The Warrior that Shined

by Blue Flame33

After the fourth shinobi war ended, Naruto enjoyed a life of peace. But as time went on and his friends began getting married, he started to feel almost lost in life. His dream of Hokage didn't even appeal to him anymore. In another space and time altogether, Raiden begins his search for warriors to defend Earthrealm. These two would create a destiny neither could foresee.

3. Chapter 3 - Teamwork

Here we are with the inclusion of chapter 3! Once again, I hope you enjoy and review if possible! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own "Naruto" or "Mortal Kombat" they belong to their respective owners.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Once Naruto and Cassie were done playing the video game, both set down their controllers on the coffee table and turned off the television. Naruto then poofed his copies out of existence, got the rush of information they had been collecting for hours, and stored it away in his mind.

At first, Naruto was about to get up and say goodnight, but Cassie initiated the conversation. She wanted to get to know the blond better, so they stayed up for a while as he recounted some of his adventures when he was younger.

Cassie still couldn't believe how deadly the missions Naruto went on while he was a kid. This Zabuza guy he mentioned was crazy strong in her book, even if he treated this Haku person like a tool. She was glad he was able to repent in the end for his sins and share one last moment with his friend.

The biggest shock to Cassie was Naruto recounting stories about the war he participated in. While she had trouble keeping up with things such as the Tailed Beasts and the Hidden Villages, she understood enough about the conflict to make her think that Naruto was a powerful warrior in his own right. I mean, who else can deal with a guy who can willingly chuck meteors at you?

She also shared some of her experiences with Naruto, such as how she joined the Special Forces and how she climbed the ranks. Naruto asked about each member of her team, so she gave what she knew about each member to the best of her ability. It was nothing strategic as to what their weapons or moves were, but instead how their personality was.

She explained that she was closest to Jacqui, while Kung Jin and Takeda were relatively new to the team. She was considered the "captain" of the squad and usually gave the orders. She also shared a little about her upbringing and how she was the daughter of General Sonya Blade. However, despite being the daughter of a movie star and military officer, her life was far from perfect. Cassie spilled how her parent's divorce at a young age really affected her and she went through life blaming herself at times.

Even Cassie herself couldn't understand why she was spilling so much personal information about herself, but she chalked it up to holding it in for a long time and finally being able to let it out. Plus, Naruto seemed to be a good listener if his body posture was to be believed. He just had this warm aura around him that made her want to trust him, almost like a leader's charisma.

Naruto took all this in stride and offered his condolences with sincerity. While he couldn't understand having divorced parents, he could understand how it negatively affected Cassie. Feeling like a burden is something that Naruto was all too familiar with as that's how he viewed himself when he was younger. His team 7 which consisted of him, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi constantly reminded him he was the "dead last" of the team. For the longest time, he felt like he was holding the team back. If he was being honest with himself, this was also the reason Naruto pushed himself so far, he never wanted to feel like a burden again.

The conversation between Cassie and Naruto got strangely personal with their lives, but neither had a problem with it. For Cassie, it was nice speaking to somebody other than her father or Jacqui about her problems. As for Naruto, he was glad he had a new friend and comrade he could be himself around.

"So Naruto, I wanted to ask, how were you able to leave your world? I mean, didn't your parents object?" wondered Cassie.

However, Cassie wondered if she said something wrong when Naruto suddenly stopped and lowered his head. She couldn't even see his eyes as his hair covered them. Before she could say anything, Naruto began to speak.

"I was orphaned shortly after I was born and didn't have any parents my whole life. So I guess you can say I didn't have anybody back home to look after. No parents to speak of or any siblings." said Naruto with a solemn expression.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to pry about such a sensitive subject!" responded Cassie, with regret in her voice. She felt horrible about reminding Naruto of such a terrible fact.

Quickly raising his head, Naruto looked her in the eyes and sported a small grin. "Don't worry about it, you didn't know. No harm, no foul. Plus, I've learned to live with it long ago and I even got to meet both of them in their own way."

Cassie then saw Naruto in a new light. Who could go through such a lifetime of no parents, nobody to hold you when you cry, nobody to nurse you back to health when sick, nobody to love you as a baby, and come out the other end with a smile?

Desperate to change the subject, Cassie was about the speak again when they both heard a soft buzz come from the coffee table. Realizing it was her cell phone, Cassie groaned and picked up the device, already assuming who was on the other end.

After scrolling through the multiple missed messages and calls, Cassie shut off her phone and threw it across the room onto the couch. Noticing how her behavior shifted into annoyance, Naruto spoke up in concern.

"Are you alright?" asked Naruto in a soft tone.

Looking into his eyes, Cassie responded, "Yeah I'm fine, I'm just annoyed after looking at my phone. My ex-boyfriend, Dylan, keeps blowing up my phone. I've never had the best of luck with boys and I've had two ex-boyfriends before, but Dylan is my most recent ex."

Gaining her composure, Cassie continued, "The problem is that Dylan won't leave me alone. He always tries to contact me… and I guess…" Cassie began to rub her arm, "… I'm also the problem by having late-night calls with him."

This came as a shock to Naruto, he never assumed Cassie had relationship issues in his mind. It also didn't help that he saw Cassie as a strong pillar but here in front of him, she seemed like a vulnerable schoolgirl. This just showed him how you never know what problems someone is going through.

After noticing Naruto's silent gaze, Cassie decided to break the silence again. "So, anyways, he's been more annoying than usual because I've been extremely busy lately. I also think he still has feelings for me, but I don't know how to deal with that. I won't lie, the thought of going back to him has crossed my mind, but I also didn't like the way he treated me while we were dating."

Instantly, Naruto perked up, "He didn't hit you or anything like that right Cassie?"

Shaking her head, Cassie responded, "Oh no, nothing like that! Even if he tried to lay a hand on me, I would have handled it, right after my parents got a piece of him though."

Naruto chuckled at the thought because from what he understood, he could definitely see Cassie's parents beating the stuffing out of any boyfriend that beat her.

"He just ignored me constantly and would go out to parties without telling me. A breach of trust kind of thing, he just didn't consider my feelings a lot of the time," Cassie admitted.

"So then, what changed tonight? Why throw your phone over there-" Naruto pointed to the couch across the room, "-instead of answering him?"

"Because for once, I don't need Dylan for his company. I made a new friend and he's good enough for me," Cassie finished with a small smile.

Realizing what her words meant, Naruto also agreed with her. He almost found it crazy how quickly he could make a new friend in another world, but he wasn't complaining. He then raised his fist and held it out to Cassie.

After a few moments, Cassie understood what Naruto was doing and let out a giggle. "You're such a dork for giving me a fist bump by the way."

Nonetheless, Cassie gave a fist bump back and solidified her new friendship with a warrior from another realm.

Looking over at the clock on the wall, Cassie's heart sank.

"Oh shit, it's late! I'm only going to get a few hours of sleep!" Said Cassie with wide eyes.

After also seeing the time, Naruto was surprised himself. He got lost in conversation with Cassie for so long, he would get about four hours of sleep at most. However, he could handle it, but he did feel sorry for making Cassie stay up so late.

"I'm sorry about that Cassie! I didn't mean to keep you up so late!" Apologized Naruto with a sincere expression.

"Don't worry, it's not that big of a deal. But, I should head to bed since it's late. Did my dad show you where the guest bedroom is?" asked Cassie.

"...no he didn't" responded a sheepish Naruto, not wanting to take up more of Cassie's time.

"Just like dad, remembering the important stuff but skipping over the small details," thought Cassie with a small shake of her head.

"No worries, I'll show you where it is. Feel free to make yourself comfortable while you're here, anything in the kitchen is free game except my dad's wine. He doesn't drink much and it's more of a collection thing for him," shrugged Cassie, not really understanding why her father collected so many different wines.

"Thank you, Cassie," bowed Naruto, "I appreciate your family's hospitality. It means a lot to me!" finished Naruto with a large smile.

"No need to bow to me, it's no issue for me to help out," Cassie then began walking towards the guest bedroom, "Follow me and I'll show you around,"

With that being settled, both individuals walked in comfortable silence as they reflected on how they became friends in such as short time. Neither knew this friendship would last much longer than expected.

The Next Day

Naruto stood in front of General Blade as he continued his training. He ran laps, lifted weights, and trained in firearm practice with Ms. Blade's platoon.

Earlier in the day, when he first woke up, he was served breakfast by Johnny Cage. While he was no master cook, he had enough knowledge to get down to the basics. After thanking Johnny again for his hospitality, which Johnny simply waved off, Naruto began to eat. It was only bacon, eggs, and sausage, but it meant the world to the blonde. It almost reminded him of when he would eat breakfast with Jiraiya with that fatherly feeling.

Cassie then joined them soon after and ate alongside the newcomer. All three individuals chatted about their plans for the day, and Naruto wondered if this was what it was like to have a family.

Once breakfast was over, Johnny explained that while Cassie and her team were tracking down Sub-Zero, Naruto would be training with General Blade. Johnny himself had other matters to attend to that required his attention.

This didn't bother Naruto as he now has an opportunity to meet the final member of the Cage/Blade family and also show off his skills. However, he would soon be slightly disappointed when it did come to pass.

Shaking off his thoughts, Naruto continued to run laps with the other soldiers as Sonya Blade watched with crossed arms. Thankfully, she did not require him to change out of his clothes and he could keep what he was wearing.

He was slightly disappointed because training was not what he thought it would be. The average citizen in Earthrealm did not possess the strength he was used to dealing with, even as a trained soldier. The laps they were running exhausted many of the military officers, but he was as cool as a cucumber.

Even meeting General Blade was unpleasant in Naruto's eyes. After Johnny gave General Blade a quick introduction, he patted him on the back and left to conduct his mission. Sonya did not look at him long before she expressed that no matter who he was, he would have to work as hard as the others. Naruto agreed as he did not like being handed anything and believed in working for what you wanted.

However, ever since training with her platoon, Naruto almost felt like General Blade had a cold attitude. She rarely smiled, had a serious demeanor most of the time, and commanded in a harsh tone. It wasn't anything scary or unusual to the blonde as he had seen people like this before, but he did not expect it out of somebody who used to be married to the goofball Johnny Cage. It was a wonder that she and Johnny ever had a daughter together in his mind.

As the soldiers and Naruto continued running laps, Sonya Blade eyed the newest recruit. She had spoken to Raiden earlier in the day and was notified this newcomer was from another realm. Not only was he from another world, but he would also be joining her daughter's squad. This is why she may have seemed extra harsh in his training and she wanted to make sure he had the capabilities to keep up with her daughter's team. While she may seem like a cold woman to others, she tried her best to keep her daughter safe.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Sonya looked over her shoulder to see Kenshi Takahashi walking towards her. The blind warrior was an ally of Earthrealm and would be seen helping the special forces regularly.

"Ah, Sonya! Good to see you!" said Kenshi with a smile.

"Likewise Kenshi. Although I have to ask, is something wrong?" wondered Sonya. Kenshi normally didn't visit her unless something needed her attention.

"Nothing major, I just wanted to speak to you about the newest recruit," Kenshi then paused as Sonya tracked the person he was speaking of. "We both know he is holding back much of his power. He is not even breathing hard or sweating, and you've made him run triple the amount of laps the others have. I'm sure he notices this as well."

Kenshi knew the newcomer was strong, very strong. His ancestors, who guided him, showed him an insight into the blonde's power and he was stunned. This young adult definitely had the skills to go toe-to-toe with many of the realm's fighters.

"Where are you going with this Kenshi?" asked Sonya, straight to the point.

"I am saying allow him to stop training with the fellow soldiers, and to express himself in a more appropriate manner. I am asking you to let me spar with him and gauge his abilities."

Sonya thought about the benefits and slowly agreed with Kenshi's idea. Letting the blond-haired shinobi spar with somebody as capable as Kenshi would allow Sonya to see where he stands in terms of fighting ability.

"Hey, Naruto!" Shouted Sonya to the people running laps. Naruto turned his head toward the General and stopped running.

"Come over here, we have a change of plans for you." continued Sonya.

Walking over, Naruto was then introduced to the blind warrior Kenshi. After speaking with both parties and agreeing to a friendly spar, Naruto and Kenshi walked towards a secluded environment. Sonya left the training of the platoon to a trusted officer and left to follow both fighters.

After a few minutes of walking, Naruto, Kenshi, and Sonya arrived at an empty building. The space inside was huge and there were various weapons, padding, and obstacles around the room.

"This is our training area for our soldiers," explained Sonya, "You and Kenshi can have your spar here, just be sure to not break anything."

Nodding his head, Naruto walked towards the center of the room with Kenshi following closely behind. Afterward, both warriors stood in front of the other.

"Don't worry about hurting me young one, instead, show me what you can do in a real fight. I promise not to use Sento-" Kenshi pointed to the sword strapped on his back, "-unless you wish me to do so."

Naruto then smiled and told Kenshi he had no problem with him using his katana in the spar.

"Furthermore, I have no issues with using abilities, just be sure to not break this building in two, I believe Ms. Blade would have both our heads if we did," smiled Kenshi.

Agreeing with the blind warrior, both fighters separated and settled into their fighting stances.

"I can't wait to have my first spar in this world, I'll finally get a feel of how strong the warriors are here. However, I think it's best I don't release any destructive techniques while we spar. It's better to stay mostly with hand-to-hand combat and projectiles. Don't want to tear this building down after all," thought an excited Naruto.

Naruto also decided to keep his current gravity level seals and only release them if the spar permitted itself to do so. With a quick nod from Kenshi, both warriors dashed at each other to begin. On the sidelines, Sonya crossed her arms, studied both fighters and kept her eyes open to truly see how this spar would go. She wouldn't admit it, but she also wanted to see how this ninja would compare to somebody of Kenshi's caliber.

Naruto dashed at high-Chunin levels of speed toward Kenshi to begin the spar. To Kenshi's credit, he did not have difficulty keeping up with his opponent. He had lived a lifetime of combat and fought beings just as fast as what Naruto was displaying.

Kenshi and Naruto clashed in a flurry of fists, kicks, dodges, and more. Kenshi aimed a palm strike toward Naruto's chest, but his quick reaction allowed for him to sidestep and duck last minute. Naruto tried to counteract with a left hook to Kenshi's midsection, but Kenshi blocked the blow with Sento's sheath.

"Interesting, so even Kenshi is holding back as well. That hook should have connected, but he was able to grab the katana off his back, keep it sheathed, and use it to block my blow just in time. He has a quicker reaction time than I gave him credit for, I won't make that mistake again," thought Naruto with narrowed eyes.

Kenshi had a smile that had not left his face since the beginning of the spar.

"That kid is fast, but now he's realizing that Kenshi is no pushover. How will you react to this quick exchange, Naruto?" pondered Sonya.

In the next moment, Kenshi made his move. As soon as Naruto's hook landed on Kenshi's sheathed blade, he used the momentum of the attack to allow it to move him slightly across the floor. After sliding for a split second, he was on the attack.

Kenshi first threw a leg kick to Naruto's jaw which he was able to dodge by moving his head back. This didn't bother the blind warrior as he immediately switched into a low leg sweep which Naruto was able to hop over. As Naruto was landing back on the ground, Kenshi was already in motion. From his leg sweep, Kenshi spun around and swung his sheathed blade into Naruto's jaw. Seeing as he didn't want to get hit by this, Naruto brought up his right arm to absorb the blow. With a slight grunt at the force of the hit, Naruto pushed the blade away and gave a quick left jab.

Kenshi was able to move his head out of the way, but not entirely. The jab slightly nicked Kenshi's face which resulted in a minuscule cut that showed a small drop of blood. Realizing that Naruto's blows had the potential to cause serious damage, Kenshi played a more cautious game.

Kenshi jumped back slightly while Naruto used this time to give a quick step back as well.

"Not bad so far young one, very impressive," said Kenshi

"Thank you," said Naruto with a smile, "But how about we use some of the weapons we have? You use your katana and I get to use my kunai? Fair deal?"

Kenshi, never one to say no to using his prized weapon, agreed. Hearing the faint "ting" of a sword being drawn, Sonya bit her lip in slight anticipation.

"I hope you know what you're doing Kenshi, can't have you seriously hurting Raiden's newest recruit," thought the military General.

Naruto reached into his kunai pouch and withdrew a standard kunai in his right hand. Kenshi stood ready to intercept the weapon as he believed it would be thrown at him. Imagine his surprise when instead of throwing the weapon, Naruto charged at him. Not one to back down, Kenshi prepared for a battle of blades.

The sound of metal hitting metal rang out in the mostly empty training room of the special forces base. Kenshi could tell that Naruto had improved his reaction times, possibly because of his earlier slip-up with the left hook.

On the other hand, Naruto could tell Kenshi had extreme proficiency with his blade. He blocked, parried, and maneuvered himself so that spoke he had years of experience working with Sento. However, Naruto was no slouch either. His training and experience of working with kunai helped him keep an even ground with the blindfolded combatant.

Seeing that they were at a stalemate, Naruto decided to use his unpredictability. While he could have ended this spar going all out from the beginning or even using higher speeds that he was capable of, that was not the point of the spar at all. It was to test both warriors against each other without aiming to kill the other.

After causing a quick spark to appear with his kunai, Naruto thought of a plan on the spot. Each time his kunai was angled at the right spot, Kenshi would clash, and a metal spark would appear. Using this information, Naruto timed it so that when he implemented the next blade clash, a metal spark appeared once again. However, this time, Naruto withdrew a second kunai from his leg pouch the moment the spark was in Kenshi's face. It was less than a second.

Assuming Kenshi did not see him withdraw a second kunai, Naruto brought the second blade and aimed to cut Kenshi's right arm. To his surprise, Kenshi used a red-hue energy source to push him back. It didn't make him fly across the room, but it did create a small gap between both warriors.

"Wow, I'm surprised you saw me draw my second kunai and react in time," admitted Naruto.

Kenshi smiled in response, "You assumed I could not see because the metal spark blocked my vision. However, my ancestors guide my sight and Sento is a medium for this. I do not need my 'eyes' to see"

Feeling even more excited with this newfound information, Naruto prepared himself to charge back into battle. However, Sonya Blade had seen enough from the spar.

"Actually, that's enough for now. Naruto, feel free to take a break and join the soldiers once you have recovered. Kenshi, you're with me as I need to discuss a few things with you." expressed Sonya.

After thanking Kenshi for the spar and nodding to Sonya, Naruto took his leave and left the building they were in.

"I believe you wish to discuss the young one's abilities General Blade?" asked Kenshi.

"I do, what is your assessment of him?" asked Sonya in a firm tone.

"For one, he is not new to kombat. He was very calm throughout our exchange which is unusual for someone so young. He was never once caught off guard or had an accelerated heartbeat, almost like he knew he could overtake me if he needed to do so," Kenshi then sheathed his sword, "Also, I don't know if you realized this, but he was able to hold both kunai's efficiently in both hands. That tells me he was either born ambidextrous or he taught himself how to use both hands effectively."

Sonya hummed in thought, "Anything else you wish to add Kenshi?"

"Yes I have a few last comments," Kenshi then began walking towards the exit. "If I were to rank him, I would put him above anybody on your daughter's team in terms of battle scenarios, including my son. He is holding back so much power that we haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg. His reaction time tells me he is used to fighting in high-stress environments, and his restraint tells me he knows when to hold back as well. Overall, he is a good kid with a strong combat ability. Raiden picked his new fighter well, even more than he may think."

With his piece being said, Kenshi walked out the exit doors and wandered off to where he was needed on base. As for Sonya, she digested everything Kenshi said and ended with her own thoughts.

"I don't even know if Kenshi picked up on it, but I could tell Naruto was trying to remain even. Many times when he would clash with Kenshi's blade, his arm muscles twitched as if it was muscle memory to quickly switch stances and go for the kill. He even followed Kenshi's movements when he grabbed Sento's sheath to block his hook and he still let the hook connect instead of redirecting his blow. This kid is something else, but I'm very glad he's on our side," thought Sonya with a shake of her head. "What a powerhouse, what kind of world do you have to come from to have an experience like that so young?"

With the spar being officially over, Sonya walked back to her platoon to continue their training. It was never a rest day with the General of the military.

With Cassie's Team

"Jacqui Briggs to squad, I've located grandmaster Sub-Zero. He's currently kneeling in front of the Lin Kuei palace, need an ETA to my position," stated Jacqui into her communicator located on her wrist. She was currently peeking around the corner, about 50 feet away from the grandmaster.

"Nice job Jacqui, we'll be converging on your position. Do not engage until we arrive, over," responded Cassie.

Once Cassie, Kung Jin, and Takeda arrived, they all shared a look and nodded. Alongside Jacqui, they prepared to move in on the Lin Kuei warrior.

"Okay here's the plan, I will-" Cassie was interrupted as Kung Jin had enough of hiding and walked over to the ice-themed fighter. "-dammit Jin, what are you doing?"

"Hey, you! Sub-zero! We need to speak with you!" yelled Kung Jin as he walked over to the person in question. He was tired of waiting and hiding in the shadows, it was about time someone took charge of this mission.

"I did not welcome you onto my land, what is it you are doing here? Speak quickly, or there may be consequences," stated Sub-Zero, in an eerily calm voice. Despite his words, Kuai Lang didn't look at Kung Jin nor did he even open his eyes. His posture, if examined, revealed he was actually quite relaxed in the given situation.

This is when Cassie decided to take over the conversation. "Grandmaster, I am sorry for the intrusion. We just need you to follow us because-" once again, Cassie was interrupted by the sound of doors being shoved open "-crap, we're surrounded."

Many Lin Kuei warriors busted out of the nearby palace and surrounded the special forces squad. They would not allow anybody to threaten their leader on their watch. It was the duty of the Lin Kuei to watch over each other.

Sub-Zero stood up and walked over to the trapped young fighters. "Cassandra Cage, you and your team are on my grounds, yet I sent no invitation. You are now cut off and have no escape, what shall be your solution?" questioned Kuai Lang as he stood a few feet away from the squad.

"Please Grandmaster, my father only ever speaks good things of you. He holds you in high regard and admires your skills. All he wishes to do is talk, please allow us to escort you to him." pleaded Cassie.

"Your father was always a negotiator before anything else," responded Sub-Zero with his eyes scanning over the group.

"If talking won't work, then maybe you'll understand with our fists! Now!" shouted Kung Jin as everyone except Cassie dispersed to fight the Lin Kuei warriors.

"Wait, no! Stop fighting!" yelled Cassie as she looked around to see her teammates battling.

"You are the leader of this team, yet, they do not follow your example," stated Sub-Zero before he too rushed at Cassie.

Cassie threw a quick right jab which the Grandmaster ducked under. He then struck her hard with a knee to the gut and flipped her over his shoulder onto the ground.

Cassie thankfully used this moment to roll backward and stand up straight.

"I'm glad you still have some fight in you, Cassandra Cage, now show me what you can do," finished Sub-Zero with a smirk. He then entered his fighting stance as Cassie entered hers. With no words left to say, both parties exchanged blows.

At first, Cassie didn't do too bad. While she couldn't land significant damage on the Grandmaster, she was landing a good amount of hits. Granted, she was taking more than she was giving, but it was the best she could do. However, it all changed when the Lin Kuei leader began to increase the intensity of the fight.

Cassie threw a flurry of left and right hooks aimed at Sub-Zero's jaw, which he blocked with his arms. Seeing how this would not get through his guard, Cassie changed plans.

Timing her hooks, she threw a cross with her left hand aiming at her opponent's head. Seeing what Cassie, was trying to do, Sub-Zero ducked prematurely in preparation to dodge the blow. After realizing her plan worked, Cassie purposely threw her left hand upwards and used it as momentum to charge a throw a high kick. Not having enough time to doge, especially since he was now in the perfect position to be hit with a leg kick, Sub-Zero was in a tough spot.

Her a satisfying "smack" sound, Cassie smiled. Her high left kick connected with Kuai Lang's jaw and resulted in him having his head snapped to the side. Despite her quick victory, she didn't expect Sub-Zero to look in her eyes and smile. Even though his head jerked to the side, his body stayed still as if he was made of stone.

Not knowing what was in store, Cassie dashed a few paces backward to create room.

Kuai Lang then wiped a small amount of blood, barely noticeable, from the sides of his lip. "Congratulations Cassandra Cage, you finally landed a solid blow, the first of our bout. However, allow me to repay you."

Cassie was then overwhelmed as Sub-Zero fought with a harsher ferocity than seen before. His punches, kicks, and power were much quicker than before. He really must have respected her after that if he was taking her more seriously now.

Even though Cassie was a trained military warrior, she did not have the experience of somebody like Sub-Zero, who had been in countless life-and-death battles.

Kuai Lang then decided it was time to end their short battle. He slipped under one of Cassie's right hooks and gave a powerful palm strike to her torso. Before Cassie could slide back due to the force of the blow, he fired a quick ice blast to her left leg. This wasn't meant to hurt her, but instead hold her in place for what he planned next.

Cassie was internally freaking out from the fight. In a split second, she was leaning backward and had a frozen leg stuck to the ground. Before she could make any attempts to free herself, Kuai Lang pounced.

Sub-Zero gave a sharp kick to Cassie's stomach with his left boot, which knocked the air out of her lungs. Seeing she was on the verge of passing out, Kuai Lang finished his combo with a strong somersault kick with his right left. Just as Cassie had done to him, a sick "crack" was heard as the blow connected under her jaw. The force of the kick was so strong, it ripped Cassie free from the ice as she landed on her back.

Groaning in pain, Cassie tried shaking her blurry vision away. She could already feel a bruise forming at the bottom of her chin and a headache coming on. She tried to get off her back, but her body just wasn't responding to her at the moment.

Seconds later, she blacked out from the pain and exhaustion.

"You fought well Cassandra Cage, however, you still have much to learn," said Kuai Lang as he stood over the fallen kombatant. He had both hands crossed behind his back and seemed to be in a relaxed stance.

With a quick shout, Takeda launched a flying kick to the back of the Grandmaster, but something unexpected happened. Just as the kick connected, Sub-Zero broke into a million little ice cubes which revealed he substituted with an ice clone last second.

Standing confused, Takeda searched around for Sub-Zero but did not hear the Lin Kuei leader approaching from behind. It happened too fast and too rapidly, but Kuai Lang gave a strong dropkick to Takeda's back and made him fall on his face.

Getting back up, Sub-Zero began to talk, "Use your abilities, Takeda, search within me and tell me what you see. I know Kenshi taught you well."

Stumbling to get back up, Takeda responded, "I sense that you're being annoyingly cryptic. And if you ask me, Hanzo taught me infinitely more than my dad ever did."

With the talk being over, both warriors rushed each other.

Takeda was focused on speed from the start, he wanted to give Sub-Zero a run for his money. Unfortunately for him, Kuai Lang was no stranger to quickness in a fight.

Every kick and fist that Takeda threw, the Grandmaster would dodge or block. Having enough of this, Takeda launched a vicious left uppercut that would have hurt if it landed, but it didn't. The blow was mere centimeters from Sub-Zero's face and he watched it pass by in slow motion. A small miss is still a miss and Kuai Lang was determined to make Takeda learn from the mistake.

Grabbing his left arm with his right hand, Sub-Zero kept his hand raised in the air as he proceeded to land many sharp blows with his other hand. Of course, Takeda tried freeing his arm but it was in a vice-grip so he resorted to fighting back with his other hand as well.

The problem with this was that Kuai Lang would redirect each of Takeda's blows, and land three more of his own. If Takeda wanted to play with speed, the Grandmaster would show him speed.

After receiving a hard palm strike to his nose that rocketed his head backward, Takeda knew he was close to collapsing. A small trickle of blood ran down his nostrils from the blow. He was taking too much damage and not giving nearly enough back to be effective in the fight.

Once the palm strike landed, Kuai Lang released Takeda's arm and delivered a left hook to his jaw. This put down Takeda on the ground and he remained there groaning, nearly passed out.

Hearing some shouting behind him, Sub-Zero turned around to see Jacqui Briggs running at him. Giving a war cry, Jacqui jumped at Kuai Lang and aimed a jumping punch to his head. Quickly dodging it, both fighters engaged in hand-to-hand kombat.

This miss didn't deter Jacqui and she launched a series of vicious blows at the Grandmaster. Sub-Zero was dodging a majority of the attacks until he blocked a strike aimed towards his liver. This proved to be a mistake because Kuai Lang felt an immense amount of pain afterward.

"Those gauntlets of hers must increase her power because that blow was much harder than it should have been. I was careless, I need to avoid as many strikes as possible. This is a fight that cannot be drawn out or I will risk not being able to finish it," thought Kuai Lang as he hid his own grimace of pain from the strike.

Changing tactics immediately, Sub-Zero decided to focus on counterattacks with Jacqui instead of trading blow for blow. He would wait, dodge, and attack accordingly. The less amount of blows that landed, the better it was for him. His counterattacks would have to be quick, precise, and powerful, or he would be dropped.

He landed a few strikes here and there, but it was nothing that would end the fight. On the other hand, Jacqui was feeling on top of the world. The same warrior that had dropped two of her friends was now on the receiving end of her attacks and he was hurting, she could tell. The Grandmaster hid his pain well, but she had been in enough fights to tell when someone had been hurt.

Unfortunately, it was this exact feeling of control in the fight that led to Jacqui making a minor slip-up. She over-extended her fist on an overhead strike which Kuai Lang took full advantage of. With his right arm, he grabbed Jacqui's over-extended fist and brought it down. This brought Jacqui's body down with it and into Sub-Zero's awaiting knee. A harsh knee strike to her face immediately brought Jacqui down and it was light's out in a matter of seconds. She crumpled to the ground and remained motionless.

As for Sub-Zero, he was feeling hurt from her attacks. Out of the group he had seen so far, Jacui had the most power behind her blows. He could feel the small bruises that had formed from her constant barrage. She played to her strengths and Kuai Lang could respect that.

"Continue to improve Specialist Briggs, and you'll exceed everybody's expectations," said Kuai Lang as he overlooked his fallen opponent.

Kung Jin had just finished stomping out another Lin Kuei warrior and it would make the fifth he had defeated since the beginning of the skirmish. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Kuai Lang standing over a defeated Jacqui and knew he needed to make his move. Running over, he delivered a flying kick that the Grandmaster caught in his arms.

After seeing his predicament, Kung Jin pushed himself off the Lin Kuei leader and landed on the ground.

"You are quick to anger Kung Jin, do not let it endanger those around you," mentioned Sub-Zero as he shifted into his battle stance.

"Well now you're about to get a taste of my temper Grandmaster!" replied Kung Jin as he charged Kuai Lang.

Another round of blows was exchanged between both kombatants. Kung Jin realized that his hand-to-hand skills were not going to cut it. He wasn't especially powerful nor as quick as others on his team, and Sub-Zero had taken them out. So he knew he needed a different strategy if he wanted to win this fight. It was up to him to save his team from this situation.

After back-flipping over Kuai Lang's low leg sweep, Kung Jin did another back-flip to gain more distance and pulled out his bow. He would make this a battle of distance.

Kung Jin loaded an arrow and fired at Sub-Zero's thigh, which he side-stepped. Not discouraged in the slightest, Kung Jin began firing more arrows toward the cryomancer.

As for Sub-Zero, he was playing a game of duck and roll. He couldn't afford to let an arrow pierce him or immobilize him.

A few seconds of this exchange went on between both individuals. This was until Kung Jin went over his shoulder to load another arrow and felt he only had two left. With this in mind, he decided to play a risky strategy.

Taking in a deep breath and aiming true, Kung Jin let loose an arrow to the Grandmaster's face. Before Kuai Lang could react, he then drew, aimed, and fired his last arrow behind the previous one. He made sure to add even more power behind this one so it could catch up to the other, and it did.

To the amazement of Sub-Zero, he watched as an arrow flew to his face and a second one appeared behind it moments later, only to split it in half. This created a perfect split down the middle of the first arrow and allowed the second arrow to soar to his face.

The perfect split created two chunks of sharp wood that were going to his wrists while the second arrow was still on course to make contact with his skull.

"Checkmate Sub-Zero," thought Kung Jin with a grin. This was the most ingenious move he had ever pulled off in a real fight and he was damn proud of it. How could someone dodge three projectiles, aimed at their wrists and face from such a short range?

Kung Jin knew it would hurt and might even cause permanent injury to the Lin Kuei leader, but Johnny Cage said to neutralize the cyromancer. He was doing just that and would be responsible for helping his team complete the mission. He was so sure this idea would work and he would be praised.

And it would have been a perfect plan if the opponent wasn't Sub-Zero. In a split second, showing just how quick his reaction time was, Kuai Lang made his move. He ducked low to the ground and brought his hands down slightly. This allowed for the arrow going to his head to soar above harmlessly while the two pieces of wood that would have implanted themselves through his wrists, flew inches above them instead. The precision needed to have these miss by the smallest margins was insane.

Not only did Kuai Lang let these arrows pass overhead, but he summoned his freezing ability to make both chunks of wood have a frozen tip instead. It was more of a blunt instrument, but it was enough for what he planned. After freezing the tips of both arrows, he grabbed their tail ends and threw them back at Kung Jin.

In response, Kung Jin was frozen in place with wide eyes. He watched as his flawless plan came back to hurt him and he was stunned. This was all that was needed for two frozen arrows to hit his forehead and cause his eyes to roll back into his skull. All Kung Jin saw was darkness right after.

Once a few minutes had passed, each fighter of Cassie's squad awoke to see themselves on their knees, hands tied behind their backs, and facing a standing Sub-Zero. Cassie looked over to her left and saw a Lin Kuei member put away a jar of smelling salts, which is what she assumed they all awoke to.

Seeing somebody needed to take action on the situation, Cassie spoke, "Sub-Zero, we're sorry for the mess we've caused on your palace ground. But please, we just wish to talk and cause no further harm."

Kuai Lang hummed in thought and responded, "If your intentions were to speak Cassandra Cage, your team has an unusual way of expressing it."

Cassie sighed and responded, "I know… Look, I know it doesn't reflect well on us that we attacked your warriors, but we only need to talk!"

Jacqui backed up her friend in a heartbeat, "She's right Grandmaster, we only want to talk!"

"Unfortunately, the time to speak has ceased to exist," said Kuai Lang in a deadly serious voice.

"Any other plans, captain?" said a sarcastic Kung Jin.

"If you execute us here, you'll catch a lot of heat from Earthrealm's forces. I'm not just talking about our Special Forces, but Raiden could kill you if he finds out you purposely wiped out four of Earthrealm's defenders." Cassie knew the threat may not mean much to the Grandmaster, but she needed to find a way out of this situation.

"Hmm… you make a valid point," Sub-Zero then points to a nearby warrior, "Release them!"

The aforementioned Lin Kuei member then pulled out his knife and cut the ropes on each squad mate individually. Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin then rubbed their wrists in relief from the small rope burn.

"Holy shit that actually worked?" said Cassie in amazement as she looked toward her team.

A quick whistle then caught their attention and they saw their mentor, Johnny Cage, at the front doors of the palace grounds.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

Instead, it was Sub-Zero who responded. "This was a training simulation Cassandra Cage, not a real battle."

Cassie scoffed in disappointment, "Dammit, I should have seen this."

Kuai Lang then began his examination of each warrior that stood before him. He decided to start from left to right, so Kung Jin was first.

"Kung Jin," began Sub-Zero, "Your hand-to-hand needs immense improvement. Your skills with your bow are admirable and the ability to think on the spot is incredible, but you also prove a risk to your team with your mouth. Reign in your temper and think as a team, not as an individual."

Kung Jin just put his head down and thought over his actions.

"Takeda," with this, Takeda stood up straighter, "You are fast, however, you become sloppy the longer a fight draws on. Balance your stamina, and don't burn yourself out early in a fight, it can prove fatal for your team."

Takeda took the criticism in stride and vowed to improve his weaknesses.

"Cassandra Cage," At this point, Sub-Zero walked over to her, "You command this team, but you do not lead it. It takes time and trust, but your role as captain ensures that everybody's survival relies on the decisions you make. Use everybody's strengths in a team formation instead of scattering off. Furthermore, as for your individual capabilities, they are well-rounded. You landed one of the few solid blows I had in all fights. You lack experience, which comes with life."

Cassie pondered over the words Kuai Lang said. It was true, despite their team night outs, her team sometimes didn't follow her orders strictly. It was mainly Kung Jin a majority of the time, but even one member falling out of order can be lethal in a real fight.

"Finally, Jacqui Briggs," mentioned Sub-Zero, "You share your father's strength and resilience. However, do not let hubris be your downfall. Your blows were the most powerful out of the group, but your cockiness cost you the battle in the end. Stay balanced and quick on your feet, it'll help tremendously later on."

With his part done, Sub-Zero called back all of his clan members and they walked inside their palace grounds. Thanking Kuai Lang as he walked by, Johnny Cage walked down to his daughter's team.

"Looks like we all learned something today. Let's head back and recover from our injuries," said Johnny.

Takeda and Cassie nodded especially since they were still hurting. Note to self, don't challenge Sub-Zero unless absolutely needed. That man knew his stuff.

Back on Base

The helicopter ride back to base was a long and informative one. Johnny Cage sat down with his team and mentioned their teamwork needed improvements. A few verbal insults between Jacqui and Kung Jin raised tension, but overall, everyone just suffered from a bruised ego.

Takeda's bleeding nose was fine and Cassie took a few pills to subside the headache she sustained.

Once landed, each member slowly walked onto the helipad and down the stairs. Johnny had mentioned they received new orders from General Blade so they were requested at once.

As Johnny and Cassie's squad walked onto base, they were intercepted by both Kenshi and Naruto.

Kenshi took the lead alongside Johnny and they began to speak. Towards the back of the group, Naruto began to speak with Cassie.

"How was the training exercise?" asked Naruto.

"Wait, you knew about it?" exclaimed Cassie in surprise.

Naruto nodded, "Yep, Kenshi told me all about it after we sparred. I thought it was pretty cool to be fighting somebody named Sub-Zero who can control ice. Must of been a tough fight if he's considered a Grandmaster."

Cassie thought back to the encounters she had with the cyromancer and chuckled. "Yeah, you can say that again."

"Anyway, how did meeting my mom go for you? Did she give you the cold shoulder too?" joked Cassie.

"At first, she definitely did," Naruto then placed both hands behind his head as they walked behind Johnny and Kenshi. "However, I started giving her some tactics I thought she could train the soldiers in and she opened up a little. I even gave her some strategies to use from my home world and sparred with a few of her soldiers to help them out. I think she warmed up a little bit after that since I was actively helping her people, ya know?"

Cassie nodded and could understand what Naruto meant. Her mother, General Blade, was a very straight-to-the-point kind of person. If Naruto helped her platoon by actively giving away his knowledge for free simply to help, Cassie could see how that would earn her mother's respect.

However, it then clicked in Cassie's mind that Naruto said something interesting. She decided to comment on this and said, "Wait, ya know?"

Blushing in embarrassment, Naruto mumbled that it was a verbal tic that occasionally popped up. This earned him a giggle from Cassie and a darker shade of red was on his face afterwards.

"However," started Naruto, "we did have to cut off the training pretty early because a portal from Outworld appeared is what they told me."

This piqued Cassie's interest but before she could comment, they arrived at their destination. Seeing as they appeared in front of the tent, and all members entered inside. They soon saw General Blade and Raiden standing around a table. Upon closer inspection, there was also a woman sitting between both warriors.

Sonya turned around as she heard people approaching and scanned the occupants. Once her eyes landed on Johnny, she began to speak. "Mr. Cage, please approach, we have a developing situation," she then gave her thanks to Kenshi.

Seeing as they were not mentioned, Jacqui, Kung Jin, Takeda, and Naruto all stayed where they were and at the ready position. Cassie, wanting to see what was going on as well, moved forward with her father.

Sonya noticed this and blurted out, "Sergeant Cage, return to your team and remain at the ready."

Cassie almost felt hurt at her mother's words, but a reassuring look from her father was all she needed to go stand by Naruto. Naruto noticed the emotions bubbling inside of Cassie and gave her a quick pat on the shoulder, which she nodded her thanks for.

Raiden began the conversation, "The person sitting between us is Li Mei. She is seeking asylum for her people. They wish to reside within Earthrealm."

Thanking Raiden for the introduction, Li Mei began to speak, "I am indeed not from Earthrealm. My village, Sun Do, was the battleground of a harsh battle that took place recently. I was barely able to bring my people here and nearly lost my life in the process."

Seeing how serious this situation was, Naruto narrowed his eyes and prepared to digest every word this woman would say.

"What made this battle so insane that you sought out Earthrealm instead of staying in Outworld?" asked Johnny Cage with his arms crossed.

"This battle… was unlike anything we'd seen before…" at this moment, Li Mei began to slightly shake. "The rebels were led by Mileena, and she eliminated entire groups of warriors at once. It was courtesy of her talisman that she was led to victory."

Jacqui gave a worrying look to Cassie that she immediately picked up on. It was a sign that both fighters were feeling uneasy at the developing events.

Li Mei gave a deep breath before she continued, "There was no kombat, it was a straight slaughter."

Raiden chose this point to interrupt, "Please Li Mei, explain more about this weapon under Mileena's control."

She nodded and began her explanation, "It is a talisman as mentioned, but it is gold-plated and consists of a center jewel. The red energy expelled from the weapon causes destruction I've never seen before."

Raiden felt a jolt of surprise rush through his body, "Is this what I think it is? How could Shinnok's amulet return after the safeguards were enacted?… Is this what my premonitions were telling me?"

Raiden then looked over to see Naruto deep in thought as Li Mei spoke, "Regardless, I am glad I did not ignore the warnings this time. I am confident no matter the answer, we can protect Earthrealm. It also seems that Naruto will play a role much sooner than I expected in Earthrealm's defense."

Deep down, Raiden also felt relief. His fears were possibly not unfounded and it reassured him he made the right decision in bringing Naruto. He could not fail him as he did Kung Lao and Liu Kang.

"If what are saying is true, and what you are describing is accurate, I have a feeling we will all be dragged into this conflict," stated Raiden

"Is it Shinnok's amulet?" asked Kung Jin from the back.

This comment spurned Sonya as she turned to the thunder god, "It can't be Shinnok's amulet! We have the vault, your protective barriers, our forces, and even the Shaolin Monks! Who can get passed all that?" This really riled up Sonya, she still had memories of what happened the last time the amulet caused chaos.

Raiden stared into her eyes and stated, "I must be sure. I will investigate this claim of Shinnok's amulet returning and report back with my findings. May the elder gods be with us all."

Raiden then walked out of the war tent and disappeared with a crackle of lighting.

An awkward tension filled the room as Johnny was left with General Blade standing across from him. The two previous partners were now locking eyes.

Thankfully, before more tension could be filled, Li Mei broke the silence. She turned to Johnny Cage and spoke, "You look like an Earthrealmer that crossed in with us. The only difference is that he had a glowing red eye."

This instantly sparked Sonya's attention. Even Johnny Cage perked up at this information.

"Uhh… what does that mean?" asked Takeda to Jacqui, who simply shrugged in response.

Sonya decided to take action and started to give commands, "Kenshi, stay here with Li Mei."

She then began hastily walking out towards the exit of the war tent. "I'll be heading to the refugee camp and investigating the claims provided by Li Mei, can't let him escape this time."

Johnny was then able to catch up and gave his own comment, "I'll come with you, don't want you to handle it solo."

Sonya stopped walking and shook her head, "Negative, you're going to get an update on our security from Colonel Flagg."

Johnny didn't understand this decision and asked a simple question, "Why?"

Sonya responded with the blunt truth, "Because then I won't have you here with me."

Cassie, feeling fed up at this point of her father being disrespected, began walking to her parents. Johnny instantly noticed this and stopped her by holding out his hand, signaling it was okay. He then gave one final look at Sonya and walked out to begin his duties.

"The tension between Cassie and Sonya is much heavier than I expected…" thought Naruto. It hurt to see he was treated better by the woman than her own daughter was.

Cassie finally walked up to her mother and spoke, "So then are we joining you?"

Sonya then sighed and answered her daughter, "Negative. You'll be going to Outworld. We need to ensure that Li Mei's story rings true so you'll be conversing with Kotal Kahn. In fact, Naruto-" She then looked at the shinobi, "-will be joining you on his first official mission as a special forces member. He is now under your command." With all that being said, Sonya then walked out and marched to apprehend the criminal she was after.

Cassie just stared at her mother's retreating form and sighed, no matter what, it seemed like the gap was still there between them. Before she could dwell in her thoughts anymore, a hand grasped her left shoulder. She turned to see Naruto smiling a bright grin in her direction.

"So boss, I am officially yours to order around-" he then placed both hands behind his head, "-just please promise me you won't make me do any bathroom duty."

Cassie smiled and shook her head. Her new friend always seemed to be able to bring her out of a bad mood.

After turning around, she began to address her team. Family drama aside, Cassie knew what needed to be done.

"All right team," Cassie looked into the eyes of her squadmates, "We have our orders. Next stop, Outworld."

ANNND scene! That's the end of chapter 3!

This has been my biggest chapter so far, around 10,000 words! That's pretty good if you ask me!

I have been pumping out these installments like crazy, but please don't be afraid to offer constructive criticism! It's how I learn and get better at writing!

I included the first few fight scenes of the story here, so tell me how you felt about them! Were they good? Bad? Mediocre? Let me know!

I hope the amount of detail I put into this story paints a clear picture in your mind as you read along! I'm trying to improve the pacing of the story and have an idea of how that's gonna go down!

I also know that some characters, like Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin are feeling sidelined. Don't worry, I plan to go more in-depth into their personality later on!

If you noticed, I altered the dialogue in a lot of these interactions. Why? Because I feel the dialogue seems almost predictable at times in the games. Plus, it makes the story flow much more fluently in my opinion.

I also took some creative liberty in fleshing out Cassie, Johnny, and Sonya a little more than we see in the games. I plan to do that to a majority of the characters in the story. I even went more in-depth with Sub-Zero, which if you ask me, did not make sense he got his butt whooped by Jacque in the game. He could go toe-to-toe with some of the realm's deadliest warriors, give the man some credit.

I also hope you enjoyed the little insight into the Cage family drama. More is to come!

Knowing me, I'll probably be writing chapter 4 as soon as this one goes up, so be on the lookout for that one as well!

Anyway, once again, I thank you all for reading! See you next time!

EDIT: Somebody mentioned I used Bi-Han instead of Kuai Lang as Sub-Zero and they were right! I accidentally forgot it wasn't Bi-Han in this timeline! Thank you!