Disclaimer: See previous chapters

airnaruto45 - Partly. At the very least, it'll start out that way. But I am going to try to diverge from it somewhat, I think. I'm kind of making it up as I go along. (sigh)

SulliMike23 - (smiling) You'll have to wait just a little bit longer to find out.

-0-

A few hours later, the dense fog finally lifted away and the team was greeted with the sight of a lone island in the distance. The black ship sailed silently toward the landmass and heading toward a docking port. Looking out from the edge of the deck, Sakura noticed three other ships identical to the one they were on already in the dock ahead.

'So there are more here. A lot more.'

She hadn't been able to shake the words of Raiden the night before and doubted she would anytime soon. She knew this was an extremely high rank mission, but the full importance of it hadn't hit her until it had been fully explained by the thunder god. Believe it or not, calling this a SS rank mission was an understatement. This was more than the safety of Konoha or the Land of Fire at stake here

This would be for their whole world...and others...

Taking a deep breath, Sakura forced her nerves to calm down. She was a kunoichi, trained to take on any mission that came her way. Raiden had chosen her along with her teammates to complete this mission and that what she was going to do. She just wished she didn't feel so inadequate. It was just like those two and a half years ago, when she felt too weak to help anyone.

Too weak to even stop him...

"This is gonna be something, eh Sakura?"

Her thoughts were shoved to the side at Naruto's exclamation. She just didn't get him sometimes. How could he be so...upbeat about this? He hadn't really cared that it was a SS rank mission, but she knew Naruto well enough to know that he didn't care what the mission was. But after what they've learned last night, he was still the same. The only time he hadn't been this way was when they confronted Itachi and Kisame, which brought up another point that had been confirmed for her.

"Naruto... You're the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails."

Her voice was low when she said it, but he heard it clear enough. That was proven by how his face blanched and his eyes lowered, serving also to answer her question as well. For a long while, she had her suspicions about Naruto; his incredible stamina and strength was something that she could not ignore, regardless of whether she wanted to or not. And when she asked those in Konoha, they had given her the silent treatment. Even her sensei, the Fifth Hokage, was tight-lipped about it.

"I think it would be better if he told you himself. But don't press him. It's a...sensitive topic."

She had never really known what to make of it and when he had returned, she hadn't given it a thought at all. But then Itachi and Kisame had outright said it and again, it was hard to ignore, with the flaring orange chakra around him and the slight, but ferocious transformation he had undergone. Looking up at him, she saw his still-downcast expression. 'I'm such a jerk' her inner self berated. 'So much for sensitivity.' Lifting her lips into a smile, she turned to him fully.

"Hey don't worry about it." she replied. "When you think about it, it actually explains a lot about you."

Naruto's eyes began to lift slightly, almost fearfully. "So you don't...hate me?"

"Hey, as long as it's not Orochimaru in you, we're okay."

It was probably bad taste on her part to use such a joke, but seeing him chuckle lightly at it and his grin returning made it worth it.

"Thank you, Sakura."

From behind them, Kakashi had been watching their conversation. It was strange how they interacted in this instance, but it seemed to have worked out well. Although he was pretty sure Sakura still had reservations, he trusted that she would be able to deal with them in time. And he was pretty sure her knowledge of him would help Naruto out in the long run, as he would now have someone else that knew his secret. But that may have little meaning compared to what they would be soon facing now.

Mortal Kombat...

The black ship soon settled into the dock and all the combatants disembarked from the ship. As Naruto made his way down, he kept a sharp eye out for the two Akatsuki that had been on the same ship. But there was no sign of them anywhere. Regardless of this, the blond continued to look about. He wouldn't be caught unawares by them, no matter what they may have claimed.

Unfortunately, he didn't see the figure that stopped right in front of him...

WHAM!

"Hey, watch the Armani, pal!"

Rubbing his rear, Naruto looked up from where he had fallen to see the person he had bumped into, a handsome man in a fancy navy-blue suit and tie. Naruto glared at him as he both rose up from the ground.

"Hey. You're the one that stopped in front of me!"

"You should look where you're going, kid." the man retorted, dusting himself off before bending back down to pick up a pair of shades. "And speaking of which, what are you doing here? This is a tournament for grownups, not babies."

Naturally, the comment didn't bode well with blond young man. "Babies?"

Placing his shades on over his eyes, he then waved at him as he turned about. "You heard me. Go home kid, before you get yourself a boo-boo."

"WHY YOU!"

Kakashi sighed as Sakura quickly rushed in and grabbed Naruto from behind just before he could lunge at the man. But unknown to any of them, another figure was watching the three, or more to the point, Naruto. True, he was causing a scene and was getting the attention of a few others as well. But this person's attention wasn't on the shinobi's antics.

'That boy's chi... I've never felt anything like it.'

After calming down an irate Naruto, the team continued on their way, heading down a path with the other fighters that led further into the island. Soon enough, they came to a large building with an open gateway. Beside the gateway, two guards were stationed, each wearing robes and large silver masks with gleaming red eyes. Upon entry, they came upon a large open area, enclosed by the structure and containing seats high above.

An arena...

"Just like the Chunin Exams." Naruto commented.

Eventually, all the fighters were gathered and the guards closed the gates behind them. Kakashi looked about covertly at the other fighters. He recognized a few of them as shinobi from other lands; with one or two of them being in the Bingo book. However, there were many he didn't recognize at all. 'Probably from the Mother Realm...' he reasoned. His gaze soon caught sight of a flash of blue and widened as a result as he recognized in the fighter's form.

'He's here? I guess that shouldn't come as a surprise.'

The crowd was soon silenced when motion came from above in the seating area. Two guards made their way toward the grand seat in the middle. But they weren't alone. Between them was an aged elderly man, adorned with expensive robes and bald at the top of his head with long grey hair around. His eyes scanned the crowd as he sat down and both Sakura and Naruto felt a twinge of fear. It felt like they were being seen through, like being seen by the Byakugan. Only it felt like it was more than that. It was as if...

As if he was seeing into their souls...

The man raised his hand to get the full attention of the audience and then called out in a voice that showed more force than they thought he could have at his age.

"To all of you here, I bid you welcome! I am your host, Shang Tsung."

'So that's Shang Tsung' Naruto thought. 'He doesn't look like much.' Despite this, Naruto didn't forget the feeling of dread he had at his gaze.

You have accepted the invitation to compete in Mortal Kombat, to challenge each other to determine who is the absolute best of your generations. To those who advance to our higher echelons, you will have the honor of facing the tournament champion himself, Prince Goro of the Shokan. This will be one of, no; the greatest event of your lives." His gaze came over them again and for a moment, Naruto felt them rest solely upon him, with the slightest indication of a dark smile on the lips of the tournament host.

"Hold nothing back. Give of your soul."

Naruto's breath caught and the fear he felt grew more. He didn't know why he felt it, he just did. It was like he was sensing his killer intent. There was clearly more to this Shang Tsung than meets the eye. Something both dangerous and terrifying,

And it was all directed at him...

Shang's gaze moved away toward the general assembly and he concluded his speech. "Tommorrow, the great kombat will begin. You will be given your instructions on whom you are to face at first daylight. So rest, prepare yourselves, for tomorrow..."

"Mortal Kombat begins!"