Chapter 3: Solitude

1000 Years Later

The merciless winds unleashed their fury, howling like ancient spectres lost in the endless expanse of a world transformed into a monolithic desert of ice and snow. Time seemed to have bowed to the cold's dominion, ensnaring the earth in a perpetual winter that stretched unbroken for millennia. Beneath this eternal frost, a figure that had lain dormant for countless centuries began to stir, awakening from a slumber that had bridged centuries. Naruto, the once pinnacle of Shinobi kind, was roused from the depths of a timeless sleep. The ice, his unintended crypt, now fissured and groaned, betraying its weakness against the rekindling of his suppressed power.

As Naruto's consciousness clawed its way back from the void, the prison of ice that encased him began to tremble, succumbing to the awakening force within. His eyelids, heavy with the weight of being asleep for a millennium, lifted slowly, unveiling a glow of soft golden light that pierced the darkness of his cold tomb. Realizing that he was imprisoned in ice ignited a fire within him, a primal force that had lain dormant alongside him. He let out a roar, full of chakra and power that cascaded through the ice.

With a surge of chakra that spoke of his undiminished power, Naruto shattered the icy barriers that had held him captive. He propelled himself toward the freedom of the surface, breaking through the layers of frost that sought to contain him. As he broke through the final ice barrier and emerged into the open air, Naruto found himself gently descending onto the frozen ground, his feet touching down with a precision that belied the centuries of his absence. The immediate onslaught of light was blinding, a stark departure from the gloomy confines of his icy prison. He squinted, instinctively shielding his eyes from the harsh brightness that enveloped the world. This abrupt transition from darkness to light was jarring, temporarily overwhelming his senses, which had grown unaccustomed to such stimuli during his prolonged slumber.

Slowly, as if time itself were tentative in its advance, Naruto's senses began to awaken from their dormancy. His vision gradually adjusted to the glaring brightness, each blink revealing more of the desolate landscape that stretched out endlessly before him—an arctic wasteland.

As Naruto stood on the icy peak, his eyes roamed the desolate landscape that stretched before him. The once vibrant world he knew was now a vast, frozen expanse, a silent reminder of the catastrophe that had ravaged his homeland. The air was piercingly cold, a chill that should have seeped into his bones, yet he felt nothing. It was a strange sensation, for he distinctly remembered times when the cold would bother him when the winter winds of Konoha would make him shiver. But now, there was only an eerie numbness, a physical disconnect from the frigid world around him.

However, it wasn't the cold that unsettled him the most. It was the flood of memories that the sight of the wasteland brought back. The memories of the calamity that had turned his world upside down, the pain of losing everyone he cherished, were overwhelming.

He could faintly remember the weeklong struggle against the destructive blast – and the memory of Himawari, his beloved daughter, dying in his arms was fresh in his memories. Her final words still echoed in his heart, a haunting farewell. The agony of being unable to save his grandson, to watch helplessly as the life faded from his eyes, was a burden he carried with every breath. The images of his best friend and even his son slipping away right before him, despite his desperate efforts, were etched into his soul. The realization that he couldn't save anyone, that he was powerless in the face of such destruction, was a torment that gnawed at him incessantly.

Naruto closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he delved into the depths of his own consciousness, entering his mindscape. Once teeming with the vibrant energies of the Bijuu, this place was now a vast expanse of darkness, a silent reflection of the solitude that enveloped him. On the cold ground lay his daughter, Himawari, her once vibrant eyes now lifeless yet still holding a haunting beauty in their stillness. Her body, once full of life and warmth, was covered in her blood. Naruto approached her with heavy steps, each footfall echoing in the emptiness of his mindscape. Kneeling beside her, he reached out with a trembling hand, the weight of his sorrow palpable in the air. With a touch as gentle as a whisper, he closed her eyes, sealing away the pain and fear that lingered in them. Leaning forward, he placed a tender kiss on her forehead, a silent promise that she would never be forgotten.

The thought of laying her to rest in the barren wasteland outside crossed his mind. Once, it had been their home, a place filled with laughter and love, but now it was nothing more than a frozen graveyard. He quickly dismissed the idea, unwilling to part with the last piece of his past, his last connection to a world that no longer existed. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving her in that cold, desolate place where nothing of the dead remained. Himawari's body rose gracefully into the air with a flick of his wrist as if carried by an unseen force. Beneath her, the ground shifted, rising up to form an altar, exquisitely carved as if by the hands of a master sculptor. It was a fitting tribute to her, a place of honour for someone who meant the world to him. As he let his hand fall, her body descended gently onto the altar, a peaceful expression on her face. "Suiton: Arai Kiyomeru." He whispered, water materializing overhead, steadily falling down like a shower; each drop of water was a cleansing drop, washing away the blood and dirt that marred her skin, restoring a semblance of the purity and innocence she had in life. A solitary tear escaped Naruto's eye, trailing down his cheek as he kissed her forehead again. It was a farewell and a vow that she would always have a place in his heart. With a heavy heart, he opened his eyes, finding himself back in the icy wasteland, the cold winds a stark contrast to the warmth of the memory he had just of Form

Naruto gazed downward and let out a weary sigh. His skin was bare against the biting cold, and while solitude had become his constant companion, he still held onto the vestiges of modesty. He summoned his sleeping robes with a firm stomp onto the ice beneath his feet. They wrapped around him, not as a mark of his former status or strength, but as a simple comfort. A frown etched itself across his face as he stood there, enveloped in the fabric. These robes, worn and frayed, mirror his current state. They were the remnants of a man once hailed as a hero, a title that now seemed like a distant memory. In this endless, frozen wasteland, he was no one's hero. He was no one's saviour. The warmth that once filled the land, the vibrancy of life, was gone, as if the very soul of the world had been snuffed out. Well, it probably had; the Will of Fire, a guiding principle that had once fueled his every action, seemed like a flickering flame that had finally been extinguished.

As he closed his eyes and began to walk, each step left behind faint impressions on the snow's surface. He had to come to the bitter acknowledgement that this land would probably never be what it once was. It was alien to him, and it was no longer home. The ice and snow were unwelcoming and very foreign. As he walked, he couldn't shake off the feeling of being a stranger in his own land, a wanderer in a world that had lost all semblance of the home he cherished. As he let his feet guide him, Naruto opened his eyes, finding himself drawn to a particular direction, an instinctual pull he couldn't ignore. Despite the foreignness of the landscape, there was a part of him that knew where he was going, a deep-seated connection to a place that held a special significance in his heart. He looked down, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips as a wave of melancholy enveloped him.

Chakra pulsed downwards, vaporizing the ice along its path. He let himself fall to the ground hundreds of feet below. As he gently touched down, he touched the ground with his finger, a spot where his wife's body once lay. "I wish you were here with me." He whispered, voice echoing in the impromptu tunnel. He knew that his wife's body was gone, either erased in the blast or long surrendered to the passage of time – likely having decomposed.

As he slowly rose, with a mere thought, he once again stood on the snow-covered ground hundreds of feet above. Naruto blinked in surprise. There were no intricate hand signs, no Hirashin formula, no coordinates calculation at all – just a simple, direct movement from one point to another. Did he teleport without using anything? This was not the teleportation that he was used to; it was something completely new. He blinked, realizing that he used this method of teleportation before, when he teleported to Himawari. As he looked down at his hands, he noticed that they didn't feel aged or weak despite their wrinkled appearance. Instead, there was a sense of underlying strength, a vitality that seemed incongruent with their appearance. As the implications of his newfound powers began to stir within him, he watched with a mixture of awe as his hands began to glow gently with a golden light. He peered down to the caverns below and stared at his hands, allowing himself to teleport downwards. He noticed it, and his body glowed with a golden light as it shifted through space. This new form of teleportation bore similarities to the Hirashin technique he was familiar with, in that it involved moving through space-time. However, unlike Hirashin, which required preassigned markers to teleport to, this ability seemed to have no limitations. It was a liberating feeling to be able to move freely without the constraints of choosing predetermined locations.

Naruto exhaled slowly, the realization dawning on him that this newfound ability might be his only chance to escape the relentless cold that had claimed his world. With determination in his eyes, he began to teleport with intent, each flicker of his form taking him further across the vast, icy expanse. Yet, no matter how far he travelled, the scene remained depressingly consistent: an endless, silent world of ice, a stark reminder of what had been lost. The reality of his situation sank in with each successive teleport. The Elemental Nations, the land he had sworn to protect, the land that held countless memories of battles fought and friendships forged, was no more.

Driven by a longing to search for anything familiar, Naruto found himself on the far edges of the continent, near the boundary of what used to be the Land of Snow. He wasn't sure how he recognized this place, as it bore no resemblance to the land that was once etched into his memory, but he recognized the oceans, extending outwards. Uncovered, the one thing in this land that was the same as he remembered. It was here, at the edge of what was once a thriving world, that Naruto decided. There was something he had always wanted to do, but now, fueled by circumstance, he had no choice but to. He was no longer tied to this land, there was nothing for him here, but as he peered across the ocean, maybe there would be something out there, a purpose. With a firm nod to himself, Naruto made his decision. He would venture across the ocean, to seek out new horizons and find a purpose in this changed world. He was no longer the hero of the Elemental Nations, but perhaps he could find a new role in whatever lay beyond the frozen seas. With one last look at the land that had once been his home, Naruto closed his eyes, extending his senses outwards; his body glowed with brilliant light in response; he was not bound anymore by the limitations he once knew.

When he opened his eyes, the world had changed. Gone were the white expanses of snow and ice; in their place, a grassy field stretched out before him, alive with the sounds of animals roaming freely, grazing peacefully. The air was warmer here, rich with the scent of earth and life, the warmth of the sun even caressing his skin. A vast forest bordered the horizon, trees tall and imposing, and a green sea that breathed life. Naruto looked around in surprise. How was this so different from what had happened to the Elemental Nations? How was this land… spared? The stark contrast between the frozen wasteland he had left behind and the vibrant ecosystem surrounding him was overwhelming. It was like he had stepped into another world, untouched by destruction. As he took in the sight before him, a sense of wonder began to creep into his heart. The world, it seemed, still held secrets. He felt cautious hope overtake him.

As he stepped forward, his feet brushed against the soft grass. The land under his feet felt different, alive in a way that he had only experienced in the forests of the land of fire. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel a sense of displacement. He was a relic from a bygone era, a survivor of a world that no longer existed. Yet, here, he felt a semblance of peace. This place reminded him of home, where he trained and fought and lived his life. He felt a sense of belonging. Naruto smiled, and a sense of contentment spread through him. He closed his eyes, allowing the natural energy of this vibrant land to flow freely into his being. It was a welcoming sensation, one that he had missed. As he harmonized with his surroundings, he felt the familiar power surge as he reaccessed Sage Mode. However, as he attuned himself to the nature energy, he noticed something different. It was a new type of energy; unlike anything he had encountered before. It was young, raw, and brimming with potential, but it was also erratic, pulsing with a rhythm that felt almost like a newborn. He could feel the energy from it swirling due north – thousands of kilometres away.

Driven by a mixture of insatiable curiosity and the unwavering resolve that had defined his life as a shinobi, Naruto decided to follow the mysterious flow of energy. With a mere thought, he attempted to teleport, a method he had become accustomed to since awakening in this new world. However, this time, something was amiss. As he traversed the void, an unseen, powerful force gripped him, halting his movement and anchoring him in place. From the nothingness, a being emerged unlike anything Naruto had ever encountered. The space around him tore apart as a mass of black shadows and energy oozed together, forming a creature with a fluid, shifting form yet a silhouette that suggested a sentient presence. The creature was enshrouded in darkness, its body absorbing light like the night sky devoid of stars. But its eyes were what truly captured Naruto's attention. They glowed with an intensity that cut through the gloom, not just radiating power but anger ever infinitely brewing. The aura emanating from the entity was overwhelming, its power so immense that it felt as though the very world might shatter under its weight. Despite all his experience and strength, Naruto felt a primal fear seize him in the presence of a being of such supreme power. And worst of all, its focus was entirely on him, its gaze piercing through him with an intensity that left no doubt about its intent.

"How are you still alive?" The creature's voice was that of a man – it was not loud. Still, it carried a weight that felt like it could crush mountains, the reverberating voice of a thousand beings, it echoed around Naruto with an authoritative tone that demanded an answer. Caught in the moment's intensity, Naruto found himself unable to respond. He wanted to demand answers and understand who or what this being was, but words failed him. He remained suspended midair, transfixed by the entity before him, his mind racing to comprehend the situation. The air around them felt charged with an unspoken fury, and a sense of dread began to creep up on Naruto, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. Its gaze bore into him, eyes glowing with a relentless intensity that seemed to pierce through his very soul. At that moment, Naruto realized the gravity of his situation. He was facing a being of immense power, a being that seemed to exist beyond the realm of his understanding.

Without warning, the being flicked his wrist, and in an instant, Naruto was engulfed by the same destructive force that had obliterated everything he once held dear. The power that now tore through the air around him was familiar in its terror – a maelstrom of sound and energy, threatening to tear him apart, ever dark, yet, as it swirled around him, Naruto realized with a mixture of shock and relief that he remained unharmed. Not a single strange of his hair was out of place, and unlike before, his clothes were untouched by the chaotic energy that raged around him.

The pressure, though, was still immense, and ever suffocating as it stole the breath from his lungs, a reminder that this being was far more powerful than himself. But the force dissipated as quickly as it came, leaving Naruto gasping for air in the sudden stillness.

The being stared at Naruto, its fiery eyes widening in shock, the anger that burned there giving way to disbelief. For a moment, the intense rage that defined this being was replaced by confusion, a crack in the façade of unquantifiable power. As quickly as the rage faded, it returned, now mixed with a fierce curiosity. He had just tried to annihilate Naruto with the same force that destroyed his world, but his survival – unharmed no less, seemed only to infuriate the being further.

Despite the fear and the overwhelming odds, Naruto's resolve hardened. He was Naruto Uzumaki, the Rikuodo Sennin of the Sun, the shinobi who faced down beings of unfathomable power and lived to tell the tale. But as he stood there, under the gaze of the being, Naruto understood clearly that this was not a battle to be fought with fists or chakra. Nor words. His heart pounded with fear, its beats echoing in his ears like the drums of war. The entity growled a sound that seemed to resonate from the depths of darkness and clenched its fist again. As before, the sheer pressure surrounded Naruto, but this time, it intensified, tightening around him with an even more intense force. He felt a splitting headache as though his very skull was being crushed, and yet, once again, as quickly as the pressure came, it subsided.

In the aftermath, the being stared at Naruto with abject shock. Its expression – or at least, what its eyes showed – being one of utter disbelief. It moved closer, reaching out both hands to grasp Naruto's face, forcing him to meet its gaze. Naruto felt himself immobilized, trapped within the being's stare. But this was no mere gaze, he could feel the being delving into his very essence, his soul. It was looking at the core of his existence, looking at what made him tick. Suddenly, the being let him go, recoiling as if being burned. A look of realization mixed with a deep, existential horror crossed its face as it staggered backwards in the air. "No wonder you're still alive." The being spoke, his voice reverberating through Naruto. "I'm protecting you – or at least, who I used to be is."

Naruto looked at the entity in confusion, sweat beading on his forehead and trailing down his face. The revelation itself was baffling as it was alarming. "What do you mean?" he managed to ask, his voice barely above a coarse whisper. Every instinct screamed at him that this being was dangerous, so powerful that the wisest course of action would be to flee. Yet, he remained stationary, unable to move, but still driven by a need to understand what was going on.

The entity looked at him, its eyes glowing with malicious rage and glee. "Long ago," he began, voice a meld of various tones. "Or, I should say, every couple of eons, I undergo a change. A complete transformation where I am no longer the person I used to be. I emerge anew, carrying only fragments of my previous existence. My last incarnation was known as Kotoamatsukami. My memories of that life are scattered, only snippets from the beginning of my existence as him, yet never the whole. The one I used to be must have taken a liking to you." The entity said, staring at Naruto, eyes observing him as if looking at a stray animal. "And it seems he must have decided to protect you. You're the last of your kind – yet you're still alive." He growled at Naruto, voice only hardening. "The first decision I made upon my rebirth was to erase your people, your continent. But I was met with resistance from Kuniumi, the daughter of my predecessor – in a way, my daughter – the essence of the very ground you all walked on, Nature herself, and the giver of her essence to your kind. She stood in my way, so I destroyed her. Then I destroyed all of you – the Pure Lands where your spirits sought refuge—all were obliterated, Though, I admit, I considered recycling those spirits for future endeavours," he mused, almost to himself, revealing a depth of planning and disregard for the sanctity of life that chilled Naruto to his core.

The being's casual recounting of such cataclysmic events sent chills down Naruto's spine. The mention of this being, Kuniumi, Nature itself – and her demise explained the radical transformation of the Elemental Nations. Still, it was the fate of his people, the utter erasure of his continent that filled him with a profound grief and a desire to understand. "Why? Why do all this? Why go to such lengths to erase us, and why was I spared?" Naruto's voice was a whisper, heavy with the weight of his sorrow.

"It seems the one I used to be took a fondness for you, deciding in his final act to shield you from harm," the being stated, a flick of something unreadable passing through his eyes. "He made you immune. Immune to me, immune to Chaos. But what was it about you that Kotoamatsukami favoured? How do you possess Kuniumi's powers? How do you possess my blessings?" The being straightened, scowling at Naruto with a nearly palpable intensity. "Do not cross me, boy, last of your kind, child of Kuniumi, and favoured of Kotoamatsukami." As the warning hung in the air, a pain unlike any Naruto had ever known flashed through his mind. Images of destruction and unspeakable torture flickered before his eyes, so severe that it even made him – a battle-hardened shinobi cower in fear. "Lest I desire to find another way to erase your existence completely." It threatened a dark promise in its voice.

Then, the being disappeared in a flash of darkness, leaving no trace behind. The abrupt departure left Naruto alone, gasping for breath, the forest's silence only furthering the fear in his heart. Naruto stood still, processing the gravity of his situation. Once Kotoamatsukami and now an incarnation of chaos, the entity had erased everything he knew, yet he, Naruto Uzumaki, had been spared. He was spared because of protection bestowed upon him by the being himself and because of a connection to Kuniumi, whose essence still apparently resonated within him.

"Why me?" Naruto pondered aloud, his voice breaking the forest's silence, as if the trees themselves were waiting for his next move. The entity's warning echoed in his mind, reminding him of the precarious path he was now treading.

This entity, this 'man', referred to Kuniumi in a manner that suggested a direct lineage between the two. Was Kuniumi his – the being's daughter, it's child? And more perplexing, had this same Kuniumi, in her generosity or perhaps foresight, bestowed upon Naruto her powers? The thought that the foreign, unfamiliar chakra he had sensed within himself shortly before everything went downhill could be tied to Kuniumi brought confusion and clarity. Why, though, would this entity, this father, bring about the end of his daughter? And why, out of everyone alive in the world, would Kuniumi choose him to give her powers to? The questions seemed endless, each opening the door to another mystery.

Naruto's thoughts spiralled further as he mulled over the words spoken by the man. He mentioned a protection lay upon Naruto from his previous life, referred to as Kotoamatsukami. The term sparked a flicker of recognition in Naruto's memory. Kotoamatsukami—was it a reference to the original five beings that jump-started creation, or perhaps the power of Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan – a legendary genjutsu so powerful it could sway the thoughts and actions of others without their knowledge? Whatever this being was, it was apparently the incarnation of Chaos itself.

Then, like a beacon through the fog of his thoughts, Naruto recalled a conversation with Gamamura, the great toad sage. Gamamura had spoken of Kuniumi-sama, mentioning how she walked amongst the shinobi, her essence intertwined with the very chakra they wielded. This connection to nature, to the life force of the world, had always been a part of shinobi lore – even more so for someone like him who was a sage. Gamamura had once referred to her with extreme reverence. With her destruction at the hands of her father, both the living and non-living worlds were plunged into chaos. Now it made sense – the scream, that was likely her, a death cry of sorts. It was powerful enough to kill everyone – including his family and the bijuu. The nature chakra vanishing, was it with her death? He couldn't help but feel sorry for her, after hearing what she did, he doubted she meant them any harm.

And now he somehow carried her essence – a direct conduit of powers that had once shaped the world itself. He was chosen, not just by fate or the whims of a capricious deity, but apparently by Kuniumi herself, to carry forward a legacy of protection, and by that being's past self, Kotoamatsukami. The burden itself was immense, and honestly, he didn't like his chances. He would need to stay low, and out of the being's radar. Naruto doubted that the path could be easy, it would be fraught with danger. With a deep breath, Naruto stepped forward, his resolve steeling within him. He would seek answers, uncover the truth, and hopefully… one day… he looked down and sighed. Death would be pointless; the pure lands were gone.

- Elsewhere -

As the entity known as Chaos vanished from Naruto's immediate reality, he emerged into an entirely different existence—a realm submerged in shadow, an antithesis to the world of light and life he had just departed. This domain, shrouded in perpetual twilight, was stirred only by the arrival of Chaos, whose reemergence sent ripples of faint, pulsating glow through the omnipresent dark. His gaze was cold and unforgiving, fixed upon a figure that floated in the void before him. It was the fractured soul of Kuniumi, encapsulated in a faint green glow, floating aimlessly in the void. The light that surrounded her was a pale imitation of the energy she once commanded, barely illuminated in the darkness. She was the very essence of nature, the mother earth herself. Now, she was nude, vulnerable, body withered and malnourished – her form a direct result of the devastation wrought by chaos.

Chaos, with a look that mingled annoyance with a deeper, more pensive contemplation, broke the silence that enveloped them. "Now, what do I do with you?" He mused aloud, void echoing ominously in the void. His annoyance was palpable, a sense of inconvenience at having to address a fragment of the past he had sought to obliterate. His gaze lingered on Kuniumi for a moment, "Did you know that I almost forgot about you?" He asked, as a twisted smirk formed on his lips as he spoke with casual cruelty. "It has been a thousand years after all. Let's escalate the challenge, shall we? Do try to perish this time. Your continued existence and that of the brat, Naruto, is a source of sheer irritation." His eyes flashed with a look that promised pain, "And I hate that which irritates me."

With a mere flex of his neck, the already oppressive atmosphere in the space intensified a million-fold, a testament to his power. As he vanished, the deep silence that ensued was punctuated only by the solitary tear that escaped Kuniumi's eye at the mention of Naruto—a tear that, for a fleeting moment, shimmered briefly before being swallowed by the darkness.

Kuniumi's soul, her light violet eyes staring into the abyss, her red hair floating around her like a silent flame, bore the brunt of the intensified pressure.

Yet, worst of all? It was Kushina, floating in silent agony, reduced to a shadow of who she once was.

A/N: Well, that was a quick update. I guess the character tags already spoiled it! Naruto will be OP, but not chaos-op. And as you may (or may not) have guessed, the golden light does represent something! I do feel like I should've split this chapter a bit more, but this (and the other two chapters) were essentially the backstory/prologue chapters, which honestly I could've just fit into one single chapter. There will be some significant time skips coming, but they'll eventually slow down and end (as in no more timeskips) once we enter the Greco period.

And if you're curious: Antarctica.

Every chapter after this will no longer be all over the place and will be fairly consistent and much longer.

Edit: Fixed a lot grammatical errors, plot errors, and changed last couple of paragraphs. Mildly significant change.