explaining earlier, things have gone dark with our ally, the Lin Kuei clan. I need you all to investigate and locate Sub-Zero. After finding the grandmaster, make sure to identify where his allegiance lies. We can't afford the Lin Kuei to break away, we never know how the Outworld situation can develop." explained Johnny Cage with a straight face.
"Wait a minute, I thought Outworld was our ally after the Reiko Accords?" said Kung Jin.
"They are, but you can never trust an alliance built on a piece of paper. Plus, they are currently undergoing a civil war. If the opposing side wins and Kotal Kahn is toppled, these accords won't mean anything and we may have another conflict with Outworld," responded Johnny Cage
After hearing what her father had to say, Cassie was the next person to speak up. "What do we do if Sub-Zero has betrayed us?"
Johnny turned towards his daughter and spoke, "If that's the case, you all have my full permission to neutralize him and bring him to me. I repeat, neutralize the grandmaster, do not kill him. I don't need the Lin Kuei clan breathing down our necks because we killed their leader. Do I make myself clear?"
After seeing everybody nod, Johnny finished up the debriefing. "Good, go ahead and rest, you all leave first thing tomorrow morning. For now, gather whatever supplies you need for the mission and prepare for a fight if things go south. See you all at 0700! Dismissed!"
After everybody got up to leave, Johnny walked over to Naruto and began leading him out of the base.
"Alright ninja boy, before we get you into Cassie's team, we have to verify your identity. Now, since we won't have any records of you because you're not from Earth, we'll have to make up some fake ones." Explained Johnny Cage.
Naruto simply nodded since he wasn't unfamiliar with forging fake documents. He had seen many fake travel documents and identities in his lifetime as a shinobi. Although being called ninja boy did slightly annoy him. But it did also remind him of his own habit of giving nicknames.
"Once we have you in the system, you'll get your own keycard and be able to access appropriate stations and computers," Johnny paused once he saw the confused look on Naruto's face. "… Do you know what a computer is?… or even a keycard?"
"I do not if I am being honest. We have a few similar inventions in my world, but most of these are unfamiliar to me," responded Naruto honestly.
"What about a television? Car? Smartphone? Motorcycle? Guns? Airplane? A roller-coaster?" asked Johnny with wide eyes. After seeing Naruto shake his head no to each question, he nearly face-palmed. He would have more work than he thought in getting Naruto up-to-date with everything around him.
"Oh boy, we have a lot of learning to do... In fact, you kind of remind me of this guy I used to know, Liu Kang. He was great at fighting and knew his way around a punch, but man did he not know much about technology." rambled Johnny. "He was a monk so he didn't get much time to access to what we have around us... Those were some good times…"
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Johnny Cage continued with his speech.
"Anyway, let's make sure you're caught up to speed. I would hate for you to get hurt because you didn't understand how something worked."
"Well, I might not know much in this world, but I do have a special trick to help with learning things," said Naruto. Before Johnny could respond, they both stopped walking to witness Naruto cross his fingers and many poofs of smoke appeared. When it settled, Johnny Cage saw many copies of Naruto.
"Okay ninja boy, you are full of surprises," said Johnny Cage as he slowly poked one of the copies in the arm and stared at him. "These are real copies, that is totally amazing!"
"Want to see something cool?" Asked Naruto with a grin. Johnny nodded and Naruto began to speak again. "Go ahead and tell that clone next to you something, anything at all. But make sure you whisper it so I won't hear it."
Naruto even walked away a few more feet to make his point. Seeing no harm in it, Johnny whispered a few words into the ear of the clone and it then poofed away, along with the other copies present.
Naruto then spoke, "You told the clone that you were a former Hollywood movie star and specialize in kicking ass."
"Holy shit!" Shouted Johnny Cage, "That's true! I can't believe you actually got that right!"
After a few moments, Johnny continued to speak. "That's some freaky stuff ninja boy, but I think I see the point you make. Anything the clone learns, comes back to you when it poofs out of existence?" questioned Johnny.
"Correct Mr. Cage," said Naruto, "Anything the clone learns, such as from a book or speech, will be transferred into my mind after it goes away. However, there is usually a limit on how many clones can disperse at once so I don't get overwhelmed with information. Right now, I can only handle about twelve clones comfortably dispersing at once who are actively learning. In combat, it's near infinite since I am not learning information but using them as tools in a fight."
Johnny Cage smiled and realized it would probably not be as big of a hassle as he previously thought to catch Naruto up. This would save him a tremendous amount of time.
"This will be perfect! Let's continue walking, I'll let you spend the night at my house until we get you a room in the barracks on base. I have a huge indoor library and access to the internet, so you'll be in learning paradise there," expressed Johnny Cage with excitement. Who could blame him? He wanted to test out this ability, call it the teacher in him.
Hours Later, at Johnny Cage's House
Cassie Cage walked into her house with a tired sigh and shook off her shoes. She was exhausted after the debriefing earlier in the day.
Once the team left the base, they decided to go eat at a local restaurant near the military base. They sat down and enjoyed each other's company, or at least tried to.
The topic of Naruto soon came up and each team member felt he would be a great addition to the team, it also helped that he was around their age. Not many young warriors were knowledgeable about Earthrealm and even fewer were willing to fight for it. The only person to have a problem with the shinobi seemed to be Kung Jin. Cassie just assumed he was still embarrassed by being wrong back at base or he was afraid Naruto would show him up in terms of skill.
After finishing up their food, Cassie was left with the bill. It was tradition to occasionally place the bill on her card since she was the "General's daughter" and they had an inside joke she was the richest military brat on the planet. Cassie didn't mind it, however, and it felt as though the team was making genuine progress in learning how to work with each other.
In the beginning, it was only Cassie and Jacqui working together. Eventually, Takeda and Kung Jin joined the team. This was rough in the beginning since the girls did not get along with the guys initially. It was actually Cassie's father, who thought of having these team nightouts and encouraging conversation to help counteract this problem. She was shocked it worked so well, but she assumed ever her father could be right every now and then.
As Cassie left her shoes at the front door, she walked deeper into her home. She heard a noise coming from her father's gaming room that he installed after the divorce with her mom. She would occasionally catch her dad playing a game of whatever caught his interest and would sometimes join him.
As she turned the corner to view what was going on, Cassie blinked a few times. In front of her, she witnessed her father and Naruto both playing a game on a console. It was a racing game to her knowledge and both were bumping into each other while yelling about how the other would win. They seemed like best buddies from high school.
As she looked around the room, she saw multiple copies of Naruto placed nearby. Some clones were on her father's computer accessing the internet and looking around, many others were reading from her father's personal library, and others were simply enjoying nearby games. She saw two copies of the blonde going back and forth on a game of Foosball in the corner of the room. Another three copies were playing darts and complaining about who had the better score.
Overall, the room was chaotic but hilarious in her opinion. Of course, leave it to the easy-going personality of the amazing Johnny Cage to warm up to the newcomer in a matter of hours. It was also refreshing for Cassie as she saw somebody finally bond with her father, albeit temporarily. While he never complained about company, she saw the occasional loneliness in her father's eyes. After the divorce with her mother, and her being on constant missions, her father didn't have much company in the large house.
It also gave her a new perspective on the blonde-haired warrior. Seeing the normally professional and curious newcomer yell at her father how he was cheating, brought amusement to her. The final straw was when finally Naruto won the race as he crossed the final lap before her father. He stood up, pointed a finger at Johnny, and yelled how he was the greatest racer ever. Not being able to stay hidden anymore, Cassie finally cracked.
Hearing faint giggles, both Johnny and Naruto, along with his copies, turned their head towards Cassie Cage hiding behind a corner of the room. Naruto, the main one, felt a blush of embarrassment crawl up his neck and onto his face. He was caught yelling about his fictional achievements in front of a potential teammate. He didn't even sense her emotions while she was there, which was most likely because he was too focused on the video game.
As for Johnny, he let out a laugh. It served the blonde right, that was the first win the shinobi got all night and it was ruined by his daughter's appearance.
At first, when both individuals came into Johnny's house, they were focused on Naruto learning as much as he could in a short amount of time. This prompted Naruto to make as many clones as he could handle, and each one focused on learning something new. Over the course of a few hours, he now knew what an airplane was, how to operate a smartphone, and other forms of technology.
In his opinion, the internet was perhaps one of the biggest inventions created in this world. Being able to have instant communication channels and currency exchange through the click of a button was something that blew his mind.
The main Naruto, instead of going off and learning a new subject about this world, stayed with Johnny Cage as he gave a background of the realms in general. He learned about the execution of Liu Kang and Kung Lao, which gave Naruto a sense of sadness. Both prized pupils of the thunder-clad warrior were taken away in tragic circumstances.
He also learned about the history of Earthrealm, Outworld, Edenia, and the Netherrealm. He was then taught about past and current rulers of the realms. The other warriors, such as Quan Chi, Jax, Kano, and many others were also explained by Johnny Cage. Thankfully, he had pictures of some of these warriors so he could put faces to the names.
Naruto personally felt that Shao Kahn terrorized Earthrealm for too long and hoped this Kotal Kahn character would be a better ruler. Johnny Cage explained the current events and how Shinnok, a fallen deity, was defeated two decades prior. His amulet, which stored a large amount of power, was also explained to the shinobi.
Overall, the war hero gained a much larger understanding of these realms entirely.
One of the funniest moments in his opinion, was that he was told by Johnny Cage to stop calling him "Mr. Cage" about an hour into their conversation. He said that made him feel too old and to instead call him Johnny or handsome devil. Naruto decided he'd just stick with Johnny for now.
The learning session was going great until Johnny got a notification on his phone that a new racing game he had been waiting for months was finally released. In his excitement, Johnny purchased and downloaded the video game and handed a controller to Naruto. In his confusion, Naruto asked Johnny what the purpose of the device was. Johnny, with his surprising patience, explained how to use the controller and how video games work.
After playing the game a few times, Naruto got the gist of it and that led to the eventual scene Cassie stumbled upon. The shouting between the two went from friendly banter to outright insults in only about an hour. However, it was all in good fun and even some of Naruto's clones stopped their learning to come see what the commotion was about. Seeing more games within the room, some clones put down their books and played what they could.
Coughing and getting his composure back, Naruto looked toward Cassie and apologized for his outburst. Cassie just giggled a few more times in response and said it was alright. She was just glad her dad had found someone to share a few of his hobbies with.
"Hey sweetheart, sorry you found us slacking off," said Johnny with a smile, "But Naruto is going to stay in our guest room for tonight until we get him a room on base."
"I understand Dad, no worries. I'll leave you both to enjoy the game," with a shake of her head, Cassie began to walk away.
Wanting to not let this opportunity pass for his daughter to begin bonding with their newest teammate, Johnny came up with an idea on the spot.
"Actually kiddo," began Johnny, "I'm feeling tired, I'm getting old after all. How about you take the controller and play a few rounds, it wouldn't hurt?"
Johnny then stood up, walked to his daughter, and placed the controller in her hands. After giving her a quick kiss on the head, he began walking away.
"I'll be heading to bed. Please don't cause too much of a ruckus, and also, no funny business while I'm gone," Cassie rolled her eyes at this comment
As Cassie sat down to play a few matches, both she and Naruto began speaking to one another. A few more moments later, she placed her phone that she carried around everywhere on the coffee table in front of them, and started a match.
Johnny then walked into his kitchen and poured himself a cup of water before bed. He always did this as a routine from his acting days as a way to stay healthy, and it kind of just stuck after he left Hollywood. He also decided to grab some snacks to eat before he went to bed. Just as he was finishing up in the kitchen and turned off the lights, he heard something that made him smile. His daughter was laughing hysterically.
As he slowly crept up on the pair, he saw Cassie having much more fun than he expected. His daughter, who was usually calm and collected like her mother, was having a lot of fun. It was Naruto's goofy attitude and jokes that made her laugh at times. He really had an infectious personality.
She was so caught up in the game, she didn't even notice her phone buzzing multiple times on the coffee table. The constant messages she was receiving that would normally have her full attention, fell by the wayside as she played a video game with somebody from another world.
Johnny looked upon his daughter fondly.
"Hmm… it looks like this kid is already having a positive effect on my family. It looks like Raiden really picked someone special. Not only does he have kombat experience, but he has something bigger. A good heart, that's something you can't teach…" thought Johnny Cage as he stared at his daughter having fun for once with somebody she had barely known for a day.
He hadn't seen his daughter have this much childish fun with somebody in a long time. Even with her teammates, the closest she would have fun with is Jacqui but most of it was on missions. Kicking back like this was something he enjoyed to see. Too much work and you could get lost in it. He knew from personal experience as he stared into the portrait containing him, Sonya, and Cassie when Cassie was still young. However, if somebody were to look, they could see him staring into the eyes of Sonya's portrait.
"… Looks like I don't have to worry about her if Naruto stays around…" as Johnny began walking upstairs to his room, he had one final realization, "...that's the first time I've heard her laugh like that since my divorce with her mom…I hope she keeps that laugh..." with that, he walked into his room and went to bed.
That's a wrap for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed Naruto officially being brought into the MK universe and interacting with the characters. I can't wait until we get into the action and drama of the story!
I had this chapter planned out to be a way to help Naruto understand the world he was coming into. Plus, learning the politics of each realm would help him make decisions based on what he knows.
There will be twists, turns, and moments of suspension throughout the story that I have in mind.
I also wanted this chapter to explain how Naruto understood what was going on if he didn't have prior explanations, it would led to plot holes. I try to avoid those as much as I can and I hope this chapter proves that.
Review and follow if you like the story so far! Thank you all and until I see you again, bye!