Naruto x Sentai Daishikkaku / Sentai Disqualification / Ranger Reject / Go Go Loser Ranger
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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Ranger Reject, or any media that appears in this fanfiction.
Warning: Possible spoilers up to Chapter 144
[12 Years Ago]
The Dragon Keepers fought as a five-man unit in the first quarter of the Ranger-Invader war. Just like in the original tokusatsu, it was just Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and Pink. But the team was missing a Sixth Ranger, something that predated other Tokusatsu, due to the showrunner wanting to harken back to the very first Sentai. They'd modernized it to honor the original; thus no Sixth Ranger, no growing monsters, and no giant machines that combined into a Gundam-esque Robo Zord.
But all of that changed with the arrival of Black Keeper, their Sixth Ranger.
He was a young man who'd acted as a lone wolf, opting to fight by himself until his first encounter with the rest of the Dragon Keepers. Even so, he stayed at an arm's length, taking out Invaders that they missed and didn't know about. Overtime, the team managed to get close to him, learning his civilian identity and helping him out of jams. It led to him from helping out the team from time to time, to fully joining the team and their empowering roll call to strike fear into the Invaders.
Together, the reinvigorated Red Keeper, Blue Keeper, Yellow Keeper, Green Keeper, Pink Keeper, and Black Keeper continued the fight until the creation of the Divine Artifacts. These legendary artifacts were discovered and gifted to the Keepers, empowering them with enhanced suits and the power to kill Dusters and Executives permanently with the power of the Dragon God. Thanks to the new gear, the war ended swiftly with the death of the Executives. And with no Executive or Monster-of-the-Week to back them up, the Dusters were forced to surrender.
And that's when things took a turn for the worst.
"No. I refuse."
"What? C'mon, Black, I'll give you time to think about it-"
"You heard me correctly."
All five main Keepers agreed to the plan to keep the "war" going. They had just finished enslaving the Dusters and chained down the Sky Fortress hovering above Amanogawa City. But there was one dissenter, and that was Black, whom Red and Yellow were meeting with on one of the city rooftops.
"When you first came to me for this, I thought that it was a bad joke to lighten the mood. But now I see that you're all on this farce. I want no part of it."
"Haah…seriously, Hibino? We're the only real-life Sentai team in existence. We have to keep it going! Think of the possibilities and the opportunities that can come from this! The Dusters will make the Monsters and we'll fight them. We'll be heroes forever until the next generation!" Red tried to persuade him. "No one will even have to get hurt. We won't allow it. Those Dusters will be under our thumb since we have the means to kill them!"
"Can you really afford to sound so relaxed, when there are Executives that survived and are still hiding out there?" Black snapped back, "Around five of them are left, and as long as they're around, the people will never be safe. The battle's not over."
"But it is over, Hibino," Yellow Keeper told with his usual creepy smile. "There's nothing that they can do against us, and they know it. Besides, Akabane's plan is foolproof. A lot of doors can be open to us-"
"Then you can damn well walk through 'em without me!" Black cut across him, swiping his hand out. "We're Sentai, damnit! This isn't what we do! We're not in this war to become celebrities! We're Sentai because we were chosen to protect the people and defeat the Invaders!" He then turned around and stormed off. "Enough. The fact you, and even Ryujin, agreed to this stupidity proves that it was a mistake to get involved with you. We're done."
"Hibino, are you seriously walking away from this?!" Red snarled at him. "You could be part of something great! Reconsider, damn you!"
Black paid him no mind as he continued on his way.
"...Fine. Then your final service is to keep silent…forever."
Red Keeper rushed at him, Red Dragon Salamandra at the ready to stab Black Keeper in the back. But at the last second, the latter quickly moved to the side, his Black Dragon Behemoth gauntlets knocking the blade away. After parrying, Black Keeper punched Red across his partial helmet, sending him flying back and skidding on the ground past Yellow, who merely watched. Black then punched the ground, producing a billow of dust and smoke that obscured him. When Red Keeper shook off the cobwebs and the dust cleared, Black Keeper was gone.
"Welp, so much for that. I just wished that he left his Divine Artifact behind," Yellow mused with a shrug.
"Dammit, get back here, Hibino! You don't want to do this! HIBINO!"
Even while Red Keeper shouted, his former comrade was a ways away, detransforming with a look of grief on his face.
[Present Day]
[ATTENTION. NOW ARRIVING IN AMANOGAWA. ATTENTION. NOW ARRIVING IN AMANOGAWA. RETRIEVE YOUR BELONGS AND PREPARE TO EXIT INTO THE STATION]
A tall man in his 30s, with dark brown, spiky hair, light blue eyes, a goatee and a slightly chubby build, jerked awake to the sound of the train's announcement. He yawned and stretched as he stood up, seeing the familiar sights of Amanogawa as the train slowed to a stop. He grabbed his luggage out of the overhead storage compartment and made his way off of the train.
"I'm back, Amanogawa," he murmured, taking in the sights. "You haven't changed much, other than the overbearing Dragon Keeper merch," he added, sweat dropping at all the advertisements of the Rangers and their sponsors. "Bullet dodged."
"It's been a few days since the fallout of last Sunday's Showdown, where the mysterious new Ranger going by Red Hunter debuted and single-handedly decimated the Dragon Keepers. It is important to note that this Red Hunter started with a cheap shot that caught the Keepers off guard and is a major factor in their defeat," said a reporter on one of the big screen TVs on the buildings as replays of the battles showed.
The man snorted at the manufactured excuse and kept walking as the report continued.
"While most of the public wishes for a speedy recovery for our heroes, Red Hunter's actions have emboldened the growing anti-Ranger movement that had a resurgence online with misinformation and conspiracy theories targeting the Dragon Keepers. It has also emboldened the Invader Rights Association's many protests despite Red Hunter making it clear that they are no friends of his. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen."
'Am I still in Japan or the West? They're no doubt chomping at the bit to get the Ranger program in their lands…' The man shook his head as he crossed the street, passing by the usual Invader Rights Association protest that was inconveniencing bystanders and passerby's.
"The Dragon Keepers have issued a statement," the reporter continued as a picture of the Rangers and their statement were now plastered on the screen. "Quote:
'The events of last Sunday's battle were unexpected as we were targeted by a new Ranger standing in the way of the peace and justice we've fought for so many years to maintain. Rest assured that Red Hunter will be brought to justice, and we will be ready for him next time. In addition, it is not lost on us that Red Hunter's assault on us was a recruiting tactic as he showed off other transformation devices like his. That said, this is a warning to those seduced by Red Hunter's offer: Do not join him. Do not become a Dragon Hunter. He is one man who shall be swiftly found and dealt with. Disregard our warnings, and you will be treated no different from an Invader. As for those who support us, this is just a minor bump in the road. Everything will return to normal soon. We won't let you down. See you this upcoming Sunday.'
End quote."
The man then spotted a squad of Ranger Cadets and ducked into an alleyway. Walking down, he spotted a door with a star and opened it, stepping through. When one of the passing Cadets looked down the alleyway, it was empty.
"Weird. How did that guy run through so fast?"
Liberation 02: Hunters Assemble
[Command Center]
The Dragon Hunter Command Center.
Located in a dimensional area under the building where the Ginga Detective Agency was housed, it was a technologically advanced room that looked like a brightly-lit version of the Batcave from DC's Batman comics. At the front of the room was a large array of screens, each with different footage, along with a LED keyboard.
There were also several tables with screens around the room, along with color-coded rooms along the walls that were the Ranger's private rooms. In the back of the room were several doorways with stars on them. And there was also a workshop room where Mei was examining her 'babies' that were still works in progress.
At the main computer hub sat a young woman with long black hair and piercing red eyes, wearing a black suit over a ribbed, long-sleeved shirt, a black skirt, black leggings, and black heels. She was typing away, gathering information for the cause, with the news report from earlier playing on one of the screens. On a few other screens were some young teenagers of interest, occasionally bringing up some information on each.
"These Dragon Hunter candidates look promising, Big Sister," Shion said as she walked up to her. "I'm surprised they're not all girls."
"I was joking about that and you know it. Besides, these two, a freelancer and Yakuza lieutenant, are former Ranger Cadet candidates who survived those brutal Barilong exams; this one knows Uzumaki-san, and the last one here witnessed the cruelty of the Rangers, which cost the lives of her friends. What they all have in common is that they want to put an end to the Keepers and their Ranger Cadets, but lack the power to do so. And in addition to fulfilling the "teenagers with attitude" requirement, they have a high enough probability that they can follow Uzumaki-san into battle." the girl coined as 'Big Sister' reported. "And just please call me Rio, Shion-san…"
TSUKATSUKI RIO, 'BIG SISTER', DRAGON HUNTER SUPPORT
"Awww, but it's so much fun~" Shion whined playfully as Rio typed away.
"Naruto is currently at the ramen shop. I'm sending them the information now." Rio said, showing footage of Naruto at said shop and pressed enter. "He can go from there."
Shion nodded. "Excellent work," she said, seeing Naruto looked at the screen on his morpher. "Hopefully he can get them all in today so we can get them up to speed in time for the team's first mission."
"Oh," Shion looked interested. "You have one in mind?"
"I got a tip about Red Dragon Salamandra, and how Red Keeper treats it when not in a 'serious battle'. And from what I'm hearing, it hasn't changed."
"...Go on."
[With Naruto]
After paying for his meal, Naruto exited the ramen shop. He originally had a pep in his step upon entering the restaurant, but ultimately, he was grumbling to himself. He had just retrieved information on Dragon Hunter candidates to join him in the fight, and one of the names had him wanting to bang his head on a nearby wall.
"Rio just put her there to troll me. Yeah, that's it. I am not getting her first. Hopefully, she says no. At least it won't be a sausage fest that'll give Ero-Sennin nightmares, or a total battle harem, not that I mind, 'ttebayo…"
He was sent two former Ranger Cadet candidates who'd dropped out, an informant that he personally knew, and a girl that, according to the file, said informant had rescued from an incident involving the Rangers and one of the missing Executives.
"There's no way she's qualified as a teenager with attitude, right? Because attitude is the last thing I'd associate with that JK," he sighed before viewing the info of the first person on his list. "First up is…this guy. He seems chill, unlike the other guy…"
[The not so Holy Banquet]
It was a tense and somber mood at the main headquarters of the Dragon Keepers. Most of it radiated from the Keeper's room, where the main Rangers current were, flanked by their Junior First Class Rangers. But right now, the suited-up Dragon Keepers were not eating anything, nor were they in the mood to.
It had been a few days since the individual known as Red Hunter appeared out of nowhere and kicked their asses in front of all of Japan. They were still nursing bruises that still hurt from not taking a real hit in a long time. Their bruises would heal fine, but the sight of being on the receiving end of a solo beatdown stung most of their pride. Clips from the official broadcast and cellphone footage had circulated on social media like wildfire.
Behind the scenes, the media people in the Pink Brigade tried to end the broadcast, but were unable to due to an outside source preventing them from doing so. Worse, with every takedown of the footage, several more would pop up in its place. The news stations within Amanogawa were downplaying Red Hunter's victory against the Dragon Keepers, but outside the city, and especially outside of Japan, the news was telling it as it is, that a group of Japan's heroes were caught with their pants down and beaten to a pulp by a Ranger that was not one of them.
"Green…are there any leads on the Hunter yet?" Red growled out, sitting cross-legged, propping his head on his arm while tapping the floor with his finger impatiently.
"Not yet, Red. Kanon and I have been on the case, but this Red Hunter guy is a ghost." Green reported. "All we know is that he appeared at the Sky Fortress after kicking our asses. Even the Dusters up there don't know where he went after that, though."
"What we do know is that Red Hunter told 'em that half of the Executives we're trying to keep tabs on are still alive," grunted Green Keeper's JFC, a blonde girl with green eyes. She wore a black school uniform instead of the standard-issue Green Battalion uniform.
HISUI KANON, GREEN BATTALION, JUNIOR FIRST CLASS
"Well, that's just fucking great!" Blue snapped angrily. "Those little ingrates will start a rebellion now!"
"Blue-san, please calm down! We still have the Divine Artifacts and the Divine Tools, so they wouldn't dare!" chided Blue Keeper's JFC, a short girl with cyan hair styled in a bob cut, with blue eyes, and dressed in a Blue Battalion uniform.
AIZONE KOMACHI, BLUE BATTALION, JUNIOR FIRST CLASS
"The Dusters we can handle. They're of no consequence. The issue is Red Hunter and his possible allies that will join his cause," Pink said sharply.
"We have our Battalion supporting Green Battalion in searching for any possible dissenters. But so far, any person resembling Red Hunter or any suspicious individual has encountered them," reported Pink Keeper's JFC, a tall, muscular and older man with little hair, with his Pink Battalion uniform showing off his bodybuilder-esque physique.
NADESHIKO MASURAO, PINK BATTALION, JUNIOR FIRST CLASS
"This is a problem, you know. It's just one rebellious guy that we should be able to easily find. There's no way he can be that good at evading us." Yellow noted, still not losing that toothy smile. "Seriously, your Green and Pink Battalion have a good track record."
"That device of his announced that he had a ninja coin, so he must have ninja abilities. Who knows, maybe he either's playing a ninja, or is a real-life one. That might explain why he's so fast…" guessed Yellow Keeper's JFC, another blonde girl with empty dark eyes, and wearing a Yellow Battalion uniform. "And difficult to trace…"
SUZUKIRI YUMEKO, YELLOW BATTALION, JUNIOR FIRST CLASS
"Oh please, ninjas aren't real. At most, they're the products of a long-forgotten era, unlike us who are the present and future. But, uh, I'm not hearing any good news about finding this guy, the same guy who embarrassed us last Sunday? That fake Ranger, the so-called Hunter, who thinks he can ambush us like that?!" Red said, his voice growing louder with every word, "Are you all being lazy or something?!"
"Please calm yourself, Red Keeper. We have the Red Battalion patrol the city 24/7 with the support of the authorities. We'll find him before the month is over." Assured Red Keeper's JFC, a young man with short blonde hair and closed eyes, wearing the standard-issue Red Battalion uniform.
HIMURA JIN, RED BATTALION, JUNIOR FIRST CLASS
"The end of this week would be nice. We can't have what happened last Sunday happen in the future!" Blue said, slamming his fist to the floor. "We gotta figure out who this asshat is, and we gotta do it now!"
"Take it easy, Blue. We're working as fast as we can. But seriously, I'm putting money and bribes out on the streets, and there are no receipts. Like I said, this guy's a ghost, he came out of nowhere," Green explained, raising his hands.
"Or maybe you're not doing enough! Then again, you're a Battalion of two people, you and that brat of a JFC of yours!" Blue growled, making Kanon bristle. "So I'm not surprised progress is slow on your end!"
"Which is why my Battalion is supporting Green Battalion, since you've apparently forgotten what was just said," Pink said coolly. "And once Red Hunter is found, he will be dealt with before the Dusters get any ideas."
"What about the Invader Rights Association? They've been getting uppity as of late," Komachi piped up.
Yellow snickered. "They are of no concern. They can continue to beat their chests until they're blue in the face and the world will continue to spin."
Blue 'tched' in annoyance as Red punched the ground.
"Continue to turn Amanogawa upside down. Search every building, every store, every house, even the sewers. That Hunter is here somewhere. I can feel it." He spoke eerily, making almost everyone shiver.
"If you don't mind me asking Red, why are you omitting the Red part from Hunter?" Yellow inquired curiously.
"...Why do you think? I am the Red Ranger of the Dragon Keepers! I am the only Red Ranger that matters! That Hunter has not earned it! He does not deserve it! He's a fake Ranger that I will bring to heel before publicly executing him for all to see!" Red ranted, punching the ground. "I don't care what methods you use or what freedoms you violate, I want him found! And I seriously doubt they will, but anyone who idiotically joins him will share his fate!"
The Keepers and JFC Rangers could only look away from the enraged Red Keeper, who no doubt bore a look of insanity behind his helmet.
"Now get the chefs cooking. I'm starving."
'This is everyone's hero, the so-called good guy. If anything, you and the others are the fake Rangers, with my clan and fellow Dragon Priestesses' power that you do not deserve. This is the kind of ad-lib I was waiting for. I can only hope that a surviving Dragon Priestess is behind these new Rangers…the Dragon Hunters… '
[Operation Hatchlings]
A young man lounged lazily on a bench outside Dragon Keeper HQ. He was a bit tall for a Japanese teen, with spiked pink hair, light brown eyes, and a deceptively slender build that belied a muscular physique. He wore a beige, hooded jacket over a white t-shirt, denim jeans, and red sneakers. This boy was a former Ranger Cadet candidate and colorless Ranger who'd participated in the Bailong Exams, but opted out of the path to become a Ranger.
He would've been inside headquarters or at one of the Ranger Garrisons in another life, but fate had other ideas. At the final test of the Bailong Exams, he and his fellow candidates had to fight one of the Dragon Keepers masquerading as an Executive, along with Junior Class Rangers acting as Invaders. While it weeded out the strong from the weak and evaluated their abilities and resourcefulness, some of the examiners enjoyed the testing a bit too much, and some of the Cadets turned against each other to win, to the point it was more like an extreme military boot camp that encourages backstabbing than training the next generation of heroic Rangers.
Especially since it was well known that the Dragon Keepers started out as civilians and were chosen to be Rangers, both in real life and the tokusatsu.
After surviving the Bailong Exams, he turned out to be just in time, as his grandfather passed away with him present. He'd promised him that he would use his strength to help others, and be surrounded by others when he died. With that promise, Itadori Yūji left the Ranger organization, feeling that becoming a Ranger Cadet would not allow him to fulfill his grandfather's promise.
It didn't help that he had witnessed some Ranger Cadets being unheroic outside Sunday Showdowns without being punished for it. He once tried to stand up to the bad ones when they bullied civilians, but was outnumbered, threatened with their Dragon Gadgets, the Divine Tool knockoffs, before being let off with a warning.
That was before Red Hunter burst onto the scene, and the young man found himself drawn in by the mysterious Hero's philosophy. Now all he needed to do was to find him, or let the Dragon Hunter find him.
He stood up and walked away from Ranger HQ. He took out his cell phone, checking an app that allowed him to do jobs as a freelancer and get paid for it. Nothing nefarious, regular things that people would want help with. There was nothing so far, so it left him free to do whatever.
"Itadori Yūji," a voice echoed out to him as he was crossing a bridge over a river.
He frowned when he heard his name, and tracked the voice to underneath the bridge. Making his way over there, he found Naruto, leaning against the concrete in his incognito garb. "'Ey," greeted Yūji casually.
"I'm sure you know who I am?" Naruto asked, raising the morpher on his wrist and showing him a hologram of his picture and file.
"Uh…I guess so? If it is you…are you recruiting or something?"
"You guess right. You interested?"
"I'm just happy I'm on the short list to protect the world my friends and I live in. I made a promise to my late grandfather that I would help those that need it. Plus, those Rangers need to be kept in check."
"Good enough." Naruto nodded. "Congratulations. You're a Dragon Hunter now."
"Eh, seriously? Just like that? Cool!"
DRAGON HUNTER RECRUIT
FREELANCER
ITADORI YŪJI
…
Sitting on a crate in an alley was a young woman, with dirty blonde hair tied in two messy buns, yellow eyes with slitted pupils, a small stature and shortstack build, wearing a black ribbed blouse under an oversized black jacket, a short miniskirt, black stockings, and black shoes. She was currently checking her phone while an angry man shouted at her, not that she cared.
"Are you listening to me, girl?! You can't have a body like that and expect me to pay your outrageous rates!" the man continued to shout. "To think you came highly recommended!"
"It's not my fault you barely have any money. Sounds more like a you problem," the girl clapped back. "So much for you being my final client before I move on to better things."
"Which is why I should get a discount!"
"You only have enough for a hand-holding walk date. Even with a discount for the other thing, you still don't have enough. There's a reason I have those services costing so unreasonably high," the girl cut across him. "So either choose what you came for, or go away, sir."
"...You know what? Why should I pay out, when I can get it for free-" the man said, nearly grabbing the girl until he was stopped by a knife pressing against his throat.
"If I were younger, blood like yours would've turned me on. Anyone's blood would do," she whispered, lightly pressing the blade into his skin and making him bleed. "But after meeting my destined one, I've gained a good control over my urges to be better for him."
Despite being the eldest daughter of her family, she was pretty much the black sheep due to her abnormal interests, which would get her into trouble. Her parents tried to put pressure on her to be an ideal member of society, and it worked for a time. But like a creature in a cage, when the beast was imprisoned, it got angry. Along with the lack of counseling, all attempts to make her normal backfired so badly that she was disowned and thrown out in the street when she was in middle school.
The abnormal interest just so happened to be a fascination with blood.
"Woah, woah, let's not get too hasty…" the frightened man suddenly squeaked, raising his hands. "Let's talk about this- ah!" he yelped when the girl pulled out another knife and brought it to his balls. "Please, wait."
"I'm only going to say this once. Disappear, before I turn you into a eunuch," the girl hissed, threateningly pressing her knife to his groin.
The man complied and ran for the hills. "Police! Police! Help!"
The girl giggled, shaking her head. "The criminal calling the police. How quaint…"
"Hello there, Toga…Himiko…"
The girl perked out at her name being called out by a familiar voice and turned to see Naruto in his garb, holding up his morpher to show her file.
"Please say no to being a Dragon Hunter-"
"Yes yes yes!" she squealed, jumping from her spot and tackling him to the ground, the force of the blow causing his hood to fall off. "Yes, I will!"
Naruto groaned. "Rio will pay for her crimes."
"Rio-chan's involved too! Even better! We're going to have so much fun!"
"Guh, congrats then. You're a Dragon Hunter now."
"Yay! Together, we'll make the Dragon Keepers bleed!"
By the time the creep bought the police, the two were long gone.
DRAGON HUNTER RECRUIT
JOSHI KOSEI
TOGA HIMIKO
…
A young man stood inside a warehouse, tapping the handle of his hatchet on his shoulder, bored. He was on the taller side, with scruffy blonde hair, yellow-brown eyes, sharp teeth, a lean build and a slightly muscular physique; wearing a wrinkled white dress shirt with a tie and sleeves rolled up, black slacks, and black shoes. He and his compatriots were circling a group of bound Rangers from the Red and Blue Garrisons, smiles on their faces.
"You bastards! Let us go!" one of the Red Ranger Cadets shouted.
"We'll let you off lightly if you do!" another Ranger Cadet added, this time blue.
"Now why would we do that? Last Sunday proved that you guys aren't hot shit. You have a lot of nerve coming into our territory after your stock took a hit," the young man said, pointing his hatchet dangerously close to one of their heads, making them sweat.
This young man was once a colorless Ranger until he'd dropped out of the Ranger organization altogether after the Bailong Exams. After all, he'd felt too many similarities to the Rangers, and the group he was still with: the criminal organization known as the Yakuza.
The existence of the Rangers may have changed the world, but some things remained the same, such as the Yakuza. The gang operating in Amanogawa had rejected all attempts at being forced off their turf. It got so bad that the Yakuza sect's leader stepped in, only for the city's mayor to stop the possible Ranger-Yakuza war. As for the leader, she had visited the Dragon Keepers personally in their headquarters, and to everyone's shock, she'd left without issue, and the Dragon Keepers left her and her organization alone.
But there were times where the Rangers would run afoul of their territory because of their feelings of invincibility, like now.
"What happened was a fluke! That Red Hunter will be caught, and you guys are interfering!" the leader of the Ranger group shouted. "Now let us go or we'll report you!"
"What do you think?" the hatchet-wielding boy asked his boss, "Should we let them go in one piece?"
"You don't have to act so tough," the boy's boss, a woman with red hair braided down in a low ponytail and eerie yellow eyes, wearing a suit with a tie like the others. "But to answer your question, we'll let them go…for the last time."
The Rangers breathed out a sigh of relief.
"But the next time any Rangers invade our properties, their lives are forfeit, no matter who they are," she declared, her tone unnervingly even. "Untie them."
The young man nodded and sliced the ropes. One of the Rangers took his chance and lunged at him, only for the young man to bash him with the handle and kick the Cadet in the balls. The other Rangers tried to interfere, but were unable to with blades at their neck, as the young man punched down the offending Ranger Cadet. Even with the Ranger knocked down, the young man continued to bloody him with haymaker after haymaker until he broke the Cadet's nose with a crunch. Finally, he finished the Cadet off by soccer-kicking him in the balls, once, twice, multiple times, until a crack was heard and the Ranger was singing in agony.
The young man then took his hatchet and slammed it down next to the frothing Ranger's head. "How were we even afraid of you? You wear those suits like a rainbow, but you'll never be big time Sentai. You guys are nothing but jokes. I'd find a new career if I were you," the young man jeered, "Now get out of here before I take your balls too."
The uninjured Rangers quickly grabbed their whining comrade and scurried away.
"Heh, I hope those Dragon Hunters finally put you assholes out of business for good!" Denji shouted after them as the door closed behind him.
"Would you like a front-row ticket to that, Fujimoto Denji?"
The alarmed Yakuza looked up to see the masked Naruto, who was up on the beams on the ceiling.
"'Sup, guys? I see you're behaving the only way you know how."
"Good to see you, Naruto. Only a ninja detective like yourself would catch the Dragon Keepers off guard," the woman greeted him, raising her hand to relax her underlings.
"What can I say? I have a good track record of making great first impressions." Naruto jumped down, taking his hood off as he landed with a light bounce. "You know all about that, right Makima?"
"How could I ever forget your stellar introduction to our lives? It has kept us all on our toes more than the Rangers ever could." Makima gave a serene smile as always. "And speaking of Rangers, I suppose Big Sister wants Denji-kun to fight with you and your friends."
MAKIMA, YAKUZA OYABUN
"Nothing gets by you, huh?" Naruto said and looked at Denji, holding up his morpher to show his file. "So Denji, you in or out?"
"Well, I did have fun breaking that guy's balls." Denji said with a grin and looked at Makima. "So here's to busting a few more! Request for a vacation, Makima-san?"
"As long as you remember our movie dates, raise as much hell as you want." Makima replied with a smile.
"Hell yeah, I'll be there for them! I'm in Naruto!" Denji said with a thumbs-up.
"Congratulations. You're a Dragon Hunter now." Naruto said and gestured to the door. "Shall we?"
Makima smiled. "Keep him safe, Naruto. Good luck on your side-quest, Denji-kun."
"Just don't tell Himeno! Or Ryze! Or even Asa!" Denji begged as he followed Naruto out. "And definitely not Power!"
DRAGON HUNTER RECRUIT
YAKUZA KOBUN
FUJIMOTO DENJI
…
A young woman was packing whatever she could into an oversized duffel bag. Clothes, books, jewelry, toiletries, her sewing knit, electronics, anything she could fit inside, because the rest would be left behind. Her hair was dyed blonde, transitioning into pinkish-red highlights. Her dark dark brown eyes had pink contacts, she had a tongue piercing, as well as multiple silver piercings on her ears, and an above-average stature and an hourglass figure; wearing a white skirt with a blue tie, with a blue plaid miniskirt, black socks, and brown shoes.
Thankfully, she didn't have any pets.
The young woman was just a normal girl residing in Amanogawa, working as a part-time amateur gravure model, with aspirations to be an actress; both live action and voice acting. She may have had the appearance of an airheaded gyaru, but she was a huge otaku, a fan of anime, manga, and video games, the latter of the adult variety. She had a hobby of cosplay to express her love for her favorite characters. She wasn't that good at first, but after extensive practice through trial and error fixing her outfits, she was able to sew together her own costumes thanks to funds from her job.
But things took a turn when the agency she worked for gained a lucrative contract with the Rangers, being their models and cheerleaders for advertising purposes. It wasn't bad at first, and Marin and the girls even got a substantial pay raise out of it. Everything was smooth for the first three months, until a few of them committed the carnal sins of not only being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but dragging her into it. They were at a party hosted by some rich, snobby Ranger Cadets. It was fun at first, but things took a turn for the worse when the Cadet was visited by people in black clothing reminiscent of Noh theater stagehands, revealing that he was implicated in a heinous crime, and executed him, along with her coworkers, who did nothing wrong except being witnesses. Worse, they identified themselves as the Pink Garrison.
The horrified girl, who'd stepped away, was caught seeing what happened, and ran for her life, the black-clad Pink Garrison pursuing her. Thankfully, she managed to slip past them, jumping into the pool from three stories up, and was taken away by another blonde girl named Himiko, who'd been enjoying the party and heard her out. Thanks to the girl, Marin managed to get away, and with her help, she ended up hiding out, moving from place to place under different aliases to avoid the Rangers that were no doubt looking for her. She filed a police report beforehand, and only a few believed her.
Marin thought she would have to live a life of hiding for the rest of her life, unable to get justice for her friends. But hope came when she, like everyone else, bore witness to the explosive debut of Red Hunter. And upon seeing the spare morphers in his hand, she had found her calling. She was going to get justice for her friends by becoming one of the Dragon Hunters. And if the slots are filled up, hopefully he's hiring Cadets.
All packed and ready to go, she opened the door to find Naruto, holding up his morpher with her info projected outward. "Eh?! Red Hunter?!"
"Kitagawa Marin. You're quite brave for being one of many to report the misdeeds of the Rangers," her fellow blonde greeted her. "But I'm sure you don't want to wait to seek justice yourself, yeah?"
"Give me a place to hide out and my life's yours, Red Hunter!" Marin quickly said excitedly before Naruto clamped her mouth shut. "Uph?!"
"Shh, not so loud. We have guests, and they're not interested in keeping you safe like I am."
Marin was confused until she heard hurried footsteps, the sounds growing closer and louder.
"Congratulations," Naruto said, hefting Marin up on his shoulders, and sealing her bag along with her leftover stuff in a sealing scroll. "You're a Dragon Hunter now."
Naruto escorted her out of the room, right as black-clad individuals arrived on the land. They scanned the room closely, but the blondes were nowhere to be found. In reality, Naruto had used a deceptive visual technique, using a cloth that accurately imitated the walls in the hall to render himself and Marin 'invisible.' With the cloth in one hand and holding Marin in the other, Naruto sneakily crept along the walls until they reached the stairs. He then jumped down, with Marin keeping her mouth clamped so she wouldn't make a sound until they got to the first floor. Lifting her again, he ran down the hall until he saw a star on the door.
"Hold tight," he instructed her, opening the door and jumping through.
The two were long gone when the black-clad Pink Battalion swept the entire building.
DRAGON HUNTER RECRUIT
COSPLAYER
KITAGAWA MARIN
[A Certain Highway]
"What the? Where are we?" Marin cried out, holding Naruto's hand as they flew.
They were flying through an area reminiscent of space, except they could still breathe. Stars streaked past them as they moved, both near and far.
"This is the Subspace Highway. It's a collection of reality-bending highways that allows you to get from one point to another. Not everyone can access it, and there are rules to it. But as long as you respect the rules, you're free to use them to get where you need to go." Naruto explained and chuckled. "I accidentally stumbled upon this while reading up on my dad's experimental jutsu that involved time-space. And now, once you have a morpher, you can freely access it like I can."
"Amazing," Marin whispered as they got close to a door.
"Of course, you can access the Subspace Highway by other means than a door. You can go through a person's head like a shortcut, or even through a purse, like that one Canadian I ran across a couple of years back. And we're here! You'll get an instruction manual later."
"It's…so beautiful," Marin murmured, mesmerized.
Coming up on a door, Naruto pushed it open, letting himself and Marin through.
[Command Center]
"Welcome back, Naruto," Shion greeted them as they floated in and landed on their feet. "Another successful extraction."
"Those Kuroko were swarming the apartment building Marin was in. They really wanted her dead." Naruto reported grimly as Marin looked around in awe.
"Marin-chan!" Himiko cheered, hugging her.
"Himiko!"
"If I knew we were bringing you in, I would've led Naruto to you!"
"Heh, looks like we're not the only one with a link, eh Denji?" Denji noted, lightly elbowing him.
"Not to interrupt the reunion, but what are Kuroko?" Yūji inquired as he and Denji wandered over.
"A subgroup of the Pink Battalion. They're the clean-up crew, the garbage collectors. They're made to look like the least useful of the Ranger Battalions, but in reality, they're as dangerous as their devotion to Pink Keeper," Rio told them, looking over to the group. "All Ranger Battalions, and more, will be covered in the first part of the orientation: Information."
"What? We're not going out there immediately to kick butt?" Denji asked incredulously.
"Knowing is half the battle, Denji-san," Shion said as she handed Naruto a scroll, "Got a mission for you after you rest up. For your eyes only."
"Aw, secrets already?" Himiko cooed, trying to look, but Naruto kept the scroll out of her reach. "Boo."
"You're gonna get to have fun soon enough, Himiko. You all will," he assured her as he read through the scroll. "While I'm out, you'll will be learning all about our opponents and our goals involving the Rangers, Invaders, and the Invader Rights Association. I look forward to seeing what Power Coins you guys chose for your suits. Speaking of…" He went over to Mei's workshop table and grabbed the completed morphers he'd showed off prior. "Here're your Divine Dragon Morphers."
"Blue? I'm not the silent type, you know," Yūji commented as he received his.
"Just 'cause you're the same color doesn't mean you gotta be like the original. You being quiet sounds extra dangerous, though," Naruto teased him, clapping his back.
"C'mon, Yellow? I'm not that creepy." Himiko whined playfully, holding the yellow morpher up by the straps.
"More like a tough girl, but that's besides the point." Naruto replied dryly.
"I don't mind Green. I'll be just as tough, no, even better!" Denji declared with an arm pump.
"See, that's the spirit!" Naruto agreed, fist-bumping him.
"Pink." Marin murmured, gazing at the pink morpher in her hands. "It feels like I'm dreaming…"
"Not how you expected the last fifteen minutes to go, eh?" he asked, with a hand on her shoulder. "I assure you, this is reality."
"Itadori Yūji, Toga Himiko, Fujimoto Denji, and Kitagawa Marin: you, along with Uzumaki Naruto, have all been chosen because you possess the qualities of being true Sentai." Rio declared as screens popped up around them. "Ever since Naruto defeated the Dragon Keepers, I've been watching everyone in the city to gauge their reactions. It was easy to pin down it from their jubilations and the sparks to their eyes to make a list. After a background check, the field was narrowed to at least thirty candidates that actively want to do something about the Dragon Keepers."
"Light in the eyes, huh?" Yūji murmured, as that had happened to him when he witnessed the event with his friends. "That checks out."
"Naruto wasn't that subtle," Himiko giggled, poking at Naruto's whiskered cheek. "He's the only ninja I know, and I wanted in on the action!"
"We went from fighting amongst ourselves over the Sunday Showdown bets, to cheering on Red Hunter. And now, the Rangers are gonna fear the Green Hunter!" Denji exclaimed, strapping on his morpher without a second thought.
"My friends didn't deserve to get murdered like they did. If that's what Rangers are supposed to be in the Dragon Keepers, then I reject it!" Marin declared, making everyone else nod in agreement.
"Well chosen, Rio. Now let's get to work to prepare you all for your debut. Naruto, you have your mission." Shion told him, who nodded as the ninja then unsealed Marin's stuff into her bunk area. "Time for the next step in the fall of the Dragon Keepers."
"See you guys out there. Mei, go easy on them," Naruto said cheekily before tapping his morphing, turning into a red mass of energy and zipping through the Subspace door.
"That is so cool," Yūji whispered, grinning.
"You got it!" Mei called after him as she finally emerged from her workshop with a briefcase. "Welcome to the funhouse! I know you'll treat my babies well!"
"Your…babies?" a baffled Denji repeated.
"Her creations. The morphers, weapons, gadgets, and upgrades all come from her, so get used to it." Shion said as Mei opened the briefcase, revealing many different golden Power Coins. "The morphers give you the power of the Divine Dragon. These Power Coins represent a motif of a Ranger recorded in the Morphing Grid, one of the sources of the Dragon Hunter's powers. Naruto chose the Ninja Coin, giving him the powers of the Ninja Sentai Ranger teams. No one Power Coin is stronger than the others. It all depends on how you hunt and fight with that power."
"So, which of my shiny babies speaks to you?" asked the pinkette, waving her hand over the morphers and coins.
Yūji, Himiko, Denji, and Marin glanced at each other, nodding before gazing over at the Power Coins. Seeing some motifs that spoke to them, the four reached out to their chosen coins.
[Sky Fortress]
It was another Sunday, and time for the Sunday Showdown. Despite what had happened last week, people still came out in droves for the event. In fact, tickets for the event were sold out for the first time in a long while, as spectators anticipated another appearance from Red Hunter. Contrary to popular belief, the new Ranger had created a lot of buzz, and last Sunday's video clips brought back many viewers.
This did not help the Dragon Keepers' morale at all. Their prior statement and the labeling of the Dragon Hunters as enemies didn't amount to anything to the public. Despite providing a beatdown on their heroes, some liked Red Hunter for his aura, fighting style, and suit design. In fact, Red Hunter had gotten himself fans who made their own signs and merch to support him. To them, he represented the trope of a different Ranger team coming in, challenging the old team, before working together in a crossover-like fashion. It was a shot in the arm that the Sunday Showdown needed, much to the chagrin of the Dragon Keepers.
And it was not lost on the Dusters in the Sky Fortress, who were all scrambling to come up with a new Monster-of-the-Week. Just because there was a new party in town, doesn't mean that an agreement is on pause.
"Wait, what?" asked a shocked A.
Or so they thought.
"You don't have to work so hard to make a monster. Just make whatever and go with it," a cloaked figure said, his hood hiding his identity. "Making it easy to beat would be a huge bonus."
The man who arrived in Amanogawa was visiting the Dusters, who were gathered around the TV that Red Hunter got for them.
"No! We have our pride as monsters!" D shouted, stepping forward until the figure removed his arms from the cloak, revealing two familiar gauntlets. "Wait, those gauntlets!"
"You are…Black Keeper…" A whispered as the other Dusters stepped back, bracing themselves for a transformation. "They said you were dead…"
"Did they, huh? At least it wasn't a story 'bout me betraying 'em. Must've been Akabane's doing. Him and his dramatics can be hard to deal with," the man said thoughtfully. "Whatever the case, that's all in the past. But back to what I was saying. Just repeat a Monster and don't give the Keepers a hard time. They'll get what's coming to them."
"You mean Red Hunter, right?" F guessed while holding D back. "But you're one of them, the Dragon Keepers, aren't you?"
"...I was once. I left because I disagreed with what they were doing with you all. Akabane tried to kill me for it, of course, but failed. There was nothing I could do but watch from afar and hear their actions, making a mockery of those who gave us the power of the Dragon Keepers. But now I'm here to help those that would stop them, among other things."
"Among other things? What do you mean?" A inquired.
The man snorted as he turned to leave. "Let's just say that when you use power selfishly without consequences, the world has a way of bringing about its own consequences…in more ways than one."
"Gah, more mumbo-jumbo that doesn't matter! With or without those Executives, our goal of world domination hasn't changed!" D declared confidently.
"Are you sure about that, Footsoldier?" the man formerly known as Black Keeper asked, stopping and looking at D over his shoulder. "Are you sure it's something that you want? Something that wasn't…programmed into you?"
"Wha- What did you mean by that?! Oi!" D shouted after him. "Get back here and answer me!" The man didn't respond as he jumped off the ledge. D ran after him, but didn't see him falling, as if he disappeared into thin air. "Where the heck did he go?!"
"...L." A suddenly called out.
"Yes?" the female Duster asked.
"That cute monster you drew up. Think you can do it?"
[Red Garrison]
Red Garrison, the headquarters of the Red Battalion led by Red Keeper, Akabane Sosei. Its unique design looked like something straight out of a Steampunk movie with multiple gears and several stories high, surrounded by a forest a few miles away from the city. They serve as the vanguard against the Invaders, specializing in close-quarters combat, and are usually first on the scene when it comes to stray Invaders that are found. The Battalion enjoys fighting the Invaders, usually for fun, especially since the Battalion was filled with battle-hungry troublemakers and delinquents, with only a few women and reasonable people.
It was easy to get inside for Naruto, who'd been staking out the base over the weekend. He watched from the outside, observing members of the Battalion, even Akabane himself, going in and out. He even sneaked inside, hiding in the shadows and watching the Cadets training, and sometimes fighting each other. Despite being on the same team, they had no problem beating each other up like ruffians, and keeping the doctor and nurses on-site busy.
But unlike the recruitment drive a few days ago, Naruto wasn't looking to hire anyone; definitely not the maniacs from the Red Battalion. Nope. The new Red Ranger was after Red Dragon Salamandra, Red Keeper's Divine Artifact that he uses to transform before leaving it in the Red Garrison. And like every Sunday Showdown, he did just that.
Once Red Keeper took off, Naruto sent a message on his phone and infiltrated the Garrison. Most of the Battalion were also gone, leaving the base scarcely defended. He moved in the shadows, climbed on the ceiling, hid in broom closets, and even sneaked around in cardboard boxes for shits and giggles, the latter fucking with the perceptions of the curious Red Ranger Cadets.
Within the forests of Russia during the Cold War, a certain Special Forces Operative sneezed.
"And there it is."
Naruto shook his head as he entered a storage area and stared at the Red Dragon Salamandra sword that was carelessly discarded inside a golf bag filled with golf clubs.
"Add incompetence to the list. What kind of moron leaves their most important weapon in their base instead of on them." Naruto said as he grabbed the sword and hovered his morpher over it. "Red Dragon Salamandra, this is it…and…" he frowned as he examined the blade, feeling it up. "Strange, it almost feels like…bone?"
"Hey, who's there?!"
It was the hotshot, Tokita Shun: a Third-Class Ranger Cadet with red and white makeup on his face, and dyed blonde hair swept to the side. He thought he saw someone in the storage room and went to investigate it immediately. He looked around, finding no one, making him shrug and turning around to leave. Suddenly, a golf bag fell and clocked him on the head, knocking him out, Naruto landing beside him.
"Quick pro tip. When investigating, always look up." Naruto suggested, before taking off. As he did, he glanced at his morpher and grinned at the message it had received. "Like clockwork. Thanks, Big Sister."
Naruto zipped down a few halls and jumped into the ventilation system. Light on his feet, he crawled through, taking a path leading to the roof. Good thing too, because the base alarms started blaring loudly, meaning that the other Red Cadets had found their Third Class knocked out.
Soon, he made it to the roof, opening the hatch and looking around, noting that the base alarm had shut off. It was seemingly empty, until Naruto spotted a familiar figure waiting for him.
"You know, you should really consider keeping your weapon on you," Naruto said as he jumped out of the hatch and closed it behind him. "The same weapon that changes you into a Dragon Keeper shouldn't be stuffed alongside golf clubs."
"I'm not worried. It was safe where it was until you took it. But resorting to petty thievery? That's why I'm the only true Red Ranger of this world and you are not." Akabane Sosei, wearing his Red Keeper suit, replied with an arrogant smile, folding his arms.
"Whatever you say, Akabane. It doesn't change the fact that you're foolish for not having this Divine Artifact on you. I kicked your ass before, after all. Maybe you should keep it on you." Naruto advised him cheekily.
"That was only possible because you were an unknown who got the jump on us. Letting you push me to summon my Divine Artifact showed that you were strong when you're not. Rest assured that it won't happen again." Akabane said smoothly, smirking back. "Now hand it over and surrender."
Naruto snorted at the threat, twirling Salamandra over his head before jamming the blade into the ground, keeping it in place. "It doesn't matter if it's head-to-head or I ambush you. We're taking you down either way."
"We? Who's we? You really think that you're going to get allies after that little stunt last week? No one's going to join you on your little crusade! The fact you're by yourself proves it. Once you're beaten, embarrassed, and captured, you're going to lead us to your benefactors, and they'll be taken in as well." Akabane declared before snapping his fingers. "Sic 'em, boys!"
The door to the rooftop blasted open with the roaring Red Ranger Cadets now arriving. Activating their Dragon Gadgets in the form of lightswords and blasters, they charged at Naruto, who cracked his neck and rushed at them, ducking under the hail of blaster fire aimed at him and jumping towards them, the blasts creating an explosion behind him as he went on the attack.
What followed was a one-vs-many beatdown, with Naruto making the Cadets look like regular Duster mooks. He weaved around the sword strikes, parrying and redirecting attacks to make the Cadets hit their own comrades, and retaliated with strikes of his own, either knocking his attackers away and/or making them kiss the ground. And to add to the embarrassment of the battle maniacs of the Red Battalion, Naruto hadn't even morphed yet, nor had he used a weapon.
"Hey, you!" Tokita shouted, finally recovered, running towards him. "You're gonna pay for knocking me out, Red Hunter!"
Naruto snorted. "You're going to wish you were still asleep, Panda boy."
Tokita opened fire with his Dragon Gadget, but this time, Naruto dodged each shot with his Super Speed ability, one of two abilities he'd received by bonding with his Power Coin. Growling, Tokita closed the distance and swiped with his sword, but with each swing, Naruto would counter with a strike to the face and a bodyshot. The Third Class got frustrated, yelling angrily as he swung with all his might. Naruto blocked with a grin, confusing Tokita until he was kicked out of the blue on the side of his face.
"The hell was-?" Tokita started to say until he saw three Naruto's. "What the hell?!"
"Duplication." the three Narutos echoed together. "Kinda like my other technique. I can make more, but three is enough for you."
"Grr, don't underestimate me!" Tokita shouted, leaping at him.
He stabbed his Dragon Gadget lightsaber through one of the clones, but it went through it, with the same clone retaliating with a kick to the face. The face-painted Cadet ended up becoming a punching bag as Naruto and his two clones completely jumped him, giving him no chance to make a comeback. The clones then sandwiched his face with spinning roundhouse kicks, disappearing as Naruto finished him off with a flipping somersault kick, followed by an aerial spin kick that slammed Tokita into the nearby water tower. The latter whined as he slid down the metal structure before crashing to the ground, knocked out.
"...Okay, you have some skill." Akabane admitted begrudgingly, gritting his teeth before smirking. "But that's not going to draw ratings. Your flair for the dramatic is lacking. You can never be a proper Ranger like that. At this rate, you're just setting yourself to be a desparate loser."
Naruto frowned, tilting his head. "This isn't a television show, Akabane. I'm not doing this to take your place. Like I said, you and your Dragon Keepers have overstayed your welcome, and we're taking you off the board. Now, you can either bring it on, or I leave with your sword. Your choice."
"Oh, I'll come at you all right-"
"Ayo, pause."
"-But what good will that do, Hunter? What's the value in defeating you decisively…if there's no one to see it? Who would that bring joy to?" Akabane asked mysteriously as a helicopter approached. "You should really know your role."
"I already told you my role, and it's not one you cooked up in your twisted mind." Naruto countered as he looked up at the broadcast helicopter getting closer.
"It's amusing to hear you believe that your role is to take us down," Akabane chuckled, wagging his finger. "You're a fool. You're representing the minority, while the majority can't wait to get back to their regular scheduled entertainment by seeing you defeated. You already had a day to shine. And now, you'll be bought back down to Earth- guh…ah… Akabane fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. "The damage I sustained last week…gah…"
"…What are you doing-?" Naruto asked, knowing that he wasn't that hurt, before his ninja senses went haywire.
He was suddenly kicked away by Blue Keeper, his body skipping along the ground before it disappeared in a puff of smoke, a wooden log in his place. Naruto reappeared on top of the water tower, looking down to see the rest of the Dragon Keepers arriving.
"What are you doing, Red?" Green Keeper inquired as his leader 'recovered'.
"Mmm, putting on a show," he replied before yelling. "Camera!"
"Took you four long enough. And here I thought that cute Monster-of-the-Week was too much for you!" Naruto called down to them.
"A few kids cried, but at the end of the way, it was an Invader," Yellow Keeper said with a shrug. "They'll understand."
"Understand this, Hunter!" Red Keeper declared, pointing at Naruto. "All my comades and I are doing is defending every person on this planet, and you're only interfering with that! You've made a grand speech, but it's nothing but a cover for your jealousy! The Dragon Keepers are needed more than you! And as long as we draw breath, we shall continue to be the heroes this world needs!"
"Oh, what a line!" the announcer in the helicopter declared to the people at home. "This episode will be one to remember! The final stand, the rise and fall of Red Hunter!"
"Keh, aren't you full of yourselves?" Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "The heroes this world needs, huh? I beg to differ. You're old news, obsolete, twelve years past your prime. You all have too much power, and that power is reaching in places it's not supposed to be, and you're hurting those you claim to protect. The audience may not know what I mean, but they will soon. And today is just another step in that direction."
"An admirable speech, Hunter, but your rebellion ends in this Sunday Showdown! Prepare yourself!" Green Keeper declared in a hearty tone.
"I honestly can't wait to crack open that device of yours." Yellow Keeper added with his usual smile.
"My friends and I beg to differ," Naruto replied dryly, snapping his fingers.
"How long are you going to lie to all of us?" Red Keeper drawled with a hint of annoyance. "No one is coming to help you-!"
"Toh!"
Naruto jumped off the water tower, eagle-diving down as four colorful streaks of blue, yellow, green, and pink light shot down next to him. He flipped and landed safely on the ground as the streaks of energy landed next to him.
"Wait, those lights are-!" Pink Keeper exclaimed as the streaks of light reformed themselves into humans, standing on either side of the blond.
"That…doesn't look like Red Hunter's clone ability …" Yellow Keeper noted, stroking his chin.
Yūji, Himiko, Denji, and Marin arrived, decked out in the same incognito fit, with black-and-gray clothing, face masks, and Assassin-style hoods as Naruto, but with their own colored jackets, shoes, and sunglasses. The girls were different as theirs is form-fitting, and they were wearing skirts with hotpants and thigh-high socks, as opposed to the boys' pants.
They also had their own personal touches, like Naruto's long red scarf. Yūji's blue jacket was more like a trenchcoat with a high-buttoned collar. Himiko wore a piped yellow facemask and fur lining on her jacket. Denji's face mask had a feral sharp-tooth design, with green-handled hatchets around his waist. Marin was wearing pink flowing ribbons tied around her biceps and thighs, with a hazard-style facemask.
And finally, they all had their morphers out and ready for action.
"This…can't be…" Red Keeper ground out, gritting his teeth in fury.
He'd been so sure, so confident that no one would join the Hunter. Everyone cheering for him and the Dragon Keepers, happy that they were heroes. The fact that there's a new opposing faction is just insane.
"Gahahahahahah! Well, will you look at that? The kid's found some friends after all!" Green Keeper laughed.
"Tch!" Blue Keeper held his tongue due to the cameras rolling.
"What do you all think you're doing, accepting his offer? You realize that this makes you our enemy!" Pink Keeper chided them. "You don't stand a chance against us!"
"Shut up, pinky~!" Himiko shot back, drawing out the insult.
"P-Pinky?!" Pink Keeper snapped, losing part of her cool facade. "You dare?!"
Yūji smirked under his mask. "We've already decided to go against you from the beginning."
"We wouldn't be here if our hearts weren't in it," Marin piped in, "Your continued existence has hurt many people and taken their voices away!"
"Yeah! Besides, your Sunday Showdowns have become a snoozefest! You suck!" Denji added with a thumbs down.
"Have…have…have you lost your minds?!" Red Keeper shouted at them, having had enough, "We are the Ryujin Sentai Dragon Keepers, the heroes of Japan! We defeated the Nefarious Invader Army! Standing against us is to fight the world!"
"That's fine with us. We're already determined to see the fight through, even if the world is against us. We'll show the world one of the most important aspects of being a Sentai Ranger; and that to never use your power for personal gain like you have," Naruto told him. He and the others held up their Power Coins. "It's to show that like our friend said: that with great power, comes great responsibility."
"You…" Red Keeper seethed.
"Ne, you guys know what time it is?" Naruto asked cheekily.
"It's Morphin' Time!" all five of them declared, inserting their Power Coins into their Divine Dragon Morphers.
[POWER COIN LOCK IN, LINKING TO MORPHIN' GRID]
"Get them before they transform!" Red Keeper commanded.
"Wait, isn't the unwritten rule-!" Green Keeper started to say.
"Just do it!"
The five Dragon Keepers rushed forward to stop the teens, only for a white line to appear between them. The veteran team crossed over it, causing them to slow down momentarily, before they were suddenly tossed back.
"What the hell was that?" Blue Keeper grunted as he and the others landed on their feet.
[GO]
"How can we not get through?" Pink Keeper wondered in frustration.
[GO GO]
"Fascinating," Yellow Keeper mused in curiosity.
[GO GO GO] the morphers chanted, and as they did so their users' left hands and arm became encased by a clawed gauntlet.
"Ranger Access, Dragon On!" the five teenagers with attitude chanted, pressing the 'Change' button on their morphers. [DRAGONIC BUSOU (ARMAMENT)]
Multi-colored screens, with Japanese characters as tall as the new team of Rangers, popped out and passed through them, causing of torrent of different-colored, glowing hexagons to encase each of the Hunters in 'dragon eggs.' At the same time, the morphers shot out beams of pure energy that shaped itself into five Dragons, which circled around the Garrison through the sky. After a brief orbit, the dragons flew into the eggs, shattering them and themselves, revealing the five new Rangers of Amanogawa, Japan.
[DRAGON RANGER:]
All five were clad in armored spandex, Naruto in red, Yūji in blue, Himiko in yellow, Denji in green, and Marin in pink, all with black, white, and platinum parts mixed in. There was a big, black lightning bolt that covered most of the front, with linings of their respective colors, along with a golden crest bearing their symbol icons in the middle. They also wore a black utility belt with a white buckle, their Draco ShotSlasher sidearm holstered on the sides, and colored jewels in the buckle. The pants were completely their color with silvery-white stripes, with the combat boots being white, with the girls having skirts that were their color. Their streamlined helmets completely covered their faces, with the black visors having golden dragon fangs on the edges and smooth, silver mouth areas. And finally, their morpher gauntlets in the shape of a dragon claw were still seen.
"They…they…they're here!" the broadcaster announced to the people of Amanogawa. "The five Dragon Hunters!"
[NINJA] Naruto's Red Hunter suit had a silver headband above the visor, gray sleeves that initiated chain mail from his shoulders to elbows, pouches with ninja tools on his belt, and a ninja tool holster on his right leg.
Naruto had an umbrella open and resting on his shoulder. "Trickster Shadow!" he introduced himself, banishing an umbrella that he tossed up while backflipping, "Ninja Ranger," landing and striking a pose; right arm bent behind him and his left arm extended, similar to his godfather Jiraiya. "Red Hunter!"
RED HUNTER
[ENGINE] Yūji's Blue Hunter suit bore headlights above the visor, with wheels on the side of the helmet, additional wheels on the back, meter designs on the arms, and elbow and knee pads.
Yūji spun around with a mechanical sound, "Noble Will!" He introduced himself, slapping his thigh and holding his arm up, "Engine Ranger," he clapped his hands and swung his arm out in a stance, left knee bent and arms out diagonally. "Blue Hunter!"
BLUE HUNTER
[JUNGLE] Himiko's Yellow Hunter suit had a set of small eyes above the visor with feline ear designs on the sides of the helmets, claw designs littering the biceps and thigh area, claws on the tips of the right-hand gloves, and elongated claws on the left clawed gauntlet.
Himiko reached out with her clawed gauntlet and brought it to the side of her head, "Wild Passion!" she introduced herself, bringing her clawed glove to the side of head like a cat. "Jungle Ranger," she jumped up, slamming her palms on the ground and stanced, both legs bent with her left arm bent up and right arm bent with her hand up; her middle and ring finger pressing down. "Yellow Hunter!"
YELLOW HUNTER
[DINOSAUR] Denji's Green Hunter suit had small 'Dino' eyes above the visor, rows of 'teeth' in the silver mouthpiece, white diamond symbols running down the arms, sides, and legs, and twin spiked pauldrons on both shoulders.
Denji reached out his arm with his palm out, "Revving Excitement!" he introduced himself, clenching his fist and bringing it to his chest, "Dino Ranger," he made slashing motions with his arms before posing, crouching with his left hand clenched bent towards his raised rightopen palm. "Green Hunter!"
GREEN HUNTER
[MAGIC] Marin's Pink Hunter suit had a butterfly outline around the visor with winged engraved on the sides of the helmet, a small cape that reached down to the small of her back encrusted jewels and diamonds on her arms, and wings on her boots.
Marin twirled around with her cape flowing. "Smiling Heart!" she introduced herself, hopping up and reaching her arm out. "Magical Ranger," she made a heart sign with her hands before posing with left hand resting on her hip and right hand near her hand, making an upside down 'call me' sign. "Pink Hunter!"
PINK HUNTER
"Unleashing the Dragon to Hunt the Darkness of the World!" Naruto announced, raising his fingers in the air and snapped his fingers asthe others got into position. "Morphin' Sentai…" he flicked and folded his arms, while Yūji stood on his right with a thumb's up, Marin on his left with her right arm on her chest and right arm out. Both Himiko and Denji stood in front, crouched down in feral positions. "Dragon Hunters!" they declared together, an explosion of colors erupting behind them.
DRAGON HUNTERS
[READY, HUNT]
"Oh, they've done it now." Yellow Keeper mused while racking up theories in his head.
"This is the point of no return," Pink Keeper whispered mournfully.
"If only I didn't agree to being the silent type…" Blue Keeper growled to himself. "This is bullshit."
"Gahahahahahah! We'll have to work harder for once!" Green Keeper boomed with excitement. "Don't lose your cool now, Red."
"This…can't be happening…" Red Keeper seethed, unable to keep his composure.
"Get ready for the fireworks, Dragon Keepers," Naruto said, pointing at said team as his team shifted out of their poses and into their fighting stances. "We're going to take you for a ride!" he declared and snapped his fingers. "Attack!"
"Hai!"
The Dragon Hunters charged at the Dragon Keepers, who readied themselves for battle. To the surprise of no one, the same colors targeted each other.
"I'll be your opponent, Pink Keeper!" Marin shouted as they clashed against each other. "I'll make you pay for what your Kuroko have done!"
"Kuroko? How do you-?" Pink Keeper wondered with a frown under her helmet.
"No hard feelings, Green Keeper! The title of the strongest Green Ranger is gonna be mine!" Denji declared, his fingers intertwined with his.
"Oh ho?! I welcome the challenge!" Green Keeper laughed jovially as he challenged his strength. "Bring it on, kid!"
"What is it going to take to make you lose that creepy smile, Yellow Keeper?" Himiko questioned, crouched on all fours like a cat.
"That's going to be impossible, especially with a new element like you kids." Yellow Keeper shrugged before bracing himself as Himiko leapt at him. "Show me what you've got."
"I've learned about you, Blue Keeper. It's not healthy to hold yourself back. People might find you more interesting as a Sir-Swears-a-Lot." Yūji advised the older man as they circled each other.
"Not like I have a fuckin' choice," Blue Keeper snarled at him. "We appeal to the kids for some reason…"
"What's wrong, Red Keeper? Aren't you supposed to be smiling for the camera?" Naruto asked cheekily as he dodged every single one of Akabane's now unfocused sloppy strikes. "C'mon, let's see those pearly whites."
"I'll smile once you and your foolish friends are under my heel!" Akabane snapped as one of his haymakers was blocked. "I'll make you wish you never existed!"
"Woah now, you sounded like an Invader there, ya know!" laughed the Red Hunter, taking advantage of his opponent being stunned by the insult and kicking him away. "But calm yourself. It's too early for the world to see your so-called justice. For now, let's give you all a glimpse into the future, and make you start paying for everything you've done!"
"This…this is happening…this is really happening, ladies and gentlemen. Veteran Rangers vs. new Rangers! Dragon Keepers vs. Dragon Hunters!" the broadcaster shouted in excitement. "The Dragon Keepers will obviously be coming out on top, but right now, it's anyone's match! How will the Hunters fare before falling to the Keepers?!"
"Bias, much?!" The Dragon Hunters shouted at the helicopter, before continuing the fight.
As the Rangers battled each other, the man formerly known as Black Keeper looked down on the battle above from the nearby cliff, talking on the phone.
"The kids are holding their own. Then again, my old friends haven't fought seriously in a decade."
"That's their own fault, and now they are paying the price." Shion chirped through the other side.
"...Not all of them are bad, you know."
"Even so, we need the Dragon Keepers and their organization out of the way."
"Because of how our powers came to be. Rest assured, had I known, I would've dismantled the Rangers myself." the man said, looking at his gauntlets.
"It's alright, you didn't know. That's why we're acting now. You know why we can't have them around."
"Yeah. To protect those from the possible incoming threat…and…" he turned around to see Junior First Class Yellow Cadet, Yumeko, walking towards him. "To return the power of the Dragon to you priestesses…"
"Hmm, that's…"
"Now what could you be doing here, former Black Keeper," Yumeko inquired with a playful grin. "Hibino Kafka-san?"
"Suzukiri…"
FORMER BLACK KEEPER, HIBINO KAFKA
END OF EPISODE 02
Next time - Liberation 03: Rangers v Rangers
Morphin' Sentai Dragon Hunters vs. Ryujin Sentai Dragon Keepers. Will the Hunters show the Keepers the door, or will the Keepers show that experience wins the day?
Kougami: Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dragon Hunters~, Happy Birthday to you… HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MORPHIN' SENTAI DRAGON HUNTERS! Absolutely SPLENDID!
Info and References
The info about the Dragon Keepers show, that's just me expanding on it.
It would be interesting to see the Ranger orgaization expand outside in Japanese, especially in America. It would be even more like The Boys.
The Command Center is like if the Batcave and the base in Once and Always were merged together.
Tsukatsuki Rio is from Blue Archive, stuck in NPC jail. Here and in her game, her Big Sister nickname is a riff of Big Brother from 1986.
Itadori Yūji is from Jujutsu Kaisen. He'll be like the most normal of the group. I'm looking to see how to give him Shrine.
Toga Himiko is from My Hero Academia. She's a JK. Don't ask me why.
Denji is from Chainsaw Man. His surname is from the manga's author, who I would like to give Denji some happiness, please?
Kitagawa Marin is from My Dress-Up Darling. I hate what's going on in the manga right now as of this writing. Let Gojo and Marin be happy, dammit.
Marin escapes from Kuroko and being saved by Himiko is inspired by the chase scenes in Bad Boys.
I really wanted to use Kirei's "Rejoice," but I didn't want Naruto to be sinister like that.
The Subspace is being used here because I was listening to Scott Pilgrim music while writing the first chapter.
Kuroko are stagehands on Japanese theater, if I got that right. The Pink Battalion assassin look like them. If I'm wrong, let me know.
Yeah, despite the revelation, D still had his pride, but its still shaken.
Naruto sneaking around in a cardboard box. Shout out to Solid Snake.
Naruto pulled an Ace Ventura on the Panda-boy.
Seriously, is Akabane that dumb? He left his transformation item in the base, miles away from the city, instead of on him. Nah, someone get Troy from Megaforce on his ass. I don't care if it is arrogace, that is fucking stupid!
The Dragon Hunters gets special abilities/powers outside of their Ranger forms like in the Disney-era Power Rangers.
Naruto used Eagle Dive from Assassin's Creed.
Naruto, Yūji, Himiko, Denji, and Marin's incognito clothes are based off of the appearance of the Rangers's ninja outfits in their crossover with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the comics.
The Hunter's first conversation with the Keepers is inspired from Gokaiger episode 1 when the crew faced down the monsters.
With great power comes great responsibility. If you know, you know.
The Divine Dragon Morphers have the same ability as the ToQ Changers in ToQger, keeping enemies back as if a train is arriving.
Naruto/Red Hunter roll call poses inspirations: HurricaneRed, AkaNinger
Yūji/Blue Hunter roll call poses inspirations: RedRacer, BlueRacer, BoukenRed, Go-OnRed
Himiko/Yellow Hunter roll call poses inspirations: GaoRed, ZyuohEagle, ZyuohTiger
Denji/Green Hunter roll call poses inspirations: TyannoRanger, AbaRed, KyoryuRed
Marin/Pink Hunter roll call poses inspirations: MegaPink, MagiPink, Go-OnYellow
We're going to take you for a ride!" IT'S MAHVEL BABY
"Attack!" BoukenRed from Boukengers says this after the roll call.
Hibino Kafka is the MC from Kaiju No. 8. He's comes recommended by NSG. I'll be watching the anime soon.
Special thanks to NorthSouthGorem and Castlecrasher009 for the beta-reading. Check out their stories.
Released: Tuesday, July 23, 2024
"Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages! In all my years of calling the Sunday Showdowns, I would never have imagined we would have a Ranger on Ranger war on our hands. The fact they're holding their own suggests that they've been training for this for a long time!"
In a large, dark room, somewhere in the city, the only light source was a computer monitor sitting on a large oak desk. The flickering light of the screen casted shadows on the surrounding walls. A large ornate chair sat in front of the desk, its occupant silently watching the live feed of the fight between the Dragon Hunters and Keepers.
"The Coins in their transformation devices really say what they do. Pink Hunter is matching blow for blow against Pink Keeper with what appears to be magic! Green Hunter's dinosaur power is giving him equal ground with Green Keeper's strength! Yellow Hunter is literally hunting Yellow Keeper, forcing him on the defensive! Blue Hunter is like a human car, driving circles around Blue Hunter and his Divine Artifact!"
The individual watched impassively as the two sides duked it out, trading blows and barbs in equal measure. While most people watching were riveted by the battle, the individual looked unimpressed by the whole display. In fact, he looked rather bored of the fight, but continued to watch regardless.
"But Red Keeper isn't being himself against Red Hunter. His ninja skills are running circles around him, and not letting him get to his Divine Artifact. He must know if Red Keeper gets his hands on it, it's game over for the upstart Red Ranger!"
The individual scoffed. He had studied the Keepers long enough to know their limitations. The Keepers had grown soft, lazy and conceited. They were an embarrassment to the name 'Ranger.' They had long lost their spark, the meaning of their cause.
It sickened him to think they were receiving such praise.
On the other hand, these new Dragon Hunters were showing a bit of promise…if only a little.
"No matter what, the Dragon Keeper are still our heroes! And just like with the Invaders, they will triumph over the Dragon Hunters! Please, Dragon Keepers, show them what true justice is! Fight on, Dragon Keepers!"
The individual paused the feed, bringing the images to a standstill. He studied each person, each Ranger, committing them to memory. He then took the task of saving a screenshot of each Hunter into separate files on the computer, labeling them based on the name they took, and making notes on each one's ability and skill. After it was done, he saved all the files in a secure drive.
After his work was complete, he went back to the still paused window and once more stared at the image. Eventually, he laced his fingers together as he delved into his thoughts. The shadow of his hands obscured his eyes, but his lower jaw was illuminated by the screen. If anyone was in the room with him, they would see a frown marring his face, and the look of a man plotting and planning for the future. Whether it was for good or for ill, had yet to be seen.
But whatever plan was brewing in his mind, it meant trouble for everyone he was watching on that screen.