Chapter 32


It was a struggle to open his eyes the next time he awoke. No matter how much he willed them open, his body did not cooperate and instead left him confused and a little agitated. When he was finally able to open them fully, he was not expecting his surroundings.

Fog covered the floor, hovering over the stone tiles with no breeze or source to disturb its presence. There were no walls or ceilings to speak of, just an endless void that seemed eerily familiar.

He tried to remember what happened, but everything was a blur, as if he were looking through fogged glass. Eventually, his eyes landed on a flight of stares. He knew this place, yet for some reason he couldn't put a finger on where and why. Fog flowed down the steps to join the floor as if it were the source, making them that much more ominous.

He stepped forward, hesitating at every step. The fog beneath him parted with every footfall, revealing the cracked cobblestone beneath. When he reached the stairs, something began to scratch at the back of his mind.

He definitely knew this place.

He'd definitely been up these stairs before.

There was something—no, someone—up these stairs.

Someone...important to him?

But who?

A hand came to his temple, gripping it tight as a headache began to form.

What was the name?

Why couldn't he remember the name?

Why did he want to remember the name so badly?

With every step up the stairs, his determination for answers grew. With every step, the headache grew. Many times, he thought about turning back just to stop the headache that slowly morphed into a migraine.

But he didn't stop.

He needed to know what was at the peak.

Something told him that he would regret it if he didn't make it to the top.

So he pushed forward.

Eventually, the stairs ended. The migraine vanished almost instantly upon placing his foot on the final step, and he was finally able to see what awaited him at the top.

A broken throne, along with what little remained of the wall behind it, was what greeted him. The ground around the throne was cracked, looking as if too much weight applied would crumble it immediately.

But that was secondary to the one thing that caught his eye.

Better yet, who had caught it.

In the seat of the shattered stone chair lies a girl.

A woman who immediately had his heart pounding in his chest, along with memories flooding his head.

Throwing caution to the wind, Naruto closed the remaining distance between him and the girl, not caring if the ground collapsed beneath him or not. He immediately took her into his arms.

She wasn't breathing.

"Sothis?" He called out her name, yet she did not stir. He shook her lightly. "Sothis? Can you hear me?"

He got no answer.

His panic began to increase as his shakes became much more desperate. He continuously yelled her name, desperate to get a response. When that failed, he gently removed her from the chair and into his arms before gently putting her face. It only proved to slump her head to the side, the sight only further increasing the dread in his heart.

He didn't know what else to do—how to fix this.

His mind ran through everything he had learned in his days as a Shinobi, and yet not a single thing came to mind.

The panic was nothing compared to the loss and emptiness. It threatened to consume him; the mere thought of losing her forever was too much for his psyche. He had never dreamed before, but he desperately wished it was.

"Put thy mind at ease, incarnation of Ashura."

Naruto's body stiffened at the voice that seemed to echo in the chamber. Behind him, a presence had appeared, even if he hadn't turned to see them. Turning slowly and carefully so as not to drop the girl in his arms, he looked at the newcomer.

It was hard to describe what he was seeing—not due to a lack of understanding, but simply because the being was incomprehensible.

Long, brown hair cascaded down his back, framing a face that bore the wisdom of ages. In the center of his head was a round symbol of the color crimson that he first mistook for an extra eye. His actual eyes, unlike those of normal human beings, were ripples of black and purple, reflecting the power that pulsated in waves through the void.

He wore a simple white robe, its pristine surface untouched by the passage of time. Around his neck, nestled against his tanned skin, lay a chain of beads in the shape of tomoe, the very same circling the neck of the robes. In his hand was a shakujō, as pitch black as the six balls hovering under him.

And if to make his appearance any more eerie, the man was floating in mid-air with his legs crossed.

That same feeling from back in the underground labyrinth, the one where he truly believed nothing he did would work against his opponent, had returned.

Only this time, it wasn't before a man, but a God.

"Be not afraid, incarnation of Ashura. Thy friend is sleeping." Despite his aura, the words had the blonde looking back to the Goddess in his arms, hope blooming in his chest.

"She-she's alive?" Naruto questioned.

"She used the last of her divinity to save thine life. If I had not intervened, she surely would have perished. T'would have been a shame if such an act of love had been awarded with her demise."

Naruto's hold tightened around her, not that the man needed to see to know.

"What will happen to her?" Naruto asked, dreading the answer.

"For a time, she will rest." The mystery being answered, floating closer to hover next to the blonde to see the sleeping greenette's face. "Slowly but surely, her core is working to renew the power she had lost. To hasten the process, I have transported you to the land of her worshippers. With time, she will be restored."

The relief Naruto felt at hearing that was indescribable. He felt his body relax, and the weight on his shoulders lifted.

"I-thank you."

"It is not I you should be thanking, incarnation of Ashura. I simply acted in the best interest of the Shinobi World. You should be thanking the one who was willing to throw her life away so that you may live. It is a love that is rare to find in a world as cruel as this."

The blonde could only nod his head at the wisdom of the being as he gazed down at the girl in his arms. Knowing she was OK was one thing, but what she had done for him birthed a sense of guilt and awakened something deeper within. It made him feel warm, but in a different way. It was hard to explain in words—the emotion was as new as the many he failed to process back in the labyrinth.

He just knew he liked it.

So much so that he couldn't take his eyes off of the girl in his arms. The only thing that finally broke the spell was the realization that he was not alone, and he looked at the person in question quizzically.

"Who are you?" He asked the question that should have come the moment they met.

"I am he who shall obtain peace and order. For now, my name is of no importance." The floating being answered, though the vague nature of his answer only had the blonde frowning. "What is important is that I have been watching you, incarnation of Ashura, since the day of the Second Shift."

"Second, Shift?" Naruto parroted.

"To you, it is the day where you were first introduced to this being's power," he gestured at Sothis. "To me, it is the second major event that shifted the very fabric of this world, the first being the day of thine birth. Since the day of the Second, I have been watching you—observing thy life and the paths you have chosen. I have not been disappointed."

"Watching? How?" Naruto asked.

"From both within and afar. Thine journey has not been without its bumps, but the paths you have chosen are worthy of praise. It is difficult to hold true to ideals ill-fitting for the world you live in, but you have stuck true to those ideals. Even now, after having experienced a taste of this world's cruelty, you remain untainted by its hatred. Most call you a fool, and I am loathe to agree. Nevertheless, even after countless generations, you are the first I believe to truly be capable of changing this world."

Naruto did not have a response to any of that. For what felt like an eternity, he had been waiting for this moment—for someone to validate his dream and ambition. For someone other than Sothis to acknowledge that his dream, his promise, was possible.

After the events in the labyrinth, he understood that getting to his dream without killing was an effort in futility. Not killing Jiro ultimately cost Flayn and Kagero their lives, forcing him to use his final pulse and nearly getting them all killed in turn. Even now, he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened back then had he simply listened to the advice nearly everyone he had told his dream to.

Maybe things would have been different. Maybe he wouldn't have needed to use so many pulses back then. Maybe he could have escaped without ever putting his friends in danger.

This man was a stranger, yet he believed in him.

His dream was flawed, but maybe, just maybe, it was not impossible.

"You talk like you've been alive for a long time." Naruto pointed out, the only thing he could think to say.

"I have. More than a century, actually." He stated simply with a chuckle.

"Then how are you still alive?"

"By not interfering. By watching, observing, and judging. By doing so, I have remained untainted. But now," he paused, looking at the blonde as if searching for something. Eventually, he found whatever it was he was looking for and lifted his staff to point at the boy.

Light immediately surrounded Naruto until it covered his entire body. That power he felt back then filled his very being, flowing through his chakra stream as if it were his own. Eventually, he felt it settle within him, right next to his chakra and mana core.

He felt powerful.

He felt complete.

He felt whole.

"What was that?" Naruto asked in awe.

"My approval." The man answered, lowering his staff back to his lap. "I have gifted you with a fraction of my power, combined with that of thy friend. Use it well, for it shall be necessary to your survival in the coming days. If you are truly serious about changing this world, then prove it through your actions."

Naruto gripped a fist, feeling the energy within him respond. The light coating him retreated into his core, but the feeling of power remained.

"I will. I will change this world no matter what." Naruto promised, his determination as clear as his ambitions.

"I know you will." The figure said before his body began to fade. "Incarnation of Ashura, when next we meet, you shall face thy final test. Only then will I reveal my name and grant you the means to fulfill thy dream."

With those parting words, he vanished, and the world began to grow dark.


Location: ?

Naruto awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling. His head immediately began pounding, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut as a groan escaped his lips. The brightness in the room did nothing to help; the rays from the sun peeked through the window to personally attack his eyes.

When he could finally see the room unobstructed, he scanned the room thoroughly. The entire room seemed to be made of (oak specifically) with little to no decorations to speak of. There was a dress at the front of the room, along with a nightstand next to the bed, but nothing else.

Well, there was another bed next to his and the nightstand.

There was also someone in the bed.

And she was very much awake.

"It's good to finally see you awake, Uzumaki."

Naruto blinked owlishly at the woman lying in the bed next to him. Bedsheets covered her from the neck down, cocooning her in the fabric and leaving only her face for him to see. Unlike the ponytail he'd known her for, it now flowed freely down and over her shoulder. It was the first time he had ever seen her face unobstructed, and he would have thought her beautiful if her personality wasn't attached.

No amount of thought derailing could make him look anywhere but the cocoon she had fastened around her.

"...Any reason you're...?" He gestured at her situation.

Over the bedsheets were multiple ropes tying her to the bed, turning her cocoon into some kind of makeshift restraining device. It made the scene even more bizarre when you realized that this was a Jonin with years of experience.

"...Our captors deemed me too much of a danger to their continued existence," was her answer, to which Naruto blinked slowly at the woman. Knowing her, whoever's roof they were under more than likely had probable cause.

"Don't you know the Escape Jutsu?" He asked next, to which the Jonin bore a complicated expression.

"Yes, but that woman...did something to me earlier, and now I can't feel my chakra."

"It's called a Silencing Spell, Kid. Usually lasts a couple of minutes, but there are special ways to extend the duration."

Naruto's head swiveled to the new voice, his eyes landing on a man walking through the door holding a tray with two bowls.

He was tall and broad, standing at least 6 feet with short blonde hair and a stern face that held the beginnings of old age. He was in a simple, loose orange shirt and black baggy pants. He walked with a limp, which wasn't too hard to find out why, seeing that the lower part of his left leg was replaced with a pegleg.

"Who are you?" Naruto was blunt and to the point.

"That's a rude way to greet the one who's been changing yer sheets for the last week, Kid," the man stated plainly as he continued his stride all the way to their nightstand. Once there, he carefully placed the tray atop the stand, before picking up the bowl and handing it to the blonde, "Here, ya missed breakfast."

Naruto looked at the bowl hesitantly.

"Oh come on, not you too. It ain't poisoned, Kid. You got my word."

"He has a right to be suspicious," Kagero pointed out.

"And if I wanted either of you dead, it would be at the end of a spear, not a fork. Now take the bowl before I give it to the horses."

Naruto was still hesitant and would have still denied it if the sudden rumbling of his stomach hadn't betrayed him. Not wanting to look like an ass for denying the generosity, he took the bowl, staring down at its contents before using the spoon inside to dig around. The man took the opportunity to sit on the bed opposite him, completely ignoring the pair of eyes that lasered in on the back of his head.

"You got a name, Kid?" Naruto looked up at the question incredulously.

"You first, old man." He was rewarded with a chuckle for his response.

"The names' Jeralt. And this place," he gestured to their room, "Is my house. A house I was so kind to let you lot use after being dropped on my doorstep. Your turn, Kid. Maybe I can get somethin' out of you unlike your friends."

"Fwiends?" Naruto queried, a mouth full of grits and eggs.

"Three, actually. The masked one seems more interested in his book than answering questions, and can't ask anything from the young one...personal reasons."

So Flayn was here too? That was reassuring. He'd thought she would have returned to wherever she had been prior to her summoning, but it seems that the old man in his dream wasn't kidding when he said he teleported all of them.

"Wha 'bout her?" Naruto jestered to the tied-up Jonin.

"I'd have a better chance making a stone bleed than gettin' her talkin', kid. Wants us to answer all her questions but won't answer any of ours. Then put a knife to my neck after three days of hospitality, and even made me fix the wall my girl sent her through. Been locked up in here ever sense."

Naruto paused in his eating to stare down the woman who at least had the decency to look away.

"Things would have been different if I had known I was dealing with a Jinchuuriki." She stated, as if that were the problem.

"You're lucky to even be alive, brat. If I hadn't stopped her, you'd surely be a smear on the grass by now." Kagero frowned at Jeralt for his remark.

"I am not a child. I'm 19."

"And I'm older than you. Keep acting like a kid in adult situations and I'm gonna treat ya like one."

Kagero looked ready to retort but thought better of it. She'd already explained herself and would have preferred not to repeat it to someone who was obviously trying to get a rise out of her.

So she turned to gaze back to the ceiling and decided silence would be her role for the duration of his stay.

Naruto was beginning to like the old guy. Anyone who could shut that devil down was OK in his book.

"So kid, gonna tell me how you lot got here or are ya gonna mooch off of us like your friends?" Jeralt asked.

Naruto briefly looked over to his teacher who kept her eyes glued to the ceiling despite no doubt having her own stance on why they kept their silence. It could also be that she simply did not know seeing that she was unconscious most of the fight, but that wouldn't explain why Kakashi or Flayn wasn't talking; the latter more than the former.

...Well, considering she was currently 'tied up', he didn't think she'd care too much.

"You likely won't believe me." He warned, only for Jeralt to cross his arms dubiously.

"I'll be the judge of that, Kid. Trust me, after what I've been through, nothing you say can surprise me."

Naruto set the bowl to the side, running through the events in his mind and how he would word them before recounting everything he remembered.

From their mission to their former sensei's fiancè's village, to meeting the 'caretakers', to getting drugged and then kidnapped, to waking up with tubes in his arm, to his fight with the former caretakers, to their encounter with Orochimaru, and finally to when he summoned the strange woman.

The ending he left out (for obvious reasons). Even if the man believed anything he said, believing a kid could manipulate time would make even him skeptical if he were in the old man's shoes. Of course, he had to leave out bits of his story, like how he actually escaped. He didn't need to know about Sothis—and neither did his sensei, for that matter (even though he had a feeling the truth would come out very soon).

It was the most he had ever spoken, and his throat was dry by the end. Thankfully, neither the man nor his Sensei interrupted him throughout, which he was grateful for.

"That's a mighty tale, Kid," the man sighed. "And here I thought my life couldn't get any weirder. Seems normality is just out of my reach."

"As far as stories go, that's pretty normal in my world." Naruto added, puffing his chest forward ever so slightly to exude confidence. "My team once saved an entire nation by defeating its leader and making the lost princess its new ruler. I hit the guy so hard that it completely changed the season for the entire nation." He finished proudly.

"He did no such thing." Kagero immediately rained on his parade. "Dotō's body shattered the ice covering the heater built by the late Sōsetsu, which Dotō had unknowingly activated before your arrival. The ice would have melted with or without your interference."

The words succeeded in lowering the boy's spirits, the smile wiped off his face and replaced with a pout.

"Yea, well, we still defeated him. Not that you would know much about the fight seeing that you abandoned us."

"As I've clarified before, you were never in danger. If you had not been capable of defeating someone like Dotō, then I would have."

"It's easy to say that when you're not the one whose life is on the line—which you should be thanking me for considering I actually saved yours instead of watching."

"...And I appreciate that. But know that I will not stand for you, using my time of weakness as ammunition for your argument."

"Y'know, I can step out if you want to continue your little lover's spat?" Jeralt interjected, silencing the two Shinobi. "No? Good, then let's get back to topic. How's about you answer a simple question. How did you 'summon' my daughter, and why?"

"Daughter?" Naruto blinked. "You mean the lady with the blue hair?"

Jeralt nodded and said, "She told me she was minding her business when she felt strange. Next thing she knew, she's being run through." His eyes narrowed at his words. "For your sake, I hope that wasn't intentional."

Naruto shook his head, "I was trying to summon my friend...though I'm kinda glad I didn't. We all would have definitely died if I did." Naruto paused, then quickly added, "That came out wrong. What I'm tryna say is, I really didn't mean to make your daughter a human shield. Or anyone, for that matter. Things just happened a little too fast."

Jeralt seemed to relax at that, the Genin doing the same in turn.

"Well, guess I can't be too mad at that. At least I now know I'm not being cordial with a buncha lunatics. Goddess knows I've had one too many run-ins with those."

"Sounds like you've had it hard, old man."

"Wouldn't exactly call it that. More like troublesome for no reason. All I know is, if I could stand before the one responsible for making my life so damn troublesome, I'd gladly knock his lights out. Maybe even a few teeth."

Naruto didn't know how, but he felt someone in the afterlife stiffen.

"Well, now that that's over, I think I'll go tell your friends that you're awake." Jeralt announced while standing to his feet. "Oh, and Byleth wanted ta have a word with you, so don't go running off till she gets back. Got it?"

Naruto nodded and the man gave a wave as he limped out the door, leaving the blonde and Jonin alone.

"...You shouldn't have spoken. He could be an enemy." Kagero chastised.

"He's not." Naruto said with confidence.

"You don't know that."

"This isn't the Elemental Nations. The chances of him being affiliated with another village is zero."

"...And where are we exactly?"

"..." Naruto thought about it, but saw no harm and telling her. "This is Fodlan, the birthplace of my summons."

"...Fodlan." She echoed, her brows furrowing at the foreign word. "I am unfamiliar with such a place. Where is it located on the map?"

"It's not located on any map. Well, any that you know of, at least."

"That's not possible." Kagero frowned. "We have explored 99% of land on the globe. If there's a place that was not documented, then that would mean either the cartographers lied or someone hid its existence."

"No one hid its existence because it doesn't exist in the world of Shinobi." Kagero stared blankly at the blonde."If you want me be more specific, we are on a different world completely." Kagero stared a moment longer before letting her head fall to the bed.

"If you had no plans on being truthful, then I'd rather you'd not say anything at all."

"And like I said many times before, I've never lied to any of you even once. You all just choose not to believe me."

Kagero side-eyed the blonde, "You once told me that a God lived in your head, one with the power to stop and reverse the very flow of time."

"And I'm not lying." Be said more vehemently.

"...Then prove it."

Naruto set out to do just that, reaching in to grasp Sothis' power and-

A sharp pain reminded him of his previous predicament, and he stopped.

"Uh, I...can't." He admitted sheepishly, his Sensei looking anything but amused.

"Fine...then tell me one thing." She said, turning to look at him fully, her eyes now searching for specific motions in his facial muscles. "Did you give that woman the Kyuubi?"

"No." His answer was immediate and without hesitation. Kagero watched him closely, likely trying to catch any movement that would prove to her without a shadow of a doubt that he was lying. She found none, because he wasn't lying. In the end, she turned back to staring at the ceiling and they fell into silence.

A few minutes passed before rushed footsteps were heard and Flayn burst through the door. The moment her eyes landed on Naruto, a megawatt smile lit her face and she rushed over to engulf him in a hug.

"Goddess, I'm so glad you're OK." She sobbed into his shoulder.

"Flayn," Naruto choked, his voice muffled by her shoulder. "You're crushing me."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, chuckling in embarrassment before wiping away her tears. "Forgive me. I was just so happy that I..." She trailed off in an embarrassed muffle.

"Good to see you're finally awake," the voice of Kakashi entered the room.

"Ah, Kakashi-san." Naruto greeted, to which the Jonin acknowledged with an eye-smile

"You really had us worried, y'know. Five days is a very long time to sit around. Even my cute little Kouhai was beside herself with worry." Kakashi informed, stopping at the burrito-wrapped Kunoichi to reach for her head.

"Touch me and you die." Kagero immediately threatened, yet it did not stop Hatake from gently massaging her scalp.

"Don't worry, she's just shy." He reassured, paying no attention to the death glare currently trying to set him ablaze. "Well, now that you're awake, think you can take us back home? Heard we weren't exactly 'home' anymore." He suggested, not surprising Naruto at all that he'd been eavesdropping on him and the old man's conversation.

"A moment, please," Flayn interjected before he could retort. "I understand the urgency to get back home, but please spare me a moment. It's about Lady Rhea."

"Who?" Kakashi queried.

"Lady Rhea, the one I serve under, is due to arrive in the nearby village in a days time, maybe less. She intends to speak with Lady Byleth concerning recent matters in Fodlan. It would put her heart at ease if she had Goddess's support."

"Goddess?" Kakashi looked questioningly at Naruto.

"Don't tell me you honestly got these people to believe your fairytale." Kagero said flatly.

Flayn blinked at the two Jonin before looking to her surrogate little brother, a question mark visible over her head. "Have you still not told them the truth?"

"I tried. They don't believe me." The blonde shrugged. "But can't exactly help you. Sothis is...sleeping."

Flayn's eyes widened at that before her face fell and she somberly said, "I...I see. Well, if anything changes, do let me know, okay? There may still be a chance to solve things peacefully."

"Their concerns are not ours, Uzumaki. As soon as you're able, we shall return to Konoha and report to the Hokage." Kagero so elegantly reminded them.

"They are my family, so their problems are mine as well." Naruto argued, glaring at the kunoichi and ready to defend his choice if she pressed him.

Kagero would have definitely retorted if it weren't for the sudden appearance of a very dark and familiar chakra signature landing just outside their walls.

...

Walking up to the front door, Byleth didn't bother knocking and opened it. Jeralt's live frame was the very first thing that greeted her—the man sitting at the dining table, knife in hand as he grinded it against a hand-sized whetstone. A smile cracked his stoicism the moment their eyes met. "Y'know, two days is a long time ta leave an old man with brats."

Byleth smiled as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "The snakes were more bothersome than anticipated, but I got the job done." She said. Jeralt went to reply before he observed her closer.

"Gods, you're covered in blood, Kid-" He stopped once again as he saw what she was holding in her hand. "...Is that a head?"

Unashamedly, Byleth lifted the disembodied head for her father to see.

"This was their leader. I thought you'd want to see it before I had it mounted on my wall."

"Please don't." Jeralt said flatly, observing the severed head of their hunter only momentarily before turning back to the joyous satisfaction on his girl's face. "So, is that it? We can finally live in peace?"

"Almost," Byleth replied as she set the head down on the table. "Some managed to escape before I could get to them, and I still haven't gotten the ones in Garreg Mach, but once I've snuffed them out, I can finally move back in." She finished with an excited edge in her tone.

Despite this, Jeralt could not bring himself to share her excitement. The fact she needed to do this at all already weighed heavily on his conscience. Word had already gotten around of her escapades in the last three weeks. The world was already her enemy, which made him theirs in turn. No nation, nor army, could contain her; he had no doubt about that.

However, making an enemy of Rhea was a path neither of them could ever escape, no matter how powerful Byleth may be. He knew that in his very bones.

Nevertheless, this was not the time.

"Sounds tough." Jeralt said before frowning. "Now get that thing off of my table and go clean yourself up." Byleth did so readily, taking the head with her as she headed to her room. "Ah, and the kid is awake. You can go talk to 'em once you're decent."

Byleth stopped mid-stride and turned to gaze at the open door at the end of the hall. Looking back, she found her father with his back turned to her and quickly changed her destination, her boots echoing in the hall as she grew closer to the kid's room.

The moment she entered, all eyes were already on the doorway. Though four pair of eyes were looking her way, hers only connected with those of seafoam origin.

"Ma, looks like someone had fun." The one-eyed one spoke, forcing her to break eye-contact with her point of interest to blink in his direction before looking back down at herself.

"Ah," she intoned, "This isn't my blood."

"Really? I would have never guessed... And I see you've brought a friend. Care to introduce us?" Byleth followed his gaze to the severed head in her hand, completely forgetting she had been holding it.

"Would you believe me if I told you we just met today?"

"Oh? And you're already bringing him home? Kids these days really do move fast."

"...Is this what they call sarcasm?" Naruto piped in, confused at the interaction.

"More like two clinically insane people conversing for the first time." Flayn said, trying her best not to look at the severed head in the woman's grasp. The group stood in silence for a moment, it turning awkward the longer the bloody woman scanned the room.

"Um, did you want something, Miss Eisner?" Flayn asked, to which the young woman shuffled awkwardly.

"I do, but I suddenly feel as if I interrupted your reunion."

"Oh no no, not at all! Please, come join us." Flayn waved her closer, gesturing for the woman to sit in the seat next to the blonde. She immediately regretted her words soon after remembering the stains covering the young woman's garb, but decided to keep her let it go lest she come off as rude.

Byleth stopped at the edge of the bed, her attention returning to the blonde who blinked up at her curiously. Once again, an awkward silence passed, Naruto looking from the teal-hair, to his friends, to the head, and back to the woman, waiting for someone to say something.

"Sssssooooooo... what's with the head?" He decided to be the one to speak, gesturing at the decapitation.

"He was the leader of the guys who have been hunting my father and I for the last 5 years."

"Oh."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Wanna hold it?"

"No, he does not!" Flayn denied vehemently, the bluenette retracting the head she had held out while Flayn tried her best not to stare at the blood that had dripping on the floor from the movement.

"So, is that it?" Naruto asked.

Byleth looked up, then blinked, before nodding again.

"You're the one who summoned me, right?" Naruto nodded, to which she followed suit. "Then I must thank you. I would have never found that one if not for you."

"You were hunting Orochimaru?" Kakashi asked.

"Is that its name?" Byleth asked, to which the Copy-Nin raised a skeptical brow.

"You were hunting him, yet you did not know who he was?"

"I knew what his was, and that's all that mattered to me. The problem was, he didn't share the same feeling as his comrades, so I likely would have never found him until you summoned me." She turned back to Naruto, who looked at her quizzically.

"What do you mean by 'them'?"

Byleth immediately picked the head back up to display it once again to the rest of the room. "5 years ago, these things began sending people after me. At first, they were small parties of mercenaries, seeking to capture me by any means. When that failed, they sent their own subordinates, along with demonic beasts. They killed anyone and everyone we came across...one particular incident costing my father his leg and his career as a sellsword. It wasn't until the third year that I realized the reason they kept finding us was because..."

A sorrowful expression crossed her face as a hand came to grip the fabric covering her stomach, not wishing to speak on it any further.

"Eventually, I went into hiding. My father was safe here, and I learned to suppress and control my curse. Two years passed without incident, but three weeks ago..." Her fingers tightened in the white hair of the severed head as she glared at it hatefully. "These 'things' are distorted imitations of human beings. They wear skin of ash and have their rotten fingers in the shadows of every kingdom in Fodlan. When I learned how to track their mana, I swore to kill every single one of them, and I'm a woman of my word."

Her peace said she let out a sigh of relief, surprised at the relief she felt at getting that out of her system. Though all three Shinobi listened apathetically, Flayn looked ashen. Her gaze kept flicking between the woman and the head in her hand, a nauseating feeling building in the pit of her stomach at what this meant.

"Um, as sad as all of that is, I don't think Orochimaru was one of these...things." Naruto pointed out, only to be met with a questioning frown from the bluenette.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Because we're not exactly from your world, and neither was he." At that, Byleth stood still. Slowly, her head tilted to the side, and Naruto could swear he could see the question mark over her head. It made him want to facepalm.

So he retold the story he'd told the old man earlier, all the way to the point where he had summoned her. The question mark over her head never disappeared. In fact, it tripled.

"...You don't believe me, do you?" He asked, a bit frustrated.

"I believe you summoned me, and I believe you didn't mean to. However, I find it hard to believe that you come from a completely different reality altogether." Byleth admitted.

"Do not give into his delusions. You will only encourage his foolishness." Attention turned to the one who spoke, and Byleth had to blink several times at the restrained woman in the other bed.

"You're still restrained?" The bluenette asked, and she could swear she saw a vain bulge on the woman's forehead before it disappeared.

"The same as how you left me." Kagero stated flatly, to which Byleth crossed her arms with a puzzled expression.

"But I could have sworn I told someone to release you when you've calmed."

The words caused the kunoichi pause. Mechanically, Kagero's turned to Kakashi who seemed to be pondering something before he taped a fist into his palm as if suddenly gaining an epiphany.

"Ah, so that's what you said back. Sorry, Kagero-hime. I could have sworn she was talking about the horses. I must have been really distracted at the time, haha." He laughed sheepishly, but the woman was anything but amused, letting him know so in words.

"Hatake Kakashi, I swear it on my name, when we return to Konoha, I will have you court-martialed. You will rot in a cell for the rest of your life, and your only visitors will be the rats and insects I throw into your cell. I swear it."

"Awwww, knowing that you care enough to even leave me company really warms my heart." The man cooed, pressing all the right buttons to turn the woman's anger to boiling.

"Didn't I tell you to wash up?" Jeralt entered the room, immediately scolding his daughter who suddenly became sheepish.

"Sorry, I couldn't wait." Byleth apologized, causing the man to shake his head in disappointment.

"Alright you lot, this little gathering is over. Give the kid a chance to breathe. Byleth, go clean up. Now. And for the Goddess's sake, throw that damn head out." He commanded, and the room almost immediately began to clear out.

"Oi," Kagero's voice got the attention of a specific Jonin before he could escape. "Um. Tie. Me."

"Ah, I almost forgot. Silly me." Kakashi chuckled. His arm blurred, and a kunai soared through the air to cut the rope closest to her head before it was embedded into the wall. The moment she felt one of her arms free, it immediately shot out to grab the kunai embedded above her and she threw it in the direction of the Shinobi. Unfortunately for her, the man had already disappeared in a puff of smoke, causing her to click her teeth in annoyance.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't put anymore holes in my walls." Jeralt commented idly. He was then forced to turn his head in the opposite direction as she removed the sheets binding her to reveal she was wearing nothing but a loincloth. Say what you want about the woman, but the Goddess surely blessed her in all the right ways. "And put some damn clothes on. We have kids here."

Kagero didn't seem fazed at all by the command as she steadily retrieved the kunai before turning to her Genin. "I will allow you to rest for two days and no more. Afterwards, we will find our way back to Konoha. Am I understood?"

Jeralt did not hear the boy answer but heard the woman walk out of the room. He waited until he heard her footsteps down the hall before he turned to the remaining occupant in the room. Said occupant currently staring wide-eyed at the door the woman had walked out of.

"Word of advice, kid, women like that are good on the eye but not the ear. Trust me if you wish to value your peace." He commented, getting the blonde's attention.

"I've seen better."

The boys response actually got Jeralt to laugh out loud.

"Lay down, Kid. You might not feel it, but your body hasn't been active in 5 days. Do some stretches, but no walking till I give the order. Got it?"

Naruto saluted, "You got it, Pops."

Shaking his head amusedly at the reply, Jeralt turned and limped from the room, closing the door behind him.

The moment the door closed, Naruto threw the sheets from his body and hopped to his feet on the bed. The urge to collapse never came, and instead, his body felt as if it had just woken up from a nap. He stretched, awakening the rest of his joints before throwing a few test jabs at the air. When he was sure his body was fine, he did what he had been wanting to do since he'd first woken up.

The new foreign power within him stirred, and he answered its call almost hungrily. Almost immediately, a dome of translucent energy encircled him, much like it had back then with Orochimaru. Like before, he felt the power being consumed from its pool but didn't feel anything else. He could move just fine, and nothing around him seemed to have changed. He didn't know exactly what this new ability was at first, but found out quite quickly upon glancing at the window.

The leaves, bushes, and trees were moving at almost twice the speed. It momentarily froze him, but when his brain was able to put together exactly what was happening, he put a stop to it almost immediately. The power receded back into him, and he stared at his hands in silent awe.

That was definitely time moving forward. It didn't seem all that useful other than to move events forward when he didn't particularly wish to be in a conversation, but in a world like his, missing even a second of information could prove to be deadly.

So, that technique was out, but for archieve's sake, he'd call it 'Fast Forward'. Not the most creative name, but he'd figure something out later.

He did something else, did he not? Wasn't there something he did to heal himself?

What was that feeling...

He tried going back, remembering the feeling of his wounds. Problem was, unlike how he used Sothis' power, the wounds simply vanished. There wasn't much to feel at the time, and what he could feel was a haze due to the pain.

"Hmmmm..." He hummed to himself, trying to find a solution. In the end, he had nothing, so he put that mystery to the back of his mind for another day.

Going back to his Fast Forward ability, he thought about ways he could use it other than its useless application. Thoughts of how he used a Divine Pulse to spread across multiple different avenues came to mind. If he could use a Pulse to heal himself and others, see the past, and even teleport into spaces in time, what could this Fast Forward do? How could he stretch it?

An idea came to mind, and he held up a hand in front of him. Focusing his power on the tips of his fingers, a dome appeared before him, confirming his theory that he could push the bubble out. Observing it closely, he thought about what to do with it. He had the urge to put a finger inside but wasn't eager to know what would happen if his finger was stuck in time while the rest of his body moved forward. So he grabbed the nearest object, which was a pillow, and threw it into the bubble.

The pillow stopped the moment it entered, frozen mid-air as if it were being held by strings.

"Coooooooooooooool." The child in Naruto came out to play, the boy grinning widely at the new-found ability. What made it so much better was finding out he didn't need to supply the bubble with power at all. Once something was frozen, it would remain there even without a bubble, a fact evident by the room eventually being turned into a testing ground as objects of all shapes and sizes floated throughout the empty space.

And as if it couldn't get any better, while the object was frozen, it became immovable. Rock solid immovable. Meaning throwing a bed mid-air and hopping on top of it made for an experience you could only attempt in a dream.

Now, in his bed four feet off the ground, he relaxed into his comforter, his brain going through other uses for his newfound power while spinning a pillow in the air as if it were dough and he were a chef.

It brought him back to the healing ability. How did he do it? It had something to do with shattering, but what was the feeling? Was it like a pulse? It has to be. There was no other explanation for what he had done. But why would time move back when this power is about moving forward?

What if moving forward wasn't the only thing it could do? What if there were other ways he could stretch his ability, but had yet to realize it.

His eyes went to the pillow that he'd been playing with. With a gesture, it paused in mid-air, and he turned his attention to his hand. With little thought, he bit into his thumb, blood immediately dripping down the digit. Absent-mindedly, he remembered that he did not exactly have a way to fix this without Sothis and cursed himself for the muscle memory of doing stupid things without consequences.

Nevertheless, he thought about the Fast Forward ability, but this time he imagined it going in the opposite direction, much like he had while using a pulse. Immediately, the power flowed through his entire body.

The sound of glass shattering was unexpected. Watching his entire arm crack was even more unexpected. Watching the shards fall and disappear to reveal another arm beneath it was probably the most unexpected part of it all.

Outwardly, nothing about the arm had changed. It was still his arm, yet there was one very distinct key difference.

The thumb he had bit was completely healed. Even the blood that had dripped down his arm was still there, yet the pain from the bite was gone and the wound was clearly closed.

For a moment, he sat there, in awe at what he had just done.

Wanting to test it further, he grabbed hold of the pillow in the air and immediately tore it. Cotton revealed itself even if it didn't spill from its container. Using the same thoughts he had prior, he imagined the pillow going back together. The process repeated itself, glass shattering and all, and the pillow was back to normal.

A moment passed.

Then another.

...Did he really just gain a new healing ability?

"Having fun."

The new voice shook him out of his musings to glance over at the woman standing on the other side of the open window. She looked different from the last time he'd seen her, no longer dressed in armor or the blood of her enemies. Instead, she was wearing a baggy white shirt that did an impressive job of hiding her three sizes.

"...How long were you spying on me?" Was the only thing Naruto could think to ask.

"Around the time you threw the bed. I have to say, I never knew you could have so much fun with furniture."

Naruto didn't respond to that, opting to turn to his side to face her fully.

"You want something?" he asked.

"Yes, actually. I need your help with something important. Meet me outside in 5 minutes." She paused. "And put everything back where you found it. Last thing I want to do is clean up after another guest." With that, she walked off, leaving the blonde to his own devices.

He looked around him and at all the objects currently floating in place. He thought of the best way to do this in a timely manner. Problem was, he didn't exactly know how to put everything-

*BANG*

*CRASH*

...Down.

...

Byleth stared incredulously at the blonde standing before her before stating the obvious, "I heard something fall."

"No you didn't." He immediately denied. She looked to the blonde, to the window where she could see multiple blondes moving things this way and that, then back to the blonde in front of her.

"...Follow me." She ultimately let it go, gesturing him forward to which he did so silently.

They eventually arrived at a shack behind the house. It looked new, the wood a golden oak color and not a splinter to be seen. Byleth opened the door and they were immediately met with darkness.

"...Y'know, I think I read somewhere that you should never go into dark places with someone you don't know." Naruto intoned, to which Byleth huffed.

"You are a kid, and even if you weren't, I'm not interested in men. Now get inside before someone sees us."

Against his better judgment, he followed the woman inside, the door closing behind them and encompassing them in darkness. A lantern was lit almost immediately, lighting their surroundings and illuminating multiple tools, armor, and weapons in the darkness. Byleth paid no head to any of it and moved further into the shack. Kicking away some hay revealed a door in the ground, one which the woman lifted to reveal another pit of darkness.

"...Even you have to admit that this is suspicious." Naruto spoke again, getting the girl's attention with a frown.

"What I want to talk about, I can't have anyone overhear. Not even my father. I also need your particular expertise on a matter."

"You mean as a Shinobi?" Naruto asked with a raised a brow, to which Byleth nodded. "I doubt you know this, but I'm just a Genin, the lowest rank in our organization. You'd have been better off asking the other two."

"One put a knife to my father's neck, the other doesn't take me seriously, and the girl is hiding something. You'll have to forgive me if I believe you're the best option available."

"So you're using me." He said flatly.

"Considering I saved your lives, it's the least you can do for me, especially since I doubt any of them can do what you can. Now come." Naruto watched her descend down the ladder, pondering whether or not to follow for only a moment before he was right behind her.

The moment he reached the bottom, the woman reached out to something on the wall and immediately torches lit in a straight path leading to a wooden door at the end.

"You gonna tell me what this is about?" Naruto asked as they walked forward and, surprisingly, received.

"There is someone I need you to use that strange power of yours on."

"...So you were watching me the whole time."

"To be honest, I had no idea what you were doing, nor the nature of your power until you put that pillow back together." She threw him a glance over her shoulder. "You can reverse damage, can you?"

Well, she deducted that faster than his own village had (even if they were under the assumption that it was the fox's ability).

"I can, but what I did back there, I just learned today."

"...Good enough."

They finally reached the door and Byleth wasted no time opening it. The room itself wasn't big—about 150 square feet at the least. Like the path here, the ground, walls, and ceiling were dirt with a bit of 2x4 covering the walls, but the structure wasn't what caught his attention.

It was the woman sitting in a chair in the middle of the room.

Long, white hair covered their face, but the brawl and underwear she wore was a clear indication of her gender. Her body was covered in bruises and scabs, the worst injury being the black and purple swollen mess on the right side of her stomach.

She did not move, nor look up even when a torch lit the room. However, the slow rise and fall of her chest confirmed she was at least still alive.

"What happened to her?" He asked while the bluenette set the lantern on a clip in the wall.

"The creatures I was hunting kept her captive, most likely for either failing them or whatever sick reason they could have for torturing the weak." She spat, her hatred for those things evident.

"So she was working with them?" He asked.

"She was one of the ones responsible for attacking my hideout three weeks ago. She alone survived, and I sent her back to them as a warning that I was coming. I guess they didn't take that well." Kneeling down in front of the bound woman, she moved their hair from her face, revealing more bruises and the fact that her eyes were open—half lit, but open. "She's also the heir of the Adrestian Empire, which makes her useful."

Adrestia?

That sounded...familiar...wait.

He looked closer at the girl.

His eyes widened.

"I know her."


A/N: CUUUUUURSE YOOOOUUUUUUU BERYL! I HEREBY VOW, YOU WILL RUE THIS DAY!

But seriously, GO TO HELL HURRICANE BERYL! Would have posted this chapter Monday if I wasn't without power for THREE DAMN DAYS! The only solace I can take out of this is that they named the Hurricane after a one of the coolest boss fights in the entire Elden Ring DLC (and yes, I know the dragon name is Bayle and not Beryl, but it is pronounced close enough).

Anyway, I actually cut two thousand words out of this chapter because it was getting too long and I didn't feel like editing for another hour.

Also, hints of the sage of six paths were present all the way to the chapter where Rhea first used the crest stone reader on Naruto. Some people comment it on it and I'm happy to finally reveal it here. Naruto will be exploring his new powers before the Chunin exams (about three chapters away).

Unfortunately, the next two chapters will be held in Fodlan. They will be split up into two chapters, but unlike the previous chapters, they will not exceed 10k words...hopefully. The next chapter will get everyone currently here, including Rhea, in one room as we finish Fodlan for good. What I mean by that is we will not have another chapter in Fodlan till towards the end of the story. This doesn't no, however, mean that we will never see Byleth or Jeralt again. It just means that the setting won't take place in Fodlan (hint hint).

But that's all I have to say for this chapter.

As always, I appreciate every review and follow I get and hope you guys are enjoying the story! For those of you currently experiencing hurricane BERYL, FIGHT, and have a DAMN good day!