Hello! Im back and still alive! THE HURRICANE DID NOT KILL ME.
But i digress, its good to be back, i start clinicals like tomorrow(as of writing this), Im super scared but also super excited! Most of my times been spent on studying that plus any other college class, plus esports too.
I know i say 'i don't know what im doing' alot…but this time i REALLY didn't know what i was doing, maybe i could look for an editor.
Oh well. Maybe next time, that cost money tho so hmm.
I have been getting better with my sentence structure and stuff but im still really newbie and it hurts because i dont always know how to deliver how i want to show things in the story. I wonder if other people go through that too…
Regardless, i still had a lot of fun, and i hope you enjoy!
Chapter 9: Wavering Paths Forward
The water parted as the mask that had been his face came across through the spiraled motion of the gentle waves.
He was greeted with the sounds of birds hooting, before condemning themselves to silence.
The trees blowing in the ruffling wind, along with his hair, and heavy breathing accompanied it all.
He clutched his heart, opening his eyes to the familiar darkness of his blindness, leaving the eerie sight to be beholden by the nearby trees and jury alike. Mist piling over the water with a heavenly hue, making the light reflect over and to it all.
He breathed in and out slowly, his robes twisted with his hand as the oxygen-filled atmosphere left his being. His senses struggled to wake up, and as they did they flourished.
His mind wandered for a slight minute before he suddenly stopped upon recognition of his newfound purpose in this new world.
He breathed out, as he noticed he had been perspiring.
Until he had finally calmed his heart rhythm.
He focused his senses on simple things, such as the soft thump of the wind moving, or the flow of the tiny waves within the lake, or the sound of the animals swaying with the trees.
The sensation was so unique he couldn't help but remain in its cleansings as if all he had known had washed away. Making way for a new slate to beholden itself for his life held a new meaning.
Something's voice spoke to him, though he may not know what it was. He felt an odd, familial connection to it. Whether it was a relative of his, he was not certain.
With a sigh, he stood firm, his foot lightly touching the water's surface as if it were solid ground. With a simple touch, the action was as complete as his mind was incomplete.
And he walked off with silent steps upon leaves and liquids to a nearby stream, offset from the lake he had baptized himself previously, with the clouds remaining onto the skyless horizon.
In hopes of fancying himself a wake-up call in a more familial setting. Silent huffs of annoyance made way for a polite understanding of the foreign nature as he slowly took in his surroundings. With each step he took, he felt a growing annoyance, a violent urge threatening to boil over. He failed to register the slightness of red eyes tracking his glowing form from her sleeping abode.
…
The fleeting embers of the dead Grimm made their noises known as they ceased to be by his hand. It was tedious, like clockwork they would appear each night in an attempt to slay him, only to be returned to cinder and ash. He breathed in and out as the realization settled onto him like snow.
The silence of the forest pressed against him like the weight of ages long since past, as if the fight had just been dissimilar to his own.
In a way, every fight was the same to him, before it was a defense, but now he was the attacker, the invader, it put his actions into perspective to his ancestors.
Standing at the edge of the lake, the cold water numbed his hands as he splashed it across his face. The dream still clung to him, the phantom screams of his ancestors lingering in his ears, and the things he had said with full conviction tore at his heartstrings in ways he had never felt before meeting the earthly people.
Before silence took their place, in its place a cathedral on the moon, as he looked down on the asphalt and pavements of the holy palace. Carvings from centuries forgotten and a celestial war that continued on, taking new forms like a never-ending virus. Before he felt invigorated.
Now he felt emptiness with guilt.
"This doesn't work."
He flew up and above the tree line, up to the hidden clouds yet not high enough to see above them and to the stars.
The stream of air comforted him as he placed his hands together.
It sorted him to be cautious of others' situations now, however, a part of him still couldn't get past what he had been. What he was.
The pain made his duty clear, it was to protect the sage's world, to honor Hamura. Humanity wasn't a disease, nor was it corrupted, and neither was he as a person.
Yet what did that make of him? It has vexed him ever since…
So he inhaled deeply.
Letting the scent of dampened skies ground him in this strange new world.
"This isn't it…"
Though his heart struggled to accept it. Remnant couldn't ever truly be his home…
His own home was in pieces…and his ancestors' land no longer existed.
What had caused him to fail wasn't just a lack of understanding, nor was it meant to be faith…
He had been a fool, simply following his ancestor's guidance, when history itself couldn't be safe from being inscribed by those who exist in the future.
Only those in the present can determine what becomes of the past, and those in the past can foretell the future.
As such his face became one of conviction instead of hesitation. His duty suddenly became clear as rain to him, as the stars in the sky.
In this world? He was a titan, and with such power came a grave responsibility.
The thought of interacting with a new world hindered his emotions for a second, his heart dropping at the thought. How could he hold such authority? After all this time? After what he did before with such a position? Why did it have to be up to him?
Such words he had told himself since the journey started, it had been only a day and here he was. It wasn't tiredness or anxiety, he was above such things.
It had to be him, and it disgusted him, but more so it disappointed him.
Flying to Vale simply would make things worse if what he was told was to be believed. The conversation played vividly in his mind from when they had first started this journey.
Two weeks ago…
To any onlooker, it would seem as if blurs were fighting, however anyone who could register their speed could see how outmatched she has been despite the weapon in her hands.
Toneri and Raven had been sparring with each other, Raven had been curious of the chakra Toneri held, as such she asked for a demonstration of its other effects in combat.
It was one sided, only serving Raven in its aptitude of her fear of his power, however it made her realize that he wasn't a tyrant like Salem.
As she unwinded on a nearby log, Toneri walked over to her, a peaceful expression that contrasted her sweaty face.
"That was a good fight, you're very skilled, even without your maiden abilities."
"And you as well, I didn't realize the gap between us would be so vast. Especially your speed, I could barely react." The silence settled gently as Raven caught her breath, Toneri remembered a previous question he once had.
"Why don't we just fly straight to Vale, and past the military?" He emphasized the latter words.
"Because your mission is to gather the maidens, correct?"
Toneri nodded.
"Then it'd be too risky, for once; Atlas monitors the sky for any grimm and you would set off the sensors with how powerful you are, even if you concealed yourself they could still detect something. So even if you evaded them it would trigger a kingdom-wide alert, it would make you seem as an enemy rather than an ally.
Two; That's not to mention any moles Salem would have moles in the Atlas military, or even the Grimm themselves. Causing us further delay and we'd be exposing our powers, or more specifically my cover, the rest of the world doesn't know about the existence of maidens." Raven finished her full explanation, she held within any annoyance as she knew Toneri wasn't fully aware of most of Remnant.
"...then I suppose it makes sense." He sighed intently as he let the knowledge wash over his heart, as he attempted to quell his growing annoyance.
"However, if Salem created the Grimm…then wouldn't she already know where we are? And therefore secrecy is no longer a viable option?"
"I don't believe that's one of her abilities exactly, and besides if she did know we would be constantly attacked with powerful Grimm ranging from across the seas and the sky, or even right as we speak."
Toneri remained silent as he thought it over once more, for what she is, Raven was cunning and knowing of this new world, to doubt that would be foolish, however Salem was in essence a deity. Based on the cunning he had heard of her thus far and Raven's evident fear, he couldn't help but doubt her words, it didn't weld together properly in his eyes, or lack thereof.
"I see then, I apologize for my ignorance."
Flashback End
The memories ran through his head with little force, compared to his dreams.
Though he could not see why his presence would make anything worse, if anything, he could resolve the Grimm problems faster than this supposed military of flying schooners. He knew Raven couldn't be doubting his capabilities, so perhaps it's something else. Something we weren't seeing somehow.
Perhaps Salem has ties to the military and thus interacting with them would be no different than allying with her. Or was it a personal bias? She was a bandit, Toneri could imagine her to not be so trusting.
Of the two, Toneri could not decipher.
He would rather respect her wishes as a human being, however he would also not waste any more time than necessary. Anima was a big continent and from where they had started, Raven estimated it would take them over three weeks to proceed to even the coast, let alone across the water and to the city itself.
That was an unacceptable span of time to him. Despite this he remained trusting of her mind, it had only been about two weeks.
It was still frustrating in a sense, he could get the duo over to this Vale within a few hours at most. Yet here they were, trekking across cliff sides, all to avoid a military that couldn't be more than a couple dozen thousand people, unless humanity happened to get a population boost.
Then perhaps that would be a byproduct of ten thousand years. Another failure of his, but not a bad thing, it was good for humanity to grow…if it did at all.
Despite his newfound heel, he didn't feel any different, and to find that balance, he needed to re-evaluate himself.
That was the only way he would truly find his way through.
He carried himself through the wilderness with ease and confidence befitting his appearance. Taking to the woods with such familiarity that it trivialized the experience beyond what he may or may not ask of it.
He would barely eat, drink, or even sleep, and when he did he was as still and silent as a statue.
It put in perspective the days when she and her brother would hunt for their meals in these very woods, or when Taiyang would take her on long walks through the trails back in Patch. It only added to the strange feeling she had around Toneri—a sense of both admiration and unease. He was like a silent force of nature, commanding respect from all living things without uttering a single word.
She herself was not one for idle chatter, preferring introspection over needless conversation, but even she found it unsettling how quiet Toneri could be—like he wasn't fully present. His body was here, but his mind? There was something rigid about him lately, as if he was constantly on edge.
It led her to the idea he hadn't been sleeping well, recently he would fully bathe himself in the water or in the sky at night before coming out like some creature out of myth. She wasn't sure he had noticed her watching, and a part of her dared to say it didn't care.
Weeks of quiet observation had shown her the frayed edges in his being, the exhaustion creeping through. The tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders seemed to stiffen more each day and at night, when she would take watch, she'd catch glimpses of him stirring uneasily, his face drawn in silent struggle. Other times he would be as still as a statue, and remain that way for hours in meditation.
Raven sighed inwardly, letting the matter drop. But as she watched him again, something gnawed at her—his silence was not that of peace. Neither was his meditation, It felt like something darker was lurking behind his composed exterior, something he wasn't ready to share. Or perhaps... something he couldn't control.
She turned her gaze away, but the thought lingered.
All the Grimm that came each day, only to be slaughtered by the never-tiring moon monarch, was he letting his emotions get the better of him…or was there more to his guilt than she may have failed to notice.
But if it was neither…then what would that look like?
She had never seen Salem's full power, beyond less Toneri's, such a thing only served to make her anxiety's race. Like having two guns pointed at her face, or worse yet if they somehow managed to work together-
Two beings working in their interest to end humanity. Stronger than nature's wrath, stronger than anything man could devise, otherworldly-supernatural phenomena-
She didn't dare think further about the union.
She didn't doubt Toneri's intelligence, however Salem has proven time after time after time after time, she was cunning to a dystopian extent, and with her 'tools' she could make nearly anything a reality.
And despite her own paranoia, Toneri was still too confident to see it. Which isn't a bad thing, but he had moments where his arrogance would shine through, if Salem didn't end up destroying the world, Toneri could be the one doing it.
Despite all the sacrifices she had made in her life, she was somehow dragged into yet another situation, whether she wanted to or not. It couldn't have been in vain, not for their sakes, not for all those who had died fighting all those from the past.
It would be wise for her to keep her mind sharp, in times like these, she needed to be ready to flee if the situation ever presented itself beyond her own capacity.
She could only hope the entity she was traveling with would do the same.
…
The journey was quiet until Toneri broke the silence.
"Do you regret it?" he asked, his voice soft but edged with curiosity. He knew enough now to sense the bitter remnants of pain in Raven's heart—a heart she seemed determined to keep guarded.
Raven glanced at him, her eyes narrowing. "Regret what?"
"The lives we buried," Toneri replied. "The ones you once led. Your tribe."
Raven's gaze hardened. "They knew the risks. They lived by their choices. That's how survival works."
Toneri was silent, absorbing her words, the understanding of a world he had only begun to truly see. "Perhaps," he finally said, "but living by choice is not always the same as dying by it. They followed you."
Raven looked away, the weight of his words pressing against a part of her she had long buried. She had already decided she would follow Toneri—at least until they dealt with Salem. But now, as her thoughts drifted to the graves left behind, she felt something pull at her, a sense of duty she had tried to leave behind with her tribe.
"Your way of looking at the world is different from anyone I've known," Raven murmured after a pause. "Most people would have taken what they could and moved on. You're… different. Even after all that time sealed away, your mind clings to things like honor and duty."
Toneri turned his head toward her, though his sightless gaze remained as steady as if he could see her expression. "Duty is all I had left," he replied quietly. "After ten thousand years of wondering what I could do to atone, it's the only purpose I found. Even if it means facing creatures like Salem or repairing a shattered moon… I owe it to my world."
Raven's gaze softened for a fleeting moment, her mind flickering back to the lives she had walked away from before—Taiyang, her daughter, and the sense of family she had traded for survival. "If you ever go against me," she said, a hard edge in her voice, "I'll do whatever it takes to survive. You know that, don't you?"
Toneri nodded. "I wouldn't expect any less from you."
"We'll be reaching the swamp in a few days." Raven said, her eyes scanning the forest as if sensing something unseen.
He noticed the movement and proceeded to triple check the surroundings for anything off "Is there something I should be concerned about?"
All Raven showed was a blank look to his question, before she continued off, he promptly sighed and followed suit.
As soon as Toneri's feet touched the soggy, sinking ground, a wave of irritation crawled up his spine.
The air was thick with oppressive humidity, clinging to his skin like a second layer. Before long, the sharp, pungent odor of the swamp clawed at his senses, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He quickly set up a chakra shield to protect himself from the irritating gasses, gently floating just above the ground's surface.
But even with his barrier in place, Toneri couldn't shake off the discomfort and annoyance that seemed to seep into every part of the ecosystem.
As they walked, his guide suddenly stopped in her tracks, causing confusion to stir within him.
She turned to him and spoke matter-of-factly.
"We'll have to take a detour."
The silence suddenly thickened.
'…What…I don't sense any grimm…'
Toneri could only respond with a questioning tone as he surveyed around and noticed numerous pools of deep, sticky water dotting the landscape. Raven took sight of her surroundings, specifically the water.
"It's flooding season."
"Right," Toneri replied uncertainty prepared in his voice. He didn't know much about swamps or how floods would affect them, however, he doubted the conditions in a swamp were as dangerous as space, perhaps he was missing something?
Raven went on to elaborate that this particular swamp was already difficult to navigate even without the added challenge of flooding. The thick fog made it nearly impossible to see more than a few feet ahead, providing perfect cover for ambushes by Grimm or other dangers lurking within the trees and water.
"Then why don't we fly over the swamp if it's such an issue?" His tone was calm, but there was a subtle edge to it, a trace of the frustration he had been long suppressing.
Raven stopped, turning to meet his gaze with a raised eyebrow. "Flying straight over the swamp? You think it'll be that easy?"
"This would be faster than crawling through this mess," he said, gesturing around them. "We'd be through in seconds."
Raven let out a short breath, more a hint of a laugh than a sigh. "If it were that simple, don't you think I would've suggested it by now?"
Toneri crossed his arms, waiting. He figured if Raven believed something was wrong, he was obliged to respect that and heed the warning.
Raven met his silent challenge, explaining, "There's more to this swamp than meets the eye. Grimm prowl the skies above it—winged types that blend with the fog. They're nearly invisible until they're right on top of you, and they're drawn to anything flying over their territory. Even if we're powerful, a direct confrontation with them here would be risky."
His features narrowed. "You don't think I can handle some Grimm?"
Raven's tone was sharp but patient. "It's not about handling them, Toneri. This is their domain. Fighting here would put us at a disadvantage, and Salem has likely placed scouts. The last thing we need is to be ambushed in unfamiliar terrain, with her forces alerted to our position, and even if we fought them off it would be inefficient and taxing.
I do not doubt your power, but we still need to maintain caution."
Toneri remained silent as he took in the information. The silence stewed as he looked at her face to discern her for any lies, this was a bandit despite her maiden status, so a bit of skepticism made its way onto his face.
'What sort of grimm is it that she's worried about?'
After a minute of observation, he found nothing off-putting, he sighed tentatively. His gaze drifted upward, into the swirling mist. It wasn't fear of a fight that held him back; it was the unpredictability of this world, the maddening sense that everything in it was entangled with secrets and threats lurking just out of sight.
He knew all too well what it was like to face unpredictable outcomes head-on.
"I suppose your logic is sound," Toneri said, his tone flat. "If you see a threat, I won't argue against avoiding it. But let's not linger any longer than necessary. I'd rather start on this detour while the sun is out."
"It will add a couple of days at the rate we're going."
"..."
Toneri fell silent, before he exhaled slowly through his nose. "Fine."
"If it bothers you i can explain the layout-"
"That…won't be necessary."
…
Each step felt like a drag, the swamp's tangled roots and mud gripping slowing their pace. Raven didn't seem to mind, her gaze flitted around like a seasoned tracker as she moved through the environment with ease.
He floated just above the ground, but even then the cloying moisture tugged at hum with every passing moment.
Raven could sense the antagonism, also eyeing the growing twilight in the sky.
"We should set up camp for the night."
"At this rate, it'll add a week," he muttered.
"A small price for avoiding attention," Raven replied, her voice calm, yet there was a hint of something unreadable beneath the surface. More likely he couldn't bother himself to try and read it.
He took a slow breath, releasing it in another silent exhale. "Fine."
Raven moved quietly, arranging the campsite with practiced care. Toneri, however, found himself wanting to tear through the forest, impatience simmering beneath his controlled exterior.
The growing twilight stretched the shadows around them, and Toneri's thoughts felt increasingly fragmented. He barely noticed the subtle change in the air, the slight chill creeping in as the evening settled. His mind, usually a well-maintained fortress, started to crack under the strain of his frustration and the memories that lingered, uninvited.
Before long, Raven was sitting by a tree, keeping watch. Toneri, however, felt his thoughts slip away. The tension in his body didn't fade, but his mind did. As he tried to meditate, fatigue dragged him deeper.
Soon he drifted into a slumber that felt as unnatural as the swamp itself.
Bodies littered the ground, silent under the moonlight, each one a testament to his failure. The memory crashed over him like a wave, the same helpless cry echoing in his mind.
"NOOOOOOOO!"
Planked against the moon he had called home, with his arms spread and his hair ruffled with his face bruised, all he saw was darkness once more as his eye sockets lacked the necessary organs to function….
"You dare-"
"Now…this is over." the man, bathed in a demonic sort of chakra, so thick it covered his entire mind, body, and soul. His foot moved forward as it ruptured to his senses. Naruto Uzumaki…
"Not yet," he replied, resolving himself. Steeled for his one purpose.
No sooner, he felt his people well up within him. Them. All screeching for the same purpose. Ending…
"W-What's happening?" the blond retainer exclaimed. Before the ground shifted away from his feet. They both jumped backwards warily as he stood atop the high ground…
With an adrenaline rush with a sudden power. Purpose. He felt enlightened, yet delighted…
It made him laugh. "Hnhaahahaha!" It made them laugh.
"And now. With these eyes, I will end it all." He grinned. He could feel it. His purpose, SO SO close…
"Puppet Rebirth." He exclaimed determinedly. as he was driven by the things of which hold the past in such regal regard. He saw it again, the colors of the souls…
"Naruto!" one voice exclaimed with common drear…
"Hinata!" another flailed blossomly…
They both halted when the blonde extended his hand…
"Toneri! Please stop! You don't have to keep following your ancestor's misguided teachings!" Hinata exclaimed…
"SILENCE!" he screeched. "I must fulfill Hamura's celestial decree! The Otsutsuki clan's legacy depends on it!" He manifested a glowing green chakra orb in his hands as he reaffirmed his mission.
She steeled herself to defend, only to hear someone fall to the ground. Looking over, Naruto was kneeling, his golden cloak vanishing into mist as it dashed into ribbons towards the voided man wrapped in his ancestors…
"My…chakra's being..siphoned away."
Toneri Laughed, like impulses rationalized by a distortion of reality, he felt even more raw power infest him. "Now, witness Hamura's strength—enough to move the moon!"
"Naruto. YOU'RE finished!" He decreed as the jinchuriki fell to his knees…
Hinata came to him and gripped his hand. "Hinata…" Naruto wondered aloud as he felt the new power flood him, unlike the nine tails, or nature, or the six paths…
As the two halves, Hamura and Ashura rose, Toneri looked on in grave annoyance, and even a little fear…
"What?"
"We won't let it end yet." Naruto calmly retorted, getting onto his feet once more…
"WHY?!"
"Because Hamura's chakra flows within me too." she proudly stated.
"It's time to stop."
Toneri's teeth scraped against one another as he bore witness to the sight before him, his ancestors against his progenitor's given modern form…
It disgusted them all!
"End it….End the world the world of the sage of six paths!" Their voices chanted in his mind, his body glowing. The Byakugan spreading across his endowed form.
It was enough. Yet too much for him. His anger reached its zenith as he had never felt in all his secluded life in the castle he called home…
He could only yell, in a place where the sound shouldn't trodden, yet it still…
"The sage's world has fallen into darkness!" he said, bursting with conviction. "I'll destroy it with the light of justice!" the energy exalted in his hands as it grew and grew and grew-
The ground beneath him vaulted awake. Sending him upward, he attempted to orient himself…but there was too much power, too much to use mobile.
However the endeavor failed, he flew from the moon and up beyond its barrier, where sound fixed itself back into where it couldn't tread…
The Earth was so dark at that moment. It made him remember the globes present in his room. Before a beautiful, archaic light shone through the planet's horizon…
A blinding sort of light, before the power, once overwhelming, became nigh impossible to contain. Their body contorted, the ancestors screeched in agony as he felt his being implode and detonate in an out in a vein attempt to maintain its form.
In that moment, Toneri knew what true pain felt like, not the sort that hurt, although it certainly did, the sort where he knew something everyone else couldn't have.
He failed his family.
…
"What's happening?" Sakura asked, worried.
"His jutsu absorbed the energy of the sun and now he's exceeded the limit of his chakra." Shikamaru explained.
If he continued to stay in the sunlight like this, Toneri would either melt or explode.
Naruto looked up, almost horrified. Despite the lack of sound, he could tell that Toneri was in agony just by looking at him. He thought of one thing.
'That…could have been me…'
He resolved himself.
"Toneri!" he shouted as he jumped.
"Naruto!" Hinata yelled after him.
"No-don't it's too dangerous!" Shikamaru exclaimed.
Naruto, dawning his nine-tails, and tapping into the six-paths chakra for the first time in the fight, flew towards the white blob known as Toneri with speed rivaled only by the heir of the Uchiha.
He extended his hand and it all but faded to black as the cold embrace of the end took hold of him.
"...Toneri…" a soothing voice moved to him, snapping him out of his somber.
The dream's echo lingered, tightening around his chest as he realized he had fallen asleep, properly this time. The feeling was known, but it was voided in favor of his growing irritation in a certain Branwens direction.
Raven woke with a sudden chill running down her spine, a sensation so sharp and unsettling that she felt, just for a moment, sick. She swallowed, forcing herself to breathe as she lifted her head from the tree she'd been resting against. Her hair was tangled from weeks without civilization, but she cared little for her appearance at the moment. Her instincts, honed by years of survival and caution, were sharper than ever, and every sense was alert.
Slowly, she purveyed her surroundings, her gaze finally settling on Toneri. Even in the pre-dawn gloom, he seemed to glow faintly, his presence stark and almost ghostly in the fog. His head was angled, frozen in place as if listening to something she couldn't hear. His right hand gripped his chest, his knuckles white, and his entire frame was taut, as though holding on to something neither seen nor felt, tempting her curiosity.
What could he be holding onto so tightly? His heart? His skin? His robe?
"Toneri," she called quietly, jumping down from her perch and landing without a sound.
"Raven," he replied, his voice carrying a tone as cold and distant as the night around them. He didn't turn to look at her, his grip tightening even more."You're awake."
Raven's heart clenched at the sight of him, her jaw tightening. "I am…is something bothering you?" she asked carefully, already regretting the question.
"You did it again," he murmured, words sounding as if spoken across eons.
"What do you mean-"
"Your body tensed up, for no reason." He finally turned, and Raven's breath caught as she looked into his face—or, rather, she caught a glimpse of something out of a nightmare.
the void that should have been his eyes. Empty sockets, dark as the night sky and just as unfathomable, contrasted with his unnaturally ghastly skin. Despite herself, Raven's heart skipped a beat, her fingers itching to grab the hilt of her weapon.
Though she knew if she tried to fight, if she even tried to run, he would-
"Is all this caution necessary?" His voice cut through her thoughts, sharper than she expected. She almost felt he was challenging her—or asking if her fear of Salem was greater than she wanted to admit.
But she held her ground. "I'm cautious so the world doesn't see you as a threat," she said, voice sharper than she'd intended.
"It doesn't matter what they see," he replied, his tone dismissive. "My actions will be louder than their fears."
Her heart shifted in her chest "And you think your actions alone will bring change? That's not how the world works, Toneri. If you push too hard, you'll make things worse. The Grimm will only grow more rampant." She gestured to the surrounding woods, her voice lowering. "I don't think you realize the chaos that could follow."
His mouth twisted into a smile, a hint of bitter amusement. "More chaos? I've seen the fruits of this world's so-called peace. Another hundred years of the same existence? No." He shook his head, a low intensity in his voice. "I'll handle the Grimm—and Salem. Humanity doesn't need to fear such creatures any longer."
"She's immortal," Raven interjected. "You may have power, but Salem's survived centuries, through every blow thrown at her. You should know better than to underestimate her."
"That doesn't concern me. There are worse things than death. Besides, I've already faced my own eternity."
She swallowed, a creeping uncertainty taking hold. He spoke with a confidence that almost drew her in, but something in her gut still screamed to run. She'd seen this kind of arrogance before—this blind, consuming conviction.
"What about the innocent people who can't defend themselves against the Grimm if you push too hard?" Raven pointed out.
Toneri closed the distance between them, his steps purposeful and unwavering. "I've had my fill of your excuses," he stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You may be my guide here on this planet, but you'd be wise not to underestimate the scope at which I operate."
Raven's throat tightened as she listened to Toneri's words. A part of her wanted to believe him, to trust in his strength, and follow him blindly. But the other part, the rational part, couldn't shake off the nagging feeling of worry, unsure of how to proceed with someone who seemed so unmoved by the dangers lurking in their world. She couldn't help but feel a hint of fear creeping up inside her. His dismissal of her worries only fueled her frustration, but she couldn't deny the cold suspicion that lingered in the back of her mind. Toneri had always been one to act first and think later, she had seen that firsthand also.
Without waiting for a response, Toneri turned and began walking towards the thick shadows of the swamp. Raven couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over her as he vanished into the mist-laden greenery. "Where are you going?" She called out tentatively, tension lacing her voice.
"To clear my mind," came Toneri's distant reply.
His steps were purposeful as he turned to leave, heading for the dense shadows of the swamp. Raven watched, fists clenched, the urge to teleport to Anima and leave him behind clawing at her insides. She'd promised herself that if he became more trouble than he was worth, she'd cut her losses and escape, maybe even claim the relic to fight him herself.
And yet...she didn't move.
Her gaze remained on the fog swallowing his figure, the silhouette of a being who'd lived through ages of loneliness and suffering, his mind fractured from eons of solitude. He was powerful, enough to rival even Salem herself. Maybe, with guidance—however slight—he could be the weapon she needed.
But he was also dangerous, unpredictable. And every instinct told her that turning her back on him now would be a mistake.
Raven stood there, staring at the spot where he'd vanished, a bitter foreboding settling over her. Salem was as cunning as she was powerful; if she knew Raven was the Spring Maiden, it was only a matter of time before she came for her.
And if Toneri could help rid her of that threat—even just long enough for her to escape—then maybe she'd finally have the chance to live on her own terms. As twisted as it felt, her best option was to keep him close, to guide him just enough to make sure his strength stayed focused on the real enemy.
But as she turned and prepared to follow, a question echoed in her mind: When it came time to choose between her survival and his mission, would she even have a choice left to make?
The visage of blonde hair took her thoughts before a voice shook her out of her stupor.
"Well, well," Watts began with a smooth, condescending smile. "I was hoping we'd meet under slightly more…civilized circumstances, but I suppose one must work with what one has."
Raven tensed, recognizing the voice.
"Watts."
The swamp was an unforgiving remark, its shallow murk daring to unsettle his footing, rippling with almost eager anticipation around him. Toneri's form, sharp and otherworldly, seemed out of place amid twisted roots and stagnant water, his pale silhouette cutting through the swamp's shadowed depths.
His mind had been preoccupied by the clashing emotions against remaining patient, and being pragmatic. Still, he pressed forward with closed eyes, maintaining a composed, almost mocking facade, daring any lurking creature to test his patience.
It weighed on his mind heavily as it could decide how many things in the future would blossom before him, he was aware of Salem's might, however, Raven remained worried, mentions of human military and unknown technologies that in theory could be a problem but he was unsure of how much so.
It confounded him.
Swans gathered at the edge of a nearby lake, resting among the reeds, but one watchful bird sounded an alarm, scattering the flock into flight. He ignored them and made for the center of the body of water, unaffected and unafraid of the fog, he barely seemed to notice by contrast.
Blind since birth, he perceived things as they were in a pure sense, yet he knew he was only grasping at faint impressions. Objects blurred, their shapes distorting in his mind as he pieced together empty or abstract ideas to make up for his limited perception.
In chakra application it made things sterilely simple, in reality, it only made him seem more like a fool. it left him foolishly adrift, trying to build an understanding of a world he'd scarcely lived in. The difference between what he knew and what he had seen felt vast, humbling, and unfamiliar.
That difference paved the way for him to think for himself, to get used to being around people. To the idea he would always know something everyone else won't…
He dipped his hands into the swamp water, feeling it settle around his palm. Taking in a slow breath, he let his mind pressure surrounding him seemed to settle little by little.
'Naruto…what would you have done?'
The weight of the question settled, ripples broke against his feet as he thought, spreading out across the water's surface. The tiny ripples fractured and merged back together with the water.
'I don't understand how humans work…I don't understand how people work…'
His thoughts were allied with frustration as he extended a hand, sensing the water obeying him and flowing with a solemn grace that filled him with something like sorrow.
His voice echoed in his mind as he extended his hand, commanding the water to dance with his fingertips. A solemn grace filled him as he purified the murky liquid as it rose to his command, stirring away its impurities.
'I've seen the world yet in the void I can't…The rage I sought to have banished still rests within me…'
Frustration twisted his face as he fought against the rage that still burned within him, despite his efforts to suppress it, watching as the water beneath him rose further and swirled around him.
'Have I been wasting time? Is experiencing this world just an excuse…or is it my repentance?'
With a final release, he let the purified water cascade back into the lake, its ripples resonating with the rhythm of his own conflicted heart. He may have thought himself superior in power and knowledge, but now he couldn't help but feel small and insignificant in this vast world.
It made his divine blood boil. No larger than a bear and his pride over all things in the universe.
'Will I ever understand this home that has taken hold of me?'
As sudden as the thought occurred, the water exploded, not from his own will.
With immense pressure, the wave cascaded and gave way to an ancient reptilian-like Grimm, with a forest of razor-sharp spikes on its back and tusks dwarfing the surrounding trees on each side of her head above her mouth. It shot into the air with extraordinary speed as it crushed the part of the lake it had rushed out of. Stirring up the fog even more, it had become invisible moments after its sight was processed and heard.
It dwarfed the lake, not only in size but in height as well, he wondered for a second how it was capable of getting this close to him without being noticed, something this big had no reason to be in a lake. Its scales seemed to take on a mind of their own, moving in ways that shouldn't be possible, like an illusionary conduit.
He remained higher to avoid the jaws, his robe fluttering about with his hair.
A shadow appeared behind him as suddenly as it was abled with greater agility than the aquatic reptilian. Its maw, a treasure trove of fangs, tried to clamp shut around him only to find nothing as he stood on its snout, observing the serpentine form before another head lashed out at him. Jumping up, many other snakes appeared and tried to bite only to miss him.
One of the heads attempted to rush him instead of biting him, hitting him head-on and maneuvering his body down into the swamp water. The monstrous crocodile took that moment to try and leap at both of them, the water was upended and mud and roots flew out everywhere.
The fog masked most, if not all of the combined effort between the two giants, various animals all running away from the onslaught as the ambush by two apex Grimm.
'They knew where to attack, when to attack, so as to not get in the other's way…It's like before.'
The amphibian reptile made another jump before noticing its target was nowhere to be seen, its eyes dotting around before catching a glimpse of a bright light in the fog before a blur appeared.
Toneri placed his hand outward, upon the tooth of the Grimm, he concentrated his chakra and let a powerful gust of wind flow outward from it. Into a sort of slice.
Slicing through the tooth, the jaw, and head of the crocodilian, and taking multiple heads of the snake with it. The heads began regenerating rapidly as they tried to strike him, however as quickly as his scent appeared it had vanished to the ophidians.
He flared his hand and suddenly a tornado appeared, the spiral of wind made the snakes come apart from their body, and as the king lost its legs, he went forward.
The last thing the snake would see was a mirage of white as it was sliced to ribbons in moments, its ashes dissipating into the stubborn mist, along with its ally who had found a similar end.
Several more trees fell as he dissipated his tornado, landing on the swamp floor as the mud swooshed and found solid confidence.
'As I thought, not enough-'
A vine wrapped around his feet suddenly.
'How did I not sense-'
The vines suddenly pulled him down and below the settling waves as he was squished against the swamp floor. As he did, many piranhas attempted to attack his form, others tried to scrape their bony spines against him.
With a growl of annoyance, he swept away the school of Grimm fish, the vines reaching for his feet again, this time as they made contact they burst into flames and quickly spread to the source.
Behind one of the trees was a being composed of old weathered bark and roots, with glowing eyes and what seemed to be a stone embedded in its head. It held skeletal features such as a hole where its nose should be, and a smooth head dotted with withered plant life. He wondered if this was what was organizing the Grimm, as it was akin to a human skeleton mixed with an old wise tree.
He swiftly shot for it, when he got right in front of it, it attempted to bite at him, but with the call of the wind, he chopped it into pieces, and then promptly burnt it on the spot.
With annoyance, he surveyed his surroundings.
He allowed his feet to remain on the ground, taking in his surroundings clearly to make sure there wasn't any more Grimm prowling around. The scent of burning foliage was in his senses, and as the fire dulled with his stay, the smell of dead flowers made itself known to him.
He held in his satisfied sigh, as it broke into an inadequate glare.
Even the Grimm realized patience was key.
'Am I still so arrogant as to not find the value in patience? Even after all this time?'
Raven always told him to never underestimate the creatures of Grimm, and despite that he let his emotions cloud him, despite also knowing the Grimm fed off of those emotions.
If so, it would require more than just a brutish will to remain whole, he must look deeper than before, much deeper than ten thousand years of waiting.
He had to find more patience, to just wait it out a little while longer.
"Toneri."
He stopped suddenly like the air itself shifted in such a way even an ant would take notice.
He turned around, motioning his body as if it were a puppet by his design.
'Grandmother?'
The voice was faint, a whisper carried on the mist. His body moved instinctively, spinning to face the source. For a heartbeat, he thought he saw her—long, flowing hair sharp as blades, glowing eyes like moons in a dark sky, and nails that scraped across the fabric of his mind. With the mix of dead flowers and abundant wildlife mixing with the ashes of the defeated grimm.
But as quickly as she appeared, she had disappeared.
His mind reeled. 'An Otsutsuki? Impossible… I would sense their chakra.' The thought clawed at him, pulling him deeper into unease.
'Have I gone mad…or is this that Salem Raven held the mention of, but that didn't seem like it so…how would she possibly know of grandmother? Who has been sealed as I was?'
…
He took a shaky breath, steadying himself. The tree in front of him seemed so massive, as huge as the monsters that had once been attacking him. He expanded his senses to specifically seek out the minions of Salem herself.
He could not meditate, not in a place like this. This land was maelstrom incarnate, but it held a hint of its beauty. It expanded and made itself known as he reflected yet again, on his role, his actions, and his emotions.
As such, it became unnecessary, and more so yet, illogical.
With a final glance at the fog, Toneri stepped forward, leaving the apparition as he searched himself.
For he, as what he was, had never felt so small since over ten thousand years ago...
And thats that! I hope yall enjoyed that! I hope that made sense cuz im tired right now and about to go to sleep. Sorry if it feels rushed in any way and feel free to point out anything odd!
I wasn't sure on how to start the conflict and i still feel bits of it is rushed but for what its worth i think this came out better than worse in my opinion. This would of come out friday night but then Tyson vs Paul happened and i hanged out for that night.
Then football happened.
Then bowser vs eggman happened and i nearly forgot about this! But i still pulled through i think, i'll def revise this when i get the chance.
I'd gush about anime and movies but honestly…
Im tired, and im going to bed, good night yall and thank you for reading this story! Have a blessed rest of your day or night!