Well, hello there my fellow members of fanfiction and …yeah I don't give a d*mn. Just wanted to say sorry for the late update and keeping you guys on wait. I apologize for that.

Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and hope you all have a great weekend.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the effort taken in writing this story.

"Lara hold up" Naruto called out to Lara as he ran after her through a dimly lit cave. They had left the forest a long time ago and have been traveling through this cave ever since.

He continued to chase her. By the time he eventually caught up to her they were already at the exit of the cave.

"Wow" Naruto subconsciously exclaimed when he saw the sight in front of him. It was beautiful. The light of the setting sun in the background gave it a tranquil feeling. Just how high Did they climb.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Lara asked from beside him as she also took in the scene. If it wasn't for the things she had experienced since their arrival on the island she would have been compelled to call it a paradise.

"How did we end up here? Are we sure that we are going the right way, Lara" Naruto asked, doubtful.

"We can't be wrong since we are following a map" Lara reassured. And just to be sure she took out her map and checked again.

However her radio chose this moment to come to live, accompanied by a familiar voice.

"You there, Lara?"~

"Alex?!" Lara hurriedly grabbed her radio from her back pocket, clutching it in her hands. Even Naruto moved closer to her to hear their conversation.

"Is Naruto with you? What happened? Where are you guys?"

"Yes Naruto is with me. I've been trying to reach you all morning. How are things over there?"

"We just got to the beach. The boat's in pretty bad shape. Without the right tools, we might have trouble getting it up and running. We can sure use you guys help down here"

"See what you can do, We are on our way"

"Okay"

"Hey, Alex. You guys should be careful as well. The scavengers are all over the place looking for us. Try to remain unseen." Naruto quickly warned before Alex could hang up.

"We'll be careful. You guys should watch out for each other as well"~ Alex said before hanging up.

"We should get moving as well"

"Right"

The place they were on was way high up and the bridges connecting each side had broken down due to the passage of time.

However there were zip lines connecting from part to the other. whether it was the doings of the scavengers or some unknown explorers who had explored the island before then.

Thanks to the Zipline the two of them were able to move across each gap before having to take a open gondola lift that was connected to the far reached of the mountain.

Half way through their ride Lara's radio burst to life.

"Lara, are you there? Alex said that you guys on your way down. He also told us about Naruto's warning" Sam's voice sounded out of the radio.

"Just stay safe Sam. We'll be there soon. But Naruto and I are still looking for a way to get us safely off this island"

"Can't we just leave?"~

"No. That's why we are going to the monastery"

"Lara are you insane?! The others will get mad if they found out"~

"That's why we need you to keep it a secret" Naruto said before quickly adding. "Also don't worry. We don't plan on dying on this island"

"Our plan revolves around the boat Reyes found. First we kneed to fix it before taking it inland" Lara continued.

"Inland? Ain't we supposed to be getting out of this island? not going into it. I.. I don't know about this, lara"~ They could practically hear the uneasiness in her voice.

"Just trust me" Lara pleaded with her best friend.

"Fine. However, Naruto you have to promise me you'll get her out of there if things get dangerous"~ Sam decided to compromise since she knew that she could never win against her best friend in an argument.

"You have my words" Naruto said seriously which caused Sam's uneasy heart to relax.

"Okay. Stay safe you too"~ Sam said before disconnecting.

"Now I'm starting to have second thoughts about this"

The lift finally reached the half way point and left the clouds allowing them to see the area beyond. And it was a sight to behold. There were many metallic towers in front of them.

"We are almost at the other end. We are gonna make it" Naruto said when he saw tower a short distance away.

As soon as he finished speaking the gondola lift suddenly came to a halt.

"You have got to be kidding me" Lara nearly lost her wit when the gondola stopped moving.

"I probably shouldn't have said anything" Naruto tugged at his hair in annoyance. He felt like he had cursed them with his word.

"Now what?" Lara asked him. Naruto fell into thought as he looked around for a solution.

With how high up they were it would be dangerous for them to try to zip line the rest of the way

"Hey look over there." Naruto pointed at a tower a short distance from them. "There's a tower nearby"

"Oh great. I should be able to shoot a rope across allowing us to safely crossover to that side"

By the time she finished speaking she had already tied the rope in her hand at the end of the arrow. She took aim and calculated the wind direction since they were high up, before shooting the arrow.

The arrow travelled unhindered before hitting one of the wooden poles of the tower. Lara immediately tied the end of the rope in her hand to the gondola.

"Let's go" She didn't wait for Naruto's response before using her bow to Zipline on the rope to the other side.

Naruto took off his belt and quickly followed her example.

"Naruto this way" Lara waved over Naruto before climbing a ladder on the side of the tower leading up to the top of the tower where a zip line was located.

When they were almost down the Zipline Naruto noticed movements on the other side. However before Naruto could warn Lara he saw a scavenger run out from behind a wooden barrel shouting.

"They are here! They are here!"

" Go! Go! Go! Use the lines!"

As soon as they landed scavengers started squirming in from both sides via ziplines, startling Naruto and Lara as they came to a sudden realization.

'Oh no'

"It's a trap!" Naruto shouted as soon as he realized what was going on but it was already too late.

Bang Bang Bang Bang

The scavengers opened fire on them Immediately the two of them landed causing them to scramble for cover.

The two of the then returned fire and the tower immediately turn into a battlefield.

Bullet trail Could be seen making an intricate design in the air as they intertwined with one another.

Boom!

"Fuck!"

"Is that the best you got?! Naruto shouted as he unloaded his mag on the scavengers causing them to scramble for cover. Those that were too slow were quickly filled with holes.

"Crap he is crazy!"

"Kill that fucker!"

"Not on my watch!" Lara pointed her gun at where the scavengers where crowded the most and Shot a grenade into their midst.

"Crap. Lara look out!" Naruto shouted when he saw a scavenger moving a turret in their direction.

The two them dived out of the way of the bullet. But unfortunately the stray bullets hit the pulley holding up the platform, destroying it.

"Hold on" Lara shouted to Naruto when she saw the pulley get destroyed. Not long after her warning the platform suddenly dangled off to the side causing those who didn't react on time to fall off.

Fortunately, thanks to Lara's quick warning the two of them were able to hang on to the platform using their pry axe.

However before the two of them could start to feel relieve, the area to their left was suddenly blown apart by bullets.

"Hurry!" Lara prompted Naruto to scale faster when the area beside her was blown to bits.

"Lara, this way" Naruto shouted as he carefully scaled across the platform. The woods on the platform was dry and old. If he isn't careful they might break apart.

"Stop!..the whole thing is going to fall… please!" A scavenger shouted to the man behind the turret barely holding on.

"Coward! Kill her and I'll ship shooting"

"Lara up here" Naruto called out to Lara when he saw an opening in a corner of the platform. He took a peek inside before jumping over. Lara also followed him through the hole.

However the scavenger manning the turret saw them and immediately turned the gun towards them. At least they thought before the muzzle moved passed them confusing them.

The two of them turned around and a look of panic appeared on Naruto and Lara's face when they saw what he was aiming at.

"Run!"

"Die!" The scavenger opened fire on the pulley holding up the platform they were on causing it to dangle off the edge. Naruto and Lara lost their footing and fell downwards. Lara was able to grab hold of a metal bar on time.

However, Naruto wasn't so fortunate. He wasn't able to grab onto something and fell off the platform.

"LARAAAAAA!"

"NARUTO!" Lara screamed in horror when she saw Naruto falling to the mountain range. She was mortified. Her mind kept questioning if what had just happened was real. She had just lost her father figure not long ago. And now she had lost a close friend as well. Why did she keep losing people? Was she cursed? More importantly will she keep losing people?

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have brought them here. Now they are paying the price of my mistake"

Unfortunately she didn't have enough time to grief for her friend as the platform suddenly started moving prompting her to move on.

……

Meanwhile Naruto continued to free fall past the mountain range.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Naruto could barely resist the wind pressure. It was almost as it was trying to tear him apart.

'Think, Naruto. Think. A river!' Just when Naruto thought it was over for him he could sight of a river flowing down the mountain.

Resisting the wind pressure Naruto positioned his body towards the flowing body of water.

As soon as he got within range, he curled himself into a ball and crashed into the water, the force of gravity propelling him to the very bottom. The impact his body made when it came into contact with the water was drowned out by the roaring tides.

After fighting against the water pressure Naruto finally resurfaced again and greedily inhaled oxygen However before he could sigh in relief he caught sight of a waterfall at the end.

"No. No!" Naruto turned around to swim against the tide but even a fool man could It was impossible. And try as he may His resistance was fruitless as the tide eventually drove him down the waterfall. Naruto's scream was drowned out by the roar of the waterfall.

Naruto plunged into the bottomed of the waterfall. He struggled against the pressure of the waterfall as it pressed down on him, plunging him to the bottom of the stream. Naruto gasped for air as he resurfaced greedily inhaling oxygen.

Naruto swam out of the water, shivering. He coughed up water as he climbed onto solid ground. He felt numb all over like he had been hit by a truck. The impact of his body splashing into the water made his skin turn pink hue.

"That was a long way" Naruto groaned. He was seriously starting to question the decisions he has made so far. There was a part of him that regretted not going With Reyes and the others. But he immediately shut down that voice as soon as it surfaced. He and Lara had been through a lot together, he won't start doubting her now.

"First, let's find a way back to the others as planned. We'll rendezvous there" He concluded after contemplating for awhile. Fortunately, apart from his ache all over his body nothing was broken and he didn't sustain any internal injury. With his mind made up he walked into the forest with a limp in his steps.

He couldn't bare to waste any more time catching his breath. The scavengers we're still out there looking for them. Only God knows if the others are still safe.

Naruto limped his way through the burnt forest, his mind and body a mess. After walking for half an hour he finally reached the beach which was filled with wrecked ships. It was a ship graveyard. Naruto even doubted if he was in the right place.

He could see the thunderstorm, crackling high above the sea as far as he could see. The sight made him feel anxious. He could hear the howling wind and thunder strike even from this distance. The feeling he got from the scene wasn't that of hope or relieve, but rather that of death and damnation.

"What the hell is this?" Naruto exclaimed. Despair written all over his face. Was this the same Beach Reyes was talking about? Despite his doubts his legs didn't stop moving as he walked through the ship graveyard.

However, he couldn't help but wonder how the ships ended up here in the first place. Just how many lives had been lost on this island?

Naruto wandered aimlessly around the beach when he heard noises coming from an old boat at the edge of the beach prompting him to hurry towards the boat.

"Please be them. Please be them." Naruto could feel his heart beat increasing as he approached the boat. Fortunately as soon as he reached the boat he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the familiar faces standing around the engine.

However before he could approach the group a familiar voice called out to him.

"Naruto!"

Naruto stopped mid step and as soon as he turned around turned around someone to run into his arms, pulling him into a tight hug. He tensed up and prepared to defend himself but when he saw who it was he relaxed.

"Lara?" Naruto looked down at the female clutching his chest in surprise. Although he was happy to see her, her action surprised him. Guess it shouldn't be that surprising since she might have thought that he would have died from that fall. Even he couldn't believe that he survived.

"I'm so glad you are alive. I thought I had lost you. When I saw you fell, I didn't know if I'd ever see you again or if you'd survive." Lara went on and on. The anxiously evident in her voice. The guilt that had been weighing heavily on her heart was finally lifted. When she first saw him she had been doubtful. But before she knew it she had already began sprinting towards him.

Naruto's heart skipped a beat when he heard her words. He was left speechless. Not knowing what to do, he started caressing her back soothing and whispered. "I'm fine, Lara. I'm sorry I made you worry." Lara's body visibly relaxed when she felt Naruto's gentle touch.

"Naruto! Lara!" A voice asked startling them. Naruto and Lara immediately turned around with Their weapons drawn only to for Sam to grab the two of them in a firm hug refusing to let go of them. "I'm so glad that the two of you are okay. When I had that the scavengers we're after you guys I grew worried"

Her anxiety had been eating her up inside. She didn't doubt their capabilities but that didn't stop her from worrying. Especially after all the people that they lost. Not long ago she had left the others to go ease herself, but She wasn't expecting to see this.

"I'm so glad you are alright too" Lara said softly.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you but we should meet up with the others." Naruto asked. As happy as he was to see Sam they had more pressing matters to attend to. The situation on the island was getting more severe.

"They're this way. Come with me" Sam said before excitedly leading them to the PT boat where the others were.

"Lara?! Naruto?! You guys made it!" Jonah laughed joyfully when he saw the two of them walking towards the PT boat with Sam in the lead. He hurriedly walked up to them and pulled them into a hug. When Alex had told them that the brotherhood was searching for them he had grown worried about their safety. He did not think that he would be able to handle it if something had happened to either of them.

"We are fine" Naruto quickly waved him off before turning to Reyes. "How's the PT boat coming along?"

"Almost done. But we are still missing some important parts. Without it this boat is just a hunk of junk"

"By the way where is Alex?" Lara asked when she didn't see the familiar glasses wearing nerd anywhere around the boat.

"Alex went to the endurance to grab some tools for Reyes" Jonah responded before he went off to assist Reyes

"The endurance?" Naruto turned to Jonah with a puzzled look. "Didn't the ship sank at sea?"

"It did. It must have been washed ashore like those other ships that we saw. After all, little things on this island makes sense" Lara sighed while rubbing her temple.

"This has got to be our best chance, right?" Sam asked excitedly. Even if there was a slight chance that they could get off this island she was willing to take it.

Naruto and Lara exchanged gazes when their heard Sam's word. Naruto shrugged and Lara said.

"We've got to try"

"Hey you two, can you help me out with this?" Jonah called out to Naruto and Lara causing them to hurry to his side. Jonah was holding on to a rope that was connected overhead to the boat's engine. He had been trying to lift it up but he could barely make it move an inch. Naruto and Lara grabbed a hold of the rope and began pulling but even with the three of them pulling it, it didn't bulge.

"I don't think that's gonna work" Naruto said with a visible wince which Lara noticed before finding a spot to sit down.

"Maybe we'll be able to lift it more smoothly with some block and tackle" Lara suggested earning her a nod from Jonah.

"You are right. I should be able to fashion one from some pulleys"

Lara looked around before setting her sight on a wrecked ship in the distance and said. "There might be some on that rigging we can use. I'll go check it out"

"Ill come with you" Naruto volunteered but Lara promptly stopped him before he could get up.

"I can handle it on my own, Naruto. You should wait for me here and look after the others"

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked feeling a little uncertain. "I think it'd be better if the two of us go together. Or at least take Jonah or Sam with you"

"Don't worry, it's just a quick job. I'll radio if I need help"

"If you say so" Naruto relented before walked back on the boat. Honestly he doubted he would of much help to her with how exhausted his body was.

"Be careful out there Lara" Sam said. Although she wanted to go with Lara. She already made it clear that she wanted to go on her own.

"Do you think she is okay?" Sam asked Naruto as they watched Lara leave.

"I'm not sure either. She was fine when we met not long ago" Naruto said uncertain. However he had seen the look of guilt on Lara's face when they rendezvous on the beach. 'Is she still blaming herself for our misfortune?'

"You should get done rest Naruto. Even God knows you definitely need it" Jonah said when he saw the look of exhaustion in Naruto's eyes. "We'll be here if you need anything"

"Thanks" Naruto nodded before finding a spot on the boat to Lie down. Unsurprisingly, he fell asleep almost as soon as his back hit the ground, like a wave of exhaustion had suddenly hit him. His body was already at It limit.

Jonah and the others watched this with mixed expression. They could tell that Naruto had been stretching himself thin. He and Lara had been running up and down since they got to this island. Neither of them have actually gotten a proper rest.

"Sam you stay with Naruto. I and Reyes will continue to try ways to get the boat engine out until Lara gets back" Jonah instructed.

"Okay" Sam nodded happily. She was glad that she could finally do something for Naruto for a change.

…….

"Ash my head hurts" Naruto groaned as he got up from his lying position. He walked out of the PT boat only to see Lara who had returned with the others crowding around Whitman.

"What is going on here?" Naruto asked drawing all the attentions to himself. "When did Whitman get here?"

"Naruto you are awake?" Sam said as she walked up to his side before quickly filling him in on the situation.

"Did Whitman lead them straight to us?" Naruto asked when he saw Lara's expression. "I thought I told you to never try to betray us again!"

"No, no. I wasn't followed I swear!" Whitman hurried said while cowering in fear. He hasn't forgotten the beating he got previously from Naruto.

"Stop." Jonah immediately got between them when he saw things heating up. "If we fight amongst ourselves, then we lose."

"You are right." Reyes nodded. "Which is why this is not happening. Okay?"

Lara sighed when she heard their words and said. "I'm going after Alex. Where were the tools?"

"The engine room…look, he can take care of himself Lara"

"Good. Then we'll be back soon." Lara remarked before walking away. The group watched her leave with varying expressions.

"Please go with her Naruto. I'll feel at peace knowing that you are with her" Sam whispered to Naruto. She's afraid that Lara might fall victim to her anger. It pained her that she has to ask someone else for help rather than do it herself.

"Don't worry. I indeed on doing just that" Naruto smiled at her. "You guys should be careful" Naruto said with his face focused on Whitman before running after Lara.

…..

"Lara wait up!"

Lara turned around to see Naruto running towards her.

"You don't have to come with me, Naruto. I can do this by myself. You should stay with the others" Lara said as soon as Naruto reached her side. She didn't want him to tag along because she was afraid that what happened the last time would repeat itself.

"I would. But it just so happened that I left something behind on the ship and wish to retrieve it" Naruto shrugged. Although he promised Sam that he'd stay with her he was doing this because he didn't want Lara to shoulder all of their burdens.

"Fine. Just do whatever you want" Lara relented. Naruto smiled when he saw the defeated Look on her face.

"So which way?"

"Up the beach. The endurance should be there"

"Then what are you waiting for. Let's hurry"

So there you have it. The work is done. I'm sorry for the late update. I've been doing a lot of research for my story the pirate king's left hand man. Also I've always said this but if there is anyone willing to be my beta it would help me a lot.

Also my next objective is to reach 200 follows or favorite on any of my stories. It's going to be a huge achievement for me. Anyways until the next update y'all.