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Chapter - 16

The cavern air hung thick with the scent of damp earth and the lingering echo of their previous exploration. Yesterday's brush with the overgrown wilderness behind the first door had been a vibrant, if slightly unnerving, experience. Today, however, the air felt heavier, the silence more oppressive as they stood before the second of the four mysterious entrances within the cavern.

"Ready?" Viktor's voice, low and even, cut through the morning silence. He adjusted the straps of his worn leather satchel, his gaze sweeping over his team.

Naruto, slightly more optimist, bounced slightly on the balls of his feet, stretching his arms and legs. He cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing slightly in the confined space. "Alright team," he declared, his voice cutting through the stillness, "let's see what kinda adventure awaits us behind door number two! Maybe this time it'll be full of ramen!" He grinned, a flash of his signature exuberance.

Abel, with his perpetually weary expression, simply sighed and followed as Naruto led the way, his shoulders slumping. Lauran, ever cautious, clung closer to Gilbert, whose face was a mask of controlled apprehension. He fiddled with the hilt of his small sword, the metal catching the lamplight. Behind them, Dr. Viktor, his spectacles perched on his nose, adjusted his satchel, his eyes gleaming with scientific curiosity, a meticulous notebook and pencil held tight in one hand.

The second door, unlike its nature-embracing counterpart, was a gaping maw of darkness. Rough, hewn stone framed the opening, the stone cold and lifeless, unlike the vibrant flora of the previous chamber. The hallway stretched before them, swallowed by shadow, their torches casting dancing, unreliable light. The air was thick and heavy, smelling of stale water and something else… something metallic and acrid. From the gloom ahead, the familiar guttural growls of Fragmentum's mutated creatures echoed. They lurched into view, their forms twisted and warped, remnants of whatever life they once held now contorted into monstrous shapes. One, a hulking mass of exposed bone and sinew, dragged itself forward on misshapen limbs. Another, smaller but no less menacing, scuttled along the floor, its jaws dripping with a black, viscous fluid.

Naruto, a blur of motion, dispatched them with practiced ease. He didn't wait for them to get close or give them time to attack. His movements were a silent ballet of taijutsu fueled by years of furious training. A swift kick here, a precise strike there – the creatures dissolved into black ichor before they could even reach the others. He moved like a whirlwind, each strike landing with precision and power. His chakra-infused fists punched the air like pistons, leaving behind only the faint scent of ozone and the sickening, lingering odor of the dissolving creatures. The others watched in a mixture of awe and relief, their own weapons still sheathed, unnecessary in the face of Naruto's raw power.

"Alright, are there anymore?" Naruto asked, panting lightly, his hands still balled into fists. The adrenaline coursed through him, making his muscles ache for another fight. He knew this was just the beginning.

"Remarkable," Viktor murmured, his eyes wide behind his thick glasses, a flicker of something almost like excitement in his gaze. He quickly scribbled notes, his pencil scratching across the page in a furious flurry. "The efficiency… the application of bio-energies… truly fascinating."

Abel sighed again, the sound heavy. "Please, let's just keep moving," he said, his voice hoarse. He unsheathed his own sword, a long, thin blade that shone dully in the torchlight. "We don't know what else is lurking in the dark."

Lauran nodded, her grip on Gilbert's arm tightening. "He's right. I don't wanna linger here."

Gilbert, despite his visible apprehension, straightened his shoulders and nodded in agreement. He pulled out his own weapon, a large hammer, from his backpack, and hefted it for balance, trying to look more confident than he felt. They knew this was only the first step into the darkness. The first taste of what lay beneath their feet. In this place where nature twisted and the line between life and death became blurred, they would soon find what Fragmentum had buried. Or perhaps, what Fragmentum had become. And they would have to face that, whatever it was, together.

As they ventured deeper, the darkness pressed in on them, their torchlight barely piercing the gloom. Abel and Lauran huddled closer, their unease palpable, while Gilbert nervously fidgeted, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Even for Naruto, who had faced countless horrors, there was something unsettling about the oppressive atmosphere. The three while still shaken by the oppressive atmosphere, held their ground, lending their own forms of support to the battle.

"This place… it's unsettling," Lauran murmured, her voice barely a whisper. She clutched her staff tightly, her eyes wide.

Gilbert nodded in agreement, his gaze darting nervously around him. "I don't like the way it smells. It's… bad."

Even Abel, usually stoic, shifted his weight uneasily. "Indeed. This place feels far more sinister than the last."

The hallway seemed to stretch on endlessly, until, finally, a faint light beckoned them towards what appeared to be an exit. "Almost there," Naruto called back, quickening his pace. But Doctor Viktor's hand shot out, gripping his arm firmly.

Before anyone else quicken their pace, Dr. Viktor held up a hand, halting them in their tracks.

"Hold," he commanded, his voice calm but firm. He pulled out the schematic map they had discovered in the first room, a complex diagram filled with cryptic symbols and pathways. "According to this," Doctor Viktor, his eyes scanning the hallway, suddenly halted the group. His fingers traced over a schematic map Naruto had discovered the previous day in the first room. "Look," he said, his voice tinged with concern, "the path ahead becomes steep, and there's a trap marked here." He pointed to a section of the map that indicated a deadly mechanism at the end of the hallway.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, impressed with Viktor's attention to detail. "A trap, huh? Alright, let's see it." He formed a shadow clone, his signature jutsu materializing in a puff of smoke, a shadow clone materialized beside him. The clone looked at the darkened opening with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. "Seriously? This again?" it grumbled, echoing Naruto's thoughts from countless past missions.

"Go ahead, buddy," Ignoring the sarcasm he instructed his clone, "see what's waiting for us."

The clone cautiously moved forward, reaching the apparent end of the hallway. For a breathless moment, nothing happened. Then, the air seemed to erupt. Arrows shot from hidden slits in the walls, whizzing past the clone, but he easily dodged them, his movements mirrored Naruto's own quick reflexes. "Just some pointy sticks!" the clone called back, a hint of smugness in its voice.

"That was close," Naruto muttered, his usual bravado momentarily subdued. This trap, he realized, was no joke. It was designed to kill.

Doctor Viktor, his usually calm demeanor now laced with urgency, spoke, "We must proceed with extreme caution. This place is more dangerous than we anticipated."

But that was not all, the echo of grinding stone announced the arrival of a large boulder from a concealed compartment in the ceiling. The boulder slammed into the clone, obliterating him in a puff of white smoke, before it careened towards the rest of the group.

Reacting instinctively, Naruto channeled his chakra and formed a Rasengan, a swirling sphere of blue energy. He slammed the Rasengan into the boulder, shattering it into pieces with an explosive burst.

Before they could even exhale a sigh of relief, more boulders began to fall from the ceiling, each coming in rows toward them. The room was narrow making impossible to dodge the hulking rocks rolling toward them. Naruto's mind raced. He could create more shadow clones, each with their own Rasengan, or they could try to retreat back down the dark hallway. But just as he was about to make a decision, a sudden tremor shook the floor beneath them.

Gilbert, his eyes wide with terror, had stumbled backwards, his foot catching on something unseen. A section of the floor beneath them gave way with a sickening scrape. A dark, yawning hole opened at their feet.

They were falling.

Naruto, reacting in a split second, positioned himself at the front of the group, his body angled to maximize surface area. He extended his arms and legs, trying to transform himself into a human brake as his companions fell onto his back. The force was immense, his muscles straining with the effort, his chakra burning through his reserves to help him to withstand the weight and prevent them from slipping straight through the hole.

The slide was harrowing, a chaotic whirlwind of falling bodies and panicked cries. They slammed into the walls and each other as they descended, but finally, their descent slowed. They came to a stop, a heavy mass of bodies against Naruto's broad back, suspended at the edge of the hole.

After a moment, Naruto took a breath, his body screaming in protest as he started to move, using the wall to keep him from slipping. "Alright, everyone hold still!" he grunted. "I'm gonna make sure you all get down safe."

One by one, they carefully lowered themselves using a rope they thankfully always carried for such situations. The landing wasn't comfortable, but they were safe on solid ground in the new dark room. They all looked up at the hole they came out of, they realized that they were going to have to be more careful from now on. Naruto stretched his back while glancing at the group. "Well," he said, grinning despite it all, "that was certainly… unexpected." He just hoped what would happen next would be far less chaotic

Doctor Viktor, already studying the new environment, nodded. "Indeed. This place is full of surprises, and we need to be ready for anything. But for now, let's take a moment to rest."

Naruto, ever the optimist, clapped his hands together, "Right, let's get out of here." He grinned, his teeth flashing in the dim light filtering from somewhere above.

"How can you be so calm?" Gilbert muttered, dusting himself off. "I swear, I saw my life flash before my eyes… several times."

"But we're safe, aren't we?" Lauran countered, her voice laced with a hint of nervousness as she looked around at the towering, damp walls. The air was heavy, thick with the smell of dust and something… else. Something old.

"Let's not celebrate just yet," Dr. Viktor said, his voice edged with caution. "We need to assess our surroundings."

Naruto, ever eager, produced a kunai which he tapped with a small flame. "Right! Torches! Let's light this place up!" He quickly ignited a few of the torches they had carried, their flickering flames casting long, dancing shadows on the cavern walls.

The light spread, and the initial relief of safety evaporated in a chilling wave of horror. The cavern wasn't just large; it was immense. And surrounding them, arranged in neat, unnervingly uniform rows, were cells. Rows upon rows of them, stretching back into the shadows. And within each cell… the skeleton of a human being.

The air grew thick with the stench of decay, the dust disturbed by their arrival carrying with it the unspoken history of hundreds, maybe thousands, of lives extinguished. Bones lay scattered, some in complete skeletons, others reduced to fragmented pieces, bleached white by time and the lack of light. Some were in slumped positions, others were curled up in the fetal position, as if even in death, they sought comfort.

A silence descended, heavy and oppressive. Even Naruto, usually boisterous, fell quiet, his usual grin replaced with a look of stunned disbelief.

"What… what is this place?" Lauran whispered, clutching her arms as if she could ward off the creeping dread. Her breath hitched, her eyes darting from one cell to another, each one a silent testament to unimaginable suffering.

Gilbert, pale as a ghost, backed away from the nearest cell, a hand covering his mouth. "This… this isn't right. The entrance… it said 'safe haven'. This isn't a safe haven; it's a tomb."

Dr. Viktor, his spectacles sliding down his nose as he stared at the grim sight, finally found his voice, though it was low and trembling. "These… these are human remains," he confirmed, stating the obvious with a grim finality. "Judging by the age and condition of the bones, they've been here for quite some time." He cautiously approached one of the cells, his medical bag forgotten at his feet. He crouched down, examining the bone structure of a skeleton curled in a corner. "There are no signs of violence on these remains, at least not directly. No breaks, no stabbing wounds, nothing… that implies execution or imprisonment."

"Why would they do that?" Lauran in fright what had transpire in this catacomb like area.

"Sacrifices?" Doctor Viktor look back at the map he held where the room they were in was a sort of intersection with a symbol labelling a person kneeling down.

Naruto, his shoulders slumped, looked around at the countless skeletons. He couldn't understand. He had been running, running from an impossible situation in the frozen world, and was hoping that the cavern on the cliff face was going to bring some better light into this cold hard world. "But… the inscription… 'safe haven from the frost'… why would anyone die here? Why would they build cells…?"

Abel, who had been silent, finally spoke, his voice tight with a suppressed anger. "This isn't a safe haven, not in the way we thought. It's a prison. And these people… they didn't find safety here, they were brought here to die." He kicked at a loose stone, the small clatter echoing unnervingly in the vast space. "And the irony is… this cavern probablywasa safe haven from the ice… someone just… twisted the point of it.

The group looked around, realization setting in. The inscription wasn't a lie, just a cruel twist. They were indeed safe from the frost, but they had stumbled into a far more terrible place. A place where individuals were deprived of their lives and made to wither and die in confinement, surrounded by others who shared the same fate.

The air in the chamber was thick with the smell of dust and decay, a morbid perfume of human remains. Naruto, his spiky blonde hair somehow still vibrant against the gloom, took a deep breath, the acrid scent doing little to dampen his resolve. He'd seen too much death in his life, had felt its cold grip on those he loved. This…this pile of sun-bleached bones, scattered like forgotten toys across the cell floors, wasn't going to break him. "There's no use staying in here, wallowing in despair," he stated, his voice firm, echoing slightly in the confined space.

The light from his torch danced across the skulls, throwing long, dancing shadows that seemed to shift and whisper. "Let's find a way out, because I'm not staying here any longer."

Beside him, Doctor Viktor nodded, his face etched with a professional calm that bordered on stoicism. The doctor, a man used to the harsh realities of the world, whether it was the biting wind of the arctic or the aftermath of a natural disaster, wasn't easily rattled. He adjusted his thick spectacles, his gaze sweeping over the macabre scene. "He's right," he agreed, his voice a low rumble. "As a seasonal outdoor person, I didn't let the scene and feeling of dread get to me. I have seen people die and was always ready for any eventualities. I hope you three learn from this."

"Maybe going further might also shed some light into this amount of death, as these remains could be at least hundreds of years old." He pointed to a section of the floor where skeletal hand bones wrapped around a rusty metal bowl. "The level of decay suggests a considerable age." The doctor wondered as a good finding and reason was necessary rather than reporting piles of bones without no substantial info backing it up.

Naruto nodded, his usual infectious confidence beginning to bloom even in this oppressive place. "Alright, then. Let's get moving!" He popped his fingers, and with a burst of smoke, several shadow clones appeared, their torches cutting through the darkness, creating a small illuminating procession. The small party moved out, Naruto and his clones leading the way with Viktor and the others following closely behind. They moved through the dark, dingy corridor, the stone walls cold and damp to the touch. Each cell they passed was a grim replica of the last – a small, cramped space, littered with bones, rusted shackles, and the lingering scent of despair.

The path ahead was narrow, the walls closing in around them, but there was no indication of any other routes. It was as if they were being led deeper into the bowels of some forgotten tomb. Naruto, ever the optimist, scanned the walls, his eyes peeled for any sign of a trap or a hidden passage. The only sounds were the rhythmic clink of their boots on the stone floor and the faint echo of their breath. So far, they hadn't come across any monsters, no terrifying guardians or any other creatures.

As they walked, Viktor began to narrate his theories. "Based on the architecture and the evidence here, this place must have been constructed during a particularly harsh era. The sheer quantity of remains suggests a severe crisis. Perhaps a never-ending frost you could not go out to and had to lock yourselves inside." His words hung heavy in the silence, painting a bleak picture of a world gripped by endless winter. The image of men and women huddled together, desperate to escape the cold, their hopes slowly extinguished, was a chilling one.

Naruto, however, refused to dwell on the grim possibilities. He needed to keep moving forward, to focus on the present. The past was a heavy weight, but he wasn't going to let it drag him down. As they moved into a larger chamber, Naruto stopped and stared at the center of the room where there was a round platform with a strange symbol etched into it. "This feels important," he said, his brow furrowed with concentration.

Viktor's eyes widened behind his spectacles as he looked at the symbol. "In all my years of studying ancient history, I've never seen anything like this," he said, bringing out a notepad and beginning to sketch the symbol with his graphite. A light could be seen at the far end in the tunnel they just came from. Naruto looked back at where they had come, and then back to the symbol; a sense of purpose began to burn in his chest. They had been led here, and that means that something vital was about to happen.

"We aren't going back, we're going forward," Naruto said with a confident grin. He pointed to the platform. "I have a feeling that this platform is our way out of here. Let's see what happens when we go inside."

"…" While the doctor was having his focus comparing, the platform, schematics and the logs he had read before entering the second door and into this unfortunately situation they were in, Naruto had other thoughts as he felt uneasy ever since he had entered.

It wasn't like the first door they had entered the other day, no, there was something off, something the makes his skin shiver and his mind at an edge. Call it a survival instinct but the unimaginable amount of human dusty remains early confirm his suspicion thus, he wanted to get all of them out of the place as fast as possible. His sub-par sensory skills had been of help especially in this dark environment.

"Naruto, if I might ask, why are you under probation?" Doctor Viktor's voice was measured, his gaze holding a curiosity that felt genuine, unlike the judging stares Naruto had grown accustomed to. He'd heard the whispers, the hushed rumors that followed him like a shadow, but Viktor had never indulged them, "I had a rough preview about your situation but I would like to know from your perspective too."

Gilbert, the quiet one, shifted uncomfortably. "I-Isn't that a bit personal?" He valued his own privacy and clearly extended the same courtesy to others.

Naruto surprised them all with his immediate response. "No, it's fine." He wasn't bitter, just… resigned. The probation felt like a lifeline in a sea of uncertainty. "I got framed. That's how it started."

The three helpers, Gilbert, Lauran, and Abel, exchanged surprised glances. They'd assumed Naruto, with his incredible strength and almost preternatural abilities, was some kind of special hire.

"I came from somewhere outside the walls of Belobog," Naruto continued, deliberately avoiding specifics. He knew his origins would sound ludicrous. He recounted how he'd snuck into the city and found a place in the underworld clinic with Natasha and her brother, staying there for almost a year. He paused, his eyes clouding with a memory of the frantic panic when the mines exploded, "Then all hell broke loose."

Lauran, her eyes wide with wonder, couldn't help but lean forward. "Wait, outside? That's... impossible!" She'd always been taught that life beyond the walls was a dangerous fantasy.

Abel chuckled, running a hand through his spiky hair. "Yeah, I have to agree with that. The name 'Naruto' doesn't sound too local either. Man, it took me a while to learn how to say it."

Lauran shot him a glare. "Don't be rude," she scolded, nudging him with her elbow before turning her attention back to Naruto. "So, what happened in the underworld?"

He spoke of the tournament he fought in, a detail he glossed over. He told them about the mines, how they shook with violent blasts. He spoke of the desperate rush to save Natasha and the miners, skipping the sudden resurfacing of memories that had flooded his mind then. He described waking up to accusations, a holding cell, and the bewildering sensation of a life turned upside down.

"Why didn't you fight back?" Abel asked, genuinely confused. "With your strength, you could have easily escaped."

Naruto sighed, a weariness settling over him. "Ah… yeah, people have been asking me the same question lately." He was tired of the endless inquiries. It was true, he could have overpowered anyone. "I could but, I didn't."

His reason, he explained, was rooted in a deep-seated fear for his new community. "I didn't know what they might do to my friends, the people of the underworld. If I had forced my escaped, what would they have done to them? It was my new home, you know?" His voice was low, the words carrying a weight that resonated with the others. Though forgetting how he tried to sneak out but end up facing his oppression head on instead.

Lauran's face softened, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Even Gilbert seemed moved, his normally stoic expression betraying a flicker of empathy.

Doctor Viktor, his brow furrowed in thought, spoke up. "I heard and also read about that incident. The gossips… they talk about a criminal hurting a noble's child and suspected of causing the explosion in the mines". The rumor was obviously made to paint Naruto as a villain.

Naruto's jaw tightened, a familiar anger rising within him. The same accusations they had thrown at him in court, the same accusations he had spent weeks refuting, still followed him like a persistent curse. It brought back the memories of the hateful glares during his childhood.

"The report also mentioned how many miners, even though they came back alive, were injured and unable to work," Doctor Viktor added, unknowingly dealing a far more painful blow.

Naruto's eyes widened, a wave of guilt crashing over him. He hadn't heard this. Vache, Natasha, the miners, Serval, none of them had mentioned the injured. Even if the explosion wasn't his fault, the miners' inability to earn a living pierced his heart. He knew how hard simple life could be for the common people and this new revelation made his hands clench.

Suddenly, Naruto's senses sharpened. He could hear it, a low, grating sound coming from all directions, a dissonance that jarred against the sterile silence of the clinic hallway. "Don't worry," he said, his voice regaining the resolute tone they knew so well, "I won't let anyone get hurt."

Before anyone could react, Naruto's body blurred. He dispersed into multiple copies of himself, each clone a perfect mirror image of the original, all with the same determined look in their eyes. They surged forward, disappearing into the shadows of the hall. The sounds of clashing metal and something solid impacting erupted from the dark. Sparks flew, briefly illuminating the scene - Naruto and his clones surrounded by eight-legged Fragmentum monsters, their crystal-like bodies glinting under the brief flashes of light. He had no time to think why these creatures were here. His new friends were in danger and that was all that mattered.

The roar of the crowd was a dull, distant hum compared to the rhythmic explosions of energy echoing through the ruined plaza. "It was stated that the criminal named Naruto was to be immediately captured and executed for causing harm done to the numerous that were involved." Doctor Viktor's voice was a low murmur, more to himself than to the two younger aides, Lauran and Abel, huddled beside him. His eyes, magnified by thick spectacles, were fixed on the chaotic scene unfolding before them.

Naruto, a whirlwind of orange and yellow, was battling a grotesque creature of Fragmentum, its crystalline limbs tearing through the air. Yet, Viktor didn't see a monster solely responsible for the chaos. He saw a young man, unfairly maligned, fighting for his life against impossible odds.

"I came across the reports, the files, when a colleague, a high-level file dealer, was suddenly out of commission," Viktor continued, his voice laced with a bitter edge. He remembered the chilling clarity of the fabricated reports, the blatant lies designed to paint Naruto as a dangerous criminal. He had been ordered to purge them, to sweep the inconvenient truth under the rug. "I also, at the same time, came across numerous reports of his good deeds. How he helped many underworld families regain a way to live through bad conditions, and how he donated, gave away a lot of his earnings and time for those in need."

The blatant contradiction was a slap in the face. Why would anyone, let alone a supposed criminal, commit so many acts of selfless kindness? He glanced at Naruto. The young man's cries were not of rage, but of frustration, a guttural expression of the injustice he was suffering.

"I really didn't understand what kind of reporter would submit so many deeds of a single young man the administration deems to be a trouble maker," Viktor muttered, he then started to try finding hidden switch on the table platform while he talked until he hit a hidden button which open a door and exit of sort.

"That can't be true..." Lauran whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief. She had always trusted the authority of Belobog, believed in the righteousness of their leaders. "The Supreme Guardian, couldn't she do something about this?" She gestured vaguely at the tattered document clutched in her hand – a requisition order for medical supplies marked 'Priority One' that had clearly been sitting in a warehouse for months, while soldiers in her unit suffered without.

Abel, his face grim, placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lauran," he said softly, "You haven't been back to Belobog for two years, right?" His voice carried the weight of the unspoken, a subtle warning that things were not as she remembered.

"Yeah," she replied, confused, "I've been in the front lines helping out. Why did you ask me that?" She looked from Abel to Viktor, a knot of unease tightening in her stomach. She'd spent two grueling years patching up the wounded, her hope fueled by the belief that supplies were being distributed as fairly as possible. This revelation threatened to unravel everything.

Viktor's voice was heavy, the words carrying the weight of a secret he had been forced to bear. "The Supreme Guardian passed away a year ago."

The words hung in the air, cold and stark, like the biting wind that swept across the frozen wasteland outside their makeshift tent. Lauran's breath hitched. Her eyes widened, the revelation shattering the cornerstone of her perception of their world. Everything she thought she knew, the entire foundation upon which she had built her faith, was crumbling before her very eyes. The Supreme Guardian, the pillar of their society, the very embodiment of hope, gone… and she hadn't even known.

"But… how?" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. "Why didn't… why didn't we hear about it?"

Abel squeezed her shoulder gently. "They kept it quiet," he explained, his gaze dark. "They didn't want the front lines to lose heart. Said it would cause unrest." He glanced towards Viktor, who nodded grimly in agreement.

Viktor picked up the thread. "It wasn't just the front lines, Lauran. They've controlled the information flow, carefully editing what gets out. It wasn't just about 'unrest,' it was about maintaining their power." He picked up a crumpled piece of paper from the table. "This requisition, they flagged it as 'dealt with' weeks ago. In Belobog, it's probably gathering dust."

The blood drained from Lauran's face. The news, deliberately kept from the front lines, the medical supplies rotting in storage while men and women suffered, it was all a testament to the rot Viktor had glimpsed within the administration. It was a calculated betrayal, a manipulation of the very people they were supposed to protect.

"Who is leading Belobog now?" she asked, her voice tight with anger that was quickly morphing into a chilling understanding. The unwavering faith she had carried for so long was now a bitter taste in her mouth.

Viktor sighed, his gaze hardening.

Lauran ran a hand through her short, windswept hair. The silence stretched, broken only by the crackling of the small fire in their tent. She had always believed in the system, in the hierarchy, in the unwavering guidance of those in power. Now, she felt a profound sense of betrayal, a raw, burning anger that threatened to consume her.

"They lied to us," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "They let us fight and bleed, while they played games in Belobog."

The air crackled with raw power. In the darkness of the abandoned mine shaft, Naruto's silhouette was a whirlwind of motion. A torrent of blue energy, a rasengan, tore into the fragmented, monstrous form before him. His clones, each a pale imitation, shattered with anguished cries that echoed the original's pain. Each blow, each desperate attack, was fueled by the injustice that had consumed him, turning his life into something familiar and unpleasant. He was a shield, a weapon, a force of nature, all wrapped up in a human being broken beyond repair.

Viktor, a man whose scholarly demeanor barely masked the turmoil within, adjusted his spectacles. He stood before Lauran and Abel, the flickering light casting long, distorted shadows on their faces. "The final report talks about how he single-handedly saved everyone trapped in the mines, how he jumped, ran past any Silvermane guards blocking the way," Viktor continued, his tone flat, devoid of the emotion he clearly felt. "They ordered me to redact every report, and it seems they must've done something to the reporter as well." The manipulation had been thorough, calculated, and chilling. The bureaucratic machinery of the Silverman guards, supposedly built on honour and justice, had twisted into a weapon of oppression.

Fear flickered in Lauran's and Abel's eyes. They understood now. This wasn't about justice. It was about power, about burying the truth to protect the corrupt. The stories they had heard, the public accusations against Naruto - they were all lies. They had been fooled, used, manipulated.

"I also came upon another report, a file they misplaced," Viktor said, his spectacles reflecting the blue flashes emanating from beyond the wall, the constant reminder of Naruto's desperate struggle. His voice dropped to a near whisper. "I can't tell you the contents, but it seems the accusation on Naruto's charges were indeed fabricated to hide many schemes the higher officials had been doing behind the backs of the Architect and our deceased supreme leader." The revelation hung in the air, heavy and poisonous. The administration wasn't just indifferent to justice, it actively perverted it.

He turned to the younger two, his eyes dark and intense. "What would you do if you were in his situation?"

They were silent, the weight of the question pressing down on them. They had never faced such a stark choice, never had their lives so thoroughly twisted by the machinations of the powerful.

"Would you fight back against the oppression and let those around you get hurt, or embrace the unruly unfair judgment where the chance of walking out free is non-existent?" He continued to push his point, his voice growing even more somber. He understood Naruto's position, and that alone terrified him. He recognized the righteous anger that had driven the young man to fight with such ferocity.

Tears welled in Lauran's eyes. She could barely hold back a sob as the weight of the situation crashed down on her. The thought of betraying everything she believed in, but seeing the reality before, broke down the foundation to everything she held dear, while Gilbert felt his eyes starting to moisten. Abel, however, his brow furrowed, he looked between the two, their faces etched with fear and sorrow, and then back at the doctor, whose gaze held a desperate plea. He wondered what had come over them. What did they expect him to do? Give up and cry? He wasn't going to do that. He was better than that.

"Watch out!" Naruto's shout, raw and urgent, still echoed in their ears. He had moved with blinding speed, a blur of orange against the grim backdrop, tackling the grotesque spider-like Fragmentum creature just as its crystalline legs were about to pierce Lauran's head.

For a heartbeat, everything seemed to freeze. The chaotic symphony of battle, the cries of the mutated creatures, the panicked shouts of terrified citizens – all of it receded, leaving only the image of Naruto, suspended mid-air, his body a shield against the monstrous threat. Viktor, Lauran, and Abel stood rooted to the spot, their minds reeling. The day's revelations, the manipulations and injustices they'd uncovered, were heavy enough. Now, they were forced to confront the raw courage of this young man who had been wronged, a beacon in the encroaching darkness.

"Now, go, go!" Naruto yelled, his voice straining. He was a whirlwind of motion, his shadow clones weaving around him, creating temporary paths through the onslaught of Fragmentum. They were swarming, relentless, but Naruto held them back, buying them precious time. He glanced at the others, their frozen figures sending a surge of annoyance through him. He quickly created more clones, these ones herding them towards the exits that had been open by the platform they had found.

Finally, they were out, the uncomfortable catacombs. The cacophony of battle fading behind them, replaced by the ragged breaths of relief. They had been moments from being overwhelmed, their lives hanging precariously in the balance. They owed it all to Naruto.

"What the hell were you people doing just standing there?!" Naruto snapped, his youthful face contorted in exasperation, his hands on his hips. "We almost died back there and you were just standing around!"

"Naruto..." Lauran started, her voice barely above a whisper, the weight of guilt pressing down on her. The feeling was shared by both Abel and Gilbert, all three feeling a deep shame for their inaction. They had heard it all, the twisted truths of Naruto's probation, the manipulated reports, the unjust accusations. How could they have stood there, frozen, when someone who had suffered so much was putting himself at risk for their sake?

Lauran hesitantly, her usually bright eyes clouded with a heavy sadness. "It's...it's Doctor Viktor," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He told us… about the reasons your here. The things they did."

"Naruto... I'm so sorry..." Abel mumbled, his head bowed, shame radiating from him. Gilbert nodded in agreement, unable to find the right words to convey his remorse.

"..." Naruto was silent for a long moment, his gaze sweeping over them. He had expected anger, maybe even sadness, but not this overwhelming sense of guilt and helplessness. He had to put a stop to it.

He straightened, his tall, lean frame cutting through the oppressive atmosphere. Then, Naruto had broken the tension. "What are you people even talking about?" he'd said, his tone surprisingly light, the anger gone as quickly as it appeared. His voice was a crackle of energy, a spark that seemed to ignite from within him. "It's not like you're the ones in my situation," he'd continued, pointing a thumb at himself with a confident smirk. The corner of his mouth curled upwards, a familiar, mischievous expression that momentarily stunned them into silence.

"Yes, it was terrible and I didn't take it well, not at all," he admitted, the light in his eyes dimming slightly, just for a fraction of a second, a ghost of the pain he'd endured. "But when I calmed down and actually thought about it, I had to accept my fate." The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of the decision he had made.

He'd emphasized, "I had a choice, and I made my own choice. To protect the ones I care about, no matter what." A flicker of steely determination had ignited in his blue eyes. They blazed with a strength that felt both familiar and incredibly new, touched by the experience he'd just gone through. "I would do the same, if I had given another chance too."

The weight they'd been carrying had begun to lift. He was okay, more than okay; he was resolute. "Besides, they also went beyond to help me too. So, we are even."

He'd gone on to explain how, despite the initial injustice, he was being given a chance. "I got lucky and was only given probation as my punishment. I can even take an exam to get my citizenship without issue or fighting anyone." He preferred a simpler path, but he was here, and that wasn't bad. It was a good distraction from the pain of not being able to return to Konoha.

"So, I don't care about the papers or words from those people," he'd grinned, a wide, confident smile that reached his eyes. "You know," he started, his voice a touch lower than usual, "I've been thinking, I want to do something about this kind of problem in Belobog."

Doctor Viktor's attention, which had been drifting with concern, sharpened at that. "Problem?" he'd asked, surprised. The word wasn't what he expected. "Do you mean the corruption?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, his brow furrowing in serious thought. "About how things are… not right."

"Problems… there's too much of that," Naruto had replied, his expression turning serious. "I don't know how right now, but I know when I see a problem that's causing too much pain and suffering for its own people, it needs to stop."

Then Lauran, ever quick with an outlandish comment, gasped, "Wait, are you thinking of becoming the next Supreme guardian?"

He looked from Lauran to Gilbert, hoping they would share his concern. "Don't know, but someone needs to do something. Someone needs to put them all in their place."

Abel had immediately chided their friend. "Lauran, don't joke around like that," Gilbert had nodded in agreement.

"Supreme guardian," Naruto mused aloud, the unfamiliar title tasting both foreign and inexplicably right. It wasn't like Hokage, the title he'd chased since childhood, a title tied to a village, to Konoha. This felt… broader, like a different version of the world he'd always wanted to protect.

"Are they the ones in charge of everything?" He asked, his gaze fixed on the graffiti-scarred wall opposite.

"Yes," Viktor replied, his voice hoarse. "In fact, if the Supreme Leader hadn't passed away," he continued, surprised by the sudden burst of emotion. Hope, a feeling he'd buried long ago beneath layers of disillusionment, had begun to flicker in his chest. "Your situation might've been a little different. She was a kind leader, preaching the word to never turn against each other for the sake of the people." He remembered her face, the gentle strength in her eyes, a stark contrast to the harsh control currently exerted by the factions vying for power.

He hadn't expected the impact his words would have. Naruto's blue eyes, usually filled with mischief, widened then narrowed with sudden, unwavering focus. The air around him seemed to crackle with a newfound determination.

"Then I'll make it my goal," Naruto declared, his voice ringing with an unfamiliar authority. The emptiness in his heart, a void born of loneliness and the constant struggle for survival, had felt suddenly lighter, replaced by something akin to purpose. "I'll become the next Supreme Leader and make things better for everyone!" He stood tall, his small frame radiating an energy that defied his circumstances. The words echoed in the alley, resonating with a conviction that was almost palpable.

A beat of stunned silence followed before, "...HAHAHAHA!" Lauran, Abel, and Gilbert erupted into laughter. It was so ludicrous, so utterly impossible, that they couldn't contain themselves.

"You? Supreme guardian of Belobog?" Lauran managed to choke out between laughs. "Naruto, that's impossible!"

"I'm sorry but it's got to be the most outlandish thing I ever heard." Gilbert managed to say before erupting in another bout of laughter.

"What are you three laughing at!?" Naruto puffed out his cheeks, looking comically offended, which only fueled their laughter further.

"Naruto," The doctor, the only one who was silent, his voice quiet, but firm. "You…you are something else."

Doctor Viktor, a man of science and logic, did not laugh. Instead, he found himself smiling. There was a raw honesty in Naruto's eyes, a genuine desire to do good that was hard to ignore. He had witnessed so many deceivers, but he recognized the genuine flame of hope in this young man. He would do all he could to fan that flame. He simply smiled as Naruto started picking at the trio who were still giggling at him.

They were in the thick of it again, the trio still playfully teasing Naruto as they entered the chamber beyond the second door. They moved with practiced ease, scanning, collecting, working as a unit. They gathered the important objects they needed and then triggered another ball of light. The glowing sphere danced across the chamber and, with a final surge, shot back through the door from which it had come, then plunged into the large, glowing crystal where they had made camp.

The dream of a Supreme Leader might've been a joke and unreachable dream, an absurd idea dismissed by everyone but its dreamer and an old doctor clinging to a sliver of hope. But when time passed, when they navigate the complex challenges of the old ruins together, the idea will started to take on a different shape. It will no longer be a punchline, but a distant, flickering flame that, just maybe, could grow into a roaring fire. Naruto, with his unwavering optimism and his bone-deep belief in the good of people, was unknowingly sowing the seeds of change. And many of his unlikely companions, were along for the ride.

And done…

Age:

Naruto: ?

Serval: 14

Gephart: 12

Natasha: 19

Penya: 23 (No, she will not be interested in Naruto)

Abilities

Rasengan

Multi-Shadow clones

Fire manipulation and ignition

Transformation technique (How he hid his fox features.)

Substitution jutsu

Chakra mode

Bye!