Testing, testing, 1,2,3…..Hello, is this thing on?
Note: I. OWN. NOTHING….well, except for my imagination!
Hello, there! I apologize for the writer's block, everybody! I begrudgingly admit that I get those often... Now then, welcome to the eighth chapter of…..
-The-Hunter:-Warden-of-Vytal-
Chapter Eight: An Old Friend With New Toys!
The Next Day...
"So, why is it that you called us here, Master Naruto?" Frodo asked as he, Ozma, Juniper, and Naruto gathered around at the inn. Plates of roasted pork with bread, lentils and pints of ale were set in front of them on the dining table. Kurama was eating his share of Rabbit Stew next to the forementioned blonde.
"Yesterday, King Minos and his council informed me that there were Skaven lurking beneath the city. He expects us to deal with the situation at hand this instant." At the very mention of the creatures of Grimm, Ozma's eyes widened, whereas Juniper and Frodo had puzzled looks on their faces.
Kurama, however, looked up from his bowl to give the whiskered hunter a glare. "I knew something was up the moment that Chimera revealed itself. How long?"
"From what I heard, it's been about three winters now."
"Damn."
"If that's the case, then, surely we need the necessary supplies to combat our foe." The emerald wizard spoke.
"I've got that covered, Ozzy." Naruto replied as he dug into his plate. Ripping into the meat with his teeth, he looked up to the other duo of the team and asked. "Juniper, Frodo, you guys have any questions?"
"Yes, well I for one would like to know exactly what are the Skaven. I've never even heard of any creature of Grimm aside from Beowolves, Ursa, and Boarbatusks."
The former shinobi blinked in mild surprise before bringing his hand to his face. "Right, I almost forgot. You're from the Shire." he sighed before continuing. "Basically a Skaven is a subterranean type of Grimm you'd normally find in sewers, caves, or even abandoned ruins. They look like giant rats with six limbs and a horrendous stench. And they are very nasty when it comes to killing their prey. Skaven are not picky when it comes to eating, be it human or otherwise. I've even seen a few take down a fully mature Deathstalker in its own den. They have extremely long barbed tongues which they use to ensnare their victims, holding them down or dragging them closer before moving in for the kill. But the worst part-the worst part, Master Frodo-is that there are always a big number of them. We could be talking about at least maybe 200 in the nest alone if they haven't branched out already. That takes time to burn them all out. Time this city probably doesn't have."
Frodo suddenly found himself unable to speak...
"Wait, Naruto do you not mean to-what's the term-flush them out?" Juniper asked.
"No. I mean to BURN them out."
After the impromptu meeting at the inn, the group (A/N: God, I really need to think up a better name. Having to keep calling them "the group" is gonna get old fast! Help me out, people!) had gone upstairs to their rooms, only to stop at the doors at Naruto's insistance. Fumbling with his pockets, he pulled out a piece of parchment with fuinjutsu and runes inscribed on it before placing it on the door.
"What is he doing?" Frodo asked, to which Juniper took only a moment to deduce. Having come to a conclusion, the fair-haired woman turned to her short-statured companion.
"If I'm not mistaken, dear Frodo, it appears to be some kind of Portkey-a device solely created to transport the user from one place to a pre-determined area. They would normally be common, everyday objects enchanted by witchcraft and sorcery. Believe me when I say they are dead useful, in spite of how nauseous you may feel afterwards."
The whiskered blonde smiled at Juniper's lecturing of the mystic arts. "And that's ten points to the lady in white! Although this is just a precautionary measure because my friends are a rather peculiar sort. Likes to keep to themselves, ya know? But they do know me. After all, without them, I wouldn't have my Silver Talons to help me hunt." At the group's nods of understanding, he continued. "On the other hand, THIS-" here Naruto pulls out an ornate bronze key with a crystal tip at the end. "-is the Portkey that's gonna take us there." He then inserted the key into the door, and as he twisted it, a low hollow click was made as the writings on the parchment began to glow a deep blue. It was only when he opened the door did they notice: a swirling, blue ethereal gateway was presented before them in the doorway where there should have been their paid room. Putting his Portkey back into his pocket, the Hunter of Light turned to his companions with wide, toothy grin. "Try not to throw up, guys. Let's go!" And he stepped first through the portal, Kurama not far behind.
"A-are we absolutely sure that this is safe?" Frodo nervously asked. This prompted a mirthful chuckle from Ozma and a giggle from Juniper as she was the third to step through.
"Come now, Frodo." the Emerald Wizard assured as he proceeded to follow his companion. "Where's your sense of adventure?"
'Maybe I shouldn't have had so much to eat beforehand...' the Shire native thought as he finally stepped through. When he did, the door shut behind him and locked itself; the paper disappearing just as the other residents were making their way.
Meanwhile, in the Domain of Light...
The God of Light stood amongst the golden fields when suddenly a black portal appeared before him. And who else would step out but his own brother now standing before him. The Light Brother sighed as he knew the reason for this "visit".
"I take it that you've heard, then? Surprising, you normally aren't one to confront me on such matters."
"I only take interest on those I deem worthy of my time, Lux." The Dark God replied nonchalantly. "You, of all beings, should know that."
"Yes, I suppose you're right." there was a pause as the now-named Lux turned to look at his brother. "So, you are here for..."
"Your little pet project, of course." the God of Darkness crossed his arms over his chest as he continued. "Within a year, your Hunter has come across some of the most dangerous of my children. Worgs, Goliaths, Trolls to name a few. That 'Chimera' over in Crete was the only challenge he had truly faced these days, and even that wasn't enough."
"And what of it, Umbra? Has he slighted you directly? Are you saying that his feats have not been proven entertaining enough?"
"What I am saying, dear brother of mine, is that ordinary Grimm are not going to be enough."
If the God of light were capable of facial expressions, his eyebrows would be raised by interest. "You seek to breed even stronger Grimm, is that it?"
"Think of this, Lux! This Hunter-this Naruto Uzumaki-is unlike anything we've seen before. You've shown me his past, brother! Clearly there isn't anything on Vytal that can match up to what he has already faced. Madara Uchiha, the Ten-Tails, the Fourth War of Shadows. This Kaguya alone would've been more than enough to face us both! Do you really think sending him after mere Beowolves and Ursa would be entertaining enough!"
"Hmmm..." Lux contemplated Umbra's words carefully. While it would be dangerous to the realm of Vytal, he did have a point. Naruto was too skilled, too strong for regular Grimm. The God of Light dreaded to ask, but... "What would you propose, then?"
If Umbra had a face, it would have a Cheshire grin. "The Vault. Where my greatest children reside. Let me open it, and let them come. Let the Balrogs and Golems lay waste to Anima! Let the Jotunn and Draugr rampage across Solitas! Let the Vampires and Orcs pillage and plunder, cleave and sunder!" Umbra spread his arms to his sides in anticipation and glee. "And let the skies burn from the chaos of fire! It is time, my brother, for the Dawn of Dragons!" As he chanted, a thought came to the Dark Brother. "I can see it now! Your precious Hunter backed into a corner with nothing but his wits, his tools, his skill and trade! Against the never-ending forces of darkness!"
"I still think that would lead to disaster, brother..."
"Bah! You didn't say that when you allowed that demigod to claim the domain of the seas. He was an off-worlder, too!" Umbra s cupped his chin as he pondered aloud. "What was his name again? Paul-no, no. Peter-no, that's not it either. Aha! Yes, the name of Percy Jacks-"
"We refer to him as Perseus nowadays, brother." The God of Light interrupted, as though glaring at his kin. "And besides, he had proven himself worthy enough to rule the domain of the seas, as did his father before. He wanted nothing to do with his past, remember?" The Dark Brother finally relented from annoying the elder of the pair.
"That reminds me. Lux, how's about we spare Ozma this time around? I know, I know, 'it will upset the balance if we do this", but be honest! Don't you want to see how this plays out.?"
Lux could only give out a tired sigh...
"-AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH-Oomph!" Frodo Baggins hits the ground after he'd been falling through the portal. He dared to look up, only to find Naruto and Kurama looking back at him with face-splitting grins.
"How're ya doin', Frodo?" to which the humble bard of the Shire gave a twitching glare.
"I had been FALLING FOR THIRTY MINUTES!"
Kurama started to laugh his ass off at the remark. "He'll live!" the fox parked out as he walked away. After he managed to pick himself up, the short-statured bard began to look around.
And gaped in awe at the endless field of wild roses, stretching far and wide beyond what his eyes could see. Then his nose was filled with a warm paradise spring breeze filled with the scent of flowers that could melt away even the frozen seas of Solitas. And in the distance, he could see a singular tower seemingly floating in midair with giant glowing blue crystals at the bottom. He looked to the rest of the group to see Ozma and Juniper in similar state of wonder and awe. Only Naruto and Kurama were unfazed, despite the former of the two having a knowing smirk on his face.
So Frodo asked them. "Where are we?"
The whiskered blonde's smirk opened up into a grin. "Well, Frodo, what more can I say? Welcome to Avalon!"
Within the Distant Tower, there stood a modest, young woman wearing a simple robe made of the finest fabrics. Her eyes a bright pink that seemed to adorn a cherubic face, framed by long, pale hair that seemed to be colored by the rainbow under the sunlight. Her beauty alone would make any who gaze upon her forget any and all animosities they may have. Currently, she was gazing at the horizon from her tower, smiling in amusement when she felt an all-too familiar pulse of energy.
"My, my, what could you have need to visit this time, dear sweet Hunter?"
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTT?!"
The young woman blinked in surprise. "Oh? Seems you've brought friends. Nevertheless..." she raised her ornate silver staff with a crystal blue gem in front of her. With a simple incantation, a rune appeared on the ground, and almost immediately Naruto, Kurama, Ozma, Juniper, and a flabbergasted Frodo appeared. The Emerald Wizard and the Girl in the Tower looked around, taking in the interior of the tower with wonder. There wasn't much, other than they were able to gaze at the vast garden surrounding them from an almost bird's-eye view. A simple silver throne placed in the middle of the chamber. It was then that they saw the stranger.
"Oh!" Juniper gasped, "Please, pardon us ma'am. We didn't mean mean to intrude."
"That's alright. I was expecting you, after all." the young girl's voice was nothing short of melodious as she gave them a sweet smile.
"You mean to say that you cast a Foresight Spell?" Ozma inquired.
The girl's smile did not waver as she gave her reply. "More so a natural talent of mine, I'm afraid. Somedays I can tell what would be happening weeks, months, even years from now."
The magic-casting duo stood shocked at the reveal. "Clairvoyance?! But such an ability is rare!" Juniper exclaimed. "It's one of the known True Gifts of Magic to exist!"
"Well, June-bug, that's because she's a special case." Naruto spoke up, much to the girl's cute pouting. "And very mischievous, so I'd keep a very good eye on her, if I were you."
"Oh, sure, go ahead and ruin my fun Naruto! It's not my feelings you're hurting, after all!" she playfully scorned, to which the former shinobi replied by sticking his tongue out at her. Quickly composing herself, she turned to the others with a smile once more.
*ahem* "Well, where are my manners? Greetings, one and all! My name is Merlynn Magorium, and welcome to Avalon!"
There was a momentary pause, and then: "HUUUUUH?!"
"No! No, no, no, no, no!" Ozma looked as though he was starting to panic. "This-this simply isn't possible!"
Juniper, on the other hand, had already suffered a near breakdown. "There's no way that this child is the legendary Lady Merlynn Magorium, greatest and most powerful sorceress of all time! In taverns they still sing ballads and songs of her feats that had taken place well over five hundred years ago!"
"Last anyone heard, she just up and vanished one day while seeking out the mysteries of Vytal!"
The now-named Merlynn giggled. "I did! And here we are, ladies and gentlemen! The Distant Tower of Avalon!"
Frodo, in the meantime, was perfectly executing the imitation of a gaping fish.
"B-but how are you even-?"
"What? Alive?" Blinking owlishly at the Emerald Wizard's baffled question, Merlynn gave him a simple reply. "Well, as you may know, I had gone in search of the ever-distant utopia tasked to me by the God of Light himself. It was in a vision that he spoke to me, saying that I was to reach this very tower and one day return it to the very world! And, lo and behold, I made my way into this tower!" Then a pout appeared on her face. "Of course, he never said how long I had to stay here or even how I was supposed to get out. It took me ages to find the way, but by the time I was finally able to do so, it had already been two-hundred-and-thirty years since my departure. Can you imagine? Everyone I ever knew personally was already dead. There had been so many wars already fought, so many things changed and different now, and I-" she closed her eyes in regret. "I couldn't bear to step foot outside of here. I had been gone for more than two hundred years, and everything had changed. Life moved on without me."
The three newcomers could not even hope to fathom what that would be like. To have been trapped away from reality for so long, only to find your loved ones and everything you've known having passed on through time. "I-I'm so sorry, Lady Merlynn. It wasn't my intention to bring up such memories."
The petite sorceress gave them a serene smile in return. "There's no need, dear Ozma. I've made my peace already ages ago. Now I merely gaze unto the Waking World from the precipice of my tower and store what I've seen into my library." She opened her eyes again to look at them before turning to Naruto. "I take it, then, that this isn't for just a social gathering?"
The whiskered Hunter grunted in affirmation. "Yeah, sorry about that, 'Lynn. Something's come up in Crete. Horde of Skaven dwelling in the sewers and I don't have the proper gear to take 'em down."
Merlynn scrunched her eyebrows together. "And here I was, hoping to spend some time together. You're going to see him again, aren't you?"
Naruto nodded. "Yup."
The sorceress let out a frustrated sigh before turning to the others. "Well then, in the meantime, the rest of you." she opened a blue portal to reveal a vast library within. "Feel free to examine the contents of my library at your leisure!"
Frodo gave out a big whoop before charging headfirst through, a chuckling Ozma and giggling Juniper following closely behind him. As soon as they were completely through the portal snapped shut. Merlynn turned to Naruto with a serious look on her face.
To which the former shinobi merely blinked back. "What? They're good company, and it's not like I was gonna keep doing this on my own. Even Kurama seems to like them!"
"Yes, like plague-ridden fleas. Though the small one looks like a tasty snack."
"...Eh, it's a work in progress."
Merlynn was not amused in the slightest.
"...What?" he asked.
"Naruto," she began, "do you have any clue-any idea at all-as to who that woman truly is?"
"Huh? If you mean Juniper, then yeah. Kurama told me about that encounter with the Trolls, but I figured it was only 'cause of Ozzy being knocked down. Though by hearing the name 'Dragon's Daughter', I can take a few guesses..."
"Is that what she choses to call herself?" Merlynn turned to sit at her throne, where she raised a hand to conjure a tiny ball of pink aura, letting it dance between her fingers. "But yes, I can see why she would choose to do so. No one would ever hope to associate themselves with a member of the Tepes family."
Naruto's and Kurama's eyes widened momentarily. "Wait, Tepes?! But then that would mean-"
"Aye, her name-her true name-is none other that Salem von Tepes. Daughter of Vladimir Caligula Tepes. Though you do know him by a different name, don't you?"
The whiskered blonde gained a thousand-yard stare at the cold hard truth. He wanted to believe otherwise, but he knew Merlynn was no liar. Playful and teasing at times, yes. But when it came to something damning, something that could decide the fate of the world be it for better or worse, she will not lie. And the revelation of Juniper's true heritage was such a decision. If she were to be anything like her father...
Naruto shook his head of the thought. "Yeah, you're right, I do know the name. But the rest is entirely up to her, Merlynn. I don't tend to judge people by their blood, only by their actions. So, until Juniper decides to tell me herself, then the matter is closed. Understand?"
Their was a deathly pause that seemed to stretch for moments on end before the legendary sorceress gave a solemn nod in reply. So, with a deep breath and a small smirk she opened another portal, this time leading to a workshop. "Give the old man my regards, will you? I only get to see him just once a year."
"Hey now, knock it off, 'Lynn." the whiskered blonde walked past her with a wide grin on his face. "It's his busiest day of the year, after all!" With that he stepped through the portal before it snapped shut. Merlynn then grew an uneasy look on her face. Using Clairvoyance, she began to look into the distant future.
She saw many things then: Naruto's disappearance, Ozma's death, Juniper's grief leading to madness, the attack on the Brothers, and finally: Juniper dropping herself into the Grimmpool, emerging as the future Queen of the Grimm, Salem.
However, her eyes suddenly flashed with magic, and to her surprise she saw a different future: Ozma was alive and well, Juniper happily at his side. But then, Merlynn saw the Dark Vault beginning to open. Grimm, ancient and almost unheard of in this day and age, rumbling across the Waking World. A large shadow in the shape of a dragon filling the skies with fire and smoke. Armies rising up to combat the threat, Kingdoms uniting under one banner. And Naruto...
Naruto lay amidst the cold ground, wounded, bleeding out. Clinging to life as he reached out towards her.
With a gasp she returned to her tower, only now noting her handshaking on the harm rest. She grasped it with the other causing it to cease.
"I do not know why or how I came to see that vision. I do not know what the Gods are planning. Though one thing is for certain..."
"You are in grave danger, dearest Naruto."
"Eh? Didja hear something, Kurama?"
"No. Now can we please get a fucking move on? I'm losing sleep over this." the former biju growled out as the pair walked around the workshop. It seemed to be filled with nothing but what appears to be toys: marionettes, wooden horses, dolls, bouncing balls of many colors. Puzzles and trinkets littered tables and floors, all shapes and sizes. A roaring fireplace was seen on one side, and on the other side of the windows was a feverous blizzard that never seemed to end.
"Ah, I thought I recognized that foul temperment." Spoke a booming, jovial voice. There was a rather large, oaken desk with parchments of designs for new toys and games. A large, wooden chair with rich red velvet cushion along the back and seat was behind it facing them. And nestled in that chair...
A man of very large stature standing at, with twinkling cerulean eyes behind half-moon shaped glasses, rosy cheeks, and reaching to his chest was a long flowing beard pale as fresh winter snow. His hair was no different, yet just barely reached his shoulders. He wore a red tunic with the long sleeves rolled up, revealing his well-muscled forearms. Long pants of red wool neatly tucked into leather brown boots with white fur trim. And yet beneath that bushy beard Naruto knew was a wide smile in greeting.
"Hey there, Kris! Sorry to bug ya, but I need your help with something."
And so the man's head reared back as he gave a big, booming laugh.
"HO! HO! HO! It's alright, Naruto m'boy! Merlynn sent you, didn't she? So then, what do you need?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just need to burn down a Skaven's nest deep into Crete's sewers, is all. I was hoping you had something for me, Kris. I'll pay ya, if you'd like!"
"Naruto, you helped us in our time of need, driving off the Yule Cat attacking my team before personally delivering toys all over Vytal to little girls and boys without a second thought as to pertaining a reward. You just up and offered to help! I don't think payment is necessary." Kris got up from his chair and walked to the fireplace where there was a large red sack that was seemingly empty. Grabbing it in one hand, he turned to the former shinobi. "So, off to burn down a Skaven's nest in Crete, are we?"
"Yep!"
"Got it in one, big man."
Humming to himself, the large-statured man reached into his sack and pulled out what seemed to be a pair of gauntlets and a menpō or half-mask. The mask itself seemed to be of an oni, the face being black with orange teeth. The gauntlets were colored in blackened iron with the top parts in bronze. The gauntlet for his right arm, however, had a pair of parallel blades made of Vytalian silver. The one for his left had what appeared to be a circular bulge and already had a fingerless glove attached. Kris went to put them down on the table before gesturing at Naruto to try them on. When Naruto put on the right gauntlet, he noticed that he was still able to utilize his Silver Talons with relative ease thanks to a special groove along the underside. Turning to his friend, the whiskered blonde made to thank him when Kris raised his hand.
"Hold on, my friend, I haven't even gotten to the good parts just yet! Now, try flicking your wrist downward."
When he did so, Naruto was somewhat shocked to see the blades extend outwards. They were serrated and appeared to be at least fifteen inches in length and 2 1/2 inches wide.
"Remarkable, isn't it?" Kris chuckled. "The blades themselves, as you may have already seen, are composed of pure Vytalian silver. I had a few of my people test out a prototype against Deathstalkers and Boarbatusks, they pierced through their bone armor plating like a hot knife through butter! Of course, you can also use them to parry any attack. A natural set of claws, if you will. Now, try on the other one."
In doing so, Naruto noticed that the 'bulk' of the gauntlet seemed to come apart from the rest, as though it could separate.
"Alright, try to make a fist with your left hand." Kris suggested.
Clenching his fist, the whiskered hunter yelped as the metal 'bulk' popped up and extended in a clockwise fashion until it became a 32-inch round shield. The front had a black surface, and there were eight golden reindeer running in a circular pattern. The former shinobi took a moment to admire the shield before turning to face his friend. "It's beautiful, Kris. I don't know what to say."
"Now, now, I know my hardest workers put as much effort as they could into making it, so let me explain how it works. Basically, it was made to provide as much protection to your body without hindering your movement. We put it through all the proper tests, Naruto. It would take a Goliath about two or three sure stomps before giving way. There's a pressure mechanism woven into the palm of the glove that's not so sensitive as to activate the shield accidentally, such as grabbing a pint of ale at a tavern. Wouldn't want that, now would we?"
The two chuckled as Kurama gave a smirk. "No, I don't think we would."
"Right. Now, the mask." The bearded man turned to grab the mask off of the table. While presenting it to Naruto, Kris gave an explanation to its functions. "This fancy little trinket was a strange yet interesting subject. If I recall, I remember you telling me of the time you were hunting a King Taijitu targeting caravans in the Emerald Forest and found many victims who later succumbed to its poisonous breath. Having kept that in mind, we commenced on creating this 'Gas Mask' as we've come to call it. It will not only filter the surrounding air, but can also reactively adapt to any dosage of airbonre particles. Should make hunting in those sewers now a bit easier, no?"
"Yeah, it would. I honestly don't know how to thank you, Kris." As he finished speaking, a portal opened behind him showing the inside of Merlynn's tower.
"HO! HO! HO! Well, you can start by visiting more often! My wife makes the best cocoa and chocolate chip in these parts, and the workers miss you every now and then. Don't be a stranger, now! Oh, and do bring the others with you when you get the chance!"
Naruto gave him a wide grin that threatened to split his face apart. "Alright, I'll try to come visit when I can! Oh, 'Lynn says hi by the way!"
"Tell her not to worry, my friend! I'll be seeing her soon in three months! Happy Hunting!"
After gathering everyone from Merlynn's library, Naruto brought them back to the inn hallway from the way they came. Being the last person to come through, Naruto closed the door, locked it with the Portkey, and removed the paper from the door surface. Returning the items back into his cloak, he pulled out their room key, and unlocked the door to reveal their room. Naruto and Kurama went inside with no fuss as they made preparations for their hunt. Ozma, Juniper, and Frodo were a bit stupefied at first, before eventually walking through the doorway. Frodo plopped himself onto the nearest chair and the magic-using duo went to the bed to start reading the books they borrowed from the library: "History of Magic" and "Alchemy for Beginners" for Juniper, and "Runes and Protection Wards" for Ozma. The humble bard of the Shire had been given three books: "Great Gourmets and Pints", "Ballads of the Ancient World", and finally "Herbs and Cultures: Remedies Made Easy!". But for now Frodo was content on snoozing away on the chair.
Night quickly came, and the group had taken leave to retire for the evening. Naruto and Kurama had been snoozing away without a care in the world. Until Naruto sarted to dream of the past...
Flashback-no-Jutsu...
"End this madness, Sasuke!"
Once at the Valley of the End, there were two colossal statues that stood firm at either side of a waterfall. One was Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage. The other, Madara Uchiha, the Ghost of Clan Uchiha.
Now, those statues were naught but rubble. On the side of Hashirama, Naruto stood. Two gaping holes in his chest the size of a fist matched by a bloody scar going across diagonally from right to left, slowly healing. His forearms were trembling, this duel and the war beforehand starting to take its toll. His clothes were rendered to tatters; only his sandals and his ragged pants remained. The whiskered shinobi could feel himself tiring out-the sweet temptation to close his eyes and fall. But he couldn't. He mustn't! He had a promise to keep, after all.
"You intend for me to give up, Naruto? And for what? A promise to a sad, little girl?"
And there, across from him, was his teammate. His friend. Sasuke hadn't come out unscathed either. A nasty cut over his right eye, his body riddled with fresh scars of his own-the most prominent being three claw-like wounds across his chest. His shirt was gone, torn to ribbons from nearly evading a Rasenshuriken. If not for his Susano'o armor, the Last Uchiha would be dead.
"You still don't get it, do you?!" the whiskered teen roared as he leapt towards is rival, two kunai in hand. The Sharingan wielder brandished his sword and jumped to meet him.
CLANG!
The duo broke apart, only for Sasuke to advance at neck-breaking speed. Naruto barely had enough time to deflect the opposing blade racing to cut off his head before dropping down to sweep this opponent's legs. The Uchiha scion jumped over the leg, only to be knocked back by another kick to the chest. He tumbled a few times before righting himself, coating his sword in lightning chakra. Striking out, he caught Naruto unawares and struck him in the abdomen with his fist before preparing to slice through his neck. The whiskered blond dropped the kunai in his right hand before delivering an uppercut to his rival's chin. Sasuke stood his ground, kicking his former teammate away from him before pursuing Naruto, Chidori formed in his left hand.
The blond shinobi had just crashed into the rocky surface before feeling a sharp pain piercing through his gut. Looking down to see Sasuke's lightning covered hand through his stomach, he looked up to give his friend a small grin. "So, that's it? That's your answer?"
The Sharingan wielder remained stoic, not saying a word until: "I've told you before, Naruto. For the Nations to truly change, I have to uproot the problem at its source. The Five Kage need to die." He released a breath before continuing. "This is my path to walk. Alone."
GRAB!
Sasuke looked down to see two hands grabbing his arm. He tried to pull away, only to find that he couldn't. It wasnt' until he heard a familliar loud screeching noise. Looking back behind him, the Uchiha was shocked to see a Rasenshuriken careening right at him. Struggling to break free to no avail, he could just barely make out his old teammate's words before being struck:
"Then goodbye, brother..."
Flashback-no-Jutsu end...
Sasuke's eyes opened wide as he shot up from his bed. It took him only a moment to calm himself before getting up to stand. It was night in the forrest, his little makeshift cottage unable to be found by anyone. Running his hand through his raven locks, the Last Uchiha started to reminisce.
It had been little over a year since his duel with Naruto. The Infinite Tsukuyomi, by some miracle, had been undone. The Allied Army were starting to come to when he had appeared before the Five Kage. Rather than killing them, however, he chose to spare them under the threat of retaliation should they try anything towards him. Taking note of his power, the Kage chose to surrender.
The Uchiha grunted to himself. Sure there were a few oppositions along the way, but they were nothing he couldn't handle. There was one time shortly after the Kage's surrender to him that the bandit tribes in Hi no Kuni had united together to raid several villages before making their way towards Konoha. They had taken advantage of the weakened Allied Army to loot and pillage as they pleased. So, he had decided to strike first. The Sharingan wielder found their main camp easily enough. He just had to follow the sounds of torture, rape, and cruelty. And for that he didn't bother using Susano'o or Amaterasu in order to enact justice for the fallen villagers.
No, it was simply him and his Kusanagi, coated in lightning. He spun through their ranks, dancing with the sounds of spraying blood and screams of mongrels. Not men, never men. They had long since lost the right to call themselves such. He carved and cut flesh and bone, making sure to let them know whose face it was that brought the Shinigami, or Death God, to their doorstep. The bandits and vermin pleaded and begged for mercy. To which Sasuke pointed his sword to one such victim-a young woman with torn clothing; blood and semen covering her body-and replied:
"Did she not do the same?"
Since then, the Last Uchiha had been using this cottage as a camp to weed out the remaining bandit horde that had taken shelter amongst the dense woods.
Ah, but he was losing himself in thought. Quickly, Sasuke recalled Naruto's fate just before getting hit by the Rasenshuriken. Upon realizing that he wouldn't be able to escape, Sasuke used his Rinne-Sharingan to open a portal before kicking Naruto through it. But by the time he was able to activate the Susano'o Armor, however...
Sasuke looked down to his left arm, or lack thereof. Naruto's surprise attack left a cauterized wound at the shoulder. A rather nasty, blackened stump if one were to put it nicely. He was lucky enough to even walk out of there alive. The Uchiha sighed, knowing that this was a price to pay for his goals.
"Even in defeat you still manage to plague my dreams, old friend..."
Activiating his Sharingan, Sasuke formed himself a new arm. It was an ethereal mechanical skeleton arm formed of a purple construct, the fingers sharp and menacing constantly having streaks of lightning dancing in between. Because was a chakra construct, however, he couldn't use it often as it would drain his chakra.
'I should probably talk to Sakura about getting that new prosthetic she's been working on.' he thought before wincing in hindsight. 'That's IF she even wants to talk to me at this point. I swear, there are times where I think Naruto should have won. Her punches can kill.'
-End-Chapter-
A/N: Hello, my freaky darlings! I know, I know, you probably don't know me. I'm not one of the most popular fanfic writers on this site, after all. But I appreciate you guys sticking around to read my story! And expect many more chapters to come, so don't be afraid to leave reviews or to PM me to discuss your ideas!
Ciao!