582Naruto sat up and looked around.
Where the fuck am I?
He was in some sort of metal room with strange debris all around on the ground. But although it didn't look like he had been sleeping very comfortably, there were no signs to show that he was a prisoner of any sort.
But the real mystery was of how he ended up in the room in the first place.
Last he remembered he was in Konoha. He had been trying to iron out the details for some sort of official festival to celebrate the historic ending of hostilities between the five Great Hidden Villages. It was reaching the tenth anniversary of the Five Kage Summit, and although Naruto had promised the other leaders to organize something some years back… he still hadn't gotten around to it.
Organizing a global event like a festival actually took quite a bit of work, as the young Kage soon found out. To coordinate anything, he had to send out messenger pigeons to each of the other kage and then wait for the reply, before trying to put together and work out some kind of compromise or mutual beneficial deal. And although the pigeons were specially bred to fly extremely fast, it was still a relatively slow process.
It didn't help matters that the now retired Godaime had taken it upon herself to coop herself in the Hokage Office in order to watch his progress. She had never really been accustomed to the position and the work it entailed, and so took great pleasure in watching her successor struggle in turn.
So it was no surprise that the frustrated Hokage had to turn to stress relief methods. And the Godaime, being the medical expert that she was, offered one whose effectiveness she could personally attest to.
That is, drinking till you can't see straight.
Which was obviously what had happened and now he was simply waking up in a strange place. It happened to a lot of people when they get wasted.
Right?
Right?!
All that business about being captured and Gaara and B's deaths were all a massive nightmare. It had to be. No way that it could be true. It was all too unbelievable and far-fetched.
With this resolution in mind, Naruto shakily got up off the ground.
He grumbled as he brushed the dirt off his clothes.
You'd have thought somebody would have taken care of the village leader when he's drunk out of his skull. But noooooo… you have to let him wander around to who-knows-where.
He felt extremely shaky on his feet, which he attributed to being so drunk the night before. He considered using the tree walking exercise to stop himself from any embarrassing falls (if the so-called greatest warrior in the village can't even walk properly, it says a lot about the strength of it, doesn't it?), but his chakra felt sluggish for some reason. Having never drunk so much alcohol in one sitting before, Naruto attributed it to it being a natural side effect.
However, despite how uncomfortable he felt with his body, Naruto's head felt clear as a bell. He didn't have a headache, any nausea, lethargy, thirst or oversensitivity. He simply didn't have a hangover.
Well, I might as well find out where the hell I am, thought Naruto grumpily as he moved to the door.
Upon opening the door, the first thing that Naruto did was recoil in shock. The noise and smell blasted onto his unprepared senses like heat from a blast furnace.
Immediately, he drew back and slammed the door closed. He brought neck of his robes up over his nose and tried to breath slowly to avoid passing out. The smell of oil and dirty metal in the air outside was almost like a physical blow; that was how unused to it he was. Also, the noise was incredible. Screeching, clanging, thousands of chattering voices- it was truly a cacophony he could do without.
But that posed the question of where the bloody hell he was. Naruto had travelled all over the shinobi continent- and there was nowhere he had witnessed in his journeys that even barely resembled what he had just seen- least of all existing within walking distance of Konoha.
He lifted a hand to try and wipe away the sweat that had inexplicably appeared on his brow.
But surprisingly, he felt cloth on his forehead where he should have felt the skin of his hand.
"Eh?" he said aloud.
The Hokage robes had been specially tailored to fit him before his coronation. There shouldn't be any excess material. So… why?
With a sudden suspicion whipping up in his heart, Naruto darted over to a slab of metal that was lying against the wall. It was hard to tell what it once was, but all that Naruto cared about was that it was reflective.
Hurriedly, Naruto wiped away the grime and dirt from the surface and stared at his reflection.
He squinted at the distorted mirror image, trying desperately to make out what he looked like. Finally, he managed to make some sense of the twisted image on the shiny metal. He rocked back on his heels, mind reeling.
So, I take it you've noticed? came a deep voice inside his head.
Naruto almost jumped up the wall when the unexpected voice resonated inside his skull. His first instinct was to assume it was the Kyuubi, but upon reflection, it was not the Nine-tailed Fox's distinctive bass timbre. Instead, it sounded strangely more similar to a human's expressive tones. Yet… there was also a dissonant aspect of power that rang even more stridently than the Kyuubi's.
But before Naruto could ponder this much longer, he was abruptly pulled from consciousness and into the dark recesses of his mind.
Naruto hissed in annoyance as he picked himself off of the ground, stagnant water dripping off his soiled Hokage robes.
He looked around in distaste at the sewer-like location that he was currently in.
My mind is a dump, he thought sourly.
Deciding to get the most difficult part of the situation over with as soon as possible, Naruto started to make his way over to the Kyuubi's cage, wading through the calf-high liquid with little difficulty.
However, upon coming across the huge metal gates, Naruto raised an eyebrow when he noticed that they were standing open, as if they had been struck with some huge force from the inside.
Naruto made an annoyed expression and gingerly stepped over the threshold. Although he had managed to get some control over the seal, and, subsequently, the Kyuubi, it still made him nervous when he had to cross over to the bijuu's own domain. He tentatively raised his fist to knock on the gates, but then thought better of it.
Empowering them with chakra, Naruto confidently slammed his clenched fingers onto the beaten iron of the seal.
"Oi! You in there, you fuzzy bastard?" he yelled as loud as he could.
But instead of the response he expected, or even silence, Naruto instead received an answer from the same voice he had heard before.
"He's not in here, Uzumaki-san. But I am. Come and talk to me. We have much to discuss. Come deeper."
Naruto didn't really feel safe with going deeper into the seal, but he decided that he didn't really have much to lose, and he really needed answers.
"Okay, Weird Voice. I'm coming. But it's kinda dark. Where exactly do I go? I don't want to bump into a wall and crack my head open," he called out.
Out of the darkness came a chuckle. Somehow, that strange, inhuman voice did not really seem suited to sounds of humour.
"Just keep on walking. I assure you, there are no walls or hazards. Soon, you will come upon me."
Naruto sighed and did as the voice told.
I hope it's not much further. Walking through water is a pain in the ass.
Finally, after a couple long minutes of walking through the darkness, Naruto made it to a place that was very different from what he had come to expect from his mind.
It was an extreme contrast from the dank, dark sewer that he was used to. It was a bright serene place that radiated serenity and tranquility.
However, there was no transition between the two- Naruto had just been walking, and then he instantly found himself in the new location.
One moment he was walking through the smelly sewer water in a nearly lightless tunnel, and the next, he was walking out in the open air.
He thought it was strange for a few seconds, before abruptly forgetting about it as he was swept away by the sheer beauty of the scenery.
He was standing on the grassy verge of a cliff. It was obviously extremely high up, as there were a few wispy strands of cloud around eye level, ringing the huge mountains that stretched across this secluded place. Sparse greenery dotted the mountainsides, weaving a delicate tapestry of colour on the expressive, wrinkled grey canvas of rock.
The bluff jutted out over a drop of thousands of kilometres, and a sharp chill wind ruffled Naruto's hair. There was very little on the ledge- nothing to detract from the rough natural beauty that it exuded.
Only a few mossy boulders broke the uneven spread of mountain grass. Other than that, the only other feature was the single proud tree that stood at the very edge of the precipice. It had very unusually coloured leaves- they were a sort of mix between green and orange, as if the tree was stuck between the fiery brilliance of autumn and the fresh, pure poise of spring.
Naruto stopped moving, and took the moment to soak in the view and the atmosphere that the place produced. He was afraid to move a muscle, as if doing so would disturb the peace and shatter the flawless scene.
"Hello Naruto. Come closer and sit with me," came a voice.
It was the same one that had called for him to go over- however, it was lacking the echoing feeling of power that had resonated inside his head.
Naruto turned, startled at the sudden noise. He hadn't sensed anyone when he first arrived, and being the Hokage, his spatial awareness was top-notch, even compared with professional ANBU assassins.
On a flat rock to his right, an old man sat. He had long, white, flowing hair, which drifted behind him in the wind. His beard and moustache was equally lengthy, and it was difficult to tell where his hair started and his facial hair began. He was wearing very plain, very faded robes with no adornments. Perched as he was on the rock- cross-legged- he seemed to be as part of the environment as the ground itself.
He didn't move an inch, and only the fact that he was the only logical source for the speech allowed Naruto to pinpoint where to go.
Tentatively, Naruto walked to where the man was sitting. He noticed that a monk's ringed staff- a shakujō- was lying in the long grass at his feet. It looked worn and well used, although slightly neglected. The grass was growing around it, and a layer of dew covered the old wood.
Stepping over it, Naruto gingerly lowered himself to sit on the ground at the man's feet.
Usually, he would have said something to get the man's attention (probably not something terribly polite, either), but he couldn't bring himself to interrupt such a tranquil peace. So he took the time to inspect the man a little more.
The man had his eyes closed, and was obviously meditating. His fingers were folded in a way that resembled Naruto's own favoured nature chakra gathering position. The wrinkled brow was furrowed in concentration, but Naruto couldn't help but notice the strange sigil on the man's forehead. It was a circle, with a crescent marked clearly on it, resembling a crude depiction of the moon more than anything else. But the tattoo-like image also had small lines radiating outwards from the circumference, like the rays of the sun.
Naruto would have examined the curious little symbol even more, but then the man opened his eyes, and Naruto was presented with a shock and reminder of things better left forgotten.
The distinctive ringed eyes brought back a lot of memories for Naruto. It represented a friend; a kindred spirit- something that displayed the bond that they shared. But it also represented corruption and evil; a reminder of how badly things can go wrong.
"The Rinnegan," he murmured softly.
The man looked at him with an unreadable expression, the lilac-tinged irises hiding a wealth of wisdom and experience.
"Aye," he said, equally softly, "This pair of eyes are those; the Eyes of Samsara."
After this, he fell silent for a few seconds before turning to face away from Naruto, instead looking at the rugged beauty of the landscape in front of him.
"Tell me, Naruto Uzumaki," he said abruptly, without turning around, "What do you regret, in your life?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. This was not the sort of question he had expected to hear from someone in his mind. He had expected answers, not to be asked seemingly inane questions that were unrelated to the issue at hand. But something inside of him, the deepest primal instincts that had been socially repressed through human civilization, warned him not to antagonize the man in front of him- to instead humour his request.
"… regret? Nothing really. I've achieved my dream, and everything's going well…" Naruto replied haltingly.
Upon hearing this, the man turned around, revealing a sad smile, a single brilliant tear sliding down his cheek.
"Now what if I told you that your world no longer exists? Your village, your people, your friends, your position of Hokage- none of it matters anymore. They're gone. Wiped away without a trace. Not even records in history are left. Nothing… do you still hold no regrets?"
Naruto felt his body go numb. He struggled to comprehend what the man was saying… but he simply couldn't accept the words. It must all be some kind of sick joke, right? Some way of testing his resolve. It's all just a hypothetical situation!
Nothing like the end of the world could happen without him knowing…
Without warning, a memory slipped through his mind. It wasn't concrete enough for Naruto to pinpoint what it was, and it was much too ephemeral for anything to be gleaned from it except the imprint of vivid, burning, irrepressible emotions.
Naruto hissed and clutched at his head. He could feel another memory struggling to come to the surface. On one hand, he was curious. However, this curiosity was far outweighed by the fear and anticipation of what the memory contained.
Meanwhile, the old man continued his monologue, once again turning away from Naruto. It was unclear whether he was explaining it for Naruto's benefit, or his own.
"I am the creature that created the world upon which you lived- a creature you called the Juubi. I'm sure you know my connection to your own former bijuu. However, I cared not for your petty world. I created it, but it held no more significance for me then a sand castle holds for a three-year old infant at the beach. It was merely an experiment for my ability. I do not, or did not, possess these emotions that you humans utilize with such potency."
He turned around again to gauge Naruto's expression. Upon seeing nothing but a frozen mask of disbelief, he shrugged and continued.
"I destroyed the place. I absorbed it into my very being, reclaiming the energy which had een used to create it. In hindsight, this was a mistake. I absorbed everything, assimilating it into myself."
He paused and then asked another seemingly unrelated question.
"Do you know how many emotions humans use in a single hour? It is countless. Everything you do, everything you see, everything your mind touches upon, brings an emotion out to play. And then there are various degrees to which these emotions are invoked. Now consider how many humans have ever existed.
I had never taken these things into account when I created your race. And then suddenly, all these emotions pour into my soul! I have never felt anything like it! They changed me… they showed me what I had done."
The old man looked wistful for a second before clenching his fist and grabbing Naruto's collar and pulling him close.
"You see this place? This wonderful place? It was a place in Lightning Country; a local secret treasured by the population. I destroyed it. It's gone. All that remains is this fleeting memory inside you…
Regret. That's what I feel."
Pulling on Naruto's collar, the old man brought him to the edge of the cliff and forced him to look down.
But instead of the dizzying drop that Naruto expected to see, there was instead in front of his eyes, a strange sight that was difficult to accurately put into words. It was a lightless oblivion for as far as the eye could see, but beyond that, if one continued to stare at an area for long enough, one could see countless shining lights, each smaller than a particle of dust, but together, totaling more than the stars in the sky.
"Each of those lights represents something that I destroyed," said the Juubi through gritted teeth, "Each one is a loved one, or a treasured possession, or a well-used tool; each insignificant grain of rice, each pompous dignitary, each iota of chakra used in jutsu. I destroyed them all. Can you imagine the regret I feel for snuffing out those precious lights?"
Naruto closed his eyes. Staring for too long at such inconceivable sights would break his mind.
"What do you want from me?" he asked, tiredly.
The scope and scale that the Juubi was talking about was out of his league. All he could think about was the things he had lost personally. And just those were enough to make him a very sad person.
"You are a strange person, Naruto Uzumaki. You were the amplifier for those human emotions; you were the conduit that forced the change in me. You embody the extremes of human nature. A very strange individual, you are."
The Juubi stoked his beard with a mischievous light in his eyes. The previous somber tone of the conversation seemed to disappear completely.
"Do you know who this body belonged to? These eyes? They belonged to the man who you humans came to call the Sage of Six Paths. He was the only human who managed to arouse my interest. His passion, his determination, his power… they fascinated me, who knew nothing of how humans operate. None other among the human race come close to interesting me… save for you."
The Juubi revealed a predatory smile full of teeth as he said this, although his eyes remained somewhat friendly.
"I dislike having regrets. This feeling of dissatisfaction. This feeling of unfinished business. It… annoys me. So I have decided that this world which I created; this world which I took away… I need it to live on. Obviously, I am not the one who can be trusted to carry on the true legacy of the world, so I have chosen you. You must represent your world on one completely different. Congratulations, Naruto Uzumaki, final remnant of the shinobi."
Naruto stared in shock.
"W-w-what do you mean? 'Final remnant'? What kind of bullshit is this? Just let me rest alongside my friends!" he yelled in frustration.
The Juubi only looked at him with pity.
"But… you are with your friends. Can't you feel them? Inside that mass of lights, your friends exist, inside you. In fact, here, let me help you see."
With a wave of hands, a number of lights lifted themselves out of the abyss and coalesced in front of the pair, beginning to form into familiar shapes. Friends, family, rivals, mentors. They slowly began to come into being in front of Naruto's disbelieving eyes. He could see Konohamaru Sarutobi standing next to Gaara of the Sands and Minato Namikaze. He could see Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Even people like Inari and Tsunami from Wave Country were there.
And all these people crowding the small ledge were smiling and waving, showing their support for Naruto. Their mouths were moving, yet no sound was coming out. It was obvious what they were trying to say, but the lack of sound was still a harsh reminder about the reality of their deaths.
Naruto gave a bittersweet smile, tears pricking at his eyes as he raised a hand to touch his mother's cheek. She smiled in return, and brought her hand up to cup his own. However, neither of them could truly touch the other, a harsh reminder of their present situation.
But, giving a wink, Kushina majestically dispersed back into golden particles of light. As if this were some sort of signal, the rest of the crowd also started to disappear, giving final words (not that they could be heard) and waves to see off their friend.
And when the last of them had finally gone, Naruto wiped the free-flowing tears from his cheek and turned to the Juubi once more.
"If… if you are so powerful… if you can bring me back to life… and place the entire world inside me… why can't you just make everything back to the way it once was? Why go through me?" he asked in a voice choked with emotion.
The Juubi shrugged.
"Although I am close to it, I am not all-powerful. And the main problem is, I cannot trespass in the territory of the other gods. I may have created you all out of my own energy, but you still have to follow the divine laws. Once you die, you are officially in the power of the Shinigami. I cannot bring an entire world out of the Death God's reach. However, because you, Naruto, were not quite dead when it happened, I managed to restore you to life before you fully became the Shinigami's property. And then, by sealing myself, and by proxy, the rest of the world into you, I postponed the Shinigami's claim on your fellow humans and my world."
The Juubi looked inordinately pleased as he explained his actions.
However, Naruto could care less about the method.
"Will I be able to talk to my precious people again? If they're just inside of me like the Kyuubi was…" he said, leaving the rest of the sentence hanging.
But the Juubi was already shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, but the fact is, unlike the Kyuubi, your friends are dead. But… that doesn't mean you won't be able to further your relationships with them."
Naruto looked at the Juubi with confusion, but the Ten-Tails refused to elaborate, instead saying something like 'You'll find out in due time'.
Naruto sighed.
I can't believe this is happening to me, he thought.
He turned to leave, but then a thought occurred to him, something he noticed in the makeshift mirror out in the real world.
"Hey, Juubi," he said.
"Yes?" came the laconic reply.
"Why do I look so young?"
The Juubi grimaced.
"Well…" he said defensively, "I haven't done anything like reincarnation before, so I chose a period of time where you were beginning your ascent into your peak. Your body is about… fifteen? Yeah, something like that."
Naruto made a face, remembering some of the more… exciting events that had happened when he was fifteen, before nodding at the Juubi once more, obviously signaling his intent to leave.
"…oh, yeah… I guess I should tell you that although you are, technically, the same physically as when you were fifteen, you've lost all traces of having the Kyuubi or receiving shinobi training. Sorry, but I couldn't find a way to bring them back, haha."
Naruto just threw the sheepish Juubi a look and then left his mind in a swirl of fire, a throwback to his Hokage days.
"Man… I have a feeling this whole thing is going to be bloody annoying."
Naruto gave a tired sigh as he took stock of his resources. Apart from his overly-long Hokage robes, he had the standard amount of shinobi weapons and tools that he made sure to keep on his person at all times. One does not last long in the shinobi world by being unprepared.
But apart from the meagre amount of food pills that he had sealed away, Naruto didn't have any food. He also didn't have any money… if this new world even used ryou.
Speaking of which…
Hey, Juubi, Naruto called in his mind.
What, brat? came the immediate answer.
Naruto blinked at the sudden change in address.
What happened to 'Naruto'?
Oh, sorry. I'm being influenced by the Kyuubi. He always referred to you as 'brat', even in his own head.
Right, cool… anyway… what type of world am I in, anyway?
Oh… I, uh… don't quite know-
Whaaaaaaat?!
Don't worry, don't worry. I made sure to pick one that was somewhat similar to mine, but I don't really know the type of rules the other gods like to bind their worlds with. If you're worried about fitting in, then your appearance shouldn't be any problem. Rather, you should try and match your behaviour to the locals as soon as possible.
Feh… got it. Thanks.
Anytime. Remember, I want you to succeed as well… it's my legacy, after all.
Mmm…
Naruto stood up and stretched.
First things first, he thought, I need to secure lodgings and see if I can get a source of food and income.
He made to walk out the door, before he tripped over the overly-long robes.
Normally, even if he tripped (which he wouldn't have, usually, because he was a flippin' ninja), his reflexes and balance would have been developed enough to bring him back onto his feet without even needing a support to hold onto. But without the results of his training, he was just another fifteen year old, albeit an extremely fit one.
So he landed flat on his nose.
After nursing his bruised nose (luckily, the Juubi had chimed in with the fact that it could fill the Kyuubi's former role as a glorified portable medic-nin), Naruto had to address the issue of his clothing.
Although it was true that he was wearing his Hokage robes, it was just an outer garment. Most kage, when wearing the ceremonial dress, also donned their usual battle attire underneath. Again, it must be reiterated that one does not become a kage by being trusting and unprepared.
However, even underneath, his special jounin-modified jumpsuit (in dashing colours of black and orange) was much too large for him and it was a wonder that it hadn't fallen off of him yet.
He shrugged off the constricting Hokage robes and stared at the mirror again, trying to see how he could modify his clothing to not make them hinder his movement. The shirt might fit if he hacked off the remaining material, but the pants were more difficult to sort out. While he did indeed have a belt, it didn't have the appropriate holes to tighten to his new waistline.
He sighed.
So troublesome, he thought, remembering one of his Jounin Commander's favourite phrases.
Just thinking about Shikamaru almost made him tear up, but he forced himself to keep calm, telling himself that his friend would want him to stay strong and keep moving forward.
Mainly because the lazy bum didn't want to do it himself, the asshole.
… excuse me, but are you looking for clothing? came the voice of the Juubi.
Yeah, why? Naruto replied.
I can help, I think.
Really?
Aye.
Suddenly, Naruto felt a heat spread through his belly button. It wasn't particularly unpleasant or painful, but it was still unexpected. He hissed and made a face.
But as fast as it had appeared, the heat vanished just as swiftly.
Done.
Naruto rushed towards the 'mirror' again and looked in it.
Nice! he complemented.
He was now wearing a modified ANBU captain's uniform, complete with fox mask. Naruto was intensely familiar with this particular set of clothes, having completed a couple terms of ANBU service under Tsunade. The fox mask had been some sort of ironic joke that she had played, but Naruto didn't mind. He wasn't really ashamed of his jinchuuriki status. He didn't really like to broadcast it, but if someone found out, he didn't try to hide it, either.
The clothing itself was smaller than when he had been in the force, but that was to be expected, given his now smaller frame. Other than the size, the equipment and clothing were identical to his previous set, even down to the minute scratches and signs of wear that he had put there himself.
Wow, this is really good, Juubi. How'd ya do it? he asked excitedly.
Being reunited with what seemed like an old friend in such an unfamiliar world with no other constants was a real comfort to him.
Mmm… well, inside of me, I have the imprints of several million ANBU uniforms. Actually, I didn't even need all of them. I had yours. It was a simple task to create a construct outside of your body. I just needed to use the Sage's 'Banbutsu Souzou' (Creation of All Things) with the image of your uniform and it's that easy.
Seriously? How much can you do, anyway? You say you're 'sealed', but you still do all this stuff…
Remember how Shukaku-kun could control his sand from inside Gaara-san's body? It's the same with me. I'm just exerting my power as a bijuu, using your own chakra coils as a conduit. Also, I have access to every single jutsu ever created, as well as every artefact. There's very little I can't do.
…Why do you need me again?
Ha ha. Well, I don't really understand what to do with all this power anyway. My own authority and power as the Juubi would be enough to do everything I wished to. Instead, by using you as my avatar to give the shinobi world one last expression of self, it's much more fun.
About that… what am I supposed to do, exactly? 'One last expression of self'? The fuck?
Hmm… I'm not quite sure about that myself. It seemed like a good idea when I brought you back… but now… anyways, just do whatever you want. I'll slowly allow the 'legacy' to spread through you.
You want me to spread the shinobi arts?
Hell no! This is not my world! Why would I grace some rotten god's world with my own splendid creations? No… Naruto, just make a lasting impression. Use the skills and techniques of our land to make a big splash. That is all.
… How… vague…
But despite his foreboding thoughts over how unprepared their plan was, Naruto was still excited.
At least…it seems… fun…
My eternal thanks to MisterKuma, who beta-read this chapter.