(A/N): Original idea for a room occupant. The events that take place didn't happen in the Manga.

Also, I forgot to mention that Naruto is wearing the tatered clothes he had on during the Forth Great Shinobi War. Except I made him bare foot. It'll just be easier for me later.

Chapter 3: Am I Dreaming of Peace?

The black door slammed shut behind them with a hollow echo.

Naruto's breath caught in his throat. His grip around Alice's wrist loosened as the danger—at least for the moment—faded. The room they entered felt… different. The silence that followed was deafening, almost reverent. But before he could even process what he was seeing, a flare of searing pain ignited in his stomach.

He gritted his teeth, dropping to one knee as he clutched his abdomen. His hand trembled as he lifted his shirt. What he saw made his blood run cold.

The rot had spread.

The once-contained swirl of black markings on his stomach had warped. Now, it looked like someone had branded him—raw, angry streaks of corruption bled into the previous designs. It was jagged, burned-looking, and unmistakably alive. The edges pulsed faintly, like it was breathing through his skin.

"…Damn it," he hissed.

'That thing… that massive bastard with the sword… I wouldn't have made it.'

He pressed his palm against the wound, ignoring the sting. His breathing slowed, but only slightly.

Was that what Serpent meant by 'wishes'? That guy had power… too much of it. He used to be a normal man, probably weaker than most, now he's cleaving buildings in half with a blade of flame. Just how far can these 'wishes' go?

His mind raced with possibilities, and none of them ended well.

'If every room has someone like that… then we're gonna die here.'

'I really might die here!'

His body shook.

He felt it rooted deep in his chest now.

Fear

It clawed his insides raw. Ripped the breath from his lungs. Took the unrelenting strength from his limbs.

He truly felt fear for the first time in a long while.

Not just for himself, but for Alice. If he wasn't fast or strong enough when it counted, he wouldn't be the only one to pay the price.

He only had his negative emotion sensing. Without chakra, he needed to stay on his toes. He needed to reassure himself in his strength. That even without all his abilities, he was still stronger - faster! - than most shinobi.

He hadn't even noticed the water soaking through his pants yet. The floor of this new space was entirely submerged in shallow, ankle-deep water, but he didn't care. His thoughts were with the mark, the rot, and the uncertain future that came with it.

That was when he felt it—a hand on his back.

Warm. Gentle. He turned and met Alice's eyes.

Her usual calm smile hadn't left her face, but something in it softened. Her hand moved in slow circles along his back, rubbing lightly, as if trying to soothe not just the pain, but the fear beneath it.

"You okay?" she asked quietly, her voice as serene as the room itself.

Naruto offered a small nod, though the pain still throbbed. Then, he noticed her hand. The wrapping he'd applied earlier was gone. His eyes widened.

"Alice… your hand…"

She followed his gaze, lifting it for them both to see.

The rot had spread on her too.

The strawberries—those grotesque little growths—were no longer just tiny. They were pulsing, bleeding red, as if trying to mimic life. The back of her hand was charred, blackened as if branded like his, and hissing faintly like flesh fresh from fire.

"I didn't notice," she murmured. "Heehee."

Naruto scowled. "Don't laugh! That's not something to giggle about, damn it!"

She blinked at him, surprised. But the smile remained. "It doesn't hurt as much as yours, I think."

"That doesn't mean you ignore it!" He reached into his satchel again and pulled out fresh gauze. "Here, give it."

She obediently held her hand out, watching him work.

"…You know it won't help," she said.

"I know," he replied through clenched teeth, "but doing nothing feels worse."

Alice tilted her head, observing him. "You care a lot for someone you've only just met."

He tied off the bandage with a grumble. "It's just common sense. You help people when they're hurt."

Alice didn't respond. She simply stared at him with that same tiny, curious smile.

"You're weird," he muttered.

"You're wet," she countered with a giggle.

He blinked and looked down, finally realizing he'd been kneeling in ankle-deep water this whole time.

"Tch. Great." He stood up, uselessly brushing himself off.

"Heeheehee," she laughed again, a quiet bell-like sound that echoed softly in the empty space.

Naruto shook his head and looked around, finally letting himself take in the environment properly.

It was… stunning.

The world around them shimmered in hues of gold and starlight. Giant, ethereal trees loomed across the endless expanse, their trunks and leaves transparent, like illusions made of spun glass and sunlight. Above them hung a universe of stars and swirling galaxies, shining down with a warm, gentle glow.

There was no land. Just the water. An endless plane of reflective glass that stretched beyond the horizon.

"…This place…" Naruto murmured.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Alice hummed beside him, her hands clasped behind her back. She was already walking forward, humming a tune to herself.

Naruto followed her, boots softly splashing with every step.

It was peaceful.

Too peaceful.

Feels like… I'm being forced to relax, Naruto thought. Like someone's pushing the calm onto me. Like it's not mine… but something else's. Like a genjutsu, almost.

But there was no illusion jutsu here. Not that he could sense.

It made him uneasy.

The silence continued, broken only by Alice's tune. Then, in the distance, they saw her.

A figure.

Too far to see clearly, but undeniably humanoid. Female, from the silhouette.

Naruto paused, eyes narrowing.

He debated with himself. Do we approach? Or look for the next door? Could be another one of those crazy 'guests.'

Before he could make a decision, Alice suddenly bolted forward, her voice playful and melodic.

"Race you! Last one there's a lazy butterfly~!"

"Wha—Hey!"

He broke into a run after her. Despite himself, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Idiot," he muttered fondly.

He caught up easily, scooping her into a princess carry without breaking stride.

"Wha—!" she blinked in surprise.

"Don't move so far from me, dummy," Naruto said. "You wanna get sliced in half next time?"

"Heeheehee," Alice giggled, kicking her feet playfully. "You're fast."

"Damn right I am."

She clung to his neck lightly, resting her head against his shoulder as he carried her across the water.

"…So, how old are you, anyway?" he asked as he jogged. "You look… what, twelve?"

She hummed. "Mmm. Maybe."

"You don't know?"

"Lost count." She drew circles on his chest.

Naruto frowned. "Parents?"

"No more."

He winced. "Oh. Sorry."

"It's okay. I didn't like them very much."

Naruto didn't know how to respond to that.

"…Why are you here?" he asked after a pause.

She looked up at him. "I have a fondness for books."

Her smile never wavered, but Naruto felt a chill.

There was something in her eyes. A sharpness. A hunger.

He said nothing.

The figure came into clearer view. A woman, sitting in a black wooden chair, hands folded in her lap.

Her hair floated upward, oscillating like flowing lava, glittering with starlight. It looked like a galaxy. Her eyes were pitch black and unreadable. She wore a black gown that absorbed all light, making the space around her appear dim.

Naruto slowed to a stop and set Alice down gently.

He didn't move forward. Something about the woman set off every warning bell in his head.

Alice, of course, had no such reservations.

"Hello~!" she called out.

Naruto flinched. "Alice—!"

The woman turned.

Her heart-shaped face split into a serene smile. But her mouth didn't move.

Her voice came anyway, not through air but through their minds.

"Welcome."

Alice beamed. "That's Naruto," she said, pointing. "And I'm Alice!"

Naruto sighed. Guess there's no going back now.

The woman nodded.

"I am Serenity."

A beat passed. Then, she tilted her head.

"Do you like the view?"

Naruto blinked. "It's… yeah. It's beautiful."

Serenity smiled wider.

"I made this world with my imagination. It is fueled by my deepest desire."

She looked up at the starlit sky.

"I only wanted to experience peace. The beauty of the stars… the calm of nothingness."

Naruto's chest clenched. 'Like the Infinite Tsukuyomi,' he thought. 'Only… she chose this. She didn't get trapped. She wanted it.'

Alice narrowed her eyes.

Her smile dimmed, lips pressing into a thin line.

"That's… sad," she said.

Serenity blinked.

Alice stepped forward. "You're living in a fake dream. You locked yourself in it. That's not peace. That's running away."

Naruto opened his mouth to stop her, but it was too late.

Serenity's expression flickered.

"…Foolish… cowardly…"

The room cracked.

The golden trees shattered like glass. The stars fell. The world crumbled around them.

Screams echoed.

Faces—bloated, grotesque—rose from the water. They laughed. They cried.

"You'll never be good enough!"

"Why can't you be normal?!"

"Useless, useless, useless!"

Serenity clutched her head, eyes wide with horror. "No—no, I'm free—I'm free now!"

Naruto reached out, but she screamed and shoved him away.

"Leave! Go away! This is my world! I'm safe here!"

Alice stood still, watching. Her smile was still there, but it was tinged with something else.

Resignation.

"…Caged butterfly," she whispered.

Naruto turned. "What?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Come on."

A black door had risen from the water ahead—labeled 427.

Naruto hesitated, looking back at Serenity, who now sat hunched, the number 428 burned into her neck like a collar.

Blood dripped down the giant screaming faces along the walls of the large space. Their interaction with the woman was short. Serenity had broken down at the slightest questioning of her character. He had only seen two occupants of the Manor, not counting Alice, and yet...

He was seeing a pattern.

They both were ruled by memories of their lives outside. They thought themselves better off here. Naruto acknowledged that while the Manor did indeed give them precisely what they wanted, it seemed that what they wanted only served to torment them endlessly.

He believed he was starting to understand. This place...

Must be some kind of Hell.

He followed Alice in silence. Ignoring the screeching disembodied heads.

"…You okay?" he asked softly.

She looked up at him. "I'm glad you're not like them. Wasting away."

He blinked. "Thanks… I guess?"

Her smile was gentle. "Heehee."

As they passed through the door, Serenity wept into her hands.

"If I'm a caged butterfly… then the outside world must be a wilderness of thorns… waiting to tear off my wings."

And the door vanished.

[End of Chapter 3]

(A/N): This is filler, but this chapter contains some important cues to Alice's true nature for those who haven't read Bibliomania.

:)