Hello, hello, possible new readers! Names NeoShadows and this is my latest fic I offer to both fans of A Certain Magical Index and Naruto. Out of all the manga, anime, and light novels, I've written fanfiction for, this newest fic is truly a passion project I've been working on for months. For good reason.

Naruto was the manga that got me invested into reading fanfiction. I didn't even know fanfiction was a thing until I was bored and curious enough to browse the internet of my flip phone and came upon that marvelous creation of fans known as fanfiction. I was hooked and year later, I started writing my own fanfiction to improve my writing, seeing such a platform as a template of sorts. Funny enough, I didn't start writing for Naruto but Fairy Tail.

A Certain Magical Index was an anime that introduced me to Light novels. I had no idea such a thing existed either until I finished watching Season 2 and was letting wanting more, enough to discover the series continued through books, not manga. I've been reading light novels for a while now and found even more awesome series through them.

Taking both and creating a piece of fanfiction from them was both a joy and a challenge. Naruto is purely shonen, so I had to find a way to fix ToAru's writing style with such an action-packed world that would challenge the main character in new ways. Took me three months of writing to get it right and I'm happy to have already come out with plenty of chapters.

When I began writing this crossover, I originally tried to find other crossovers with Naruto but found fics that really weren't what I was hoping to expect. They all just lacked what made a ToAru fic a ToAru fic, you know. So, I hope my latest story can help fill that yearning hole in fans of both series searching for a good fic.

Have a taste of my latest creation and enjoy!


Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to A Certain Magical Index or Naruto. Both series are respected properties of Kazuma Kamachi and Masashi Kishimoto.


Chapter 1: Road To Assassination.

Exiled_Boy.

Gushing dark crimson flooded over the dimly lit street pavement of Academy City with no sign of stopping any time soon. One would question how a single human being could contain so much blood in their body that ran out like a busted water hydrant. It truly boggled the mind with a horrific sense of curiosity. Even more, so that the owner of such a wound was still standing up despite being battered in hues of blue, green, and black. Vain as the attempt was, the heavily wounded boy ground his teeth, left hand gripping the cleanly torn off stump that was his right arm to try and stop the bleeding.

Beads of salty sweat slid down Touma's face as he struggled to control his heavy breathing in the face of the final opponent of today's crazy events. Who stood before him as his opponent this time was not a magician who could conjure 3,000-degree Celcius flames, a girl who could manipulate electricity to fire an arcade token like a railgun, a white-haired, red-eyed boy who had absolute control of vectors, a man or woman regarded as a Saint with superhuman physical abilities, or even a Magic God who could wipe out reality and create a whole new world like a blooming chrysalis.

Funny enough, he would have had no problem facing such opponents; Imagine Breaker was only redeemable the more unnatural, powerful, or gifted its targets were.

No, his opponent this night was an oddity in the long line of people Touma had the displeasure of crossing fists with.

The one standing victoriously held his right hand out, stretching the fingers free to better extend the running shadow his limb provided by the lamp posts Academy City provided to those who were still out this late. He looked rather average, a normal faced boy in high school with plain brown hair that was cleanly styled to make him look charming, and wore a high school uniform. The brown-haired boy wasn't a skilled magician molded by failures, an esper who had strived for greater power, or someone with a tragic backstory that guided him into being a great hero.

Kamisato Kakeru was your typical high school student who was born no less special than anybody else in this world. An esper, a Level-0, who had failed to awaken his Personal Reality, and enjoyed the normal life he had secured in this city that prioritized the research and growth of supernatural powers in their students. He was just a normal boy, same as Touma, who had one day awoke with a strange power in his right hand.

World Rejector. In a deck full of playing cards, you might say that it was the Joker of your hand that could turn the tables against the strongest of players. A power that was crystallized by the hopes of Magic Gods after bearing witness to the disappointment of Touma's own Imagine Breaker. You could say it was The Wish of Those Gods For Another World After Being Disappointed By The Original. Where Imagine Breaker saw purpose as The Ultimate Shield, World Rejector saw purpose in being The Ultimate Sword.

That high school boy who could be found anywhere in the world wielded a power that would erase those who held conflicting ideas with the current world while desiring a new world to escape. It attacked with no mercy, annihilated whatever the shadow of his right hand caught be it human, machine, god, saint, or animal; so long as the target conflicted with Kamisato's own wishes, they would be rejected from the world. Such power was not kind nor was it cruel.

What it was could only be defined by the actions of that average brown haired high schooler.

"Heh, just my luck, right? Even though this had all began with discussions with hotpot to feed three freeloaders and a cat, this Kamijou-san's usual misfortune leads him to the end with a lost right arm. All because he decided to match fists with a high school boy to measure our strange right arms as if it were a pissing contest. It's so hilariously tragic, I can't help but want to laugh."

Touma really wanted to laugh bitterly at the turn of events of facing someone who was nearly identical to him. But the action had caused a spurt of sticky red to spill out of his ashen white fingers attempting to pitifully hold back the bloody damn from his right arm stump. He grimaced deeply at the seeping blood painting the entire right side of his body from the vicious blow.

What had lead to this situation? What would make two normal high school boys resort to violence when such actions were far from what they considered desirable? For what purpose would they toss aside their own ordinary way of life to beat the other into submission like head-butting thugs?

The events which lead up to said 'final' battle could be the answer to the question. The arrival of the Magic Gods, The Search for a Goalkeeper, The High Priest and Arrowhead Comet, The Birth of World Rejector's Hate, The Death of the Magic Gods, Nephyths, The Shoggoth Sample and Cannibal Apple tied to the Birdway Sisters; the series of events had all played individuals keys that would lead Kamijou Touma and Kamisato Kakeru to fight in the streets.

But when it all came down to it, their reason for fighting now could be attributed to one thing.

A difference in opinion.

The lives and smiles of Leivana Birdway and her twin sister, Patricia Birdway were safe. Even though they had previously been at the others' throats in their own visions of providing a Happy Ending for the Birdway sibling they had fought for, the two high school boys had come together to eliminate the threat of the Shoggoth Sample, rendering Leivinia's Cannable Apple pointless. An ending had been reached where neither girl had to sacrifice themselves to save the other, or both had died in an attempt to save them both. Such a conclusion was cause for celebration where those two normal boys could go out, spend the night drinking a toast to their victory, and come out all the much stronger as friends instead of enemies.

No drinks were raised, no friendships had been cemented, and no peace had been celebrated. Nothing but the scent of strong copper greeted them in the end.

Touma exhaled, the energy that had once pushed him this entire night drained by one clean hit. All he wanted to do now was let his legs give out so that his knees could crash onto the street. All he wanted was to pass out, wake up again in the familiar hospital room he had now considered a home-away-from-home despite how depressing it seemed, discover his wounds were patched up and Heaven Canceler had worked his medical magic to stitch his arm back and take in the short respite of all the chaos he had wadded through until Index and Othinus barged into his room to lecture his reckless behavior. That was all this normal high school boy wanted more than anything.

After everything he had suffered in his selfish desires to save the smile of someone else, he had expected such an end result that ended with him stuck in a hospital bed, sore, tired, but all the more happy he could protect what he had sought to clench his right fist for.

"...What the hell is that?"

Sadly, such a familiar and kind ending wouldn't be there to greet him; not this time.

A great and terrifying pressure bared its fangs down on all those who stood by in shock at the loss of Touma's Imagine Breaker, almost as if the gravity that held them to the earth had increased to threaten to crush them into flat, meaty slabs. No one who stood by from either boy's group could say what it was that restrained them from even the slightest action as a facial twitch. It was intangible, unseen, horrific, and vicious. It was an Invisible Thing that had surfaced, leaking out like a vile poison from the fang of a cobra that burned the atmosphere with a silent hiss.

Kamisato stared at the bloody stump that had held the abnormal power, Imagine Breaker, with a frozen expression that grew deathly pale. He wasn't sure if he was seeing things, if one of the blows such as the brain shaking headbutt earlier, had screwed with his cognition of the bloody scene. Was this magic at play from one of Touma's comrades?

Was there a spell at work capable of manipulating the dregs of blood to paint over the unseen monstrosity that shoved Touma's left hand off?

What looked like an invisible dragon head, teeth revealed in a show of its ability to dig into soft flesh like a hot knife to butter, glared cruelly his way. The Invisible Thing could only be seen by others due to the red paint which was blood giving it defining features that frightened everyone present. A great and terrible sense of uneasy threatened to crush the hearts and minds of those present to the leering thing.

'Just what the hell is that?! I thought he only had the power of Imagine Breaker to contend with! None of my sources have ever said anything about Kamijou Touma possessing anything more than a right hand that destroyed the supernatural! So, what the hell am I seeing!?'

Whatever it was, it was a monster. Nothing else could be thought of to describe the scaled horror drenched in human red syrup.

Automatically, Kamisato readied World Rejector to erase the invisible beast as he had done with Touma's Imagine Breaker. It had already been proven that his own abnormal ability was far superior to the spiky-haired boy's own. There had been no resistance, no contest. Kamisato had emerged the winner and Touma had suffered a missing right arm as the loser.

All Kamisato needed to do was cast the shadow of his right hand and it would all be over. The fight was no longer about two high school boy's arguing over conflicting ideals. Whatever that Invisible Thing was, it wasn't just a threat to himself. He had the sneaking suspicion it saw no distinction in who was an enemy or who was an ally. It wouldn't surprise Kamisato if the Invisible Thing didn't even know what was an ally. Its very presence made everyone, the Kamisato Faction, and the Kamijou Faction, lock up in utter fear, leaving them helpless to do a thing when that monster reared its head.

The Invisible Thing would aim its malicious jaws to everything in sight. It would slaughter everything in existence that offended it. People were in danger, those girls who had no matter in the fight between Kamisato Kakeru and Kamijou Touma were at risk of losing their life. Which meant the brown-haired high school boy would have to be the hero and save the day.

So...why couldn't he summon the courage to move his cursed right hand so much as a centimeter?

The Invisible Thing continued to glower down at the fear-stricken high school boy, slowly creaking its great jaws wide open as its razor-thin fangs glistened with splatters of blood from its host. It was free, no longer confined with the absence of Imagine Breaker. And just as its last few releases, it flew forward, sinking its teeth into the closest thing in the vicinity of its freedom.

Just like every other time, it found its pursuit held back. All by the chains of an average boy.

"I thought I told you before; GET LOST!"

An even greater power was released, chaining itself to the Invisible Thing to reel it back before it could plunge its jaws into Kamisato Kakeru. Kamisato's hair was blown back by the force the Invisible Thing had rushed forward, only to be pulled back like a barking dog by its owner. His dark brown eyes were shaken, unable to believe that the monstrosity had been held back by a mere boy.

Kamijou Touma hadn't lost consciousness to his own blood loss nor the fear presented by the horror which had grown out of his right bloody stump. No, that nigh identical mirror image of a false hero openly ground his teeth as he fought to stop the Invisible Thing's thrashing. Those dark blue eyes held no hesitation, no fear, no despair; only the determined will to prevent the bloody ending ready to fallout.

The Invisible Thing fought back against the greater power that originated from its host, refusing to return to its prison anymore. The force of its mighty fit was enough to thrash Touma's own body in place, threatening to toss him aside like some limp doll.

"I don't give a damn what the hell you could be; A Great Demon of Unknown Depths, A God Exiled By Humans, A Lovecraftian Horror From Beyond Reality, The Crystallization of Peoples Fear and Despair; none of that shit matters one damn to me! I know I might have teased you before when I was facing the threat of the High Priests Arrowhead Comet but that doesn't mean you have the right to pop out whenever you want! A reckless bastard like you has no right to get between the matters of two high school boys!"

The Invisible Thing fought back against Touma's restrains with a deafening roar that distorted the air visibly. By now all those watching could no longer remain standing, having lost consciousness and dropped like flies as the behemoth's roars rattled their brains. Other than Kamisato Kakeru and Kamijou Touma, all those humans had fallen silent.

Othinus struggled to remain conscious as she laid on Index's chest, her eyes flinching to remain open when under the unbearable pressure of a beast she had once crushed easily. Unfortunately, the remaining 1% that composed her body was as weak as the humans around her.

"H-Human..."

Her desperate warning to her Understander fell silent in wake of the earth-shattering roar of a dragon.

Touma's eyes were strained to the point of bloodshot streaks in his whites. Every muscle in his body groaned as he continued to reel in the Invisible Thing that slept in his right hand. His lungs felt like they were being crushed against his ribcage as every breath drew less and less air. The struggle to contain that malicious presence was unlike every other instance.

Never before had IT fought so ferociously against Touma's command. It really was like he was pulling on the leash of a misbehaved dog that couldn't stop snarling or barking viciously at the strangers and friends that surrounded its master.

Why was this happening now? Why of all times was the Invisible Thing refusing to listen to his demands? Every other time it had been freed, he had been able to stop its rampage before it could fatally harm those close to him, even his enemies. A greater power, one that Touma hadn't a clue of, had always risen when he needed to sedate the dragon and resolve his battles himself. Because of his own strong will, he had stopped that great horror from being released into the world.

Except he couldn't shove the Invisible Thing back to its cage. Nothing was working. If felt as if the bindings born of some greater power he possessed were groaning from the strain of two monste-

Touma choked at the feeling of something else bursting from his right arm's bloody socket with a vicious pop.

Was it possible for the air to grow denser with the ominous sound of sticky blood spurting, accompanied by several distinct roars?

No one understood what the Invisible Thing was, what its origin was, or what it meant or proved in its existence. All that was known was that it had taken many shapes upon its jailbreak. The most common seen was an unseen force that struck with no quarter. It could be said it was an invisible dragon that could only be seen by the blood clinging to its scales. And then there was the greatest and most fearsome of its forms that only three individuals in the world had witnessed.

The Dragon King's Army.

Before, Kamisato had found himself being glared down by one invisible dragon. That blood-smeared dragon had vanished but hadn't left to allow him to breathe easily again. In its place, a great swarm of slithering, long-necked dragons of various designs had erupted to cry out in freedom.

One dragon was designed in deep red flaming energy flowing from its naked narrow skull.

One possessed pure white feathered wings on its head.

One had great horns adorned on its head that blinded it, with a body resembling the darkened brown soil.

One had no eyes and reminded Kamisato of horror movie crawler as it possessed alien green scales reminiscent of emeralds.

One was composed of ice crystal, giving off a regal aura from its shimmering ice blue body.

One possessed a single sapphire eye, appearing to be a fusion between a dragon and a cobra with pale blue scales.

One was adorned with a single spear-like horn on its sparking lemon yellow body.

And the final dragon appeared the most normal of them all, scaled and ferocious as the depicted mythical beasts of legend. The Dragon King.

For the first time since Touma had discovered the terrifying secret that Imagine Breaker held back, he was truly terrified of what would happen next.

A total of eight dragons, the army of scaled horrors that had devoured the Misaka Mikoto's Level 6 Shift form, was again out in the open and eager to wreak mayhem to everything in sight. Those long-necked dragons wriggled together, tied as one by an invisible knot from Touma's wet stump, struggling to break free as they screeched with the vibrations of nails raking a blackboard heard throughout all of Academy City. They pulled on Touma's body, attempting to lift him up as he tried to keep his feet rooted to the street with a snarl of effort.

Right now, all that stood between a great nightmare ready to swallow everything in sight, was your average high school boy who was already fighting with what little remained of his strength.

Amid the deafening roars demanding to be free, Touma found himself smiling solemnly. His knees gave out, at last, hitting the streets as the raging army of dragons snapped the air furiously. A great thrashing wind was created by the dragons' efforts, whipping the leaves and branches off nearby trees and pushing aside anything not rooted was as if a storm was being produced by the dragons' rage stirring the winds of the world to their command.

No doubt those bastards were pissed at their host who refused to let go of the leash. He felt another monstrous tug on the chains he reigned, the force of which causing his entire body to cry out. Every muscle on his body felt as if they were being strained to their limits.

Well, that was it. After so long, Touma found that he couldn't fight anymore. Was it that hard to believe that his body had quit on him? Did everyone forget that he had the body of a normal boy that was easily harmed and worn out? He wasn't some olympian with a massive reserve of stamina to keep him going for hours and hours. He had his limits just like everyone else.

And in this instance, his limits had been hit. It was taking literally everything in his power to keep those dragons restrained from harming Kamisato. If he slacked off even slightly, if he so much as loosened the leash, if he stumbled just a bit; just one of those dragons would break free and prevent anything close to a happy ending from being reached. The longer he kept fighting, the tenser the leash would become before the strain of his pulling caused that single leash to snap.

Earlier Kamisato Kakeru had argued with Touma about his childish belief in saving everyone. If just one person could be saved by sacrificing another than it was still considered a favorable outcome. It didn't matter how the person or persons were saved in the long run, all that mattered was that they had been saved despite what loss may have come. Of course Touma had spat the thought process aside, refusing to accept anyone could be saved by giving up something for the greater good that they could have saved if they worked hard enough to try. He believed that it was only normal to try and attempt to come up with a solution that led to the happiness of everyone instead of the goal of being saved no matter the sacrifices made.

One was logical, the other was determined. Neither desired to give in to ways of the other that made the other's actions seem pointless. In the end, they were simply stubborn high school boys who held far too much pride to believe that their definition of salvation was wrong.

Which was why it made what Touma realized as his last resort taste all the more bitter.

"Hey, Rookie, listen up."

Kamisato flinched as he was addressed by the eerily calm voice from the spiky-haired boy. Even as those great dragons thrashed about with a terrible gust of wind, the wielder of Imagine Breaker remained resolute in the decision he had found that would put an end to this chaos. His face spoke to the hesitating high school boy who was practically his kouhai in matters dealing with the supernatural world, telling him to listen to every word he was speaking closely.

Somehow, Kamisato could hear Kamijou in the wake of eight distorting roars centered at the eye of a storm.

"I haven't given up on what I believe is the normal way to save others; not by a long shot! I refuse to accept that useless idiots like us can only save others by throwing aside the happiness of others. When a girl comes stumbling to us violent weaklings, we have no other choice but to promise that girl whose smile was robbed of her that she can capture it again without ever having to lose anything! Whatever means we can use at our disposal, we have to fucking try and save those we've resolved to protect in a way that allows everyone involved a chance to retain a chance of a happy ending! If so much as a shadow is cast on the smiles of those you've saved than you've failed!"

Was...was that failed hero really lecturing him now, of all times!?

Whatever fear had sunk into Kamisato's being was drowned by a blistering rage.

That damn bastard had some fucking balls to be seriously speaking to him like that! Couldn't he read the situation?! Or did Imagine Breaker's plan involve being prematurely erased from the face of the ear-!

Kamisato's eyes snapped impossibly wide in morbid shock as Touma only grinned slightly.

Gathering enough strength from his weakened body, Touma continued with a face stricken by remorse yet wielding the same determination as when the two boys had first clashed.

"Idiots like us...can't define salvation, Rookie. It's not a full-time job that we can slave ourselves over for a chance at overtime or a promotion. It's not cut and dry with room for perfection with enough study. What at first seems like the only option which will save anyone is simply the first compromise in giving up on trying any harder at something better for everyone. You have to remember that; if we allow ourselves to act cool at making the hard decisions that yield the best results than we've lost what defines us, high school boys, as normal. Just because with have a unique power that neither one of us ever asked for, doesn't give us an excuse to define our own sense of justice, of good and evil, or become this cliché hero who's destined to save everyone who cries to them! That urge to save anyone and everyone is just a normal reaction to have; never compromise on that beloved normalcy."

The army of dragons was wrung around another, bashing against another as their serpent necks stretched out to strike at the girls that made up both boys factions without mercy. An invisible pull of the leash snapped their heads back, just barely making it in time to shield those girls from the fangs of dragons.

Touma dragged out a long sigh, finding himself smiling at the end of what had to come.

What he was asking was a great contradiction to his own words. He was nothing more than a hypocrite who was only good at lip service. But that hardly mattered to him at all. Not as long as his actions ensured that the one's he loved were safe and sound. Even if his actions now would do what he had fought so desperately to prevent due to Kamisato's idea of salvation; shadowed the smile of those girls.

If...if the price to save so much as a single soul was at the price of his own...why wouldn't he give himself up willingly?

"HUMAN! DON'T YOU DARE THINK ABOUT DOING WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU, GOD DAMN IIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"

Othinus was his Understander, it was no surprise that she knew what he was up to. Touma ground his teeth behind the brave grin on his face at the conflicted expression on the usually cool faced Kamisato.

"But then again, you're not me, Kamisato Kakeru. Unlike me, you can make up those hard decisions that just may save everyone instead of allowing everyone to die due to hesitation. In this instance, your crummy definition of salvation overpowers my own. Where I refuse to act, you're more than ready to move to play the role of hero. So, don't make me regret swallowing my own damn pride."

What needed to be done was unsaid. It was clear what action needed to be taken if anyone was to walk away from this cruel event.

No one could stop Kamisato as he carefully raised his right arm, the shadow of World Rejector enhanced by the available lights of the dark playing field. Just a little more and the Ultimate Sword would erase that contradicting boy from this world.

The eight dragons twitched as one, their gazes narrowing dangerously as they all turned their heads to the wielder of World Rejector. The sudden attention sent a deathly chill piercing down Kamisato's spine but he refused to waver any longer. Even as The Dragon King's Army cracked their jaws open, gathering to either roar as one or fire beams of destructive energy, he did not back down as he hardened his own resolve.

That right hand of his slowly opened its fingers to capture its target, ignoring the desolating light that would block his only source of attacking, ignoring the rushed footsteps of a tiny Magic God that had escaped his mind and ignored the sudden frustration he found in his heart at the crappy ending his salvation was left with.

"You're a complete idiot. A shitty hero who can't make those hard decisions and would rather risk it all to make everyone happy out of some selfish desire! But...even a rookie has to admit that he could take a few lessons from a veteran like you."

Had he...fucked up? Compared to that moron who held a weaker right hand than his, had Kamisato somehow screwed up in some way to lead to this bitter conclusion that would lead to dim smiles in the future? Had his own sense of justice and pride led to the erasure of a hero who never bothered with such pathetic excuses when it came to saving others? Was this the limit of what he was truly capable of?

Kamisato had never asked for such an Ultimate Sword. All he had ever wanted was to live a normal high school life in a city of science. It was a simple wish above all others. Yet when he had found himself with a powerful trump card that would allow him to defeat enemies leagues above himself, he had believed it was his responsibility to do something about this curse. It was why he had created the Kamisato Faction to resolve the problems of all those girls who had gathered around him because of his cursed right hand that drew in those who lost their happiness like moths to a flame

At the discovery of the Magic Gods arriving in Academy City, he hadn't hesitated on taking his revenge on those who were responsible for the destruction of his normal school life. He had categorized those beings as Evil meant to be banished for dropping off such a power in his hands. Even after he had rid most of those monsters, he hadn't been satisfied, not until they were all killed by the hand that they created out of disappointment.

Good and Evil, Just and unjust, right and wrong; he had been the one to decide which was which because of the destructive power they had parted with him. Where his power had been used to save, he had decided it could kill all the more in the name of his labeled justice.

Compared to the spiky-haired boy, Kamisato was the Tail end of the same coin that wished to erase the Head.

This conclusion would surely protect the lives of those here in the very end. There was no doubt about it. But the smiles that remained wouldn't be as pure. Anger, grief, disappointment, frustration, and despair would tint those lips because Kamisato had taken what he believed to be was the best course of action when he had been cornered. There was no room to try and gain any better ending in his opinion because…

Kamisato's lips curled with bitter disgust as his eyes met those unwavering dark blue of Imagine Breaker, never once allowing that normal boy's fear to peek at what was sadly needed to be done.

Because he was weak, far more inexperienced in the matters of being a normal high school boy compared to the senior he was erasing from the main story.

"You're a damn fool who thinks he can resolve everything without compromise yet you are willing to accept an unhappy compromise to an Ending if it means sacrificing your own life. Your own desires betray you, conflicting what your heart yearns for in this world. So, I have to ask-"

Next time; next time would be different. He would be stronger, more confidant, more understanding and patient, and try harder to gain that ideal ending every normal high school boy would fight tooth and nail for without relent. But until then, until he could muster enough strength to be as average as that spiky-haired bastard with foolish dreams-!

"Do you wish for a new world?"

A brilliant, malicious, burning rain of obliteration of unknown violence was unleashed from the roaring great jaws of eight dragons. Once those pure roaring downpours struck the earth, there was no telling what would remain of the surrounding area or how far it would spread to likely wipe out Academy City as a whole.

Sadly the unrestrained fury of the Dragon King's Army was slower when compared to the right hand of a normal high schooler.

The shadow of World Rejector engulfed Touma as he stood waiting to be exiled, completely erasing his body from this point in time. It was almost comical to see. In the time frame of a single second, even those dreaded beasts of legend were wiped out of the picture as if they were a marker before a dry-eraser. In one simple fell sweep of his right hand, Kamisato Kakeru had exiled Kamijou Touma from this world, from this planet, from this universe, where all others had failed to put an end to him.

It was his victory.

Yet there wasn't anything to be smiling about at the end of this salvation struck by a solemn, melancholic silence greeting a high school boy's victory.

[-]

World Rejector; it was the raw crystalization of the desire of Magic Gods who had witnessed Imagine Breaker's potential and found that they were let down by the right hand which contained the hopes and dreams of past Magic Gods to hold onto the current world. It was the new wish of magicians who now desired to escape this failure of a world and escape into a new world for them to start over. It was theorized that World Rejector erased those whose ideals were conflicted, and their creations, to excess regions within the world's timeline, abandoning them in the new world as a form of salvation.

At least that was the theory. World Rejector was said to use a single timeline, taking advantage of those unused spaces of the original timeline that would go unnoticed to those who didn't have a picture-perfect memory to see between the frames. As Kamisato had never fallen to his own right arm's power, he had no way to prove the theory of those Magic Gods.

Parallel worlds and separate universes were not proven to exist. It was nothing but a scientific theory that was usually talked about when dealing with matters like comic books and manga. Even Academy City could not prove that such fanservice was relatively possible. Or that the likes of World Rejector could take advantage of those parallel frames or moves that were connected to the original masterpiece.

Well, it was actually not true. Academy City did in fact have bonafide proof of the ridiculous notion of parallel worlds being fact more than fiction. After all, the Board Director, Aleister Crowley, once renowned as the Greatest Magicians, The Silver Star, had a body containing over a billion alternative selves he had condensed into his current form.

So, in light of a new discovery to reality, World Rejector could, in theory, of course, banish its targets into more than one timeline separate from the current one, and drop them off into the unused space. It wasn't as if it could manually select the points it abandoned whatever it erased, it was a completely random lottery of where they would be sent.

The Ultimate Swords random nature was no different the prizes offered by a gacha game.

It was just speculation, of course. The New World that the sacrificed wielder of Imagine Breaker would no doubt land him in the same isolated space as the True Gremlin. From there, it would become a story of the high school boy having to survive against the bored Magic Gods antics, connecting with the likes of Niang-Niang and Nephthys again that would lead to even themselves falling to the charms of the Kami-yan Disease, before those who desired that boy's return discovered how to link to that New World and save him.

Yes, that was the idea.

Oh, it seems something rather crucial was forgotten in regards to Imagine Breaker. True, its main function was to restore the world after being distorted as it served as the Reference Point to patch up whatever delusions twisted reality. Supernatural phenomena were utterly useless so long as it could not sustain itself continuously or regenerate faster than the rate of destruction Imagine Breaker caused. But it had a rather nasty ability attached to it as well.

Imagine Breaker was quite literally a Cursed Object. Good luck would not fall onto its wielder, ruining any chance of fortune smiling her lovely face upon its wielder. It would reveal itself at the worst of times and ensure a maximum amount of suffering that would not kill the wielder to allow more punishment in the future.

And it just so happened that an unfortunate irregularity had occurred as Kamijou Touma was exiled into a random pocket in the many parallel timelines World Rejector had at use.

It was as if Kamijou Touma's body had popped out of literal nowhere to remain suspended in the night sky of the New World. He couldn't breathe, his facial expression frozen stiff as his glazed eyes stared at the night sky of this new reality that revealed to him the twinkling stars to welcome him kindly. His thoughts were blank, filled with nothing as he remained suspended up high in the clear black canvas of night as if time was stopped with his arrival.

Even the blood of his right arm didn't spill a drop. Nor did the titan sized eight dragons stretching their necks in the fascination of the New World they found themselves in.

Such tranquil silence could not remain forever, sadly.

The Dragon King's Army snapped out of the blissful charm instilled into their cores by World Rejector's effects with a vicious, deafening, and earth trembling chorus of roars that would no doubt be heard throughout this strange new land and reach even the dreams of those who slept away.

If one were to look out their windows that very night at the time, they would be dumbfounded by the shadowed silhouette of numerous dragons stretching their newfound freedom in search of where they could begin their rebellion first.

Than said onlooker would blearily rub their eyes of grime, blinking as that terrifying dragon demon image suit for their nightmares vanished with the snap of a finger. Said still sleepy person would groan, scratching his butt as he returned to bed with complaints of rotten milk as tiredly walked through the empty cups of ramen before dropping back to sleep.

A renewed energy was born due to the state of bliss and hope World Rejector provided its target upon arriving in the New World, enough for Touma to pull the leash that held back those monsters with one great tug. It seemed that those demonic beings were no different to the drug-like effect as Touma finally gained full control of that terrifying secret he had no idea of understanding.

It was always so strange to watch the Invisible Thing and Dragons return to his right hand so easily. He had to wonder if his right hand also had a black hole within as it sucked in those giants with a vacuum-like suction before crushing those terrors into nothing. And then came the next sensation.

Touma's right arm, in its entirety, was restored without a hint of a scratch on the skin. Bloodstains remained on the missing sleeve of his jacket, but his naked right hand and arm were back without any complications. Almost as if it had never been lost in the first place. There was no pain in its return, no numbness, no odd pricks, or stings.

It was just back like that.

He would have taken the time to marvel at his right hand but realized a very important matter. He was still hovering up high above several large trees. He swallowed nervously as he felt the wind touch his skin before his body felt gravity's effects.

"SUCH MIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSFFFFFFFFOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTUUUUUUUNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Touma Kamijou entered the New World-or fell into-screaming his lungs out at the rotten stroke of luck that had him crashing to the new land without further ado.

At least there were cushy tree branches to soften his fall before his head smacked into the dirt, rendering him unconscious.

[-]

The Land of Shinobi, The Elemental Nations, a world that had grown to such lengths due to the influence of humans renowned as Shinobi, Ninjas who could move at the speed of sound, punch with the might of beasts, anticipate in a matter of seconds, sense at the level of animals, and perform supernatural abilities with the aid of their inner Chakra. This great land was made up of several governing powers that ensured the peace of the nations and villages by the ruling Daimyo who controlled the military might of their ninja village who were ordered to protect their prosperity no matter the task. In truth though, the ruling Daimyo of the land was commonly thought of as a figurehead at most to the major military shinobi villages who responded to the head of their country's shinobi; the Kage.

This world was a rather unique one indeed. Most problems in this world could be solved by those deadly, precise, and silent tools of violence. Whether the problems involved protection services, assassination, clean up of waste, retrieving stolen goods, or even the most idiotic of a task as pet retrieval and babysitting; those Shinobi who were trained in the art of killing could be hired to solve their troubles for a price.

In this great continent, there were five major Shinobi villages that's military strength overshadowed all over to be regarded as The Great Five Shadows that stretched the land. These giants were known as Sunagakure; The Village Hidden In The Sands, Iwagakure; The Village Hidden In The Rocks, Mizugakure; The Village Hidden In The Mist, Kumogakure; The Village Hidden In The Clouds, and Konohagakure; The Village Hidden In The Leaves. Of those great nations, a certain story was to unfold from one of those hidden villages that would change the course of history.

And that great ripple that would overcome all manner of despair, violence, and horror began with a simple B-Ranked Mission to protect a drunk bridge builder.

"How could you have not heard it last night?! It was like a big monster that had fallen from the sky and roared to make its arrival known to everyone! Seriously, I almost pissed myself when I heard it in my dreams before I woke up. It can't have been a nightmare, I remember it so clearly."

"Ew, Naruto! I don't want to hear about you peeing yourself in bed like some crybaby ninja!"

"B-But I didn't piss myself, Sakura-chan! I almost did but I didn't! Besides, didn't you hear that roar last night too?!"

The sound of birds chirping and the tussle of leaves by the passing tranquil wind was rather pleasant to hear as the company that was Team-7 Plus old man Tazuna embarked on their mission to protect the bridge builder on his way to his home village. Add a nice bottle of sake and Tazuna would have stared up at the blue cloudy sky with a blissful sigh. Too bad the taste and pleasant walk were tarnished by the loudmouth orange themed genin's voice.

To think these would be the ninjas tasked to guard his life no matter what. They were just a bunch of brats for crying out loud! One of them was a midget with no filter or fashion sense who spouted a bunch of idiot babble about being Hokage, the pink-haired girl appeared far too fragile to be a kunoichi and appeared far too obsessed with one of her teammates to bother with anything else, and the dark-haired boy with hair styled like a duck's ass was too aloof and self-confident in his abilities even though he was far the most reliable other than their sensei.

As for the infamous Hatake Kakashi who was in charge of those green-eyed ninjas, he acted rather lax for being the leader of the naive ninja team, far too busy with reading the perverted masterpiece that was Icha-Icha Paradise to reprimand the squabbling brats who were making nothing but noise.

Didn't that veteran shinobi understand that such noise could draw bandits to them?

Or worse.

Haruno Sakura, the long cherry blossomed haired kunoichi, frowned lightly at the mention of the screeching roar that had been heard by just about everyone in the village. She didn't want to admit, especially to the loudmouth of an idiot who was her teammate, but she had been woken up by the same roar as he did. Just the memory of that bone-chilling sound that spoke of nothing but killing intent made her shiver.

Not that she would admit such fear in the presence of Uchiha Sasuke.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, idiot. I was fast asleep last night, so I didn't hear anything," she answered back in a huff, ignoring the light amount of sweat on her big forehead.

"I heard it as well." The ever calm and collected Top Rookie Genin, Sasuke commented nonchalantly to the conversation.

"So did I, Sasuke-kun!"

The spiky-blond, orange jumpsuit wearing boy's brow twitched in irritation at the complete 180 at the mere chance to gain some positive points from his rival. Just what the hell did that bastard Sasuke have that he didn't?!

Naruto crossed his arms behind his head, never missing a step as they continued on the dirt path surrounded by numerous trees. His face resembled the close-knitted eyes of a fox that was incredibly annoyed by the smug Uchiha prick.

"So, you heard it too, Sasuke-teme? What do you think it was then? I heard a few people on my way to the Hokage's office talk about that monstrous scream last night, saying that it must have been thunder clapping."

Sakura scoffed at the comment, pointing out to the lack of rainwater around them.

"That's ridiculous, there's no sign of there being any rain anywhere close to Konohagakure last night. We didn't even see any puddles outside the village gates when we left. So, obviously it couldn't have been a thunderstorm. Then again, I don't really know what it could have been. It sounded...I don't know, like a-"

"Monster."

All three of the young ninja glanced at their sensei who never took his eyes off the cultured book in hand. Like them and pretty much everyone else in the village, he had heard that chilling roar from late last night. It was all the civilians and ninjas had been talking about in the early morning.

"The roar that you all have heard is a matter that is being investigated by the Hokage's shinobi as it was enough to rattle the villagers. The weaker mannered was even reported to have fainted if you would believe that. What is known is that whatever it may have been was awfully close to Konohagakure, meaning that it was seen as a threat worth investigating if possible. Such a subject, of course, matters very little to you all. After all, your mission is to protect the bridge builder, Tazuna-san, not gossiping about some bump in the night that made you piss your pants."

"I thought I told you that I didn't piss my pants datte-bayo!?"

"I thought you did."

"What was that, Sasuke-teme!?"

Before a fight could break out between Konohagure Academy's Top Student and Dead last Student, Sakura butt in between the lightning sparks that shot off both boys' eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei's right! Shouldn't we be focusing on protecting Tazuna-san rather than talking?"

Naruto grumbled, glaring at the cool faced Sasuke as he scoffed.

"Please, Sakura-chan. It's only been a few hours since we left and the only thing that's gotten in our way was a couple of bluebirds. This mission has been as boring as all the rest even though it's a C-Rank mission! At this point, I'm praying for a band of bandits to pop out of nowhere so we can break a sweat!"

"Naruto! You shouldn't be saying that! Our mission is to guard Tazuna-san, not put him in danger just because you're bored."

'Tch, even I wouldn't mind a single bandit though. Guarding this drunk old man is no better than babysitting a tipsy brat!' Sakura's inner-self complained while the pink-haired girl smiled kindly to the drinking old man in question.

Sasuke, of course, said nothing despite being annoyed as his teammates at the lack of anything to do.

"Jeez, doesn't your village have any other ninja that could have done this boring work instead of us?" Naruto loudly complained with a childishly.

That was a rather interesting question, Sakura thought as she couldn't help but ask her sensei about the lack of protection Tazuna's village provided.

Naruto tuned out the long, dry, and boring explanation about the military strength that was provided by the hidden villages of the continent. Even a dead-last like him already knew about that...kinda. He was sure Iruka-sensei had taught him everything Kakashi-sensei was explaining. But like before, he wasn't listening. What would any of that boring junk do to help him become Hokage in the future? He already knew that the Hokage was the most respected, admired, and revered shinobi in all of the village.

Well, the Fourth Hokage was at least. Old man Sarutobi wasn't much since Naruto could knock the Hokage out with his patented Oiroke Jutsu. All it took was one perverted technique to floor the old man in a puddle of blood. Just the memory made him laugh as he stepped past the puddle on the dirt road.

On later thought, he should have found it peculiar that a puddle could be found on such a clear day as today in the first place. Maybe if he had paid attention, he wouldn't have born witness to his sensei being torn to sloppy hunks of red.

[-]

Touma expected to wake up to the pleasant comfort of the only bed he could sleep within Academy City that wasn't occupied by a holy Sister, an IV drip needled into his wrist, and nothing but soreness to greet him first. As depressing as that normalcy was, it was always a sign that he had somehow ensured that someone could walk away to return to their normal lives with a smile on their face. His reward for playing the hero was nothing more than a chance to relax in bed, nothing more, nothing less.

So, why then, was he not greeted to the soft, fluffy bed cushion but instead to the cold, hard, dirt floor of a forest?

Slowly, he cracked open his bleary vision to find the green treetops above with bits of blue sky peeking through. He heard the faint sound of birds chirping close by, helping to wake him from his slumber as he gingerly held the back of his head. A few specks of blood were found, the wound scabbing over in his sleep from his hard fall. It was a surprise to realize he hadn't cracked his skull like a nut.

The confusion was the first thing to set in Touma's mind as he slowly sat up from his resting spot on the back of a tree's trunk. He was in a forest? Why? Did he end up in Ground Geo again like last time? That didn't seem right for some reason. With a wince, he stood up, leaning against the tree as he tried to organize his swimming thoughts.

Hadn't he been discussing with Index, Othinus, and Nephthys about making a hotpot with only miso soup?

'Do you wish for a New World?'

Kamisato Kakeru. The Birdway Sisters. Sample Shoggoth. Cannibal Apple. Everything flowed back into perfect place in the damaged spiky-haired boy like a film reel that played automatically. Suddenly, he understood why the right side of his body was caked with dried red and missing the sleeve of his favorite hoodie jacket. He couldn't come to a conclusion whether it was either lucky or unlucky that, this time, he had all his memories intact.

It was like a resounding click in his brain. He remembered everything leading him in a forest setting that was alien when compared to the metal forest of Academy City.

As the memories from his fight with Kamisato and his faction to save the lives of both Birdway sisters were cemented, Touma couldn't stop his shoulders from sagging as he exhaled tiredly. A forlorn smile made its way to his lips as he rubbed his left arm over the shoulder of his exposed right.

"So, Kamisato's World Rejector really does work? I gotta admit, it's a pretty cool power. It's like some ultimate spell in an RPG game that banishes, not kills, your opponent 100% of the time that it hits. Much better when compared to Imagine Breaker which can only destroy the supernatural. I wonder though; did he send me off into some magical world? A world full of human/animal hybrids like bunny-girls and cat-girls? A world with no men and nothing but desperate women? A world torn by strife and war by gods? A world with mystical beasts that humans catch and battled with for sport? I can't help but be curious about what kind of troubles await this Kamijou-san who's left to himself to wander this world. Hahaha."

The chuckle was pitifully weak with no amusement. There was nothing pleasant to be felt other than relief that everyone had escaped whatever rampage those dragons were eager to unleash. Other than that, he couldn't help but feel empty as he wandered through the forest trees lethargically.

He did it. Despite the sacrifice that was required to be paid with his own body, he had prevented Index, Othinus, Leivinia, and her sister, and Kamisato and his factions from being harmed by what laid in his right hand. By allowing Kamisato to use his World Rejector to erase Kamijou Touma from the world, cutting away the Dragon King's Army to boot, they had taken out the threat where Touma had failed to by himself. Only by those two right-hand users working together could they come to a solution using the great power that was found in Touma that acted as the dragon's leash and Kamisato's world banishing right hand.

For the first time since he had awoken as the 'new' Kamijou Touma, he had made a compromise when it came to the salvation of someone else. He had to give up a life, his life, to save everyone else as he was cornered with no options. It was a moment of weakness after hours of fighting and it had left him where he was now; alone in a new world without Index, Othinus, or any one of his friends who were adept in either Magic or Science.

He was alone, completely and utterly alone with no idea how he could return to that normal life he had idolized above all else.

Touma drew a breath but still felt empty as he continued his aimless wander through the tree riddled forest.

"Seriously though, just where did that aloof faced pretty boy send me? Hopefully, I can find civilization in this new world. I'd hate to discover I'm just rotting away in some empty pocket of reality. I can't imagine a more terrible fate than complete isolation like the Dark World."

Completely, utterly, alone. But still, Kamijou Touma continued step by step, without a tear to be shed as he tiredly made his way in this New World. He was sad, there was no denying himself that. But he wouldn't break down like some machine that had lost its power. He was alive, wasn't he?

World Rejector didn't kill. It simply displaced him from the world he had once known. In that sense, he was lost, not dead to the others. Hadn't there been an old saying about what was once lost, could be found? Didn't that mean that he wasn't to give in that easily when there was a small glimmer of hope he could be found by those who would search for him? He had sacrificed himself like a pawn, but he wasn't gone from the game.

One day, by some miracle, this Kamijou-san, who was lost in a New World, could be found by those who were stronger, smarter, and more determined than him.

Knowing that, did he have even one good reason to stop moving now?!

That meant until his friends found him wherever he may settle in this foreign land, he had to continue living and fighting for their sake!

"Is this place filled with nothing but trees!? This Kamijou-san just wants to escape this Forest Labyrinth to find a resting point so he can get his bearings together! Kamisato, you smug-faced prick! You better not have isekaied me to a world that hasn't even evolved for humanity to create civilization! I don't want to spend my time hanging around caveman when I'm no smarter than them!"

Touma scratched the back of his head in frustration, careful to mind the wound on his head that had scabbed over. Tree, tree, tree, trees! Why was there nothing but trees in this world?! At least show this Kamijou-san a dirt road or river for crying out loud!

"Eh, is that a light at the end of the dark forest tunnel?!"

Sure enough, after some time, Touma noticed the trees thinning and the sight of a dirt road straight ahead. He couldn't help but finally smile and feel that emptiness in his heart lighten just a bit as he hurried. Finally, he could find out what this new world was all about. A dirt road meant that there was some sort of civilization that lead to the end of that path.

What would he do? What was his next plan upon finding people? How would he live in this new world? Would he find a place to live? Nothing but questions filled his head that he was more than eager to answer.

"STAND BACK, TAZUNA-SAN!"

His feet picked up the pace as his eyes grew narrow. An odd sight could just barely be seen through the treeline ahead.

Flowing pink hair from a young determined green-eyed girl, an older man with an odd straw hat sweating in fear, and a glint of cruel steel claws rushing forward with clear killer intent.

Damn that Kamisato bastard! Of course, he would drop him into a new world that had him acting just as he would in the old one! What was that crap about escaping into a new world which had this tired Kamijou-san repeating what he always had?!

He had to admit though, clenching his fist tightly brought some reassurance to him in this new setting.

"Well, time to introduce myself to this new world the only way this Kamijou-san knows how!"

[-]

Sakura's entire body trembled, her heartbeat close to breaking out her chest as she held her kunai defensively before the stabbing claws of an enemy ninja that had appeared out of nowhere. Behind her stood the civilian and powerless Tazuna, their employer, who appeared to be the target of those two assailants who had already killed with no remorse. The blood slabs of meat behind them were a clear enough sign that those demonic ninjas would have no problem killing children like them.

Their sensei had been killed, ripped apart to bloody shreds, by the razor disk chains that had been connected to their claws. The strongest of them all was no more and they were helpless to the ones who killed him.

Sakura swallowed her own fear and hesitation as she readied her kunai, observing their enemy click his claws together for more piercing potential like a spearhead. All she could do with what training she had gained from the academy was stand in the way as a wall for that client.

She was risking her life for a mission that would pay them Ryo and help them grow stronger. Was she really happy with throwing aside such a precious thing as her life for a stranger? Was this what she had wanted when she became a kunoichi? Hadn't she gotten this far to finally be noticed by her crush, Uchiha Sasuke, and be seen as strong too?

Was her life...so cheap?

Questioning why she was basically throwing her life aside for a drunk bridge builder meant very little now as those claws dripping with venom closed in on her. She was a ninja, kunoichi, whose duty was to defend this old man no matter what. That was all that mattered now.

If she...if she died protecting someone else than what was there to worry about?

Right?

Sakura tried her best to keep up a brave front, narrowing her green eyes in determination as the enemy ninja finally stabbed forward as she moved her kunai to-

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Dark spiky black hair.

Past the treeline that could be found on each side of the dirt road they traveled, a voice had roared and broken through in a mad sprint. The sudden arrival of the unknown person stunned everyone on the battle as they witnessed an odd sight.

A right fist plowed its way into the demonic ninja's left cheek with a terrible crack of bone, breaking the metal mask on his face just as he had been inches from stabbing into the girl to get to his main target. Those monstrous claws of death grazed the air by her nose, missing their target as the shinobi's body motions were changed. The demonic brother's voice was gurgled as his body was sent flying by the punch to the face, leaving him to skid along the ground until he rolled to stop.

Off the side, Sasuke blinked as the kunai in hand was lowered and his body relaxed. Just moments ago, he was ready to make his way to Sakura's side and protect both her and Tazuna. But he had stumbled when he had heard the loud shout of the person who had decked the demonic brother's face to stop his attack.

"Well...I hadn't anticipated that one bit. I'm not sure what to do now. By any chance, do you know him?"

The now very much alive Kakashi asked the second demonic brother who was caught in his grip to dangle him like a doll. Said enemy ninja warily shook his head, sweating intensely beneath the one eye of the Jonin who treated him like he was nothing.

Hadn't they killed that gray-haired man moments ago?!

Naruto was speechless as he was laid out on the dirt, watching as Sakura's savior stood in front of her with a right fist outstretched. Out of nowhere, someone had come to the rescue of his teammate. What was stranger was the state of that hero.

The boy didn't look as if he was anything special. His spiky-haired reminded Naruto of his own, only black. His face was average, his eyes were a very dark blue compared to his ocean blue, and he wore some strange clothing. But what really caught his attention was that stranger's right arm. It was missing its sleeve and the entire right side of his body was painted with blood that had dried after some time.

Yet it was the fierce stare in that dark blue glare that really spoke out more to that blond spiky-haired boy.

"Get up again and I'll treat you to the same pain over, and over, again. So, stay down or I just might break your jaw clean off!"

Kamijou Touma stated his clear intentions to all gazing upon him, his right fist, bruised and bloody from smashing into the metal of the ninja's mask, clenched tightly and aimed to once again strike its target down without hesitation.

The demonic brother on the ground struggled to make a retort, his eyes boiling with fury as his naked hand gingerly held his jaw. His mask had been cracked but that wasn't the only thing to have been damaged. His jaw had been dislodged by that spiky-haired boy's fist. Any harder and it would have been broken.

The little shit!

"Ah, ah, ah, I can't have you causing any more trouble, Demon Ninja-san. How about we stay where we are or I myself will have to carry out that stranger-san's promise in his stead."

The Demonic Ninja Brother found his lungs rasping for air a moment later as Kakashi's foot slammed down into his abdomen. He was pinned down underneath a deadman with such ease it terrified him. He hadn't even seen the gray-haired jonin move; it was as if he teleported from thin air.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're alive!"

Kakashi offered Sakura and the other two members of his squad a hidden smile as his visible eye shut pleasantly. He pressed his foot deeper into the second demonic brother, threatening to do more damage if he so much as twitched without his command. Well, that fixed one problem for now. To think that they would be attacked this earlier on their mission. And by ninjas and not bandits?

How strange. Ninjas of this skill level wouldn't waste their time on attacking travelers so intently even if they were missing-nin. And then there was who they had been targeting.

Kakashi's visible onyx eye glanced at the nervous Tazuna, noticing just how shaken up he was at the sight of ninja, almost as if he had been expecting this at some point. He would need to get some answers out of the bridge builder if they were to continue any longer.

For now, though he had one urgent target in mind that made him far more curious than the old man.

The spiky-haired teen who had defended Sakura hadn't moved from his spot, standing in the way of any more attackers. He did however lower his right fist carefully, his eyes wary of any movement.

Odd, Kakashi could see that random boy's body muscles tense, ready to act to whatever may jump at him in a stance most genin wouldn't develop until they were experienced in battle.

A jonin of such high skill level as Kakashi could ready a person's body language even without his sharingan. The normal face of the stranger hadn't fooled him, he could see so much more in his possible enemy. A body that was raw in form but none the less reactive to violence. As if just one wrong step would cause that spiky-haired boy to react.

Touma slowly exhaled, letting his muscles relax as he noticed that the two boys, one with spiky-blond hair and one with dark raven hair, along with the gray-haired made who held back the twin demonic ninjas, weren't going to attack the pink-haired girl and the old man. Thank god too, that last punch did a number on his right fist. He couldn't help but wince as he waved the bruised knuckles around with a complaint.

"Why the hell was he even wearing a mask? Does he have some medical condition that says he needs it to breathe easily or does he think it just makes him look scary? Talk about being a try-hard; it just makes him look desperate in my opinion."

His casual tone of voice caught everyone off guard as he massaged his right fist's knuckles, basically lowering his guard at that moment despite being surrounded. Kakashi himself wasn't sure what to say to such a lax demeanor from an unknown stranger whose intent wasn't clear. It was as if that teen didn't regard them as enemies despite knowing nothing of them.

What was he?

An enemy?

A passing traveler?

"That reminds me; you're not hurt, are you?"

Sakura was startled as the spiky-haired boy looked her way, his face speaking of concern for her well-being as he searched for any wounds on either her or Tazuna. She wasn't sure how to act but shake her head stiffly.

"N-No! I'm not hurt but...thank you anyway?" she said honestly despite being wary of the stranger.

She was only further conflicted by the gentle smile that had grown in that odd boy's lip. For some reason, she felt she had no need to worry about him or his intentions. Not when those dark blue eyes held no hint of malice or cruelty in them.

"Good to hear; I was afraid I wouldn't make it time. But from the looks of it, I had nothing to worry about."

This time, his eyes went towards Kakashi who continued to keep those ninja's back. Idly he glanced at the dark-haired boy in the blue collared shirt and white trousers who had the same metal headband with a leaf-like symbol on his forehead as the rest, other than the old man.

Touma laughed anxiously at the hard stare the gray-haired one-eyed man leveled him with. Out of all those here, he seemed to be the head honcho of whatever the hell was going on. Touma would have to be careful with what he said or he might find himself being stepped on too.

"Pardon me, Stranger-san! But you wouldn't know were the closest town or city would be; would you? It would be much appreciated if you showed me the way."

He was just a passing stranger, so wouldn't it be fine if he asked for directions? After all, what could go wrong in being pointed to the nearest place to gather information on this new world?

Honestly, he should have accounted for his right hand when thinking of what to say or what was to come.

[-]

Welcome to the Elemental Nations, Kamijou Touma.


Do you wish for a new world?

Fight as hard as you may, your efforts to reach an ending where everyone could return to their normal lives would come at a high price; the normal everyday and ordinary world you cherished ever so dearly.

The price to save even a stranger cost you your place among the smiles you've protected. Now you must live with that price and survive as best you can in a new world, filled with new forms of misfortune, tragedy, and violence with a right hand devoid of luck.

In a world of ninjas, what's a regular high school student to do?

Wing it.

Man has writing this fanfic been one hell of a nostalgia trip to the past. While writing this I had a tab open with the manga for Naruto, several more tabs open with the wiki, and the anime playing in the background. Returning to the old classic has been a very pleasant walk down memory road of when I was just a kid watching a funny blond ninja making naked woman clones while I ate Maruchan ramen. Good times, good times.

Along with returning to watching the anime and reading the manga, I've even gone back to reading the old fanfics I use to read years ago. Kenchi618, the man, the myth, the legend himself! It was that bastard who inspired me to write fanfiction in the first place. His writing pretty much helped me with creating the base for my writing style. I wouldn't have ever picked up a pencil, let alone type if it wasn't for his stories.

With how passionate I was about typing up this fic, it's no surprise I've got quite a load of completed chapters ready for heavy editing, cutting, and revising waiting to be touched. How many chapters, you ask?

5? 7? 10?!

16...I've completed sixteen chapters of this fic already. I'd say about over 200K+ in over three, four months.

Due to how much content I've completed in what should have taken me half a year, I won't be releasing a chapter weekly. I don't want to fire everything I got in thee old magazine like a mad lad. I need to look everything over, see if what I've written sticks after giving it some time, and see if I need to make any major changes. Don't worry though, the next chapter should be up by the end of the month when I finally return to work.

I've already finished the first arc involving The Land of Waves, so no real worries there. As a sign of good faith, I'll even reveal the chapter names of the next four chapters.

Chapter 2: Seven + Zero.

Introducing_MISFORTUNE.

[-]

Chapter 3: Demons In The Fog.

Break_The_Killing_INTENT.

[-]

Chapter 4: The Land of Waves.

No_More_HEROES.

[-]

Chapter 5: Compromised Smiles.

In_The_ABSENCE_Of_Champions.

In the meantime, help yourself to my other works. If this is your first time coming upon A Certain Magical Index, I highly suggest both the novels and the anime. If you simply stick to the anime, you'll be missing out on a whole lot of content and character development not seen in the anime.

That's pretty much all I got to say for now. I hope you enjoyed the fic.

Read and Review! It's common courtesy.

NeoShadows fading in and out.