"Those who inherited the curse of the Shinto Pantheon. The one who couldn't accept this madness and cruelty. They would all bear witness to the bare flesh of the one who is free. To the one who left it all behind and his overwhelming pressure."
2900 years ago.
"I really don't want to go back there," Naruto murmured, his gaze fixed on the endless expanse of the serene vista. He crossed his arms before closing his eyes, memories of a tumultuous past flashing through his mind.
The prospect of returning to a place steeped in madness and darkness held little appeal for Naruto. It wasn't merely about the struggles his old faction faced in dealing with mortals and their own kind. The fact that he couldn't go back, having bested every member in combat, formed a twisted silver lining. Naruto couldn't forget the day he tore one of Susano's arms off—a reckoning that, in his mind, seemed well-deserved.
A wry smile crept across his face as he reminisced. "That bastard had it coming for him anyway."
Yet, beneath his reluctance lingered a deeper concern. Naruto couldn't allow the pantheon to subject Gojo or the twins to the same fate that befell Milthra in the distant past. Memories of beating down Olga and Deus, followed by Amaterasu purging the remains of Milthra's corpse, haunted him.
"The past is the past. I shouldn't dwell on events long gone," he muttered to himself, a fleeting determination in his voice.
"You know you'll likely have to face them all again, right, brat?"
Kurama's voice cut through the air. Naruto hadn't forgotten about his enigmatic companion, the now-ten-tailed fox, stronger and different than before."And what about them?"
"They'll see Gojo as a threat; he's supposed to be the honored one," Naruto spoke as he sighed. His shadow morphed into a tall, red-haired male with fox ears and ten tails swaying in the wind.
"And you'll just let them hurt him?"
Kurama chuckled, standing tall behind Naruto.
"I won't let them do anything to Gojo or the twins," Naruto sighed.
"Also..."
Naruto wasn't really expecting much more.
"Yasaka is leading a new faction,"
Kurama suddenly revealed, prompting Naruto to immediately turn and lock eyes with him.
"What?" Naruto questioned, a mix of surprise and concern in his tone.
"She's reuniting strong individuals to raid Takamagahara. So far, she's recruited one of the Dragon Emperors and is on the lookout for the Blood Soldier,"
Kurama replied with gravity.
"That's... something," Naruto muttered, running his hand through his hair. "I should've been thinking how to solve this... the world don't need to suffer."
Naruto's contemplation deepened as he considered Kurama's revelations and the impending challenges ahead. The cosmic pavilion provided a backdrop to his inner turmoil, a tranquil setting contrasting the tumult within.
"Yasaka leading a new faction complicates things," Naruto muttered, his eyes narrowing in thought. The complexities of divine politics and the imminent threat to himself and possibly others demanded attention
"You're not really thinking about rejoining the Shinto, are you? At this rate, you might need to dismantle it and rebuild everything,"
Kurama grinned.
"So, that's where you were going with this," Naruto smiled.
"Everyone thinks you're either dead or sealed away. Only Buddha and that student of yours know you're alive and kicking,"
Kurama chuckled as he spoke.
"Augus is a good brat... he's just cocky," Naruto reflected, a hint of pride in his voice. As he continued to weigh the situation.
...
"Mommy!" Yasaka heard a tiny little blonde girl running down the streets that lead to Kyoto's youkai force headquarters.
"Kunou!" Yasaka smiled seeing the ball of energy that was her daughter being accompanied.
"Mommy! Uncle Augus got me ice cream!" Kunou exclaimed animated while pointing to the tall and shirtless gray haired man.
Same man that sneezed at the second Kunou pointed at him while the blonde kitsune smiled.
Yakasa couldn't hear what he said but definitely were cursing someone as usual.
... yet.
"You're at a crossroads, kid. The pantheon is in disarray, and the choices is yours to make now."
Kurama, standing tall behind him, spoke with a knowing tone,
Naruto's gaze focused on the vista before him, the celestial bodies seemingly indifferent to the turmoil of gods and men. "I won't let them think that they are on top," he declared, a resolute glint in his eyes.
Kurama grinned, acknowledging the determination in Naruto's words. "If you're not rejoining the Shinto, then what's your move, brat?"
Leaning back against a pillar, Naruto considered the options. "I really don't like it but the best option is to wait..."
Kurama nodded in agreement, "And what about Gojo and twins? They're bound to attract attention tho."
A cold expression crossed Naruto's face. "They'll be fine .. they are children. No one's going to lay a finger on them.."
As the cosmic winds played with Naruto's hair, the weight of responsibility settled firmly on his shoulders.
"What about that dammed smartie?."
Kurama offered a curious glance."He's occupied at the moment... I have some plans in mind, but I don't know if i should visit the Shinto now or at least wait a couple of years..." Naruto hummed while still leaning against the pillar.
"Personally, I never liked this glassy guy..."
Kurama spoke while looking at the vast vista.
"He is very powerful and... his motives maybe were wrong at the beginning but now he's better..." Naruto answered.
"Oh after basically creating a orange-haired monster you say? YEAH that monk was not wrong when he said that you ignores the negative side of others."
Kurama countered with a dirty smirk, one that Naruto decided to ignore.
"He's not that bad..." Naruto closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.
"he's just a bit insane"
"yeah you are right... but he is a good one." Naruto answered.
'i probably should go back, Uraume might have killed em' after all this time heh'
...
"Hey... Uraume-senpai," Yuji greeted the shorter woman. The white-haired woman merely turned her eyes toward him with her usual bored expression.
"Yes, Yuji-kun?" Uraume responded with a gentle hum.
Concern etched on his face, Yuji asked, fidgeting his fingers, "Regarding Naruto-Jiisan... How strong is he really?"
"Hmmm, he's undeniably powerful, but quantifying his strength is challenging," Uraume replied, holding her chin in thought.
Interrupting the conversation, Gojo, ever the nosy brat, slipped between Uraume and Yuji. "Yuji, what distinguishes a cat from a mouse?"
Perplexed, Yuji answered, throwing a confused look at his older twin, "The cat is obviously stronger and far more dangerous than a mouse, right?"
"Don't look at me, brat," Sukuna hissed.
Gojo, flipping a pen between his fingers, continued, "Did you know a mouse could never kill or injure a cat?"
"Are you saying we are mice and Naruto-san is the cat?" Yuji seemed to grasp as he asked Satoru.
"Nope! If we make these comparisons, the usual generation of our age would mostly be mice, and we—I mean you, me, and Sukuna—we would be cats!" Understanding dawned on Yuji,
"But Uraume-san, for example, would be a wolf." Explaining further, Gojo stood up, throwing his pen in Sukuna's direction, which made Sukuna throw a knife at Satoru's direction.
"So Naruto-san is a wolf?" This revelation led Yuji to express confusion once again,
"Definitely not... He's a bear, definitely," Gojo clarified, and Yuji finally seemed to grasp the analogy.
"That's is quite... weird." Uraume murmured while taking a bit of her own rice.
"What y'all talking about anyway!?" Naruto's voice rang through the air as he materialized behind Sukuna and put his hand on the Pinkette's shoulder.
"NOTHING!" Uraume screamed totally out of her usual character making everyone look surprised at her.
So!
i hope everyone liked this one even tho is short... Anyway i got a job and i barely had time to write this so this might feel a bit rushed even tho i plan to rewrite this one soon!
Working 12 hours a day isn't allowing me to do much outside sleep and eat... but i'm trying anyway see y'all soon with chap 3!
