The Trials of Destiny

Chapters

New World: A Final Farewell
New World: First Impressions
New World: Traveling to Canterlot
New World: Public Relations
New World: Day One
New World: A Changed Man
New World: The Power of Loss
New World: Hamura's Arrival
New World: Each Chosen Path
Hidden in Shadow: The Mystery of the Cult
Hidden in Shadow: Into the Darkness
Hidden in Shadow: Battle for Canterlot
Hidden in Shadow: Kink in the Plan
Hidden in Shadow: The Snake's Head
Interlude: The Angered God
Hidden in Shadow: Ice and Fire
Chaos Incarnate: On the Brink of Death
Chaos Incarnate: Discordant Dilemma
New World: First Steps Into a New World
New World: At The Summit of Canterhorn

New World: A Final Farewell

Chapter 1: A Final Farewell

"RASENGAN!"

"KAGUTSUCHI!"

Naruto struggled to stand as he unleashed his last-ditch method of stopping Sasuke, his tried-and-true A-rank chakra sphere, utilizing as much of his remaining chakra as he could to propel himself off the destroyed remains of what was once the two statues at the Valley of the End. Their previous large-scale jutsu clash, Sasuke's Indra's Arrow versus Naruto's Six Paths: Massive Rasenshuriken, created a giant vortex of energy two miles wide and at least as high, sending shockwaves throughout the continent and completely decimating what was once a beautiful landscape and monument to two of the most powerful, skilled, and respected shinobi in history. He would bring Sasuke back to the village in some way, shape, or form, once and for all, even if he had to die to do it.

Sasuke launched forward, Inferno Style manipulating the Chidori in his hand into a handheld ball of what was more or less plasma than any actual jutsu, as he used what little chakra he had left to shoot himself off the wall of the Valley that had been created when Naruto had let loose with a powerful chakra-infused jab straight to the face earlier in the fight. He intended on using this amalgamation, a bastardized combination of Fire Style and Lightning Style, to end Naruto's life once and for all. Then, and only then, would he become the sole enemy of the entire world, intent on burdening himself with all its hatred in an effort to create a world that was truly peaceful.

As Naruto flew up toward Sasuke, hand outstretched with the Rasengan swirling violently, he thought of all his friends and comrades, and all the things he had experienced in his life up to that point. His first Chūnin Exams, dealing with Orochimaru, defeating Gaara and Shukaku, going to many far-off places such as the Crescent Moon Kingdom, saving Gaara from certain death at the hands of the Akatsuki, killing Kakuzu with his first successful Rasenshuriken, mastering Sage Mode and single-handedly defeating all six Paths of Pein and reconciling with Nagato, saving the village in the process, the joy and sadness of finding out who his mother and father truly were, eliminating the rest of Akatsuki, nearly dying at the hands of Madara and the Ten-Tails, and defeating Kaguya. Everything led to this moment. If he succeeded, Sasuke would be forced to accept the truth, that Naruto was never going to give up on him. If he failed, he instinctively knew certain death was his fate. This was the culmination of all of his experiences with Sasuke, from the Academy to the Chunin Exams to Akatsuki, and even through the War. This was it.

Naruto and Sasuke's jutsu finally clashed in a shower of sparks that seemed, in that instant, ten eternities overdue, as the two jutsu battled for supremacy. Unlike their first battle, though, Naruto did not give in and allow Sasuke to strike him, continuing to push past the sheer power the two jutsus' contact point was emitting, past his own exhaustion, and past the feeling of finality, shoving every ounce of what power he had left into the slowly destabilizing sphere in his outstretched hand. He could feel Sasuke's own jutsu give a little, but then he felt Sasuke push back with just as much ferocity, and the jutsu returned to being locked in a stalemate.

Under any other circumstances, they'd be tied permanently, the piercing power of the Chidori unable to overcome the constantly spiralling nature of the Rasengan, its chaotic nature acting as a repulsive barrier, while the Rasengan's swirling motions would be unable to whittle the Chidori's piercing and cutting power down even a bit from the precision of the sharpest scalpel.

Thiswas certainly not any other circumstance.

Naruto's eyes widened, first in shock, then abject terror, as the Sharingan-supplemented, Inferno Style-infused jutsu literally began eating away at the chakra powering the Rasengan, disintegrating it from his hand like it was toilet paper. Naruto shifted his body in the split-second it took for the Chidori to come close enough to start doing damage to his arm, and Sasuke's hand plunged into his stomach, the Inferno Style eating away at his organs and flesh and cauterizing the wound instantaneously, while the Lightning Style immediately undid the cauterization by splitting the fused tissues and muscles right back open.

Naruto let out a silent scream as Sasuke removed his hand and deactivated the jutsu before they both fell to the ground. Sasuke barely managed to stand and walk away from the battle, intent on leaving Naruto to die. Naruto weakly used his hands to vainly attempt stopping the blood from flowing from his now destroyed intestines. He could feel himself slowly losing consciousness, but two things registered before he finally accepted his fate and gave himself to the void.

First, he watched and barely comprehended as all nine iterations of the Planetary Devastation Sasuke had used to trap the Bijū exploded from the sheer power that the nine suddenly unleashed, rocky shrapnel flying in all directions, before Kurama suddenly let out a feral snarl of rage and teleported above Sasuke. The severely weakened shinobi could barely even lift his arms in defense, let alone be able to activate base Sharingan before the Demon Fox was upon him, and Sasuke was violently smashed into the ground by Kurama's front left paw. The mighty fox then lifted Sasuke into the air and threw him until the raven-haired shinobi found himself a half-mile up into the now-frigid air. Kurama let out one final devastating attack: a Bijū beam attack so powerful, no one short of the Fourth Hokage would have been able to escape it, and no one short of Madara himself would have been able to survive it. The attack was upon Sasuke so suddenly, he was atomized before he could even register his impending doom.

What happened after that shocked Naruto for the rest of his now exceedingly short life. Kurama, as well as the other eight Bijū, approached him and were engulfed in blinding flashes of golden light as wide as the entire valley, before he could feel their energy sealed inside himself. He could also barely register another presence, more than a hundredfold stronger than the nine combined, settle in what he could barely feel was a seal over his heart. This having happened, and his wound becoming too great to maintain consciousness, Naruto slipped into unconsciousness.

Bijū - Realm of the Six Paths

One moment, Kurama could feel herself and her kith become trapped by the Planetary Devastation. The next, she was able to feel the bastard using his Perfect Susano'o to drain their power and use it to amplify his own. Before her youki could completely fade away, however, she felt herself being pulled into the realm that she instantly recognized as the Old Man's mindscape - or, at least, what used to be it. She looked around and observed as her kith were pulled into the mindscape in the same manner - whatever manner that even was.

As the nine slowly settled from their sudden shift, the Sage himself appeared before them. They were all shocked for a brief moment, before nodding to the man that was basically their father in respect. The Sage took his meditative pose, legs crossed, floating a foot in the air, with his staff vertical and grasped in his left hand, and the nine Truthseeking Orbs floating in a circular formation behind him. His facial expression was always neutral, schooled into a thin line that betrayed none of what the man was thinking. His piercing Rinnegan eyes could extract the information out of the soul of even the most reclusive and hostile person, and he carried himself with the demeanor of a scholar, the wisdom and understanding in his eyes belaying experience far beyond even his years.

The Sage looked each of his 'children' in the eyes momentarily, then slowly spoke. "The Prophecy has been fulfilled."

All nine of them easily and quickly understood the underlying meaning behind their father's words: it was time for a new mission. Gyūki was the first to speak, a hint of uncertainty in his inflection, but otherwise analytical and observant. "So the shinobi world is finally coming to an end, then."

"Undoubtedly. With the fall of young Naruto, the world that my mother mistakenly and brazenly gave life when she bit from the fruit that gave humanity chakra will soon declare its span of centuries and fade into the ashes, to be replaced by another society, perhaps another race entirely. Instead, another world awaits our arrival, in another reality. I have foreseen a calamity so devastating and far-reaching, if nothing is done, it will consume this world and bring upon it its downfall most prematurely."

"Prematurely?" Saiken spoke up. "Does that mean this world you speak of hasn't had sentient or sapient life at all?"

"Not so, dear Saiken. I simply convey that the sapient beings of this world, though numerous, are still in their infancy, and must be set upon their proper path, a path I am afraid Fate has not performed its proper duty to ensure. They stray off this path and toward their own untimely destruction."

"So where and when are we going to this other reality?" Matatabi spoke up in a quite uncommon display of seriousness that those who knew her would be convinced barely existed. "I have to assume this world you speak of is in truly dire straits, if all nine of us are needed to correct such an imbalance?"

The Sage spoke up a final time. "As soon as I have gathered one more ally who shall be joining you on your... adventure." The Sage turned his back to the Bijū and began chanting out what sounded much like powerful words and phrases, indecipherable to the Bijū, in a language only he knew, a relic from a far-passed age.

For several minutes this continued, until, finally, something happened. The Bijū stared in mounting horror as a huge mass of energy coalesced into being in front of them - the Jūbi. All nine were instantly on guard, ready to fight for their existence at a moment's notice. The Sage held his hand up in a placating gesture to stop them, and they did, not because they actually wanted to - they were absolutely convinced that they would be dying here and now, in whatever sense of the word applied to beings like themselves - but because said gesture resulted in a universal measure of great confusion that all nine of them shared, a sudden change which was so palpable as to be tangible, to the point the Sage actually snorted briefly in amusement.

Shukaku was the first to recover, as he quickly transitioned rom being stunned to glaring at the Sage. "Old Man, what sorcery is this?! Even beings comprised entirely of chakra - or in our case youki - like us have a limit to the feats we can accomplish with our abilities. And bringing the Jubi into this realm despite the fact that it should be both physically and theoretically impossible, considering we are STANDING here, is definitely not one of them!"

Shukaku was stopped dead in his tracks as the Sage raised his hand once again, a thin, weary smile coming to his lips, as if he had been expecting Shukaku's reaction from at least one of them the entire time. "Of that, you are correct, my child. Indeed, it is not. However, this is not the Jubi, at least not the concept of the Jubi of which you are familiar with."

If Shukaku had been the only one to have been stopped to a dead halt, that was no longer the case, as the thought processes of the other eight ground to a dead stop as well. "And what exactly does that mean? You can forgive us for being a little skeptical, considering that, by all accounts, a physical impossibility is standing in front of us, one that should have stopped existing the moment we were born!" Isobu picked this time to speak up for the first time, his normally timid personality long forgotten.

"This is the Shinju, the entity that existed before my mother foolishly disrupted the balance of the natural order by consuming the fruit that has given the human race chakra. She appeared to me in a vision after I and my younger brother, Hamura, defeated my mother and sealed the spiritual essence of the Jubi inside of myself.

"She imparted her knowledge of how to split the Jubi's chakra unto me, as well as the vitality required to do so, and explained her own origins. Before my mother's interference, she stood alone, proud at the center of the world, watching over what was left of a once-immortal realm. When my mother extracted and ate the forbidden chakra fruit from one of its massive branches, she immediately sealed the remainder of her power in the core of our world, to prevent any more of her power from being stolen and used for nefarious purposes.

"Before she sealed herself into the core one final time, she also imparted unto me knowledge of another world of which great peril would in time befall. She also spoke of a relic of a bygone age, a Golden-eyed God, whom would either bring forth that world's salvation, or become instrumental in its destruction. She had already foreseen our departure from this world, and expressed interest in assisting us in saving this other world." The Sage stopped speaking, allowing the others to digest the information and waiting for them to speak.

Instead, the Shinju was the first to speak, its voice commanding either instant obedience or total annihilation, gravelly as if it hadn't spoken in many months or years. "Hagoromo. It is time."

The Sage turned to the Shinju and nodded. "I had previously made assumptions about circumstances and come to the same conclusion."

"Yes. The time has come for us to depart this world and its dying civilization. Before we proceed, I must restore your corporeal form and summon forth once more into the world of the living another that will be necessary in the coming trials. The Shinigami will send us the last two needed to proceed." The Shinju's eyes pulsed for a brief moment with barely restrained power, and Hagoromo disappeared, reappearing shortly thereafter in his physical form.

Minato Namikaze - Realm of Judgment

Minato blinked in shock as he suddenly found himself standing in a black void. His feet were on what felt like solid ground, but when he attempted to look, he was met with blackness. In such a dark landscape, he couldn't even tell whether his eyes were open or not. He had just been preparing to use Flying Raijin in a spar he was having with Hiruzen. Suddenly, he felt another presence next to him, and turned to find Hiruzen standing next to him. That doesn't make a lick of sense. How can I see Old Man Sarutobi next to me, but can't even see my hands in front of my face?

Hiruzen looked to the left upon registering Minato's presence and smiled in uncertainty. "No, Minato, I don't know what is happening."

Minato sweatdropped. All this time, and I'm still an open book? Damn, I thought I had that under control. "Heh, didn't even have to ask for you to figure out what I was going to say."

"Well, you've always been an open book, Minato. Jiraiya could read you so easily, and I trained him, so it's not a stretch to assume I would have the same propensity." Hiruzen chuckled, then schooled his features into an inscrutable expression. "The Shinigami must need something from us. That, or we're being impurely summoned back to the world again." At that, his expression contorted into one of disappointment.

"ONLY TOOK A SINGLE TRY." The booming voice of the Shinigami resonated throughout the black void. "FATE HAS OTHER PLANS FOR THE TWO OF YOU. YOU BELONG IN MY DOMAIN NO LONGER. TAKE YOUR PHYSICAL FORMS, AND HEAD QUICKLY TO WHAT YOUR KIND CALLS THE VALLEY OF THE END. YOUR FATE AWAITS THERE. THAT IS ALL THE KNOWLEDGE I HAVE OF YOUR SITUATION." Despite the fact that they were basically told they were being revived and brought back to the world of the living, the both of them were stood stiff in primal terror, a side effect of hearing the Death God's voice.

Then Minato and Hiruzen registered what the Shinigami had said, and their eyebrows twitched in surprise, a motion most shinobi below the rank of jonin wouldn't have noticed. The two Hokage refrained from reacting further because they did not see the point of overreacting and possibly causing themselves physical or mental strain in the process.

Before they had any more time to think about it, though, they suddenly found themselves standing atop the remnants of the Hokage Monument. The two quickly deduced that the Bijudama the Jubi had fired immediately after Orochimaru had brought them forth with Edo Tensei had slammed and exploded in the core of Konoha, atomizing the majority of the village and completely destroying the rest. Nothing was left, and it was likely every remaining civilian in the village had been killed. Minato and Hiruzen took a short moment to bow their heads in silence and respect for those who had been lost, before Minato gathered up large amounts of scroll paper and summoned clones, who quickly created two hundred massive-capacity sealing scrolls.

Minato gave one of his Flying Raijin kunai to Hiruzen, before looking at his predecessor with a soft, yet stern gaze. "I need to gather supplies, or at least what's left that I can gather. If anything the Shinigami told us has any bite to it, I have the feeling we'll need to be well-stocked and well-prepared for wherever we have to head. Head to the Valley without me for now. Hopefully between myself, my clones and my Flying Raijin, I should be able to find enough quickly and probably beat you to the Valley."

Hiruzen paused in thought for a short moment, before nodding and taking the three-pronged kunai in Minato's extended hand, stashing it in his rear kunai pocket before running off to what was left of the Sarutobi estate to grab what he could of his own belongings. Ten minutes later, the elderly Hokage, dressed in his battle armor, with several spare sets of clothes sealed in a pocket scroll, the Scroll of Forbidden Seals strapped to his back, and a variety of weapons in other scrolls, as well as a plethora of scroll paper, kunai, shuriken, and sealing ink stored in his personal scroll, dashed out the toppled north gate of the once proud Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Fifteen minutes later, Minato finished his own scavenging, having gathered up and sealed away massive amounts of every conceivable item it would be useful to bring, including unfinished versions of his own kunai, and teleported to Hiruzen, who at that point had made half of the two-hundred-mile journey from the village to the Valley.

Hiruzen stopped to take a breath after he sensed Minato's chakra flaring, followed shortly by the man appearing next to him. "Finished gathering, I presume?"

Minato nodded curtly while observing his surroundings for any threats, not like there would be any. He could still sense every other shinobi on the planet trapped in the effects of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, but more than ten years of battle-honed instinct was hard to simply discard, even for someone as young as Minato. An amusing, cynical thought occurred to him then. Hah, that means I'm literally the strongest living shinobi right now. For all intents and purposes, everyone else on the planet is dead. He turned back to Hiruzen, watching as the man chewed half-heartedly on a ration bar that had likely been procured from the village's emergency supply vault. "Yeah. Between the clones and my abilities, it wasn't too difficult to get everything I thought we would need in a timely fashion. Let's head out of here and get to the Valley."

Hiruzen nodded and finished his ration bar, and the two got moving to the Valley. It took another ten minutes at their borderline-breakneck pace, but they reached the Valley... or what was left of it. Total destruction turned the land for miles around into an unrecognizable dirt and stone crater, all traces of life having been completely vaporized. Hiruzen quickly found the area where Hashirama and Madara's statues had once stood, and a sudden pull convinced them to start heading in that direction.

When they arrived at the destroyed remnants of the two statues, Minato spotted his son's nearly motionless body resting on where the destroyed part of the statues that represented the Seal of Reconciliation had fallen. He and Hiruzen quickly ran over to Naruto's form, and Minato kneeled down to check his pulse. He became very worried when even with his shinobi-enhanced senses, he could barely feel a pulse, and could barely hear the whisper of Naruto's very shallow breathing. Then he noticed the reason.

A large hole, slowly healing from the edges toward the center, had been torn through his son's stomach, and had likely been the reason Naruto was now in such bad shape. He could sense Kurama's chakra, however, trying to repair the damage as best it could. Naruto's hands were placed over the grievous wound, as if he had been futilely trying to stop the bleeding before he had fallen unconscious.

Before Minato had much time to do anything about his son's condition, what he could only describe as a tear appeared directly in front of the three, and two people stepped out of the tear and out of the realm hidden within. The first, he obviously recognized as Jiraiya, though he certainly looked a little bit worse for wear. His clothes had holes in them, and where there weren't holes, dried blood caked and soiled the ruined clothing. The back half of his dark upper garment had been nearly ripped off, and hung in tatters, and his pants, below the knee, hadn't fared much better.

The second, he only recognized as Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths, due to the very recent War that had happened. The old man was still as he remembered, with long, gray hair and a gray beard, two small horns jutting out of the sides of his forehead, the Rinnegan staring back at him from his eye sockets, the gray haori tied closed with a darker gray sash, the paper white sandals, the magatama necklace imprinted into his collarbone, the black staff with the ring at the end in his hand, and the nine Truthseeking Orbs floating behind him. What was surprising, though, was that the man was not floating in the air in his meditative pose, rather he was standing on solid ground, and he was not surrounded in a shroud of chakra like before, which must have meant the man was here in the flesh.

The Sage stepped forward. "Ah, so you must be the former captives of the Shinigami. Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi." When both Hokages' eyebrows twitched in surprise for the second time that day, Hagoromo allowed a tiny smile of amusement to briefly cross his features. "Yes, I know your names. I have always made it a point to memorize the catalysts of change in this drawn-out history you call the shinobi age. More importantly," Hagoromo glanced to Naruto's motionless body, "my charge is here as well. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, the strongest reincarnation of my younger kin I have yet known. Minato, take your son into your arms. Fate has given us a destination, one we must embark upon immediately."

Minato quickly did as was told, picking Naruto's body up, careful to avoid causing any further damage. While this was happening, Hagoromo glanced to the brightening sky. The sun was not far from rising from the horizon. "Take this time to make peace with the world you once called your own. I have not the strength to break the Infinite Tsukuyomi's effects on my own, my chakra has been distributed thinly enough that I cannot distribute it to others to complete the task again, it would not work for me to distribute the chakra to those other than reincarnations of my kin, and because I can sense that the chakra of my younger kin's reincarnation has faded entirely from the cycle of this world, there is no reversing what has transpired."

Minato, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen briefly looked to the sky, unshed tears springing to their eyes as they said one final goodbye to everything they had loved and everything they had lost, while Hagoromo waited patiently for them. The trio steeled themselves, wiping the tears away before they could fall, and turned to Hagoromo, who nodded. "You are ready to depart, then?" When they all nodded, Hagoromo turned around and flared the power of his Rinnegan, creating a portal to the Convergence, the trans-dimensional link that connected every world in existence on a level no mortal could comprehend.

As the four men and one unconscious teenager crossed the portal's plane and it closed behind them, the sun dawned, for the first time in nearly a million years, on a world devoid of human life.

New World: First Impressions

Chapter 3: First Impressions

Naruto and Co., Base of Mt. Canterhorn

Naruto slowly came to to find Minato, Jiraiya, Hiruzen and Hagoromo standing around him. While Hagoromo already knew Naruto would wake up, the others hadn't the slightest clue, and Minato rushed over to him with a relieved expression on his face. Naruto sat up, lightly pushing his father back as he checked over his physical state. "It's okay, Dad, I'm fine. Kurama definitely comes through in a pinch when you need her."

That stopped everyone in their tracks. A tiny smile appeared on Hagoromo's lips and he prepared to watch the bursting of the metaphorical dam. Jiraiya was the first to respond. "Who's Kurama?"

"Kyuubi's real name, courtesy of Six Paths Super Gramps here." At that, Jiraiya turned to Hagoromo, and the man nodded his head slightly in confirmation.

"The Kyuubi has a name? And a gender?" Hiruzen stepped up to the verbal plate next.

"Well, the constructs themselves don't, but considering they're not constructs anymore, gotta start somewhere, right?" At that, Naruto turned to the forest next to them. He could sense the presence of the ten that had accompanied them. Upon his nod, they all stepped out of the trees and made themselves known to the three. Naruto had a feeling he knew what was going to happen next, and two seconds later, Hiruzen's pipe had been straightened out and put back in his mouth a hundredth of a second after he had let it slip in shock, and Jiraiya found his eyesight covered the second he stared at Žiara and Kurama and his arms restrained by two shadow clones each. He tried to break free, but Naruto applied more of his chakra to his clones, who in turn used it to anchor themselves to the ground, and Jiraiya found himself unable to move. Hagoromo actually laughed at this development.

"Knew that was gonna happen." Naruto looked smug for a moment before his shadow clones dissipated and his chakra returned to him, and then turned serious. "Ero-sennin, no perving. You won't like what happens to your everything if Kurama catches you doing it." Jiraiya stared at Naruto in open-mouthed horror for a moment before he busted out laughing, rolling on the ground. "Hmm? What's so funny? Or have you finally gone batshit crazy?"

"No... it's just... my little student... is turning into a man... FINALLY!" Jiraiya managed to get out between bated breaths, then finally picked himself off the ground and dusted his clothes off, a smile on his face that was quickly wiped away by a more serious expression. "Now it's time to get down to business. Kurama, I'll ask you once. How did you manage to force your way out of the seal and keep Naruto alive?"

Naruto, Minato and Hiruzen sweatdropped at the treatment Kurama was receiving before remembering Jiraiya hadn't borne witness to the events of the war, as he hadn't been resurrected. Hagoromo chose to answer for them. "Do you have knowledge of the Fourth Great Shinobi War?"

Jiraiya turned to Hagoromo with a confused look on his face. "What are you talking about? There was no Fourth Great Shinobi War."

"Yes, there was. In fact, we just got out of it." Jiraiya turned to Minato upon hearing this.

"What are you talking about?"

Naruto took over here, being the only one among them with intimate knowledge of the circumstances that led to the War. "Pein wasn't the leader of Akatsuki. He was more or less a figurehead. The real leader was none other than Madara Uchiha himself." Jiraiya prepared to speak up, but was stopped by Naruto's raised hand. "And before you say something along the lines of 'he's supposed to be dead,' he was dead. Until he was resurrected by one of Dad's old students." Jiraiya looked to Minato, who had a somber expression on his face. He nodded and gestured for Naruto to continue.

"Obito Uchiha formally declared war while we were attending the first Five Kage Summit to be held in quite a while. I ended up fighting Sasuke again there, and they got away. We got maybe a couple months to prepare and then Obito brought back Madara with Edo Tensei. Reason it's called a World War is because with how strong Madara was, it was literally the entire world versus him. The four Hokage were even brought back, but not even Hashirama could do anything to stop him. Then we had him cornered, and we were about to seal Edo Tensei when he got a hold of his Rinnegan and used Rinne Tensei to revive himself. Then he went ahead and sealed the Ten-Tails into himself and got powerful enough to give Super Gramps here a run for his money. Even Sasuke and I couldn't do a damn thing. Most damage that got done was when Gai opened the Eighth Gate and unleashed his most powerful attack and ended up blowing half his body to smithereens."

"Turns out the Zetsu we all know and hate were never on the side of Akatsuki at all. Black Zetsu was a spawn of Kaguya's chakra with the sole purpose of bringing about her revival, and it used Madara as its host to gather needed to do it. And let me tell you, beating her was no walk in the park. I think we came close to dying three separate times. Finally did it by sealing her away with Super Gramps's jutsu Six Paths: Planetary Devastation.

"Then Sasuke decided he wants to go full emo and used his newly acquired Rinnegan to trap the Biju, and I had to fight him. Considering we're all here, not hard to figure out how that went over. And that's basically the Fourth War in a nutshell." Jiraiya had been giving Naruto his undivided attention, but the sudden and severe swerve caught him so off-guard he choked on air for a brief second. He quickly recovered.

"Damn, kid. Got yourself in one hell of a pickle there, but I know you were able to do a lot more than I could've." Naruto couldn't quite pick up on what was going through Jiraiya's head, but the others had no issue, but the others had no issue figuring out what Jiraiya was doing.

Isobu spoke up, standing in front of the man. "That may be so, but you are still more than competent in your own unique way. From what I have gathered through Naruto's memories, you never gave up hope, only passed it on to another. Even among a race bred with such a degree of corruption, the possession of such a trait is admirable, and you should do well to remember that."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks for that..." At the stop, which was obviously Jiraiya fishing for a name, Isobu, as well as the others, turned to Naruto.

"Might as well. We're the last of our race and Super Gramps is here, so they would end up finding out eventually. No point in hiding it anymore." Naruto's logic made a shocking amount of sense to those of the group who hadn't had the foresight to prepare for such a situation - not like they knew they'd ever be in one - and they turned back to Jiraiya.

"My given name is Isobu." One by one, the rest introduced themselves to Jiraiya. Introductions weren't necessary for Kurama, as Jiraiya had learned that tidbit due to a slip of the tongue from Naruto. What really surprised Naruto and got his gears turning, though, was the fact that Žiara didn't approach Jiraiya or give him her name. Though now that he thought about it, Žiara had probably seen through Jiraiya's façade and into his lecherous nature, which wasn't surprising. He had learned to do the same himself after having trained with the man for the better part of three years.

As everyone finally settled down from the sudden excitement Jiraiya's initial curiosity had brought on, Hiruzen asked the thousand-yen question everyone had, at some point, been thinking. "So what is next for our group of world-weary travelers?"

"First, I'd like an explanation of who you are, as well as what you're doing in my domain." The voice came so suddenly, everyone was shocked. Even Kurama was utterly floored. Okay, who is this chick?! Never has anything, human or otherwise, managed to bypass my biological radar!

Hagoromo stepped up and stared into the mysterious woman's eyes. The unknown woman stood at a towering height of 6'10", and had a lean, toned body no doubt built with many long hours of strenuous exercise. Instead of skin, a light cream-colored coat adorned her body, and she had a light multi-colored tail curled around her left leg. She also had striking light blue eyes. Her hair, the same multi-colored scheme as her tail, fell to upper back and rested in front of the dress she was wearing: a strapless blue and gold gown that would look more fitting at a wedding than out in the mountains. A set of bracelets on her wrists, the shoes on her feet, and a crown on her head had matching intricate golden designs of what looked to be the rising sun emblazoned upon them. The most striking features, though, were an eighteen-inch long horn the same color as her coat jutting out of the top center of her forehead and a pair of flared wings extending from her shoulder blades.

"We are travelers borne of another world in another reality gifted with special powers, nothing more." Hagoromo spoke for the group in a voice that was carefully smooth, as if he were testing the waters of this new interaction.

"Likely story. Now tell me who you really are." Hagoromo sighed; this was most certainly not going to be easy to deal with.

Forty minutes later, after an ample amount of explaining, re-explaining, and multiple instances of Jiraiya getting bopped over the head by Hagoromo's staff for trying to get an indecent look at Žiara's breasts and private area during the quite serious conversation, the woman, now identified as Princess Celestia, leaned back slightly on the proffered log adjacent to the one the others were using, and absentmindedly ran her other hand through her hair, inadvertently giving Jiraiya another show that he wanted to capitalize on. Before he even had the chance, however, his student had seen the glint in the older man's eyes, and not a half-second later, Jiraiya found himself on the other end of a broken tree fifty yards away, rubbing his now sore jaw. "Damn disrespectful brats..."

"Not the time or place, sensei. You should know better." Minato interjected before Jiraiya could finish his complaint. Hiruzen chuckled at the antics of the two.

"Fine, fine." Jiraiya grumbled in displeasure, turning away from the conversation.

"So you're residents of another world inhabited by these 'shinobi' that were wiped out in a recent war against an enemy so powerful, not even your strongest warrior was able to best it in combat?" Celestia asked, attempting to shorten the lengthy explanation to a more manageable stub.

Naruto answered the question immediately. "Yeah, that's basically it. But Sasuke didn't get the victory he wanted, either; I just have to be happy with that and learn from my mistakes." Celestia nodded at the words of wisdom the teen had unknowingly uttered. She had seen many people fall before their time due to miscalculations, laziness, fear, or most commonly, arrogance.

"Well, as much as I would like to offer my assistance, it seems you've already figured out what your group will be doing for the future. I will be returning to Canterlot, the seat of my throne. Though you may have decided to 'rough it', you are welcome in the city and in the palace should you need assistance in an important matter. The city is on the other side of the mountain here." Celestia then stretched her wings, ran forward a few steps, and jumped, launching herself into the air with her wings as she set off for Canterlot.

Jiraiya chuckled to himself for a brief moment before he felt the unanimous glares of the entire group on him. He turned away and sat on the ground, huffing and muttering something about tough crowds before grumbling to himself. Naruto snickered and Minato chuckled, while Hagoromo and most of the others pondered.

Shukaku spoke up briefly. "Say, she had that look in her eyes you only get when you've been through a lotta deep shit. Wonder what jumped in her cornflakes and died?"

"A crude way of simply saying she's seen more than her share of conflict, but coming from you, I suppose it will have to do," Matatabi ribbed at Shukaku's crudy delivery. Said man frowned for a moment before his grin returned in full force.

"She seemed very kind, though hesitant to share anything personal." Kokuo brought her opinion into the mix. Everyone nodded; even Naruto had seen that Celestia had been hiding far more than she was revealing.

"Maybe a side effect of whatever happened in her past? I mean, it can't be easy running an entire country singlehandedly." Chomei added her input in as well, and Hagoromo had to agree that it was a more than valid point. He had heard tales from Kaguya as a child about how the people of old, before chakra, had been divided by region and ruled by kings, queens, princes, and what-have-you, and some chose not to have any assistance whatsoever, which led to severe mental strain and some... less than desirable outcomes.

"Well, either way, we aren't getting anywhere by just sitting here doing nothing. But at the same time, it's well past dark, and we've already eaten our fill, so why don't we all turn in and get some rest?" Saiken suggested. The others nodded their heads in agreement, as each went to prepare their own arrangements, whe Minato channeled chakra and unsealed what looked to be several large tents.

"Good thing I went scavenging for supplies. Figured we'd need these, even though when I had been searching, I didn't think so many would be along for the ride."

"Awesome!" Naruto shouted enthusiastically as he immediately went to help set one up. Within minutes, the four tents had been set up. Jiraiya, Hiruzen and Minato slept in one, Shukaku, Isobu, Saiken and Hagoromo slept in the second, Matatabi, Son Goku, Kokuo and Žiara slept in the third, and Naruto, Gyuki and Kurama slept in the last.

Naruto was the last one awake, as everyone else had already fallen asleep. He was occupied in his thoughts for quite a while before he finally laid his head down and closed his eyes.

Well, look at the dead-last... It was your fate to fail, just like it was your fate to have the Kyuubi sealed inside of you...

Hey, Mr. Big and Bad ain't so tough now, is he?

Your flames of youth have sadly flickered out...

It seems I made a grievous miscalculation in believing you would be the one to save the day...

Heh, I always knew Sasuke was better than you. Luck is the only reason you managed to keep up with him...

Man, what a drag... You could have at least put more effort into saving the world...

Naruto shot up in his sleeping bag, one hand over his rapidly beating chest as he tried to make the images and sounds of what appeared to be a nightmare go away. He almost reflexively drew a kunai from the pouch lying next to him as he felt someone's hand on his shoulder, but turned to find Kurama there, staring sorrowfully into his eyes. Without prompt, Kurama whispered loud enough for Naruto to hear, but soft enough to ensure Gyuki wouldn't wake up, "My emotion sensing isn't just useful in battle. I've known you were having a nightmare since an hour ago, Naruto..." He turned around and hugged Kurama, burying his head in her shoulder, letting the tears out of his eyes, but he made no sound other than the occasional sniffle. Kurama was momentarily surprised, before she gladly returned the embrace, running her hand through his hair to help calm him down. "Everything will be alright. I don't know what happened in that nightmare, but just don't let it get to you, alright?" Naruto removed his head from her shoulder and nodded in thanks at her kind words. "Now try to get some rest, okay? I think the Old Man has something planned in the morning."

Naruto nodded once, before laying back in his sleeping bag. Before long, he was asleep, though Kurama could tell he was having a nightmare again. She placed her hand on his, and he stopped sweating and fidgeting, a thin smile crossing his features. She smiled herself at being able to help, before laying down in her sleeping bag and falling asleep herself.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Gyuki, who hadn't been tired in the slightest and had elected to simply feign being asleep, smirked. Well, this might be an interesting development...

Author's Note

Celestia makes her appearance, Jiraiya's lecherous habits see him physically smacked around, Naruto isn't as dandy as everyone thought, and Gyuki seems to have found something he finds interesting.

Also, for future note, the Celestia in my story is not canon Celestia in the normal sense. She still has her kind and motherly personality, but I figure X-thousand years of rule over a nation that, at times, has tenuous - at best - relationships with the world at large, as well as seeing more than her share of conflict, should have tempered her outward projection into a more cautious state than what we're given in the show.

Questions I felt needed answered:

Finally Celestia deos something other then be a weak piss of shit.

To be fair, Celestia is only 'weak' because the Elements of Harmony are extremely powerful. She is still strong in her own right - being able to stand up to Chrysalis until the Bearers showed up is a decent example of this, as well as assisting Luna and Cadence in holding off Sombra while Twilight and Spike retrieved the Crystal Heart - the issue is that because the show focuses mainly on Twilight and co., Celestia doesn't often get her chance in the spotlight. And don't worry, I've got plans for her in the story...

This is so incredible I love this rewrite, I wish I would seen the original-(more after, but I cut the rest out to keep the word count on the AN decent)

Thanks for checking out the story! And trust me, this is much better than the original, which, in my honest opinion, was total dogshit. I'm honestly glad I rewrote it, and I'm glad to be able to continue with a story I had once thought completely dead.

Only bummer is you didn't send Kushina too

Kushina didn't fit with the theme of mentors I had going with Hiruzen, Minato and Jiraiya. Not only that, there isn't much she can really teach Naruto that either someone else hasn't already taught him or he can't figure out on his own with assistance. Those are the big reasons I didn't make her a part of the story.

New World: Traveling to Canterlot

Chapter 4: Traveling to Canterlot

Naruto groggily opened his eyes to find the sun had already risen in the sky. He looked around and found that both Gyuki and Kurama must have already woke up, considering they were not in the tent. He threw on his signature pair of pants - he had to go shirtless because his shirt and mesh undershirt had been destroyed in the fight with Sasuke - and shinobi sandals and headed out of the tent to see what was going on. He took a long draw of the fresh morning air, then exhaled it out through his mouth. Definitely a lot cleaner than back home, that's for sure.

As he stepped out of the tent, he noticed the group had split into two distinct units. All the females of the group, plus Gyuki and Hagoromo, were on one log, and Minato, Jiraiya, Hiruzen, Shukaku, Isobu, Son Goku and Saiken were on the other log. They all looked up at Naruto as he yawned, closing the tent flap behind him. "Morning, sleepyhead. Want some breakfast?" Minato spoke up as Naruto walked toward the logs.

"Sure, I'm always starving in the morning. Thanks, Dad." Naruto went to sit by Isobu as he took a bowl and spoon from Jiraiya's hand and got a look at what he was going to be eating... Yeah, he could accept eating oatmeal, he just hoped it was the tasty kind and not the cheap grits the general stores in Konoha sold. He took a bite and hmm'd for a moment before deciding he approved of the taste and eating with more gusto. Jiraiya chuckled at the boy's picky taste in food before polishing off his own bowl of oatmeal and setting it on a cloth that would hold the dishes to be taken to the lake for cleaning.

As the rest of the group finished their own breakfast, Minato teleported to the lake with the dishes to get them washed. While that was being done, Hagoromo got the group's attention. "Alright, since this Princess Celestia has given us a reason to leave our little hideout for now, we should take a few days to visit Canterlot and get the lay of the land."

Naruto whiplashed his head around at Hagoromo's more than passing attempt at modern dialect so fast, the group could hear his neck cramp. "OWW!" He fell to the ground, clutching his neck in pain. The others had a good laugh, and Hagoromo himself chuckled at Naruto's reaction.

"Yes, Naruto, I am more than capable of speaking in the modern tongue. I chose not to in my old age for the simple reason that it was a mental test. Those who could decipher the method with which I used the vernacular were proven to be sound and secure of mind. But now, I am in the physical form I took when I first gained the Rinnegan, so such cryptic speech is no longer necessary. I won't be speaking in riddles, as you're so fond of calling it, at least until you're having your midlife crisis."

Naruto managed to extricate himself from the ground, still rubbing his complaining neck as he finally carefully nodded. Jiraiya was still laughing at Naruto's little episode, but Hiruzen got him in line by taking a wooden staff out of one of his storage seals and smacking the man upside the head. "Man, pick on an old man, why don't you?"

"I am older than you, boy, and you were my student, so don't refute me." Jiraiya grumbled in displeasure, as he was wont to do, while everyone chuckled at his predicament.

"Back to the matter at hand." Hagoromo cleared his throat, returning everyone's attention to him. "We need to get the lay of the land so we are not walking around blindly with our feet in our mouths. Thus, we will travel to Canterlot, where we will be staying for a few days while Naruto and Minato learn about the country we have found ourselves in."

Minato had finished washing the dishes at this point and had returned to the group, and Naruto and Minato's faces reflexively contorted in horror, Naruto because reading, and Minato because paperwork. "Hey, Super Gramps, what's this about?! Why can't someone else do the reading?!"

Hagoromo raised an eyebrow while Gyuki and Kurama chuckled at Naruto's response to what was basically the bane of his existence. "Because, Naruto, if one day you find yourself willing and needing to protect this country and this world, you will need to learn what it is you are protecting so you can plan how best to do it. And Minato because he has a key balance of speed and strength to respond to any threats the may appear at a moment's notice, as well as learning the politics of this country in the event we need to ask assistance of the country's denizens." Naruto and Minato, as much as they hated the idea of anything to do with words on paper, couldn't refute the Sage's logic, and reluctantly nodded their heads.

"Now, we should start packing to prepare for our trip. We will not be using our chakra unless absolutely necessary, as I do not know how the ambient energies of this dimension line with our own. I hope within the week, I will be able to figure that out, but until then, chakra is an emergency-only resource. That also means we will be walking around the base of the mountain at a civilian pace." The others nodded, Naruto, Minato, Jiraiya and Hiruzen because it made sense - they were in an entirely different dimension now, and couldn't risk doing something stupid and losing access to their chakra permanently - and the others because they couldn't risk using their youki in the first place anyway, as even though their reserves replenished naturally regardless of their environment, they did not know how the corrosive nature of their brand of chakra would affect the environment around them.

The group nodded, acknowledging Hagoromo's wisdom regarding their situation, before setting out to get everything squared away for their journey. Later, as the others were finishing packing the tents, Kurama approached Hagoromo, who was meditating on a rock near the lake. "Hey, Old Man, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, dear Kurama. What is it you request of me?"

"Well, it's more of an inquiry than a request, but I wanted to know... are we technically even Biju anymore? We've been given human bodies that are just as flesh and blood as you or Naruto, and our youki has even been adapted to the same internal system that you possess." Hagoromo was not unaware of the slight inflection in Kurama's voice that indicated she was rather apprehensive.

"I cannot provide you the answer you desire, as you will have to seek it out on your own, but for now, this less than detailed answer will have to suffice. For all intents and purposes, yes, you and your kith are now humans, and that comes with everything that entails. Žiara could have chosen to remain in her state, as she is a descendant of the gods, but chose to take human form instead." Nor did Hagoromo miss the almost unnoticeable flicker of relief in Kurama's eyes at his less-than-satisfactory answer.

He wasn't the only one curious about Kurama's sudden shift, either. From a hundred feet away, Gyuki, helping Shukaku, Isobu, and Son Goku with their tent, overheard the conversation. What is your devious mind planning, Kurama?

The group had been walking for a couple hours before a distant roar grabbed all of their attention. They all nodded to one another before advancing forward toward the direction the roar had been perceived in, all of them on guard. As they got closer, the roars got a little louder and sounded a little more often, until they broke through the treeline and found a creature with a lion's head and body and a bird's tail trying - and badly failing -to hold back a pack of wolves that looked like they were literally made out of wood.

As the creature tried to defend itself, it looked in their direction unknowingly, its eyes showing its acceptance of its fate as it finally stopped struggling. Naruto's eyes widened, before he ran forward and shattered one of the wolves' face with a single punch. The other two turned to the intruder as their comrade's headless body bonelessly dropped to the ground and had about enough time to growl before they were kicked so hard in the stomach, they came off the ground.

The wolves landed on their feet and charged at the intruder, but failed to do any damage, as Naruto has sidestepped their attacks and drove a fist through one's stomach, dropping it to the ground, then turned and grabbed the other by the neck with almost inhuman reflexes, slamming it into the ground so hard he upset the dirt beneath his feet.

The head of the first wolf suddenly regrew itself, and the wolf jumped back at Naruto, who barely managed to dodge before he got bit. He drove a knee into its stomach, and went to finish the job, but before he could, he felt himself dragged back to the group, and saw Hagoromo use his Ninshu to light the wooden creatures on fire, and the wolves did not get back up after that.

Naruto broke free of his captor's grip and ran over to the creature, who tried to scare him by roaring at him, but its voice was weak and Naruto was not going to back down anyway. It tried to swat him away, but he took the hit and winced in pain as the creature's claws cut a gash across his hip.

"Naruto, you need to be careful!" Kurama yelled after him, and Saiken ran forward to pull Naruto back to tend to the wound he had just been given. The second he went to grab Naruto, however, he found his arms swatted away and a shadow clone standing in front of him, shaking its head with a menacing glare, arms crossed in defiance.

"Naruto, get back! That thing could kill you! You-"

Gyuki tried to reason with Naruto, but almost as soon as he had started, Naruto's voice cut across in a dangerous undertone. "NO! I'm not just going to stand here while this creature dies and let it happen! After what I've been through, I can't! If what you guys said about having read my memories is true, you know that! Sasuke almost died fighting Zabuza! We both almost died fighting Orochimaru! Chiyo sacrificed herself to save Gaara after he got killed by Akatsuki! Pein killed Jiraiya! Hinata nearly died in front of me! Neji sacrificed himself to save Hinata, who was going to sacrifice herself to save me! Were it not for Kurama, I would have died because of Sasuke!

"I can't..." Tears started falling down Naruto's face, his body shaking. "I have to find some way to make up for what I've failed to do... I couldn't save my friends when it mattered the most..."

Gyuki stopped in his tracks, taken aback by Naruto's heated exclamation. The others had varying degrees of reaction, but Kurama's was far and away the most extreme. She stopped, her hands slapped over her mouth in shock. Tears started falling from her eyes as she fell to her knees. I can't believe we... we were all so insensitive... He's been through something no mortal should ever have to go through... and somehow he managed to keep a hold of himself... How strong does he have to be to not let the grief show...?

The creature's eyes softened at the display of emotion Naruto showed regarding its own survival. It leaned its scratched head forward and softly licked his cheek. Naruto froze, before a small smile showed on his lips. He gently hugged the creature, whispering promises of health. Hagoromo stepped forward, ignorant of the others staring at him for a brief moment, before approaching the creature and placing his hand on the area where he sensed its heart to be. The marking at the center of his forehead seemed to become brighter for a brief second, and the Rinnegan in his eyes flared, tomoe flickering into existence for a brief moment before dissipating. Suddenly, the creature's wounds were gone as if it had never been attacked.

Hagoromo forcefully pushed the butt of his staff against the ground, and leaned against it, taking a few heavy breaths before returning to his previous posture. "Naruto, kindly refrain from allowing your emotions to get the better of you the next time you are presented with such a situation. That took an inordinate amount of chakra, the majority of which I won't see again for the next month. Acts of God were meant to be performed by God, not a pretender."

Naruto profusely thanked Hagoromo for saving the creature. "It is no issue this time, Naruto. The main reason I chose to use the power of one of my Paths to assist this creature in its state is because I have sensed the connection that has been formed between the two of you."

Naruto looked at the creature for a brief moment, before recognizing such,nodding to Hagoromo. Suddenly, he realized his wound had closed without help from anyone. "Wait, what happened to the gash? It's gone!"

"My guess is your connection with Kurama left you with a large enough sliver of her youki to amplify your natural Uzumaki healing factor." Hagoromo said after a moment of thought.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Back when Obito ripped Kurama out of my mom after I was born, she still had enough strength to restrain her while Dad sealed her into me. Or at least that's what I'm told." He looked to Minato, who nodded in confirmation at the accuracy of Naruto's statement.

"I think we have delayed long enough. Let us continue our journey to Canterlot." Hagoromo had fully recovered physically from the use of his Path to heal the creature, and the group, accompanied by Naruto's new friend, got up and started heading in the direction of Mt. Canterhorn.

Author's Note

And so Chapter 4 comes to an end. Gyuki remains suspicious of Kurama, Hagoromo demonstrates once again why he is known as the Sage of Six Paths, Naruto's internal struggle is finally brought to light, and the group gains a new traveling partner and friend.

Question and answer time.

Gyuki is a sneaky bastard. Hope to see more soon.

Happy to oblige, and here you go! Also yes, Gyuki is very sly, just like in the anime. He had to be to stand Bee's rapping.

This chapter is so deep on plot and I would love Celestia to be very powerful. (rest cut out for length)

Wouldn't say there was much plot there, other than giving the group an incentive to leave their new hidey-hole and figure out exactly where the hell they are. And don't worry, I have my plans for Celestia and later Luna (yes I just confirmed Luna will be in the story at some point).

New World: Public Relations

Chapter 5: Public Relations

The Next Day - Worn Rock Trail, Base of Mt. Canterhorn

The group had arrived at the base of the mountain, about a quarter of the way around, after a day of traveling. Naruto's new traveling companion had taken a liking to Naruto very quickly, and now the two were practically inseparable. Naruto had even given the manticore - that was its species' name, as they had been told the day before at a small hut outside the forest they had just exited, which they also learned was called the Whitetail Woods - the name Senshi, which, upon explaining that the name meant 'warrior' in Naruto's native tongue, the manticore had taken a shine to.

As the group stopped for a short break before beginning the rather dangerous ascent up the rugged trail, Shukaku approached Naruto, a ration bar in hand, and sat down on the side of the small boulder the group had taken shade in. Naruto turned to the blonde. "What do you need, Shukaku?"

"Nothing really, just getting sick of all this walking. Last time I did this much walking was before all the sealing crap." Shukaku shrugged his shoulders in an uncaring gesture, indicating despite the fact they were only halfway done with their journey, he was already ready to stop and probably go do something he considered fun.

"Well, not like there's much we can do about it. Super Gramps only used the chakra the way he did to save Senshi over there because like he told us, he could feel that he and I had a connection. He wouldn't have done it if he felt it wouldn't warrant it. And until he's figured out just how fast our energies regenerate in this world, we can't risk it. Much as I don't like having to walk like a normal person instead of shooting up the mountain fast enough to give anyone a heart attack, we don't really have a choice right now." The mention of his new name made Senshi perk up slightly from his resting spot on the ground next to Jiraiya and Minato, his tail flicking once.

"I agree with Naruto. Our energies must be conserved until we know how they are affected by this world. Even my infinite power must bend to the whims of reality, and when the rules of reality are changed, compromises must be realized, or chaos will destroy all." Žiara spoke up as she walked toward the pair of them, eating a ration bar herself as she leaned against a nearly-dead tree next to the trail. She bit into the ration bar and chewed, before swallowing and continuing where she left off. "In the meantime, why don't you do something else to take your mind off the tedium, Shukaku? I find observing the scenery and using my energy to sense the movements and interactions of nearby living beings is a most productive and enlightening way to pass the time."

"Enlightening? Blech, no thank you, I'd rather have my head bashed in." Shukaku huffed and turned away from Žiara, who just chuckled at his reaction.

Matatabi and Saiken approached the two - Shukaku had decided after Žiara's suggestion that he'd rather not be near her for fear of contracting some disease - and sat down on the rocks next to Naruto, themselves eating some berries they had found from the environment around them. "You've gotta admit, even though we may not know where exactly we are, this place sure is beautiful." Matatabi admired the scenery around them while chewing on a berry.

"That it is, no doubt. The last time I had the chance to see a part of a world truly without human influence was before Kaguya's time, over a thousand years ago. I remember now why I always long for the fresh air and open landscape, untouched by man." Žiara agreed with Matatabi.

"Yes, you both are certainly right. I've always had an admiring eye for nature, but ever since Hashirama Senju, I've not had the chance to enjoy it as I can now. Hopefully, for a while, it will stay that way." Saiken added his own thoughts while the small group finished their ration bars and berries.

"Yeah, I may have been a bit hyperactive as a kid, but one thing I loved doing was going out on top of the Hokage Monument and looking out to the horizon. The village looked cool spread out like that, but the trees and the sky beyond always held an air of mystery that I wished I could explore." Naruto finished off his own ration bar, and got up as the rest of the group, his own little band included, rose and they prepared to make their journey.

Hagoromo sent chakra through his staff and tapped the ground lightly, sending a minor tremor through to get the others' attention. Senshi stood up and growled in confusion, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. The others quickly turned their attention to him, curious as to why he had used chakra to get their attention. "As I can tell you've already figured out, I have proceeded to use chakra in what you perceive to be a meaningless manner. This was for two reasons. First, I used the pulse and its chakra feedback to determine the stability of the upper rock of this world, and I was met with results that conclude this upper rock is much denser and less prone to damage or upset than the upper rock of our world. Second, I have determined that chakra usage will have no detriment to any of us. The latent energies of this world, mysterious though they may be, allow my chakra to replenish faster even than standing in the presence of a Summon Clan such as the Toads would. There is also an abundance of more malleable nature energy present in this world that exists in greater quantities on the scale of orders of magnitude more dense than in our world." The general consensus at Hagoromo's words was relief combined with eagerness and more than a small amount of joy.

Shukaku especially whooped and hollered until a more-than-hard punch to the face courtesy of Chomei sent him flying into a tree. He got out of the tree and sped to her, getting in her face. "The hell was that for, huh?!"

"Because you were making a scene. In fact, you still are."

"What?! How dare y-"

"Weren't you the one who told Naruto you couldn't wait to get back on the move? Consider yourself lucky in that regard, and let's go." Chomei's voice brooked no room for argument. Shukaku's eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks, his mouth moving but failing to get anything out, before he clicked his jaws shut and stiffly walked away, his eyebrow relentlessly twitching. The others, especially Jiraiya and Son Goku, had a good laugh at Shukaku's expense. Eventually, though, the group calmed down, as Hagoromo, Hiruzen, and Žiara led them up the rocky trail.

The Next Day - Canterlot West Entrance

The group had just finished hiking the moderately steep, worn rock trail and arrived at a large, ornate gate. Two guards, stnading about 6'6", wearing gold-plated intricate armor with designs of the sun ans wielding large halberds, blocked the gate. "Halt there! State your business in Canterlot or you will be asked to turn around!" The guard on the left said in a stiff and resolute voice that brooked no argument."

"Group of fifteen humans and one manticore, seeking entrance to Canterlot by personal recommendation of Princess Celestia of Equestria. I am Hagoromo Otsutsuki, leader of this group." Hagoromo stepped forward and issued his response to the guard in his calm, wise voice. The guard went over to a desk situated in the city wall and took out what looked to be a travel log, flipping through a couple pages before his eyes lit up and he nodded.

He returned to the group. "Welcome, Hagoromo Otsutsuki and company. Your arrival has been recorded in the log and you are free to enter the city proper. Princess Celestia has requested your presence in the castle throne room at dusk. Do not be late." The guard said as he and his partner stepped out of the way and slipped the level that opened the city gates, allowing them access inside.

"An appointment must always be fulfilled. We will make it a point to be on time." Hagoromo said to the guard as they walked through the gates and into the city.

The structures looked more modern than what Naruto and the group were used to, other than Naruto and Kurama, who had seen the Rain Village that Nagato once called home. Bricks and fabrics of various colors and compositions made up the outer walls of the various structures, giving the city proper a bright atmosphere - on the surface. The group quickly realized the beauty for what it was - a façade, covering up the expensive nature of the buildings, save a select few, and barely masking the attitudes of those who were out and about on the city streets, many with noses turned up, stiff postures, and regal gestures that exemplified those people as belonging to some sort of nobility or the upper class. All in all, it reminded Naruto, Jiraiya, Minato, and Hiruzen of the capital of the Land of Fire back home.

The attention of the various city dwellers of Canterlot instantly turned their attention and their eyes widened in shock - not because of the group itself or its size, but because of the manticore standing next to Naruto, purring with its tail flicking as Naruto scratched under its chin. The nobles, who understood exactly none of the situation, starting running away, screaming in terror about how the manticore was going to eat them alive, among other things.

Curiously enough, though, a younger girl with lavender skin and hair sectioned off into strips by color, most being dark purple, the other being light purple and pink, a large textbook with many pages of notes stuffed in, eyes wide in something distinctly not shock, approached the group, specifically Naruto and Senshi. Senshi growled in warning at the newcomer, but Naruto whispered a condolence in the manticore's ear, which caused him to calm down slightly, though his hair was still stood on end, ready to defend his friend.

Hagoromo stepped up to the girl, his staff tapping lightly on the ground. "You seem to be unaffected by the presence of an upper-level predator in your midst. I am impressed, young one. What is your name?"

The young lady turned her attention to Hagoromo, taking a moment for her brain to reboot before answering. "Oh! I didn't see you there, I'm sorry! My name is Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia!"

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, young Twilight. I am Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of the Six Paths. Tell me, why is it that you are not scared of our manticore companion when the rest of the city already seems to have fled in terror?" Hagoromo greeted Twilight, before inquiring as to her presence.

"I did a thesis paper in my sophomore year at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns about how the latent energies of our own bodies might cause adverse effects on the environment around us, and found that manticores, as one such circumstance, are hostile for that very reason!" A glint appeared in Twilight's eyes as she realized something, which was quickly revealed to the group. "Wait, does that mean you don't have magic?! Are you not from this world?! I-"

Twilight froze in her explanation as Hagoromo's hand fell on her shoulder, her curious eyes now turning to embarrassment upon realizing that she had ranted to complete strangers. "Calm yourself, young Twilight. You are correct in your assumption that we are not of this world, but the details on how we came to this world are not mine to share. I have a proposition. If young Naruto, my descendant here" - Hagoromo pointed to Naruto, who was still scratching under Senshi's chin. At mention of his name, Naruto looked toward the two and waved at Twilight in greeting, while she waved back - "is comfortable sharing those details with you, and Princess Celestia will allow your presence in the castle when we must see her at dusk - considering you are her own student, by your mention, I expect she will have no reservation about allowing you to attend our gathering - the details will be revealed to you then. Princess Celestia already has the information, because she sensed our presence in your world the very instant we arrived and met us personally to determine whether we were a threat to your world."

"I... I understand. I'll be at the castle, if it's fine with... Naruto, you said his name was?" Hagoromo nodded once in confirmation. Naruto, with his excellent hearing, had overheard the conversation, and nodded to Twilight, stepping forward, Senshi at his side.

"It's going to be very difficult and painful for me to relive those memories... but if it'll help you understand why we're here, it's something I'll have to do." Naruto's voice cracked a little at the end, showing that whatever Twilight was going to hear about had a deep emotional impact on the young man. Senshi craned his head toward Twilight, and sniffed Twilight, before nodding once and moving his head back. Naruto tilted his head in a brief moment of confusion. "Huh, well, would you look at that. Seems Senshi here likes you."

"Wait, how can you tell that? You can't communicate with animals. Nobody can, as far as I know. It's not physically possible!" Naruto's raised hand stopped Twilight short.

"That's a part of what will be explained at the castle, so is it asking too much to please wait until then?"

"I... I guess not. I'm sorry for intruding like I did. It's just I've never seen a manticore interact with anypony like that before!"

"It's fine. And don't worry, me and Super Gramps will get you introduced to everyone else here when we're at the castle." Twilight nodded once before running off in a hurry to other places.

"I like her attitude. She's certainly direct." Matatabi spoke up after a few moments of comfortable silence.

Kurama and Gyuki scoffed at the same time. "Of course you would, she probably reminds you of Yugito as a kid." Gyuki retorted, causing Matatabi to blush in embarrassment for a brief moment before she turned to retaliate, which started a verbal spar between the two that left the others laughing or chuckling at their expense. The group, after a short time, set off into the city to find something to do while they waited for dusk.

New World: Day One

Chapter 7: Day One

August 17th, CCY 3380, Morning

The group awoke at different intervals the next morning, none sure of what the day had planned for them other than Hagoromo, who opened his eyes, exiting his meditation. He picked up his staff and walked over to the lazier members of the group, waking them up by tapping their foreheads with the straight end of his staff. As they groaned and slowly rose from their slumber, he cleared his throat to get the group's attention. "I have formulated our schedule for this week. I can sense there are threats much more dangerous and far-reaching than those we have dealt with on our own world, and we must all be ready."

"Minato, Jiraiya, Hiruzen, please obtain a map of Equestria and the lands abound. The most detailed that is offered. If possible, also obtain a geopolitical map. We must know how the country's various towns and cities operate and how they contribute to the country's prosperity as a whole." The three nodded, grabbing ration bars from their own storage before heading out the door of the large tower penthouse.

"My charges, I wish for you to use your extensive knowledge on human nature to integrate yourselves into the political society of the various cities and towns here. I will send each of you to a separate location so we can gather information the fastest." They nodded, though Kokuo didn't seem very happy about going on her own.

"Naruto, you will remain with myself and Žiara. We will be training you to better harness your latent power, as well as prepare your mind and body for the power you will soon possess." Naruto went to complain/ask a question, but Hagoromo raised his hand to stop him. "Naruto, we have already discussed this. This is the course of action that will lead to the best and greatest results. Besides, we will not begin the physical training until your mind has been sharpened. The war waged on your world may have tempered your body and spirit, but mentally, you still have much to develop and learn." The little logic in Naruto's brain couldn't refute Hagoromo's argument, and he visibly deflated, begrudgingly accepting the man's statement.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door, and the guard spoke. "The Princess is now entering." A moment later, Princess Celestia stepped forward through the doorway of the penthouse, and the attention of all the room's occupants moved to her.

"A good morning, Hagoromo and company." The group issued their own greetings back to her, before she sat at the table next to the bathroom door, a soft expression adorning her features.

Žiara sat down in the armchair next to the table, looking at Celestia with a calm expression. "A pleasant morning to you as well, Princess. Might I inquire as to the reason for this early morning visit?"

"I'm only here to see about a schedule, if your group has one."

Žiara chuckled at the Princess's timing in her arrival. "We actually just finished discussing such matters. Hagoromo, would you like to reiterate our discussion?"

"Of course, Žiara." Hagoromo recounted the discussion that had just transpired, and Celestia was pleased with the group's initiative.

"Ah, so that is why I passed the three older men on my way here. If you'll recall them, I can have the necessary materials for them delivered."

"I shall endeavor to do so. One moment, please." Hagoromo flared his chakra in a specific pattern for a moment, and not a second later, the three men flickered back into the room. Celestia raised an eyebrow and asked Hagoromo about what he had just done. "The simplest explanation of the process is that each shinobi is trained to detect specific patterns in others' chakra that serve as signals, and the strength of the signal as it is being broadcast determines the severity of the issue at hand. I conveyed a sense of minor urgency, so that they should be sure to return at their earliest convenience." The three older men nodded, confirming Hagoromo's thesis.

"What do you need to begin your task?" Celestia asked, turning to Minato, Hiruzen, and Jiraiya. Upon being told what the three men needed, Celestia stepped out the front door of the penthouse for a few moments, and stepped back in, closing the door behind her. "I've informed one of the guards of what you need. He will be back shortly. In the meantime, I believe you told me, Hagoromo, that you sought to place your... children... in political seats, is that not true?"

"I believe I did, though I am not naive to a point where I'd be of the mindset you would simply hand them such important positions. Though a starting point would be appreciable, they will need to work toward their goals, just as Naruto will have to work toward his."

Celestia nodded, taking a sip of a cup of water she had retrieved shortly before the three men had returned. "In that case, I may be of some assistance in suggesting where each of your children should attempt to establish themselves, that they would find it easiest to adapt. Though the major issue with having them integrate themselves into the political climate is that most positions in any meaningful capacity require a four or six-year certification from the Canterlot Universal Academy in political science, so they will need to attend that university before they can begin the task you have set out for them."

"Then my children will be sure to fulfill those requirements, and work toward their task." Hagoromo insisted, and the others nodded at the unspoken agreement. "I must inquire as to the prerequisites for their entry into this political science program."

Celestia chuckled. "I do not remember the specifics, as I have not had a hand in the university's day-to-day for many decades, but I can provide you the location of the university's admissions office, where the staff on hand will be more than willing to assist you."

"That would be delightful." Celestia used her magic to conjure a pencil and a sheet of paper, which she deftly wrote on for a few moments, before handing the paper to Hagoromo. "Thank you once again for your able and willing assistance, Princess."

"It is of no concern. I am afraid that I must return to my duties now, so I bid you and your group farewell." Hagoromo and the group bade farewell to Celestia as she rose from the chair, placing it back where she had pulled it out, and strode elegantly out of the room. Hagoromo gave the sheet of paper Celestia had inscribed the address of the university on a second glance, then decided the course of action was to take the group and visit.

"Store your belongings, if you must. We will depart for the university momentarily." With Hagoromo's declaration, the group made their way out of the penthouse. Naruto had Senshi stay inside, not only to guard their belongings, but to prevent another panic attack in the populace of the city.

Canterlot Universal Academy

After making their way to the bank responsible for holding accounts for money, and getting an estimate of their total holdings - even with the value of each RyΘ only being a hundredth that of a ßit, they were still now very wealthy, with a savings account where the vast majority of their fifty-two and a half million ßits were being held - they made their way to the Academy to have the group register for classes. It had been decided - much to Naruto and Jiraiya's chagrin - that everyone in the group would attend classes to further familiarize themselves with the world.

The entire group had decided to enroll in the intermediate and advanced history classes in the mornings held in 404 - a small theater room with capacity to hold fifty people at the top floor of the university taught by a senior professor aptly named Old Fart, the advanced algebra class in the afternoon held in 319 - another theater room taught by a newer professor named Pen Stroke, and the science and biology classes in the evening held in 142 - a class reserved exclusively for large groups such as theirs taught by another newer professor named Camellia Cradle. The last one was especially important, because as Hagoromo would explain later, it was important that, especially for those with talent or experience in medical ninjutsu, knowledge of the anatomies and operations of the various species that inhabited Equus would be paramount in helping injured individuals in the future.

In addition, some of the group decided to take their own courses. Minato decided to take a weekend class on magical theory, citing a desire to understand the mechanics of the powers on Equus in an effort to incorporate the energies of the world into his own seals. Jiraiya and Hiruzen decided to take an optional class on communication and vernacular, citing that they'd be more easily able to help others in the future. The nine all signed up for the same Saturday evening political science class, obviously.

Jiraiya decided to enroll in the magical theory class, same as Minato, though unlike Minato's desire to incorporate magic into his seals, Jiraiya did not really have any productive purpose in mind. Žiara only chose to enroll in geology and geography classes, for reasons she did not elaborate on.

Naruto was enrolled in EVERY class the university had. Literally EVERY ONE. Thanks to Hagoromo and Žiara, Naruto would send Shadow Clones to each class, under a different guise unnoticeable by the professors, while the original would stay behind for the mental training Hagoromo and Žiara would employ.

"Thank you for your time and assistance, Mrs. President." The group were now getting ready to leave after having spent most of the day enrolling in the semester's classes, which would begin the following Monday, and ordering their textbooks. The cost for those that weren't Naruto was 4,280 ßits, while Naruto's cost was well over 200,000 ßits. Minato complained for a while about how much money had to be dropped, but had been convinced earlier that such action was necessary.

"Of course, Mr. Otsutsuki. Good luck to all of you with your classes." The President of the university, an elderly woman who went by the name Silver Stream, thanked the group for their time and bade them farewell.

On the way out, the group ran into, of all people, Twilight. She carried a bag over her shoulder, presumably with a load of books or other study-related materials. "Ah, hello again, young Twilight."

Of course, Twilight being the overzealous bookworm she was, she did not notice the group until Žiara called out to her. She looked up from her current reading and waved to the group, running over. "Hey, everybody!" Then she noticed the direction the group had been walking from. "Oh, did you guys just get done enrolling in classes here at the Academy?"

"As a matter of fact, we did. Are you enrolled at the Academy?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah, I am! I was just on my way to meet all my professors!" Twilight enthusiastically replied.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. Of course it's the bookworms that would be excited about such a thing...

"I believe we shall join you in your endeavor, then. It will be good knowledge for young Naruto, considering he will soon be sharing a class with every student in this building."

"Ooh, I can't wait! Come on!" Then Twilight's awareness kicked in, and her eyes widened in shock, then curiosity at Hagoromo's statement. "Wait, Naruto's taking every class offered?! Dear Celestia, you have to tell me your secrets!"

Naruto groaned in exasperation, while the others chuckled at his predicament. Naruto made a Shadow Clone to demonstrate. "Shadow Clones. Originally developed during the Second Great Ninja War by the Second Hokage and his top ninja as a non-endangering form of espionage, Shadow Clones, when dispelled, transfer their memories back to the creator. Makes information gathering a breeze, and more recently, it was discovered that we can use Shadow Clones to speed up all but physical training by several orders of magnitude. And Naruto can make so many that it's possible for him to learn a hundred years' worth of information in two months or less." Jiraiya elaborated while Twilight sped in circles around Naruto's clone, taking notes and mumbling to herself in fascination about how not even their magic could replicate such feats.

Eventually, Hagoromo placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder, causing the bookworm to pause. "Calm yourself, young Twilight. I understand the desire for knowledge is great in you, but you must temper it with patience and caution. lest you delve into knowledge beyond your capability of understanding. Men have been driven to madness for much less than you could potentially uncover."

At Hagoromo's words, Twilight at least had the decency to look abashed. "Oh, sorry, I guess you're right, Mr. Otsutsuki. I guess I got ahead of myself there and got too excited."

"It is acceptable. Just remember to exercise caution for things you do not understand. And please, I would like to be referred to by simply my given name. Unfortunately, we have a long few weeks ahead of us, so we must depart and rest. Have a nice evening, young Twilight, and good luck in your studies."

"Alright, you guys have a good night too! See you next week!" Twilight waved at the group as they turned and headed in the direction of the tower where they were staying.

About a hour and a half later, everyone save Naruto, Hagoromo and Žiara were asleep. Naruto was laying on the bed thinking, when he felt a mental pull not unlike that of Kurama's own summons back before they grew to trust each other. Not a second later, he was asleep in the real world.

Realm of the Six Paths

Naruto found himself in the same place he'd woken up before he found out what had happened on his world. He frowned and looked around, before spotting Hagoromo and Žiara resting in meditative poses, as if they had been waiting for him the whole time. He moved and sat down across from them, and Hagoromo opened his eyes, staring at the young ninja. "We will begin your training shortly, young Naruto. First, I will allow Žiara to explain the nature of this realm, as it is her creation."

Žiara took over at this point. "This realm, which I created to allow Hagoromo to use to split the Ten-Tails's chakra into what are no longer the Biju, is designed for extended stays. I created it so it is far removed, though not entirely disconnected, from the dimension of time. The ratio of time is one to one hundred twenty, which for each hour that passes in the real world, you will have spent five days here. This is the ideal situation for mental training because it can be done while you are sleeping, with no ill effects.

"On the topic of your mental training, in this realm, we will be using the time mainly to focus on exercises you overview in your studies at the Academy. Along with dear Twilight, I will be able and willing to assisst in your understanding of these concepts, as I have already made available and used this realm to peruse and gain understanding of a copy of every material item needed for your classes."

Hagoromo took over again at this point. "However, we will not be training your chakra control or other ninja-related skills in this realm." Naruto, as he was wont to do, went to complain, but Hagoromo stopped him. "Do you know of the Sharingan ability known as Tsukuyomi?" Naruto nodded his head, remembering that Sasuke, Itachi and Madara, among other Uchiha, were capable of and wont to use the genjutsu. "Due to its ability to allow its user to dictate the flow of time inside its reality, we will be using my Tsukuyomi to train. Because of my mastery of the concepts and fundamentals of chakra, and my having simultaneously awakened both the Mangekyo Sharingan and Rinnegan, I have absolute control over the reality that my Tsukuyomi creates, and my usage of the ability does not harm myself or the individual who the ability is cast on. Thus, we will use my Tsukuyomi realm to train your Ninshu. You may still endeavor to use your Ninjutsu in the real world should the need arise, but as our student, you will be expected to adhere to our teachings and philosophies while training in this realm. Are you aware and in acknowledgement of this?"

"Yes, Super Gramps..." Naruto clearly was not happy at having to spend so long training, even if it was while he was asleep.

"Also, starting now, in this realm and the Tsukuyomi reality, you will address me as Hagoromo-sensei and you will address Žiara as Žiara-sensei."

"Y... Yes, Hagoromo-sensei."

Hagoromo cleared his throat. "Alright, let us begin with your training. Tsukuyomi."

Author's Note

I honestly did not expect to finish this chapter before finals week came up. Other than the names for the professors, I had no issues writing, and everything basically just wrote itself. Unfortunately, infodump ahead. In order to show the power and rankings of characters in-world as they stand now, I need to make a system and give a few characters' stats as of now. And I'll have to split the stats up over several chapters due to how many characters I need to cover.

Also, yes, for those of you in advance getting ready to type the million-dollar 'will there be a timeskip' question, there will be. I'm simply not creative enough to fill two whole years' worth of space with enough content. Though the timeskips will be a couple chapters apart each, and there will probably be several over the two-year span. I expect to arrive at the start of the canon timeline by Chapter 20 or 25, with what I've got planned so far. Anyway, the stats and scale are below, and the QA will be at the bottom, as usual.

Stats: There are five stats to be judged, each on a scale of 0 to 100. These, respectively are Strength (STR), Stamina (STA), Intelligence (INT), Durability (DUR), and Charisma (CHA). On the scale, total points that fall within a certain range are awarded ranks, from D to S. D rank constitutes a total score of 0 to 300 (0 to 60 per stat). C rank constitutes a total score from 301 to 375 (61 to 75 per stat). B rank constitutes a score from 376 to 435 (76 to 87 per stat). A rank constitutes a score from 436 to 475 (88 to 95 per stat). S rank constitutes a score from 476 to 500 (96 to 100 per stat). Below the numerical stats, each character will have a list of notable attributes and feats that apply to their current self.

After this chapter, the stats will be posted immediately before the bottom A/N, for future reference.

Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze

STR: 44
STA: 65
INT: 27
DUR: 62
CHA: 100
Score/Rank: 298 (High D Rank)
Notable Feats: Completed the Rasengan, Defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, Pacified the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox
Notable Abilities: Rasenshuriken (various styles), Talk no Jutsu, Six Paths Sage Mode, Senjutsu Master, Shadow Clone Jutsu

Hagoromo Otsutsuki

STR: 85
STA: 93
INT: 100
DUR: 79
CHA: 68
Score/Rank: 415 (B Rank)
Notable Feats: Sealed the Ten-Tails, Defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, Created Ninshu
Notable Abilities: Mastered Rinnegan, Truth-Seeking Orbs, Creation Of All Things, Senjutsu Master

Žiara

STR: 82
STA: 78
INT: 91
DUR: 85
CHA: 53
Score/Rank: 389 (Low B Rank)
Notable Feats: None Known
Notable Abilities: Goddess, Mastered Outer Path

Jiraiya

STR: 31
STA: 47
INT: 65
DUR: 39
CHA: 55
Score/Rank: 237 (D Rank)
Notable Feats: Mentored the Fourth Hokage, Defeated three Paths of Pain
Notable Abilities: Senjutsu, Collaboration Ninjutsu, Massive Rasengan, Seal Expert

Minato Namikaze

STR: 45
STA: 68
INT: 88
DUR: 51
CHA: 65
Score/Rank: 337 (C Rank)
Notable Feats: Defeated the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Created the Rasengan, Led Konoha to Victory in 3GNW, Became Fourth Hokage
Notable Abilities: Rasengan, Seal Master, Flying Raijin, Senjutsu

Hiruzen Sarutobi

STR: 51
STA: 50
INT: 74
DUR: 43
CHA: 55
Score/Rank: 273 (High D Rank)
Notable Feats: Became Third Hokage, Crippled Orochimaru, Mentored Jiraiya, Became Proficient in All Five Nature Transformations
Notable Abilities: Five Style Massive Combo Jutsu, Summoning Jutsu, Reaper Death Seal

Princess Celestia

STR: 52
STA: 18
INT: 67
DUR: 35
CHA: 86
Score/Rank: 258 (High D Rank)
Notable Feats: Banished Nightmare Moon, Defeated Discord, Sent Tirek to Tartarus, Sealed Sombra
Notable Abilities: Directs the Motion of the Sun and Moon, Leads Equestria

Twilight Sparkle

STR: 31
STA: 41
INT: 49
DUR: 29
CHA: 35
Score/Rank: 185 (D Rank)
Notable Feats: None Known
Notable Abilities: None Known

By the way, the ranks also describe a certain level of *boom* the characters can feasibly accomplish, though I'll let you figure that one out on your own.

Now that that infodump is out of the way, let's move on to QA for the chapter.

I'll never understand these MLP fic. What is wrong with keeping Naruto human and the ponies, ponies? (Regarding Chapter 2)
Nothing is wrong with it, the way I'm writing this, though, is because of community feedback. They wanted anthro characters in the story, so anthro characters they shall have.

Kushina is married to Minato. But if U aren't bringing her in, then you better not be shipping Minato with any of the ladies.
Wasn't planning on shipping Minato AT ALL, but thanks for giving me a reason to make sure everybody knows that.

I love the story so far keep up the good work.
Thanks, and the good work is what I will always do.

That having been said, thanks to HyperA1985, ShiningShadow1965 and Arashi Uzukaze for their consistent reviews. I have some things to do before I head to class today, so I'll see you all in the next one!

New World: A Changed Man

Chapter 8: A Changed Man

Thursday, September 2nd, CCY 3380

Naruto sat in 404, diligently taking notes on the history lesson Professor Fart was giving regarding the Equestrian Pillars' battle against the Pony of Shadows from his top-tier seat in the theater room the class was being held in. He was making absolutely sure to memorize as much of this information as possible for Hagoromo and Žiara's next exam on Saturday. By no means was he worried about Professor Fart's next test - as long as you paid attention in class, took notes, and made steps to ensure you understood the information, his tests were trivially easy - but even the ever-studious Twilight would balk at the difficulty of his senseis' test.

The gist of the exam was that Hagoromo would use an ocular genjutsu - a gift of his Sharingan as a teenager - on Naruto, whose power was amplified by the Rinnegan, and the genjutsu would place him in a trance-like state, where he would then be made to answer a list of every question given in his classes over the past week - which meant literally thousands of questions, due to the fact that, by last count, Naruto was currently attending three hundred fifty-seven classes, and the exams would last two to three Realm weeks - and Žiara would be on standby by projecting her consciousness in the Realm to ensure Naruto could not break out of the genjutsu - one already so powerful, it could be speculated whether Kurama herself would be able to break it - and being present in the real world to ensure Naruto was not woken from his slumber.

After abysmally failing the first exam the previous Saturday - he got a measly six percent on his first attempt - Hagoromo and Žiara had discovered that due to his by all means abhorrent childhood, his mental growth had been severely stunted, and the only parts that were where they needed to be were his personal skills - to an extent - and his battle instincts, a major issue which needed correction immediately.

"What country rests on the southern border of Equestria?"

"Umm... I believe it was... Saddle Arabia?"

"Wrong. Y is equivalent to eight X squared plus sixteen X plus sixty-four. Is this expression representative of a perfect square trinomial?"

"Yes."

"Wrong." Naruto was beginning to get very frustrated at constantly missing these questions, and the stress and anger was clearly visible on his face, his brow tight and a thin sheen on sweat marring his brow. "What is the largest bone in a pony's body?"

"Was it the tibia?"

"Wrong. Not only was that a trick question, because the largest bone in a pony's body depends upon the race of said pony, you specified a human bone."

Naruto's anger spilled over, and he threw a punch at the ground of the Realm with all his might in frustration. The Realm having been created by a goddess, the floor remained smooth and pristine, while Naruto was now left blowing on his now-sore hand like he were trying to relieve a burn. "Dammit, Super Gramps, I-" Naruto was interrupted harshly by the butt of Hagoromo's staff striking him upside the head.

"It is Hagoromo-sensei."

Naruto raised his hand after recalling what seemed to be a fallacy regarding the tale of the battle as Professor Fart had explained it. "Professor, if we know that the last we heard of the Pillars, they went off to fight the Pony of Shadows, and they disappeared afterward, then why, by your very own words, did you say that historians are sure they never died when nobody actually knows what happened to them, or the Pony of Shadows for that matter?"

Professor Fart had the decency to stop writing on the board for a few moments as he processed Naruto's question. "Hmm... I will admit, Mr. Uzumaki, that you have me there. I am stunned I did not come to that fact myself." The entire class turned to Naruto, who was pondering the very question he had asked, and though he heard none of it, a few appreciative whistles and some clapping could be heard, though only for a brief period before the Professor regained the class's attention.

Gyuki had hit upon the idea himself, and he chuckled at Naruto having beaten him to the punch. He had been about to raise his hand and ask the very same question. Meanwhile, everyone in the class winced as Hagoromo spoke up. "Very well spotted, Naruto. Expect that to be on your next exam." The entire class - nay, most of the university - knew to some degree Hagoromo's harsh memory retention lessons to Naruto, and felt sympathy for the young man. They had heard so much conplaining about the topic the second day of class, he'd been thrown out of two periods before he got his head in the game. Though Naruto's complaining had been greatly reduced that Wednesday, and had dissipated altogether by Thursday, the class knew to a certain extent how Hagoromo's 'lessons' worked.

The bell for the next class rang before Professor Fart had a chance to continue, and he bade the class farewell as everybody got out of their seats and prepared to head to their next class. The group split off to head their own separate ways in the hallway outside the theater, Naruto heading to his Economics class, book already in hand.

On his way there, he was met by Twilight, as well as one of his newer friends, Twinkleshine. Both of them had agreed to meet in the hall right outside the theater because their classes let out ten minutes before his own and they all shared the Economics class together. "Hey, Naruto! How was your History class this morning?" Twilight asked as soon as they were within decent speaking distance.

"Pretty good, though for some reason there's a hole in the timeline right before and after the Pillars went to fight the Pony of Shadows. Weird, isn't it?"

Twilight's eyes widened in shock? "How though? That makes absolutely no sense, unless something happened to alter the records, or no rec-"

Naruto placed a finger on Twilight's lips to silence her, which was pretty effective. "Whoa now, don't get ahead of yourself there, Twilight. Remember what my sensei told you right after we signed up."

Twilight had the decency to look abashed at Naruto's comment. "Sorry, sorry. It just doesn't make any sense."

"Well, now that you two are done fretting about that history lesson, listen to this new piece I wrote!" Twinkleshine produced a magic box that she used to project the sound funneled into it, and used her horn to take the lute she had in her case out and start playing. Naruto and Twilight stopped and listened to Twinkleshine's new piece as it was played. The both of them were very impressed with how it sounded, especially considering Twinkleshine's cutie mark wasn't related to music.

"Nice job, Twinkleshine. I like how you plateaued the rhythm near the end and finished with a rising crescendo. You don't hear lute players do it that often." Naruto complimented her, and some students passing by in the hallway clapped at the performance. Twinkleshine blushed at the praise and thanked Naruto, then turned to Twilight.

"Well, what do you think of it?"

"Come on, Twinkleshine, you know Twilight isn't much for music unless it's a heartsong."

Twinkleshine sighed at once again not being able to get Twilight to compliment her music, and Naruto silently chuckled. In the last week since he had introduced Twilight to Twinkleshine, the latter, for whatever reason, had made it her mission to get a compliment out of the studious young woman regarding her music. "Well, I'll get a compliment out of her yet! I'll just have to wait a little longer!"

"You call the school burning down a little longer?" Naruto snarked in response.

Twinkleshine turned on her heel and slapped Naruto's forearm. "Oh, look at Mr. Overachiever making jokes over here! I bet you think you're a riot!" She mockingly glared at Naruto in a faux show of intimidation.

Naruto glared right back. "No, but if a riot's what you want, a riot's what you'll get." The two glared each other down for a few more seconds before Naruto smiled and chuckled and Twinkleshine busted out laughing.

"Hah, that never gets old. You know it's hard for me to match your stares, right?" Twinkleshine remarked after calming down somewhat.

"Yeah, I've been told I have a mean stare once or twice before." What went unsaid was that both of said instances had happened in the last week. "Anyway, let's get to class or we might end up late."

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point. Come on, Twilight." Twinkleshine moved to walk alongside Naruto as Twilight caught up to the two of them, reading the Economics book in advance like she was wont to do before every class period, as the trio went into their class and took their seats.

Evening, Realm of the Six Paths

"Now, demonstrate your fire nature."

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire!" Naruto called out upon Hagoromo's command, unleashing a series of small fireballs at the target that Hagoromo conjured with is chakra. Only half of the targets hit bullseyes, the rest either hitting randomly or missing entirely. It was a testament to Naruto's developed patience and Hagoromo and Žiara's teaching that he managed to hit any bullseyes with Fire Style at all.

"Acceptable. Now demonstrate wind. And no, Rasenshuriken is not allowed."

"Wind Style: Wind Scythe!" Naruto unleashed a scythe of wind at the next target, and it was cleanly bisected right at the mark that Hagoromo had placed, the target dissipating into thin air a moment later.

"Excellent. That will be our stopping point for now. We will resume your chakra training inside Tsukuyomi tomorrow. You have performed admirably thus far." Hagoromo willed away the targets Naruto had failed to destroy, and they faded into thin air, the same as the Wind target did. As Hagoromo as expected, even with the equivalent of four years of training inside Tsukuyomi. Naruto was still progressing slowly in any element that was not Wind. Of course, that was also to be expected, given the first ninety percent of that time training was spent perfecting Naruto's chakra control in every way possible. Naruto could now cast many of his jutsu at a twentieth of their normal cost, and his knowledge gained through studies at the Academy and through Hagoromo's teachings had completely corrected the mental issues that had plagued Naruto when they began.

Naruto wiped a bead of sweat off his brow, taking off the white T-shirt he'd been wearing and cooling off as Hagoromo faded out of the realm. Naruto had learned from Hagoromo and Žiara how to enter the Realm at will, as well as to bring others inside, so that he could use the privacy and security to train and de-stress. Still asleep, Naruto left the Realm and allowed himself to be overtaken by dreams.

Author's Note

Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze

STR: 46 (+2)
STA: 85 (+20)
INT: 43 (+16)
DUR: 62
CHA: 100
Score/Rank: 336 +38

Hagoromo Otsutsuki

STR: 85
STA: 93
INT: 100
DUR: 79
CHA: 69 (+1)
Score/Rank: 416 +1

Žiara

STR: 82
STA: 78
INT: 92 (+1)
DUR: 85
CHA: 62 (+9)
Score/Rank: 399 +10

Princess Celestia

STR: 52
STA: 18
INT: 69 (+2)
DUR: 35
CHA: 86
Score/Rank: 260 +2

Twilight Sparkle

STR: 31
STA: 41
INT: 55 (+6)
DUR: 29
CHA: 38 (+3)
Score/Rank: 194 +9

And that about wraps the chapter up here. It would have been longer, but I didn't want to force a scene out and have it result in the chapter being of lower quality than what I usually write, not to mention I couldn't really think of anything else to add for the first timeskip. Kept it short and sweet, and added a little bit of character development and interaction to show how Naruto and some of the group is progressing over time. These timeskips will occur, and skip random intervals of time, once per chapter until we get to the MLP canon timeline.

That having been said, there's really nothing needed for the QA, especially since because this is a double update, I only got two reviews before posting this, and class is getting ready to start, so I'm out.

New World: The Power of Loss

Chapter 9: The Power of Loss

Tuesday, October 29th, CCY 3380, Afternoon

"Ms. Minuette," Professor Cradle called Minuette to the front to receive her graded midterm test and find out her performance. It wasn't just her, but the entire class period was stressed out over what their grades were. Professor Cradle's lessons might have been fun and engaging, but her exams really made you work for your points and tested your attention and patience to their limits.

Minuette walked to the table where Naruto and her friend Lemon Hearts were sat and retook her empty chair before glancing at her grade. Her face fell as she read her grade - only a sixty-two percent of one hundred. She'd missed twenty-four questions, it seemed, which really sucked. Naruto glanced over at her paper, noticing the grade, and leaned in to comfort the distraught young woman, as Lemon Hearts was called up to receive her grade next. "Hey, all you have to do is keep studying hard and push to do better on the next test. You know that, right? Besides, Ms. Cradle did say the threshold for passing this was only a fifty-three."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but it still hurts knowing I didn't at least make it to seventy. I thought I was more prepared for this one, but I guess not," Minuette told Naruto, sighing in disappointment at her low grade. "I just hope Lemon didn't get over a seventy, so she can rub it in my face again."

"Hey, you know just like Twilight, Lemon is a bit of an overachiever. Don't let what she says get to you. Everyone does things in their own unique way." Naruto patted Minuette on the shoulder.

Minuette didn't move for a second, but then started snickering under her breath. "You're one to talk, Mr. I Can Be Everywhere At Once."

"Hey, I only come in one size - thousands. Why do you think I'm able to handle this kind of workload so easily? I am literally a one-man tutoring seminar, it's basically my job at this point." Naruto fired back, before the two of them glanced up as Lemon sat down in her chair, graded exam in hand. "So, how'd you do, Citrus?"

"Ugh, when will you stop calling me that?!" Lemon fumed at Naruto's nickname for her, as Professor Cradle began calling up other students to get their own scores.

"Just as soon as you acknowledge I'm the better student between the two of us."

"Uh-uh, not happening, buster! I will never admit defeat!" Lemon proudly exclaimed, before shrinking slightly in her seat as some of the other students stared at her, realizing she might have said that a little too loud. She scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Well, let's see your score." Naruto encouraged. Lemon showed the two her own paper, and Naruto winced at the grade: sixty-eight percent. "Hey, what gives? You usually do quite a bit better under pressure. I expected you to at least get a seventy."

"I honestly have no idea. I really thought I had this one in the bag." Lemon shrugged her shoulders and proceeded to use her seat as a recliner, regretting her mistake three seconds later as she nursed her bruised head from her position on the floor.

"Now what has the Professor told you about that, Lemon Hearts? That's the third time this month in this class alone!" Minuette lectured the embarrassed unicorn, who had the wherewithal to apologize, albeit quietly.

"And finally, Mr. Uzumaki." Professor Cradle called Naruto up to receive his exam back, and he smiled in content as he returned to the table and plopped the paper on the wood.

"What, ninety-two percent?! But how?!" Needless to say, Lemon was not happy at having being beaten to second place yet again, by one of her best friends, no less. "Why do you always have to have the second-best score?" Naruto promptly pointed to Hagoromo, who was busy discussing something with Žiara, though Naruto did not bother to tune in on their conversation. Without even being prompted, Hagoromo's exam paper was raised into the air so that Minuette and Lemon Hearts could see it and gauge its score, and neither were surprised to find a grade of one hundred four percent was the result. Hagoromo not only grasped everything he was presented perfectly, he was able to see beyond the surface level and find reasons for each answer that left every teacher he had taken an exam with floored at his reasoning and depth of understanding, and as a result, the middle-aged man always scored over one hundred percent on everything, setting a precedent that wasn't likely to be bested for the next several tens of millenia, at least. The man's highest score on anything assigned or done on campus had been an astounding one hundred sixty-three, and he still hadn't even divulged to Naruto why that grade was so high.

Lemon turned back to Naruto, still pouting at having lost her self-imposed academic competition yet again. Naruto noticed this, and patted her on the back. "Hey, chill out. There's always tomorrow. Besides, this week is midterms, so you've still got tomorrow and Thursday to try again." Contrary to Naruto's intentions, Lemon only pouted harder and turned away from him. Naruto shrugged at his failed attempt. "Alright then, suit yourself."

"Alright, well-done to everyone who passed the midterm today, class, and to those who didn't, remember to keep working hard and you'll get there. Now, for tomorrow, we'll be going over the photosynthesis process of plants in more detail. Dismissed."

As the class packed up to leave, Hagoromo approached Naruto as the group gathered to leave class. "Naruto, I must perform a duty requested by the Princess. In the meanwhile, I shall leave your training to Žiara. Do not hesitate to ask her any of the same questions you would have come to me about."

"Well, before you head out, is there anything you can tell me about what part of my training is next?"

"Unfortunately, I am required immediately by the Princess. This was the last class I was able to reasonably attend. Žiara will inform you of tonight's training herself. I must depart for now, and I will rejoin you soon." Before Naruto could ask another question, Hagoromo used his Rinnegan to open a portal straight to the castle, and walked through, closing it behind him.

Son Goku stepped beside Naruto on his left. "Well, not entirely unexpected. Even before he had started reincarnating. we didn't get much visiting time because the Old Man was always busy doing this or that. In a way, I'm glad to see that some things still haven't changed."

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point. Hey, I wonder if the Lieutenant would allow us to use the training grounds for another taijutsu spar?"

Son Goku shrugged his shoulders to say he didn't mind. Since he and Naruto had the same class next period, and said class wouldn't start for forty-five minutes, he had more than enough time to kill. "Sure, I could use a good workout right about now anyway. Haven't had a chance to beat anything up all month."

"Hey, that's on you. Should've known it wasn't a good idea to go smashing the Guard's training dummies around like you did." The two chatted back and forth as they headed off-campus and toward the palace to the Guard training barracks.

The two were ready and raring to go. Son Goku stood in his relaxed stance with one hand in his coat pocket and the other out and clenched into a fist. Naruto stood with his left foot out in front of him and his right hand pointed like a spear forward, in a manner reminiscent of the Gentle Fist stance.

"And... begin!" The Guard that had decided to referee the match called out from the sidelines. Naruto and Son Goku tensed immediately, carefully examining the other's stance and guard for any exploitable weaknesses. This continued for a few more seconds, before the two simultaneously lunged at each other.

Son Goku launched his fist at Naruto's head, but the attack never made contact, as Naruto struck the backside of his wrist joint upward to deflect the attack, then retaliated with a leg sweep that Son quickly jumped over. The resulting kick Naruto threw into the air to knock Son off balance was caught in one hand as he landed on the ground.

Son spun around and threw Naruto to the other side of the ring, and Naruto managed to catch himself before he could go out of bounds. He charged back again, this time executing a perfectly-timed slide under Son's flying leg, and right as he passed under, Naruto saw his opportunity.

He grabbed Son's leg before he could return it to the ground and used his momentum to send Son tumbling forward into the dirt. Before Son could recover and get back on his feet, Naruto's hand was at his throat.

"One-zero, favor Naruto." The Guard said at witnessing Naruto's victory, as the two got back up and returned to their sides and stances. "And... begin!" This time, Son dropped all pretense of patience and charged right in, lunging forward with a palm strike that would have cracked Naruto's nose, if not for Naruto having swiftly sidestepped the attack. Son did not falter in the slightest, pivoting on his heel and lunging again, which made Naruto need to dodge again.

This continued three more times, before Naruto attempted to, instead of dodging, deflect the strike and move inside Son's guard, which turned out to be a very bad move, as Naruto found himself on the ground, courtesy of Son's knee being driven into his gut. He immediately dispersed into smoke, revealing that the Naruto Son had been fighting had been a clone. Son chuckled as Naruto sent out another Clone from his position at the top of the barracks tower.

"One-one." The two quickly returned to their stances. "And... begin!" This time, before Son could charge in for an aggressive finish, Naruto jumped up and stuck his leg out, like he was trying to perform a dive kick. Son grabbed the outstretched ankle and went to slam him into the ground, and Naruto smirked.

Naruto slammed his hands on the ground and used the momentum to pivot around, bringing his body towards Son, but he wasn't ready for a sudden fist to smash into his face from what he thought was an open guard. The clone saw the sky shortly and harshly landed on the ground, dispelling on contact.

"Two-one, favor Son Goku. Match point." This time, Naruto jumped down from the top of the tower and landed in his stance next to Son. "And... begin!" Naruto did not feel like making any concessions today, and immediately charged at Son with a flurry of punches which the muscular man quickly dodged or deflected.

Son tried to lash out with a kick, but Naruto dodged, and the resulting punch made no contact as the leg had been pulled back to its original position too fast to feel anything but a slight disturbance of wind. That same leg then went to stomp on Naruto's feet, and Naruto jumped up, deftly spinning in midair to avoid the nasty backhand Son sent. He shot his hand out to push himself off Son's massive arm as it passed by under him and into the air, spinning and doing a double back flip before safely landing on the ground, back in his original stance.

Naruto was forced to immediately deflect a kick Son sent his way, the man having been intent on giving Naruto no room or time to breathe. Naruto rolled under and just barely managed to avoid the improvised axe kick that slammed into the ground, causing a slight tremor in the immediate radius and kicking up some loose dirt. Naruto leaned backward at an almost impossible angle to dodge the resulting kick Son sent back at him with the same leg, and Naruto hit the outstretched limb behind the knee joint and kicking his leg out to buckle Son's other leg, sending him to the ground with a curse.

"Two-two." The two once again returned to their stances. At this point, a few Sergeants had brought some of the new recruits out from the barracks to observe the sparring match, and Shukaku had also shown up at some point, his trademark bloodthirsty grin on his face. "And... begin!"

Neither fighter registered the presence of the various other people as they charged at each other again. This time, two fists were sent out, and two fists were blocked. Naruto then checked a kick Son tried to use to buckle his knees, before freeing his arm from Son's grasp and rolling back into his original stance. Son charged ahead and tried to perform a football kick, but Naruto used his momentum against him, and threw his leg upward so Son lost his balance and swiftly found himself nursing a slight headache and staring up at the sky. Before Naruto could claim his victory, though, Son went for a leg sweep that knocked the surprised teen off his feet.

Naruto barely had time to roll to the side before Son's back-handed fist smashed into the ground where his head had been. He used his hands to spring back up, and managed to use his arms to block Son's forward swing as the man picked himself up off the ground. Though Naruto blocked the attack, the momentum carried him stumbling back a few steps.

Naruto barely had time to recover before Son was upon him again, and he found himself deflecting a series of punches that probably would have left marks if the last one hadn't already. Naruto finally saw another opportunity as one of Son's inbound hooks came in with an arc slightly too wide, and he sidestepped the attack, letting it slip by harmlessly. Naruto then used Son's shoulder to hurl himself into the air, simultaneously allowing him to avoid getting backhanded again, and he spun in the air a couple times before lashing out with a kick that hit Son in the back of the head with a sharp report, sending the man to one knee. Naruto landed on the ground, though not in his original stance.

"Three-two, favor Naruto. Match point." The two returned to their stances, and at this point, many of the Guard recruits were cheering for one side or the other. The Sergeants did not bother reining them in either, and were placing bets on who would win the match. Twilight had even wandered in to watch, and was cheering Naruto on from the sidelines. "And... begin!"

This time, Naruto shifted into a stance that would allow him to strike harder and faster, but sacrifice a bit of his mobility, and charged at Son first. He dodged the kick to his face and did the same thing he'd done earlier, sending Son tumbling backward to the ground. This time, Naruto lunged his hand out, but hit nothing but dirt, as Son had already moved his head out of the way of the attack. Naruto had to use both hands to block a rather vicious punch Son threw, and the momentum of the attack carried him into the air. Son tried to use the opportunity to land a midair kick, but Naruto canceled it with his own, using Son's heel as a springboard to catapult himself into the air and away from the man.

Naruto landed deftly on his feet, but quickly had to sidestep Son attempting to smash him into paste from the air, and the man hit the ground so hard, his fists left a small crater on impact. Naruto went to land a kick to Son's stomach, but his danger sense went off and he did a running front flip right before he would have tried the kick, avoiding the punch that was now flying under him and kicking Son's back, sending him into the ground. Naruto landed in his stance, a thin sheen of sweat covering his forehead and face.

"Four-two. The victor of the sparring match is Naruto!" Son got up, and the two approached each other in the center of the ring, locking their fingers together in the Seal of Reconciliation, as the audience they had amassed cheered in light of Naruto's victory.

Twilight ran up to the two, visibly excited and anxious. "That was awesome, you guys! I didn't know you knew how to fight so well! I could tell the Sergeants were impressed with your technique and execution!"

Naruto chuckled. "Thanks, Twilight, though they won't be getting any secrets out of us. Hagoromo said we should only teach or tell about our style of taijutsu to those we trust." Son nodded.

"Well, I think it's about time we headed back to the campus. Class should be starting in a few minutes." Son said. Naruto nodded, taking two hand towels out of one of his sealing scrolls and passing one to him, and both quickly dried themselves off as they walked back to CUA, Twilight hot on their heels.

Peak of Mt. Canterhorn - Evening

Hagoromo and Celestia sat on an outcropping of rock near the summit of the mountain, and Hagoromo stared up at the moon. It wouldn't be hard to tell for anyone who'd called themselves a sensor that Hagoromo was getting ready to do something. Celestia turned to him. "So can you please explain again why you must travel to the moon? I'm afraid I can't quite grasp."

Hagoromo turned to Celestia. "Because, from what I have gathered regarding our circumstances, Convergence directed our group to this world, which, as I've looked beyond the surface, seems to be an alternate yet identical version of our own. And, for reasons I cannot yet fathom, this is also somehow set in the past compared to our own space. I am certain of this fact because I can sense my younger brother's chakra on the surface of the moon."

Celestia blew some of her hair back and let out a long sigh. "Well, if you must visit him, as you say you're going to do, when do you plan on returning? If what my Lieutenant has told me is true, I will have great need of your wisdom and experience in the future."

"I will only be gone until morning. My business with my brother will have to be rather short, otherwise I believe weeks would pass before I'd find myself on solid Earth - or in this case Equus - ground again."

"And how again are you going to be able to actually not die?"

Hagoromo chuckled. It seemed Celestia was like Madara in a way; always double and triple-checking everything to make absolutely certain she understood whatever was presented in front of her. "As I've stated before, the Otsutsuki clan is not actually human. The best way to describe us is being born of the stars themselves. As such, our race is capable of surviving in a vacuum. The moon's environment, while deadly to yours and likely the rest of the species on this world, proves harmless to my brother and I."

Celestia nodded. "I can understand all that, but how did you factor your training Naruto into this? From what you've told me, you usually cast a spell on him to allow him to train for even longer periods of subjective time."

"That has already been taken care of. Žiara and I discovered that Tsukuyomi's powers exclusively do not belong to the Sharingan, rather, they are etched into the very fabric and nature of genjutsu itself. The Sharingan was simply the exceedingly easiest medium with which to access this mental restriction or acceleration of time. We developed a jutsu, which I will simply refer to as Time Dilation, whereupon we can manipulate the target's mind and slow down the body's processes, which allow us to control the flow of time inside their mind. It is also very effective, but to an overly perfect degree.

"I had Žiara cast the jutsu on myself to test its potency, and in the illusion, ten years passed by in the space of a second. If I was not of the Otsutsuki or gifted with such a resilient and durable mental capacity, I likely would not be standing here."

"That sounds very dangerous. I trust you were able to correct that unforeseen issue?"

Hagoromo nodded. "By the same token that we created the jutsu, the only adjustment that was required was a shift in the illusion that activated a greater portion of the brain that normally is not used in any capacity, which allowed the target to withstand the effects much more, though not nearly to the degree that the jutsu, at full potency, can be used as a reliable training method. Previously, as confirmed by tests run on myself, a normal mind could not process information that was accelerated at a factor of more than two hundred fifty-nine thousand, two hundred to one, which means any more than three days of training, and the mind would be lost to neural damage. After correcting the issue, however, the survivable potency of the jutsu is now two months to one second, which allows for an even greater span of training time than Tsukuyomi itself accounts for."

Celestia nodded, and took a step back. "Well, since obviously you've everything squared away, I wish you luck in your journey, as well as a safe return."

"And a good evening to you as well, Princess." Hagoromo tapped the ground with his staff three times and flared the power of the Rinnegan, and a portal sprang into existence in front of him, the image on the other side the moon's landscape, with a lone man standing near the horizon of the image. Hagoromo stepped through the portal and it closed behind him, leaving Celestia to return to her quarters for the night.

Realm of the Six Paths

Naruto stood on top of a stone platform he'd created, meditating to gain further control of the mental portion of his chakra. It could be argued that his acquiring knowledge and sharpening his wit on anything and everything he could over the subjective span of eight years and four months inside the Realm, even longer considering the times he would train with Hagoromo under Tsukuyomi, would have already sharpened his mental skills to an excessive degree, but in the world they were now residents of, there was so much new knowledge that simply, for one reason or another, didn't exist backon his homeworld. And he'd always remember one of Iruka's most important lessons regarding chakra, in that it's split into two separate portions, the physical and spiritual, and that while the physical side of chakra was improved by training and gaining experience through battle, the spiritual side was improved through usage of the mind to perform ever-increasingly complex tasks, which would, in turn, improve one's mental fortitude, and help promote the balance between the two halves.

This, in turn, shot up his already titanic reserves like no one believed. Two to five thousand Shadow Clones was now a drop in the bucket, though the primary reason that he hadn't used much chakra in the last few months was because the exponential increase in his reserves meant an equally exponential decrease in his control, which left him struggling to get back to where he was. He had finally managed to regain enough of his control in the last week or so to cast most B and C-rank jutsu with the same skill he once did. But of course, adequate control wasn't what Naruto was interested in, not anymore. Maybe the old him would have stopped once he'd hit the point he became practically unbeatable, but this Naruto, now by all means a devout scholar, only wanted perfection, and that meant controlling this planet-sized ocean with an eyedropper, at least.

Of course, control at his massive scale was almost impossibly difficult to attain without creating some new way to practice the control, as his passable at best control had to be attained with just short of one point nine subjective millenia of training inside Tsukuyomi. Naruto, as a result, had grown mentally wise beyond his years, and Hagoromo had stopped putting him through his academic paces back at the beginning of the month because even with the illusion affecting his state of mind, Naruto had attained one hundred percent almost without even trying.

Naruto was brought out of his meditation by a shift in the Realm which signified Žiara's arrival. Naruto looked up to find her standing in front of him. "Žiara-sensei."

"The training you will undergo during this phase will not related to chakra, nor will it be related to Ninshu. Hagoromo has departed to make an important visit, and in the meantime, he has elected to make the subject of tonight's training a secret. I will not be divulging any information. Rather, we will just jump in headfirst. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, Žiara-sensei!" Naruto immediately called out.

"Good, then we can begin. Before we begin, I do have to tell you that the way we will be training this phase is new. Hagoromo and I have just finished developing and enhancing a technique that allows us to project illusions that have the same functionality as the Tsukuyomi of the Sharingan, so Hagoromo will no longer be necessary for you to perform your illusion training. Your phases will now be twenty times longer than they were before. Instead of three days per casting of the illusion each second, we've streamlined the process so it is continuous and the illusion stays active as long as physical contact is maintained, as well as the illusion of the acceleration of time increasing to sixty days per second that passes in the Realm."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up in surprise. A technique that improved on the shortcomings of the Tsukuyomi, not the least of which was its limitation of only being accessible to those who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, was something to be respected and revered, and had to have taken a very long and arduous process to create.

"That having been said, let us begin." Žiara placed her hands on Naruto's shoulders, staring into his eyes, and called out, "Time Dilation!"

Time Void

First, Naruto fell unconscious. Then, it suddenly felt as if part of him was missing, and his chakra was suddenly back to the point it was when he'd nearly died. He looked around stupidly, feeling like something wasn't adding up, watching as the unknown place he found himself in slowly began taking shape. Suddenly, he felt something shift inside him.

Outside the Void, Žiara was now smiling as a result of something she couldn't really place her finger on, while she waited for Naruto to wake up in the next half-second. 'Good, the changes are already affecting him. Hagoromo, it seems was right; this fine young man had Otsutsuki roots in his blood, they just needed the right motivation to be awakened, since he wasn't born either a Hyuga or an Uchiha.'

Naruto suddenly found himself in what looked like the crater of Konoha after his battle with Pein had really started ramping up. He looked to the edge of the crater, where he saw Tsunade being tended to by Katsuyu, her primary summon, and what were once his own toad summons, and looked in the other direction and saw a slightly younger him pinned to the ground. He winced as he remembered that bit, but there was a feeling he couldn't place that it was all wrong, that something was missing.

Unbeknownst to him, his mind working overtime to overcome the limitations Žiara's one-time-use version of Time Dilation had placed on it had resulted in two barriers to Naruto's spiritual growth being broken, barriers which had seen over fifteen hundred subjective years worth of work given no benefit, and as he looked on, ignorant to the changes happening in his own brain, his ocean-blue eyes were replaced, the left one by a veinless Byakugan, and the right by a six-tomoe Sharingan.

He glanced to the left, and suddenly found his west-facing field of vision had expanded somehow, though he chalked it up to being a side effect of him suddenly being in what seemed the past and moved on. Right before he was about to leap out of the crater and move to the outer ring of what was left of Konoha, something in his mind clicked, and his head shot to the one major detail of what had become of the battle thus far he'd somehow missed - Hinata lying motionless mere feet from the other him.

In that moment, time itself seemed to stop around him, and Hinata got up off the ground and started walking toward him, eyes set in a mask of determination he hadn't ever remembered seeing from her. "You..."

"M.. Me?" Naruto was flabbergasted. What the actual fuck was going on here? He slowly stepped back as Hinata continued walking toward him, but soon he found himself backed against a stone slab, a remnant of one of Konoha's buildings. Suddenly, Hinata was in front of him, and he was unnerved by the stare she was giving him. Shocked as he was, and confused as to what was happening, he didn't notice the danger until it was already too late, and he coughed blood from a kunai having been thrust into his stomach, as the world around him, and everything that had been made substance faded away, leaving just him and Hinata... or whatever this world's version of her was.

The wound in his stomach also didn't seem to close, and he fell to the ground, his body slowly going numb. Damn... am I going to die...?

Suddenly, he found himself back against the slab, though he couldn't remember what was going on. Hinata was suddenly in front of him, and his instincts screaming at him to move out of the way were the only thing that kept him from getting unknowingly skewered a second time. "Hinata, what's gotten into you? What's going on here?"

"What happened to becoming Hokage?"

Naruto froze, and his instincts screamed at him to leap out of the way as Hinata threw a shuriken right at his neck. "What are you talking about?" He was forced to jump away inside the white void, but Hinata just pursued him at the same pace. In fact, he noticed the more he tried to avoid Hinata's attacks, the faster she got and the closer each hit got to landing. He quickly realized that his only choice was to fight, but it was something that constricted his heart.

He blocked the attack and tried to throw a punch back at her to get her away, but she dodged the attack almost faster than he could see. "What happened to bringing Sasuke back?"

Naruto froze in shock, and was blasted across the void by Hinata's next attack, a vicious jab to the face. He could feel the rage at that comment spilling over, and he charged, full speed, to attack- then got blasted by an Air Palm, sending him flying right back.

Naruto was downright furious now. No one had ever doubted his ability to battle Sasuke. On even ground, he was the only one that ever could. To have his failure, as well as the subsequent extinction of his entire race, thrown in his face in such an unrepentant and disrespectful manner, to make a mockery of his sacrifices in said attempt, had pushed him way past the edge. Only this time, he didn't have Kurama inside him, and was left with only his own power, which, despite the fact he instinctually knew he didn't have it, didn't stop him in the slightest from lunging at Hinata, fully intent on killing her.

Žiara frowned as she watched his internal mental struggle. 'Come on, Naruto. I know you can overcome this. You've made it this far already, so please, prove me right. Show me my faith wasn't misplaced.'

Hinata blocked his attack and moved in, closing multiple tenketsu, causing Naruto to cough up some blood as he fell to his knees on the ground. He tried to force his tenketsu back open using Kurama's chakra, before he remembered that Kurama wasn't sealed inside him anymore. He forced himself back up, and stared at Hinata as she stopped right in front of him. "Tell me, Naruto... why did you lie to us?"

"What... what are you-" Naruto coughed up more blood as he tried to speak through his no doubt grievous internal injuries. "-talking about? I never lied to anyone!"

"Then explain why we're all dead. Explain that. We trusted you, and you failed ALL OF US!"

"NO I DIDN'T!" Tears were falling now, as Naruto began to feel again the grief of having failed everyone. "I thought you of all people would understand..." He punched the nonexistent ground in his sorrow, unaware of what was going on outside his mind. "I tried the best I could! I gave it everything I had!"

"Then why?! Why was Sasuke the one to walk away from that battle instead of you? We're all dead because of you!" The way her Byakugan flared out as she asked that question probably could have intimidated Pein, if only for a second.

"Because..." Naruto was not one to ever admit defeat. Even if he was horribly outclassed, he got back up and did his damn best to find another way to tackle the problem. Here, though, as he was faced directly with the reality that the young woman standing in front of him was just one of those people who'd died as a result of his failure, he did something he'd found inconceivable for the first time in his life.

"...because I wasn't strong enough..."

He admitted defeat.

Unbeknownst to him, Hinata had been slowly moving in for the finishing blow. Unfortunately for her, stricken with grief and sorrow as Naruto's mind was, having to finally deal directly with the consequences of his defeat, his instincts controlled his body without any mental input whatsoever. In an instant, both of Naruto's hands shot forward, one catching Hinata's kunai-wielding hand before it could commit the deed, the other being enveloped in a blade of pure chakra that shot through her stomach.

Hinata's coughing up blood brought Naruto back to reality, and he looked up at her only to discover what he'd done. "Oh no! No, no no no no no no no no no..."

Hinata coughed up more blood as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't dwell... on the past, Naruto..."

"What?! You... you know I can't do that! Not after all this..." Naruto cried into her shoulder as she started rubbing circles on his back, slowly feeling the strength leave her.

"Look... at me." Hinata coughed blood again, then stared right into Naruto's eyes. "You have to be... strong. If not... for me... or for your friends... then for your new life..."

"I will... I swear..." Naruto barely held back his grief, trying to hold himself together while Hinata was still there.

"Promise... me..." Hinata struggled to get out through the blood and the pain. "Promise me that... you'll come back... to your home one day... Even if... we're not there..."

"I will... I promise..." Naruto could feel the life leave Hinata as her grasp went limp, and he laid her on the ground. "Dammit... Dammit! DAMMIT!" Having, in a sense, witnessed and been part of one of his friends' deaths, now finally truly understanding just how dire the consequences of his failure, and having admitted defeat, the dam on Naruto's grief broke at last, and he let out an ear-piercing scream of sorrow toward the sky as Hinata's body began to disintegrate and disappear, leaving what some would call a broken man.

An unknown period of time later, after all the tears had been exhausted and all the grief had dulled into numbness, Naruto wiped his eyes as he slowly stood up. "I swear to you... Hinata... Sakura... Kakashi... Everyone... I'm going to do everything it takes to get stronger, for the sake of it if nothing else. If this is the cost I pay for defeat, I swear on my life, and on my honor, that I'll never lose again." The entire world was swallowed in darkness as the jutsu that had brought Naruto's consciousness into this plane ended.

Realm of the Six Paths

Žiara, having cried quite a lot herself at having witnessed Naruto's own mind using the specially-tailored jutsu's cues to fuel its own self-destruction, wiped her own eyes as the jutsu ended. Shortly after, she could tell Naruto was awake. Without opening his eyes, he spoke. "Thank you, Žiara-kun... I definitely needed that wake-up call."

Žiara caught the change of honorific that Naruto seemed to have let out on purpose, though she knew not why, but nevertheless, she responded with a strained smile. "You're welcome, Naruto. Since the training, per se, is done for today, and you're now ready to continue your training, are there any requests you might want?"

"Yes. Two, actually. But for now, I just want the one."

"Of course. What is it?"

Naruto leaned his head into her shoulder, letting out a long, weary sigh. "Just hold me. I... still need a little time to come to terms with my defeat. I never really accepted it before."

Žiara didn't hesitate in the slightest, and hugged Naruto, resting her chin on top of his head. "You don't even have to ask. After what you've been through, you more than deserve it."

Surface of the Moon

Hamura and Hagoromo's attention snapped to Equus as they felt the shift in Naruto's being that indicated he was now on the way to becoming a true Otsutsuki. "So, it's finally begun. Never did I think Mother's prophecy would come true."

Hagoromo turned to Hamura. "I had believed it to be heresy, considering Mother had been paranoid since the bygone age when she tried to take over the entire world. Though I have always had the feeling young Naruto would grow into a truly powerful being, one even we could not comprehend."

"No doubt. The signs are there. Having both of the dojutsu derived from our blood is one thing. Both a Sharingan and a Byakugan has never even been heard of. The bloodlines have always been incompatible with each other, and I remember that sick bastard Orochimaru's experiment in trying to splice pure-blooded Hyuga genes with pure-blooded Uchiha genes always resulted in the test subject dying in the process. But not only that, he's fulfilled Mother's prophecy and accessed both the Awakened Eternal Mangekyo Sharigan and the Awakened Byakugan."

"Yes. That means the time has come for you to abandon your guardianship of the Moon to train young Naruto. He will need everything he can receive in the coming years."

"Yeah, you're certainly not wrong there." Hamura opened a portal to the Moon from their dimension, with the support of Hagoromo's Rinnegan. "But first, like I've already told you, I have to go back to our Moon, first to kill that insolent brat Toneri-"

"-And following that, retrieve and reactivate your Tenseigan, correct?"

"Yes. I'll have to stay on the Moon there for a few weeks while I adjust to the change of having my eyes back."

Hagoromo nodded. "In the meantime, I shall do my best to train Naruto's universal Sharingan abilities by countering them with my own."

"And those were Tsukuyomi and Susano'o, correct?"

"Yes. For obvious reasons, I cannot train Naruto in any regard concerning Izanagi because it renders even Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan mute."

"Well, in that case, I'll leave you to it, brother. I have to get this out of the way. Holy God, this is going to hurt..." Hamura walked through the portal, and it closed behind him, leaving Hagoromo standing on the surface of the moon, feeling both Mother's presence and that of another trapped inside. He used his staff and Rinnegan to conjure his own portal back to Mt. Canterhorn.

Author's Note

A little bit of math is done behind the scenes in this chapter to present how long Naruto's undergone training that isn't strictly physical (which really isn't all that necessary, though could do with a good spice-up), so here are the initial values I needed to get what I got. If anyone feels what resulted in the chapter is wrong, you're free to plug in these numbers and run your own calculations.

To figure out how long Naruto would 'sleep' to do the first set of calculations, I simply took the worldwide average, which is about 9.5 hours daily. The second set of calculations assumes Naruto spends one hour out of the nine and a half 'sleeping' doing Realm training inside Hagoromo's Tsukuyomi.

Two more things before I let you guys read the chapter. First, the major scene in the chapter was one hell of a doozy to write because I've never written anything that could be considered sad or tragedy, and I really need the feedback, so drop a comment if at all possible, so I know how well I did writing that scene. Second, I'm not going to be writing again until after Christmas, to give my brain some time to cool down.

All of that said, enjoy this whopper of a chapter, the longest one to date!

New World: Hamura's Arrival

Chapter 10: Hamura's Arrival

Saturday, January 4th, CCY 3381, Morning - Surface of the Moon

"Ha!" Naruto threw an impossibly fast punch at Hamura, who used his Byakugan to read and deflect the attack with ease. Hagoromo and Žiara flanked Naruto to the side to attack him, but Naruto jumped into the air to avoid the attacks. Unfortunately, this left him wide open to an attack by Hagoromo's staff, and he was flung into a nearby meteorite crater. He quickly jumped out, dusting himself off quickly before returning to fight his three masters.

Hamura was definitely more of a laid back, easygoing counterpart to Hagoromo's wise and serious demeanor, and Naruto found it much easier to get along with the man who was only three years older than himself, though he was still just as harsh and efficient during training as the other two. Hamura had been brought in after Žiara, after casting Time Dilation on him for the first time, revealed that the experience he'd felt was tailored to awaken his latent power and resulting in his unlocking the Awakened EMS and Byakugan.

Žiara trained with Naruto alone today, Hagoromo having had to make another important visit elsewhere the previous evening under pretense of the Princess's request. She was currently assisting Naruto in controlling his chakra. The two of them, through experimentation, had found that the easiest way to help Naruto gain control over his colossal reserves was to simply exhaust as much of it as they could, only doing the exercises themselves afterward, albeit as the highest mastery level necessary. For one with anywhere close to Naruto's chakra level, one had to start by working from the top down instead of from the bottom up.

The two had also developed a closer relationship aside from training, after the event that brought out Naruto's Awakened EMS and Byakugan had resulted in an emotional cascade that only Žiara had been able to bring him through, by virtue of having been the only other being in the Realm at the time.

Naruto summoned a Massive Rasenshuriken with as much compressed chakra as he could and threw it as far into the sky as it could go, consuming a minor amount of his chakra and causing an almost deafening explosion of sound and blindingly bright light that made the entire Realm seem as if being exposed by a high-powered flashlight for a brief moment before fading.

Naruto shook his head from side to side to help relieve the ringing in his ears, and focused on observing his reserves. Only about two percent of his chakra had been expended with that attack, which would have wiped out half the continent back on his homeworld, and considering his reserves specifically always had a habit of regenerating really quickly, it was hard to utilize this training method to its full potential. Hagoromo had previously attempted to use very powerful seals given to him by Gamamaru, but when faced with the obstacle of trying to halt Naruto's chakra regeneration, they simply disintegrated right off his body, leaving any shortcut therein lost.

Naruto stretched before making forty-nine clones and having each one go through the process of delivering a landscape-altering Rasekshuriken, until he felt his massive reserves be reduced to what was now a microscopic level.

Žiara sped in front of Naruto and called out, "Time Dilation!" The purpose of her having done this was to ensure the maximum training time could be done with Naruto at his exact level. Even after only one second, Naruto's reserves would regenerate to fifteen times his old self's capacity, which made training in any capacity almost impossible unless done in a time-altered zone. Even the Realm did not help with this to a great extent, despite its altering time to a factor of one day every twelve minutes.

The two arrived in the white void that was the world that Time Dilation created, and immediately began the jonin-level chakra control exercises per element. Unfortunately, before they could truly settle in, Hagoromo appeared in the Realm with what Naruto thought was a stranger. Žiara smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder to calm him, and Naruto turned back to the unknown man as he and Hagoromo walked up to the other two.

"Young Naruto, this is my younger brother, Hamura. I have requested his assistance in training you with usage of your Byakugan."

"Hello, Naruto. It's a pleasure to meet you." Hamura politely greeted, extending his hand for Naruto to shake, which he did.

"You as well, Hamura-sensei."

"Heh, no need to be so stiff. I know my brother here can be a little tough to deal with, what with the cryptic speech and all, but that's just how he is. After all that's happened, you can't blame him for being a little closed off."

"This coming from the one who lives on the Moon." Hagoromo quietly retorted under his breath at Hamura's less-than-ideal reference to his own status as a hermit.

"You did not just go there. Again." Hamura turned to his brother, a tick mark forming above his eye before disappearing as he turned back to Naruto, chuckling. "Well, at least he's got his moments, like now."

Hagoromo and Hamura stopped attacking, and Žiara moved next to Naruto. "Alright, good job, Naruto. I can tell your usage of the Sharingan and Byakugan have improved greatly, and you're learning to improve your physical speed and reaction time to make full use of the Sharingan's precognitive abilities. You're going to be an even more devastating fighter in no time at all."

Naruto wiped a thin sheen of sweat from his brow, then thanked Hamura for the praise. After several months of being influenced by an entirely different world, as well as his own natural growth, he now stood at Žiara's height of 6'2", and any trace of baby fat that was still prominent in his face had been carved out by his demanding physical regime, leaving an angular jawline to compliment the three whisker marks that did not disappear when Kurama was freed from the seal.

Hagoromo had gone back to their world and brought him a modified Leaf jonin vest. He now wore it as part of his main outfit, having discarded his old habit of wearing anything orange, opting for a green and black ensemble. The vest was cut off at the sternum, replaced by a thick black chain mesh that allowed for more durability and flexibility in battle. At the shoulder, two dark green shoulder guards were now affixed to the medal bands to provide added upper body protection. He also wore a pair of ANBU black combat pants, and both his Leaf and Alliance headbands were tied at the belt. Due to the conditions he was currently living in, he had foregone his old shinobi sandals entirely, and moved around barefoot.

"How is progress on the Essence Clone, Naruto?" Žiara asked from her position next to him.

"Still trying to get the concept down. I've been working on it since last month, and I know how to split my chakra in the way needed thanks to my mastery over Shadow Clone. The issue is getting the chakra to form a solid clone that won't dispel through any means." Suddenly, Naruto knelt on the ground of the Moon, holding his head as a memory of another life came unbidden into his mind. "Izanagi."

Žiara stumbled back in shock, and Hagoromo and Hamura's heads shot to Naruto in alarm. What?! I gave Naruto no knowledge of Izanagi! How can he use the jutsu?!

Suddenly, a Shadow Clone appeared next to Naruto, but the very second it solidified, the three could tell this wasn't a normal Shadow Clone. Somehow, it was more than a mass of chakra given form, and Hagoromo could feel that it actually had its own biological footprint. Then he realized exactly what happened. Did he just use Izanagi to imbue this clone with Yin-Yang chakra?!

"Huh... well, I guess that solves our problem of needing Naruto back on Equus to attend classes. Too bad he'll only have one eye." Hamura plainly stated, though he was particularly unhappy that Naruto would lose his eye.

Naruto caught that last part of the conversation and looked up. The three were even more shocked to find Naruto's Sharingan eye was still open, as if nothing had happened. "What are you guys talking about? I-" Then Naruto recalled Sasuke's memory of his battle against Danzo. "Wait, what the...? I used Izanagi, right? Then how can I still see?! I should be blind in my right eye right now!"

Žiara was the first to recover her composure. "Hmm... Naruto-kun, if I favored a guess, maybe your Awakened Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan is immune to the effects of Izanagi. While very unlikely, it is possible."

Naruto thought about it for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'll accept that theory. Not like we can run tests to figure out if this was a one-time thing or if it's permanent. I think I'll just avoid using that jutsu in the future, barring any dire circumstances, just to be safe."

"Yes, that would be ideal, Naruto. In the meantime, why don't we send the Essence Clone to Equus so that you may remain here to train?" Hagoromo inquired.

Naruto nodded his head. "Yeah, let's do that. Though we should probably let the Nine know that I'm not actually going to be there until my training here is finished."

Hamura hmm'd in thought. "I'll go ahead and head down to do that then. They already know I exist here, right, brother?"

"Yes, I have made certain they are aware."

"Alright then. If you'll come with me, Naruto's clone." Hamura and the Essence Clone moved a fair distance away and Hamura summoned a portal to Equus, which closed after the two stepped through it.

Hagoromo turned to Naruto and Žiara. "Since Hamura is now predisposed, as we have discovered that the Izanagi seems to have no effect on your sight, we will now begin training your Susano'o. I had taken steps to hold off this portion of your ocular training because we were unsure of the extent of your abilities with your Awakened visual prowess, but I have no reason to continue showing such restraint. Watch my chakra network closely as I use the jutsu." Hagoromo summoned his Complete Body - Susano'o, which stood at over eight hundred feet tall, as Naruto watched. Hagoromo quickly dispelled the chakra construct and landed lightly on the surface. "Now attempt the jutsu."

The first sign of danger was the sudden, supernaturally high spike of chakra that nearly stopped Hagoromo's heart with its sheer pressure. The second was the glare of Naruto's Awakened EMS, its red parts shining with the brightness of the most powerful laser. Right before Naruto's Susano'o came into being, Žiara grabbed Hagoromo, instantly summoned a portal, and threw the both of them through it.

Seventeen miles away, the two appeared through the portal as they witnessed Naruto's Complete Body - Susano'o come into being. The massive construct stood at least six miles high and projected a presence of authority and superiority that left Hagoromo and Žiara completely in awe. The armor was not unlike that of the samurai of the Land of Iron, vertically sectioned with large shoulder guards. The helmet was fashioned in a fashion not unlike that of a Roman centurion's, with mohawk-style golden plumage running from the back to the top center of the helmet. A visor was left that had no chakra in the area and allowed Naruto to be seen through the construct. There were no greaves on the Susano'o's armor, and the boots were fashioned into ANBU combat boots. Six colossal chokuto hung at the sides and back of the armor.

"The sheer chakra presence of this Susano'o dwarfs even Madara's chakra." Hagoromo was in total shock.

Žiara could feel something looking at the monstrosity other than total awe, though having been sealed in the core of a planet for ten thousand years did not help her identify the feeling. "No kidding. Hagoromo, I have no doubt our cover's totally blown, because I'm one hundred ten percent sure every being on Equus is able to see Naruto right now." Hagoromo just dumbly nodded. More than the sheer size of Naruto's Susano'o, it shone with a golden aura that, at its size, would have made it a beacon to anything within a twenty-million-mile radius, causing it to shine like a small star.

"Getting that Susano'o to a more manageable size is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible. We must head to the Realm of the Six Paths post-haste."

Žiara shook her head as she looked at Naruto. "That won't be possible."

"Reasoning?"

"My Six Paths realm may not have a width and length limit, but it can only go so high. It can reasonably fit your Complete Body - Susano'o, but if I tried putting that in it, it would shatter like glass." Damn, I didn't think I'd ever have to use the Outer Dimension again, but it doesn't seem like I have a choice. I can only hope Shin-kun doesn't mind the intrusion.

Hamura sensed a massive spike of chakra in the direction of the Moon as he talked to Twilight, the Nine, and Naruto's other friends. All of them looked up at the sudden light that illuminated the dark side of the Moon a shade of pure gold. Hamura did a quick scan with his chakra, and was floored that the source of this massive surge of power was Naruto. "Holy God, our work is cut out for us."

Author's Note

Naruto Otsutsuki

STR: 59 (+13) STA: 86 (+1) INT: 51 (+8) DUR: 68 (+6) CHA: 100
Score/Rank: 354 +28
Notable Feats: Completed the Rasengan, Defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, Pacified the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox
Notable Abilities: Rasenshuriken (various styles), Talk no Jutsu, Six Paths Sage Mode, Senjutsu Master, Shadow Clone Jutsu

Hagoromo Otsutsuki

STR: 86 (+1) STA: 93 INT: 100 DUR: 80 (+1) CHA: 71 (+2)
Score/Rank: 420 +4
Notable Feats: Sealed the Ten-Tails, Defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, Created Ninshu
Notable Abilities: Mastered Rinnegan, Truth-Seeking Orbs, Creation Of All Things, Senjutsu Master

Hamura Otsutsuki

STR: 83 STA: 88 INT: 100 DUR: 85 CHA: 87
Score/Rank: 440 (Low A Rank)
Notable Feats: Sealed the Ten-Tails, Defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, Founder of the Shinobi of the Moon
Notable Abilities: Mastered Tenseigan, Yin-Yang Style

Žiara

STR: 83 (+1) STA: 80 (+2) INT: 92 DUR: 85 CHA: 71 (+9)
Score/Rank: 399 +10
Notable Feats: None Known
Notable Abilities: Goddess, Mastered Outer Path

And that's the end of the chapter here! Couldn't figure out what to do after this bit, so I cut the chapter off here instead of trying to force myself to write any more and risk damaging the quality of the story.

I can't guarantee you'll see Chapter 11 by the time the semester starts on the 14th, but I hope to have some of Chapter 11 written out. In the meantime, I'll see you guys later!

New World: Each Chosen Path

Chapter 11: Each Chosen Path

Friday, February 14, CCY 3381, Pre-Dawn

"Prepare yourself, Naruto. Today, we have come to the decision we shall be fighting you with our full power. As usual, you must use the minimum power you can to hold us off." Naruto gulped at Hagoromo's statement. He, Hagoromo, and Hamura were standing in the depths of the Aitken Basin, the Moon's largest crater. Ever since the incident a month ago that had caused a global uproar on Equus, the trio were forced to move halfway across the planetoid to its dark side, so as to not cause any more significant disturbances.

"Alright, allow us to begin." Hamura gave Naruto no time before he flared his Tenseigan and phased into existence behind the young teen, delivering a vicious double-fist to his head that sent Naruto into the ground. Naruto groaned as he got up and went to attack Hamura in retaliation, but Hagoromo moved in front of his brother and used the Deva Path to blast Naruto away as Hamura recovered.

Naruto quickly regained his bearings and flipped in midair, landing roughly on the ground as he dug his fingers in in an effort to arrest his backward motion. Right as he stopped though, Hamura came out of the ground and struck twenty-seven chakra points with the Gentle Fist stance before Naruto managed to jump away from him reflexively. The second he landed on the ground, though, he could feel his left leg was supporting most of his weight, which meant Hamura had struck a chakra point near his right thigh.

Naruto flexed his chakra to force the points open, and felt feeling return to the various areas that Hamura had struck. Unfortunately, he had been too preoccupied with that, and Hagoromo slammed the butt of his staff into the back of Naruto's head, sending him face-first into the ground. Before Naruto could recover, Hamura struck the chakra points that were more crucial, and Naruto found himself unable to move, his chakra now severely limited and his whole body in pain.

"Oww..."

Hamura chuckled as he unsealed Naruto's chakra points, and Hagoromo stepped next to him. Both had their respective Kekkei Mora active. "We didn't expect you to get very far at all in your first sparring match while we both had our Kekkei Mora active. Even Žiara would be hard-pressed to take us on like this with her current power. We are the only people from the clan on this world to have mastered the Rinnegan and Tenseigan."

"Though, you certainly did admirably for your first attempt, young Naruto. Most others would fail to even register our presence properly when we utilize our Kekkei Mora, yet you were still able to detect our presence, even if our speed, skill, and experience far outmatches your own." Hagoromo added as he helped Naruto up off the dusty ground.

"Well, thanks, senseis. I do try my best, but you thoroughly whipped me just now." Naruto chuckled at how badly he'd lost to the two once the Rinnegan and Tenseigan came into the equation.

"Well, we only wanted to see how far you've come. Battling us with our Kekkei Mora active gives us a good idea of where you are and what you need to work on. Had we done this anytime before, you would've lost in less than a second. You've come very far, Naruto, and I think we can both say we're proud of you." Hamura said as he used some of his chakra and manipulation to fix the craters the two had left while handing Naruto his ass. "In fact, I think you've earned the rest of the day off. Why don't you head down to Earth and enjoy yourself for a while? Is that agreeable with you, brother?"

Hagoromo contemplated his brother's offer for a moment, before turning to Naruto. "I see no reason why I should not allow it. Naruto, you may go."

"Thanks, senseis! When I get back tomorrow morning, I'll start training twice as hard to make up for missing today."

"Nonsense, Naruto. You've worked very hard as it is already, so enjoy your time off." The two waved Naruto goodbye as he jumped off the surface of the Moon, allowing gravity to pull him toward Earth.

Hagoromo turned to him. "You can sense it."

"Yes. After much contemplation, I'm convinced that this Moon also has this dimension's version of our mother trapped inside."

Twenty minutes later, Naruto landed with a heavy thud on the ground in the clearing the group had made camp in when they'd first arrived. As it turned out, Žiara was waiting for him when he landed on the ground, which was a coincidence, considering he'd planned on heading to Canterlot. Due to Žiara's link to the two brothers, she already knew that Naruto had been given time off. "So, Naruto-kun, what do you plan on doing with your spare time?"

Naruto chuckled. "Heh, honestly, I don't really feel like I need a break. I just want to keep training. Call me crazy, but it just feels like something's not right, and I feel I have to be prepared."

Žiara lightly chuckled, and Naruto could swear it sounded like an angel, if he knew what one sounded like. "Leave it to you to be singlemindedly devoted to your training. You and Minato-kun are very much alike in that regard."

Naruto chuckled as well. "Yeah, I've heard a lot of my natural talent and aptitude for these things comes from Dad. Though at this point, the only thing he's got me beat at is speed, for obvious reasons. And I never picked up the aptitude for fuinjutsu wither Mom or Dad have, so I'll just have to get fast on my own."

"Nothing wrong with that. Better you're able to work on your own power than with the assistance of another's, I always say. Though it doesn't hurt to have someone to lend you their power when you really need it." Žiara lightly remarked as Naruto took a seat on another fallen log, the weather cycle having rotted the old one into un-usability.

"Well, either way, You have to think about it like this. Training is basically my entire life now. I do have a few friends and I have one or two hobbies I partake in every now and then, but I'm not nineteen years old." Naruto held his hand up to stop Žiara's retort. "Yes, I may be nineteen physically, and I understand, but between the Realm of the Six Paths and Hagoromo-sensei's Tsukuyomi, I have literally trained as long as he's been around. Despite having trained under Hamura-sensei for the better part of two hundred years inside the Realm, I still don't feel I can trust him, even though I know I've nothing to fear from him, seeing as how he's Hagoromo-sensei's younger brother.

"And between Hagoromo-sensei and I, we came to a mutual, unspoken agreement a long time ago that our relationship is strictly professional, master-student. He has the skill, strength and experience to show me what I need to know and do in training to help control my newfound power, and in turn, I respect him for it, but there's nothing after that. We aren't friends or anything like that because it just doesn't work. Even before all this happened," Naruto said, gesturing around him to the world at large, "my whole life was little more than the blink of an eye to him. And I fully acknowledge that. I don't doubt that if he somehow still had a corporeal form when the Fourth Great Ninja War happened, he would have found a way to reverse Madara's Rinne Tensei, stopped Kaguya from coming back, and stopped Obito and the Ten-Tails before they could start.

Naruto rested his elbow on his left knee for a moment, leaning his chin into his hand. "Even before I started training with Hagoromo-sensei, I could tell he was more than he seemed on the surface. It's probably thanks to all the things Kurama and I had to go through before you guys brought us here, but it's like I can see into who he truly is. Under that calm, immutable expression and his expansive wisdom, I can feel this raging maelstrom of power waiting to be unleashed. I know I'm just coming into my own, but I can tell he far outclasses me even at my level right now. And keeping that power under lock and key, I can sense the will to endure. It's like he cast his own soul out of the reincarnation cycle because he feels he has to repent for some egregious sin in his past. My guess as to that is, from the stories he told me to show me I still have so much to learn, it's because he thinks he failed to stop Kaguya, his own mother, from falling into a pit of darkness that nearly resulted in the destruction of the planet.

"That's not the only reason that could have led him to become who he is, either. Maybe it was his having to kill his brother, though that did turn out for the best in the end thanks to Gamamaru-sama's foresight. Or maybe it was the grief of being unable to find a way to stop the sacrifical ritual to the old Shinju that ended up with Haori and many of his first friends dead. And don't get me wrong, those are all perfectly valid causes for his current demeanor and presence, but I think the true catalyst was watching his own two children tear down every ideal he'd worked so hard, for so long, to build in an effort to bring true peace, in their battling... and being unable to do anything about it other than offer cryptic advice thanks to the doctrines he himself set in place when he first spread the practice of Ninshu." Naruto looked up into the sky, heaving a long sigh.

He didn't notice Žiara's shellshocked expression, so caught up was he in his own musings. Žiara's mind was busy rapidly processing the one-sided conversation that had just been had. How did he just do that?! Hagoromo-kun keeps himself so well-guarded that even I only know that because I personally spoke with the man numerous times over the many centuries! It's like he found a book with horrible errors and over half the pages ripped out, corrected every single error, then figured out to a capital T what was written on every missing page without having seen any of them!

Žiara was snapped out of her shock by Naruto tapping her on the shoulder. "Well, that did take one severe swerve, but any chance we could head into the Realm and get some more training in?"

She chuckled. I guess I still have so much more to learn about you, Naruto Otsutsuki. She shook her head quickly to clear her mind of the stray thought and opened a portal to the physical aspect of the Realm. "Sure. Though sometime later we'll have to pay a visit to the realm of the Shinigami. I have an important favor to ask of him regarding your training." The portal closed behind the two of them after they walked in, leaving the clearing that had been the entry point into this dimension quiet once more, as a light breeze blew in from the direction of the treeline. Had the two stayed even ten seconds longer, though, they would have caught the distinct smell of fresh blood on the wind.

"And that is the situation. I understand your son has caused a bit of trouble, especially in sparring sessions in the Royal Guard barracks and courtyard, but I shall have them pardoned if you can find the pony who committed this grave atrocity." Celestia spoke with an authoritative voice from atop her throne in the castle main room. Minato, Hiruzen, and Jiraiya wore an almost perpetual frown on their faces upon receiving the grave news. Each had been pulled from the campus class they had just settled down to start by a Royal Guard member, and brought to the castle to address what appeared to be a murder-suicide in the White-Tail Woods.

Minato looked at the papers Lieutenant Armor handed him one more time, just to be sure he had all the straight facts. According to the Guard who'd logged the initial report, the victim was Desert Sunrise, an earth pony who'd been sent to the Woods to weed out a vampire bat infestation. He'd been well-liked among his various peers and was set to run in a campaign for the mayoral bid of the small town on the outskirts of the Woods he'd called home. That immediately ruled out any kind of coincidence. This had to have been planned in some way. The most likely theory was that whoever had sent the middle-aged man to the Woods had been a spy who'd already arranged the man's murder. And by picking someone so devoutly loyal to whatever cause that represented that they'd lay down their own lives to prevent betrayal to actually do the deed would likely also explain why the suspect, whose identity was currently unknown, had killed themselves in the aftermath.

Minato gave the copy of the papers he'd received from the Lieutenant to Jiraiya and Hiruzen to peruse as he turned to the Lieutenant. "Lieutenant Armor, do we have any print items at the castle archive that would reconcile possible political machinations being involved? I'd like to see some kind of recent news or events coming from this town, because it seems like this was done right in the middle of advertisements for a campaign the victim was planning on entering."

"We came to that conclusion too, but when we seized the town hall and the library to search for any records or news, we found both buildings devoid of any ponies or records of anything. They'd been swept clean. I have to believe whoever was there before was even taunting us, because the floors were shining like they'd just been cleaned."

"Did you check for evidence of any spells?"

Armor shook his head. "Nothing. We even brought in one of CUA's magical theory masters, and he couldn't find a trace of any magic having been used."

Minato sighed, twirling one of his bangs with his finger before putting his other hand to his chin, as if thinking. "Things like these can never be easy, can they? At least when I was Hokage, all I had to do was sit behind a desk and do a lot of paperwork, and occasionally go stop a threat that was capable of destroying the village." Minato sweatdropped upon seeing a wicked glint enter the Lieutenant's eyes. Oh crap. Maybe I shouldn't have said that out loud.

"You're thinking about how you shouldn't have said that out loud, aren't you?" Minato groaned loudly, slapping himself upside the head for being so stupid. His reaction allowed a brief moment of levity in the room as the others chuckled, before the atmosphere of the room returned to its serious nature.

"Either way, if that's the case, something has to explain how they could have disappeared without a trace, to the point none of your best men can find any tracks." Minato turned to Celestia while Jiraiya and Hiruzen did the same after handing the papers back to Armor.. "I cannot see any other way to resolve this issue than for the three of us to head out and investigate this ourselves. Will you grant us that request?"

Celestia chuckled, to which the three raised an eyebrow. What was funny? "I already informed you you'd be the ones to find out what's been occurring. I thought that would include the implication of free reign as long as it is necessary."

Minato chuckled at having missed something so obvious. "Ah, of course. In that case, we shall be on our way. Hopefully, we'll return in time bearing good news."

As the three turned to leave the throne room, Celestia called for their attention once more, as well as Armor's. "I have also tasked Captain Iron Will to assist you in your search. He awaits you at the train station on the bottom level of the city."

Minato paused as he heard that. He wasn't the only one, either. Jiraiya stepped forward to address her. "Princess, I have to inquire. Are you certain that's not a bad idea? Drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves will only make things harder and alert whoever is behind the scenes that we're aware of their existence."

"Which is precisely what I wish them to believe." Celestia cracked a small smile, but the group could tell this was one of triumph rather than contemplation.

Jiraiya was the first to begin putting pieces together. He smirked. "You want them to know we're on their tails. Especially considering we're virtually unknown factors, they'll more than likely-"

Minato finished Jiraiya's sentence as the two turned to each other. "-be in a hurry to cover whatever tracks they have, and in the process make rookie mistakes trained professionals would otherwise never commit, giving us a clear trail to follow." The two turned back to the Princess as Hiruzen smiled at their deductive reasoning.

"Exactly. If I had wanted the operation to be low-profile or undercover, I'd have the Royal Guard task a special agent exactly for the purpose. But I want them to know that they're dealing with things they don't yet understand. They will be more prone to be affected by anxiety and make mistakes they otherwise would not be caught dead making. Which will, no doubt, lead you right to them."

"In that case, we'll meet the Captain at the station, as you have planned."

Celestia nodded. "Though I did have to pull some strings to give the Captain the ability to join you. While you three are wild cards, Iron Will has a reputation in every corner of Equestria."

Armor turned to Celestia. "Princess, what do you mean by pulling strings?"

"On paper and in the eyes of the Guard, Iron Will is an outcast."

A sliver of fear entered Armor's heart a spilt-second before he pieced together Celestia's plan, and he smirked. "I see. You've done that to discredit his reputation on purpose, knowing any spies trying to track the group would be able to pick him out from a crowd of a thousand. This will, on the flipside, make them look for him exclusively, believing he's done something worthy of forcing him out-"

"-which will, in turn, draw any other unneeded attention away from Minato, Jiraiya and Hiruzen, allowing them to operate with impunity." Celestia finished for him.

"So I can assume, in order to fit the role, you stripped him of his armor as well and made his 'exile' a public event?"

"Well deduced, Acting Captain." Armor froze at that last bit.

"I'm sorry, I didn't copy your last. What?"

Celestia chuckled again as she lit her horn with its signature golden glow, and the set of Captains' armor floated out from behind her throne. "While Iron Will is away, I cannot leave the Guard without some form of leadership. And being the next highest-ranked officer in active service, you will be acting as Captain of the Royal Guard in his absence."

To say the Lieutenant- well, Acting Captain now- was shocked was a major understatement. Armor humbly accepted the Captains' ensemble. "Thank you for this great honor, Princess Celestia. I swear to uphold the ideals of the Guard and all of Equestria to the best of my ability."

Celestia nodded, a gentle smile on her face. "Of course, Shining Armor. I know you'll do very well." She looked back at the group preparing to depart the room. "If you three are ready, you may go whenever ready."

Minato nodded. "In that case, we'll be taking our leave now." The three turned as one and walked out of the throne room, leaving a content Princess and a humbled, thoroughly shocked Acting Captain in their wake.

"DAMMIT! Why can't I control my chakra?! What happened to my Magnet Style?!" Shukaku was throwing a fit from his meditating position deep inside the cave next to the group's original entry point. "This is so damn frustrating! AGGHHH!" He smashed his fist into the hard bedrock below him, creating a small web of cracks from the impact.

Isobu cracked a closed eye from his spot a few feet away and harshly stared at Shukaku. "If you cannot calm yourself, you will never be able to regain control of your chakra and your nature." He shut his eye and exhaled heavily after he finished, tuning out Shukaku's resulting rant.

The clash of kunai could be heard as Kokuo, Chomei and Kurama sparred with each other on top of the natural aquifer next to their makeshift hideout. Kokuo jumped back as she nimbly avoided Chomei's palm strike, allowing herself to sink below the water before coming back up on the other side, though she was flung back toward the cave wall, a result of blocking the kick Kurama sent her way immediatealy after she'd resurfaced.

Kurama then went to attack Chomei, throwing her kunai at the water in front of the dark blonde. As expected, Chomei jumped back slightly, but that was all Kurama needed, as she quickly Substituted with the kunai and struck Chomei in the leg, disrupting her chakra control and sending her into the water. Kurama breathed lightly as she wiped the sweat off her brow, while Kokuo and Chomei approached her again, doing the same.

"That was a pretty good match. Guess you won this time, though, huh, Kurama?" Chomei commented.

"Very good job indeed. I didn't even have time to do anything other than block, that was how fast your kick was this time. Your speed is definitely improving." Kokuo complimented.

"Thanks, you two. I think that makes us ninety-five to ninety-seven to ninety-four, right?" Both of them nodded to show their agreement. "Well, either way, that was a good match. You actually had me on defense for a brief moment at the beginning, which means you're getting better with your speed and attacks, too." The three stepped off the water, intent on returning to their daily meditation.

Son Goku and Saiken traded exaggerated, slowed blows as they practiced their adapted forms. "So what do you think about Naruto's progress so far?" Saiken asked as he returned from a strike to his initial stance.

"He's definitely gone far under Father, Uncle, and Žiara's training. I sparred against him a while ago and he actually beat me, which isn't an easy thing to do." Son said as he returned to his own initial stance, before deliberately extending his right leg in a low sweep.

"Agreed. You probably have the most flexible taijutsu out of all nine of us, and besting you in battle, even in a mock-up like a spar, is no easy feat, by any means." As the final stance was completed, the two men relaxed and stood up, stretching their limbs to get out any kinks. "Well, I suggest we grab a quick snack before we move on to our actual spar, what say you?"

"Sounds good. I could use a quick bite right now."

Matatabi and Gyuki sat against the far wall of the cave, watching the others. "I guess it's a good thing we both had jinchuriki who unlocked the full transformations, as it wasn't nearly as hard for us to rein in our chakra, huh?" Matatabi said as she looked at her long-time brother.

Gyuki nodded. "You're certainly not wrong there. Though I don't think it would do for us to sit here and relax just because we've once again mastered our chakra. What say we get in a little sparring practice ourselves?"

Matatabi nodded, scratching at her hair to get out some of the dirt before the two hopped up off the wall and headed for the lake that the three women had just finished using. "Sounds good to me. I need to stretch out the ol' muscles anyways. Just make sure you don't wreck the place like you did Kumo."

"We both know that was only the first time because I had just been betrayed by someone I thought I could trust and allowed myself to succumb to desires of revenge. You know I never actually wanted to harm them."

"Taa, taa, I'm just teasing."

Just over a year left, and then I'll have revenge on Celestia for casting me out! The world shall experience true night like never before! The woman known as Nightmare Moon echoed in her thoughts.

Of course, she wasn't alone in the slightest. An ancient being, even by her own standards, with a name as of yet unknown to her, spoke in a distinctly female voice. I thought we had concluded with this inane rambling.

It is not inane! I have been trapped here for shy of a thousand years because Celestia could not see that her ideologies were harming her subjects! And because no one appreciated the vast effort I expelled to create my sky!

For the fifteen thousandth time, the sky is not some material object to be passed over or claimed on a whim! I... The other voice trailed off as she felt, once again, the power which had reawakened her consciousness so many centuries ago. It was creeping closer to its own release, from what she was unsure, as her senses had been perpetually clouded ever since being trapped inside the Moon. I can still remember the day I awoke and felt this unimaginable power, threatening to destroy all of reality, possibly even the whole multiverse. To think whomever this power is contained within could even be stopped is inconceivable. That taught me the error of my ways and showed me violence was not the way. I couldn't be more grateful, but I also still feel terror when I try to examine this power. The other voice slowly faded away, leaving only silence.

Author's Note

And the pieces start falling into place! As I've showcased in this chapter, even though we aren't in canon territory just yet, this universe isn't all rainbows and sunshine. The story will get dark at times, and this is giving you a glimpse into that.

Also, who doesn't like character development! This is actually the first chapter since Chapter 6 that I've written about everybody in the group, so tell me if you like how I wrote the chapter!

I'm going to start working on Chapter 12 on the 7th, and I aim to have it out to read by Valentine's Day, so hopefully I'll see you all again then!

Hidden in Shadow: The Mystery of the Cult

Sunday, March 15, CCY 3381

Naruto blocked Hagoromo's staff swing with his own, causing a shockwave to erupt that nearly slammed into an oncoming asteroid. "So tell me again why we had to come all the way out to an asteroid field for our first real spar. Even my Essence Clones are having trouble functioning at this distance."

Hagoromo pointed to said asteroid, and Naruto watched the asteroid as it was blown apart by some invisible force. His eyes widened in surprise. Okay, I'm... fairly sure I didn't do that.

"Your power is greatly increasing, Naruto, and we can no longer safely battle on the confines of a celestial object. The vast expanse of space is the only way for you to master your power now." Hagoromo then spit out a massive gout of fire that completely covered Naruto's vision.

Water Style: Cascading Everlasting Waterfall, Naruto thought as he formed a series of handseals and spat out a torrent of water that evenly matched Hagoromo's fire, causing the two to cancel out and causing mist to appear for a brief moment before it was blown away, in part thanks to the solar wind and in part thanks to passing microasteroids. The two floated in the expanse of space for a moment, before Hagoromo phased into existence behind Naruto, whose only warning was the sudden shift in the presence of his chakra. Naruto ducked his head impossibly fast to avoid Hagoromo's staff swing and countered by lashing out with his right leg, forcing Hagoromo to block and sending the older man back a few hundred yards before he stabilized his velocity.

On a nearby asteroid, Žiara was also sparring in a hand-to-hand match with Hamura. Hamura, despite his own considerable power, skill, and experience, was unable to touch her as she gracefully redirected, dodged, or stopped his every attack. "Come now, Hamura, I know you're not gracing me with your full power. If you wish to actually give me a challenge, you must unleash the depth of your experience and skill in your abilities."

"Well, since you want it so bad, I guess I don't have a choice." Hamura instantly appeared behind Žiara, a Jyuken strike aimed for her chest. Žiara then appeared behind him, and Hamura blocked her retaliatory strike, before jumping back on the asteroid.

"Very good. Maybe now you should be able to land a hit on me." Žiara commented before rushing in to attack Hagoromo again.

"Besides, in the vast reaches of space, where we have not gravity to affect us, time runs forward just that small amount slower, allowing us more time to help you master your abilities, Naruto," Hagoromo said as he moved in for another strike. Naruto blocked the attack before realizing this was only an afterimage.

Damn, he used his Rinnegan again to increase his speed! Naruto's only saving grace, his borderline precognitive reflexes, prevented his neck from getting snapped in two as Hagoromo swung his staff down with enough force that the resulting shockwave blew three asteroids into cosmic dust and threw another off course.

Hagoromo stopped, coming to rest on a passing asteroid as Naruto dusted off his new haori. It was in the same style as Hagoromo's own outfit, only his collar was raised to cover the bottom portion of his face and the cuffs and collar were lined with silver threads. Naruto shut off his EMS and Byakugan before approaching his sensei. "Thank you for the lesson."

"Of course, young Naruto." Žiara and Hamura flew over to the asteroid the other two were standing on, Hamura sealing away his own Visual Prowess as they landed. "For now, we should return to Earth. I feel the Princess may have need of our particular talents."

Hagoromo opened a portal to the base of Mt. Canterhorn, and the four floated inside, the portal closing behind them.

The four arrived at the base of the mountain and immediately knew something was wrong, or at least off, when they found Jiraiya, Minato, Hiruzen, Celestia, and Shining Armor waiting for them.

Hagoromo flared his Rinnegan to close the portal behind them. "As I suspected. The atmosphere of Equestria has darkened. What has happened?"

Celestia spoke up, her face devoid of any emotion in a mask. "It is not what has happened; rather, it is what has not."

Shining Armor stepped forward, pulling out a set of papers. "As you already are aware, last month, we sent Minato, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen along with the out-of-service Captain to investigate a murder on the outskirts of the White-Tail Woods. Unfortunately, there have been no leads. Two other murders have happened since that month has passed: one involving a pegasus incident in an old industrial sector of Cloudsdale, and the other in an unmapped town about thirty kilometers east of Horseton. And there were almost imperceptible similarities the three discovered that linked the murders together."

"Unfortunately, some underground entity must already have information about our abilities, because no matter what the three of us do, we can't find them or track down the killers. It's like they're taunting us." Minato spoke up after Armor retrieved the papers and stepped back.

Jiraiya was next to voice his concern. "If they really do know about our tactics and strategies, then that explains why they always seem to be one step ahead of us. I'm absolutely certain I've been somehow fed misleading information. You know how I used to go to bars?"

Naruto scoffed. "Pfft, thanks. I had wanted to forget about that."

"Well, either way, it was the most reliable way I had to get information, and somehow they've already figured that out. We managed to apprehend a spy that had been planted a couple weeks ago, but he used a suicide pill before we could get any information out of him."

Naruto put his hand to his chin in thought. "That means whoever you're dealing with either employs insane people, which I highly doubt, or-"

"-they're so devoutly loyal to their cause that they'd rather die and throw their lives away before they'd risk the secrets of their cause getting out." Hamura finished, showing the two had reached the same conclusion. He and Naruto exchanged a brief glance with each other before looking back at the group before them.

"I assume this is no longer your situation, but now ours as well?" Žiara spoke up from behind Hagoromo.

"Yes, Lady Žiara. Somehow, we've been read clean through. This... organization, cult, whatever you'd like to call it, clearly has some kind of a sleeper agent in the ranks that is informing their higher-ups of our plans without our knowledge. And we haven't figured out who it is."

"Have you tried interrogating the captain? Considering he's been with you, that'd be the perfect opportunity to get intel. And since you trust him so much, under normal circumstances you'd have no reason to suspect him." Žiara responded.

Armor shook his head. "Unfortunately, we already had some of our best check him over. It doesn't seem like he's been made into a sleeper agent. Even if that were the case, he'd have been found out the second he enlisted in the Guard. The Princess has had centuries to perfect her mind magic abilities. Even someone who was brainwashed at birth would have been found out."

Hiruzen added his own input. "And that can only mean some kind of force is tracking us even now, in the shadows. Whether it is a corporeal entity or simply a ghost of some kind, I cannot say."

Hamura immediately flashed his Byakugan to scope out any presences, and found one. What was really interesting, though, was the fact that the second Hamura did so, the presence immediately vanished, as if it had never been there. "Some kind of ghost, or, considering the displays your unicorns have put on, Celestia, some kind of mind magic is at work."

"Hmm? How can you tell, brother?" Hagoromo turned to him, an eyebrow raised.

"I flared my Byakugan and there was something there for a brief instant, but it vanished so quickly, I don't doubt even Minato would be hard-pressed to keep up with it."

"Were you at least able to determine the direction of the presence before it disappeared?" Celestia spoke up as she stepped forward, her horn lit up in its gold aura.

"Yes, it was thirty-five meters that way." Hamura pointed out the point where the presence had been, and Celestia stepped toward the now empty spot, flaring her aura as her magic took effect, enveloping everything in a three-meter radius around her.

"What? That's impossible!" Celestia said in shock, and lost her composure for a brief moment, before shutting off the flow of magic. "Even if the presence was a result of magic, there's no signature! That can't be!"

Armor was shocked, to say the least. "What? No signature? What exactly are we dealing with here?"

Žiara and Naruto exchanged glances. "Naruto-kun, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"We've been baited." Žiara nodded her head. "This was never to get intel on the others."

"Whatever force is at play here, it's instead been trying to draw out and observe the four of us this whole time." Žiara responded.

"It makes sense, now that it's been mentioned. The way we train Naruto is structured in such a way that there is nearly no means of direct or indirect observation. This entity is clearly interested in our presence on this planet, but can't gather anything worthwhile because it knows nothing about us, other than that we're here. And probably the fact we have our Visual Prowess and Hagoromo can open portals, but that's about it." Hamura put the pieces together quickly enough. "To them, we're probably the rooks, queen and king that they're looking to take out."

Hagoromo sighed. "Even so, to have set up events in such a way that we were unwittingly forced into being observed proves this is no longer a residential matter. We must now delve into this situation ourselves." The other three nodded. Hagoromo turned back to Celestia as she walked back to the group, a frown etched into her features. "Celestia, the four of us will now personally intervene to determine the culprit behind this disturbance of the peace. It is clear enough whatever entity is attempting to sew chaos is intelligent enough that they see our presence as an obstacle to be overcome." A glint appeared in his eyes for a brief moment before it faded away, so quickly that only Žiara noticed it. "As well they should. Alas, we will not be able to handle this matter alone, especially if it's spread nationwide. Minato, head into the cave and get the Nine for us."

"No need, Father." Kurama walked out from the treeline with the other eight falling in step right behind her. "We knew something was wrong the second Hamura activated his Byakugan. We've heard everything since."

"Good. That spares us the need of a second explanation. I will need you to depart for the various cities. Our plan to integrate you into the political landscape has been pushed forward, and you will need to become our eyes and ears across Equestria to be vigilant for this unknown threat."

"Yes. In peaceful times such as this, even a kidnapping or robbery is enough to cause panic. And not just one, but a string of very loosely-related murders having occurred within the same six weeks? It will not be long before the public begins drawing unsavory conclusions, and I am no longer able to manipulate the strings of an entire country to keep this news silent. I have made available positions in each city that fit with the particular talents of each of you. It is with a heavy heart that I ask this, but please, leave immediately. We haven't a moment to waste." Celestia informed the nine, who immediately nodded their heads. She breathed a sigh of relief, before her expression became neutral once more. "Captain Armor, please give them the dossiers for their respective positions."

"Of course, Princess." Armor handed each of them a dossier with details of the position they would need to occupy. The Nine read them quickly, picking up all the details they needed to fulfill their tasks, and then handed him back each, before blurring out of sight en route to their destinations.

Celestia sighed. "Since we're now aware Jiraiya, Hiruzen, and Minato have been exposed, I will allow them to stay in the palace in Canterlot for the time being, until we can find them a more politically secure area to reside in. In the meantime, I believe it would be best if the four of you returned to your training."

"Of course." As Hagoromo acknowledged her, a Yin-Yang clone phased into existence next to him. "This clone will stay with you at all times, unless it is not necessary or privacy is priority. If a change in the situation occurs, inform this clone and I will receive the information."

"Done. Good luck with your training." Celestia said before unfurling her wings and taking flight to head back to the mountain, the other three having already left with Shining Armor to head back.

"Let us return to your training, Naruto. You still have much to learn." Hagoromo reopened the portal to the asteroid field the four had been training on, and they stepped through the portal as peace returned to the environment around them.

Author's Note

Naruto Otsutsuki

STR: 62 (+3) STA: 87 (+1) INT: 55 (+4) DUR: 73 (+5) CHA: 100
Score/Rank: 367 +13
New Feats: Unlocked Awakened Byakugan, Unlocked Awakened Sharingan, Unlocked Awakened Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan
New Abilities: Byakugan Sensory Capabilities, Complete Body - Susano'o

Hagoromo Otsutsuki

STR: 87 (+1) STA: 93 INT: 100 DUR: 82 (+2) CHA: 72 (+1)
Score/Rank: 424 +4
New Feats: None
New Abilities: None

Hamura Otsutsuki

STR: 85 (+2) STA: 89 (+1) INT: 100 DUR: 86 (+1) CHA: 90 (+3)
Score/Rank: 447 +7
New Feats: None
New Abilities: None

Žiara

STR: 85 (+2) STA: 82 (+2) INT: 94 (+2) DUR: 86 (+1) CHA: 75 (+4)
Score/Rank: 410 +11
New Feats: None
New Abilities: None

Shining Armor

STR: 45 (+2) STA: 48 (+3) INT: 56 (+5) DUR: 43 (+4) CHA: 67 (+5)
Score/Rank: 259 +19
New Feats: Became Royal Guard Captain
New Abilities: None

This one was more of a world-building chapter, but it was necessary because a few characters, most importantly Minato, will see quite a bit of development necessary for later in the story. Not much to say here other than thanks for reading, and leave a review telling me what you think!

Also, I'll now be working on Chapter 1 of The Power of Us, and I plan on having that out by the 28th, so look forward to that. Hopefully I've done good writing so far with the Prologue. See you guys then!

Hidden in Shadow: Into the Darkness

Sunday, March 29, CCY 3381, Dawn

Hagoromo dispelled his Susano'o as his Yin-Yang clone dispelled, picking up some rather disturbing information. "Our training is now concluded."

Naruto was confused for a brief moment before seeing the expression on Hagoromo's face and dispelling his own - now drastically cut-down - Susano'o. He quickly deduced the reason. "The clone dispelled, didn't it." It was not a question.

Hagoromo nodded as Žiara and Hamura landed next to them on the asteroid they were sparring on. "Yes. We must leave for Canterlot immediately. Celestia has been poisoned, and is in critical condition in Canterlot's emergency room." Naruto's eyes widened, Žiara's brow furrowed, and Hamura let out a small growl that went unnoticed by the others. Hagoromo opened a portal immediately, and the four landed outside the room.

The guard immediately summoned multiple magic swords, before he took a second and recognized Hagoromo's face. "Lord Hagoromo. Please go in."

"Thank you. Let us enter." The four went into the room, where another Yin-Yang clone was using Ninshu to place Celestia in stasis. "Clone, please provide a status report, posthaste."

"Nightshade poisoning. Extremely dangerous, potentially deadly plant. Plant cells scramble their own DNA to prevent the buildup of a tolerance, and nearly all cases of poisoning are fatal. Celestia is deteriorating at a rapid pace, and I came to the conclusion stasis is the best solution while we develop an antidote."

Hamura activated his Tenseigan and observed the flow of magic through Celestia's system. "It seems nightshade may not have been the only factor here. From what the Tenseigan is picking up, it seems the nightshade was mixed with some sort of inhibiting agent that is blocking Celestia's body's access to its inherent magic, which would have otherwise allowed her to blow off the effects of the nightshade. Without access to her magic, Celestia's body is undergoing cell destruction at a rapid pace, and it's slowly moving toward her brain."

Naruto tensed up as he looked at Celestia's motionless body on the operating table. "How did someone manage to get past Hagoromo-sensei's clone? The four of us are intimately attuned to the energies of spacetime, and we should have noticed any disturbances."

"That is a question I am afraid I cannot answer, young Naruto. It seems my original clone discovered Celestia had been poisoned when she did not respond to normal greetings as it became time to raise the sun. He afforded himself to enter the room and discovered she was still 'asleep' until he found pungent odor and evidence of her drink having been poisoned. How anything got slipped into her drink without anyone in the entire castle noticing is currently beyond me. At the rate the cell destruction is progressing, the doctors here will have to place her in a medical coma."

Žiara frowned. "This situation is very dire. Hagoromo, please tell me you've already taken steps to ensure the public, as fragile as they are about their princess, haven't already found out about this."

Shining Armor entered at that very moment, having overheard the last bit of the group's conversation. "I've already tasked the Lieutenants and Colonels to prevent the information from spreading, though considering the anonymous factor of whatever we're dealing with, I have no idea if it's even going to be effective. For all we know, the public is already readying their voices to start screaming. Besides, that's not the only bad thing that's happened."

Naruto turned to Armor seriously. "What happened this time?"

"I'm now permanently the Captain due to the line-of-succession clause."

It took no time at all for Naruto to figure out what that meant. "Which means the out-of-action Captain is now permanently unable to perform his duty..."

"...because he's been killed. And just like before, not a single trace of who did it or how it was done."

Naruto stepped back in shock, before he let out an aggravated breath. "Great. This just had to happen."

Armor narrowed his eyes before looking at Naruto. 'You act like it's your fault he's dead."

"And it is." Shining stepped back in shock himself, his eyebrow raised as he had no rebuttal for the unexpected shift in the atmosphere. "If my group and I hadn't arrived here, you probably wouldn't have to worry about these things happening, but because some unknown entity wants our power for themselves - or at least that's the way I see it - they won't hesitate to do what no being on this planet has done since, from what I've heard, centuries ago."

Shining sighed and placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Look, I'm probably the same age as you. Hell, I might be even younger, but I know for a fact that this is something that was out of your control. You haven't even been here but a few months, so you can't be expected to do everything. I had to learn that lesson the hard way when I was just a Corporal. Someone had tried to send an assassin after the Princess. I found about the operation and thought myself strong enough to disobey direct orders to remain at my post to track down the leader of the band that had thought to attack the Princess.

"Not only did my arrogance and quickness to jump to conclusions result in a demotion and nearly probation, I almost died that day when the leader found me instead. I had been tortured to within an inch of my life. If the Captain hadn't found me that day, I might not be standing here right now. Either way, the point I'm making is these kinds of things might have been waiting for the opportunity to occur for decades or even centuries. Your arrival here simply gave them a reason to make themselves known. The intent was always there, there just needed to be a mask to allow it to slip in unnoticed. It isn't and will never be your fault these things are happening just because you showed up here. From what you've told me and the Princess, there was no other choice. You had to come from a world that was, for all intents and purposes, desolate, lost to time. Your being forced into coming to another world will never be the reason these things happen. The best you can do is just strive to make yourself better so one day, these things will stop. But based on your own story, you've more than learned that lesson, haven't you?"

Naruto looked down in shame for a brief moment, the rising sun casting darkness below his eyebrow shelf before he looked back up, smiling. "Thanks, Shining. I really needed that. You're right, just because I found myself here doesn't mean these things are my fault. It's just... hard, y'know? I couldn't stop the annihilation of an entire race, my own to make things worse, and that kind of wound isn't something that heals easily, even with time. I've subjectively spent over two thousand years training in the few months we've been here and it still hurts to think about. To know that I could have stopped it, but one mistake resulted in such crushing failure."

Kurama, who'd just walked into the room to check on Celestia and have a word with Armor, had heard all of Naruto's explanation, and hugged him, putting her head on his shoulder. "You're not the only one who's responsible for what happened back on our world. If I hadn't lashed out at Sasuke for trapping me in a meteor and all but killing you, we might have been able to undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and maybe we wouldn't be here right now. For all we know, you probably would have become Hokage too. I share blame for what happened just as much as you do."

Naruto nodded in thanks to Kurama, who nodded back herself before extracting herself from around Naruto and moving to look over the doctor who was checking Celestia's vitals. Naruto turned back to Armor, a serious expression on his face. "So what do we know about how it happened?"

Armor pulled out a dossier from the breastplate of his newly commissioned captains' armor and handed it to Naruto. "Gist of it is this time, the Captain was murdered in broad daylight in the central square of Horseton-"

"No coincidence there. Whoever did it this time has thrown caution to the wind. The former Captain's murder having been conducted in such a way, combined with the Princess's poisoning here, lead to the fact they don't care what we think of them anymore. With these moves, they've officially stepped into the spotlight. This wasn't random, it was a declaration."
Hagoromo moved to look at the dossier, before turning to Naruto. "Naruto, I ask you to summon as many clones as you can. Send them in all directions. We must resolve the culprit of these incidents posthaste."

"I second what the Sage here has just said. The sooner we can find some trace of what we're dealing with, the better. And you've got every being on the planet beat in covering ground." shining agreed with Hagoromo.

Naruto nodded and made his signature handsign. Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu! Weeks later, Celestia would need to answer three Day Courts' worth of frenzied questions from Canterlot, and her wizards and magical experts questions from the rest of Equestria, about why a massive cloud suddenly appeared over Canterlot, following by no less than ten thousand copies of Naruto shooting out in all directions, several dozen going in the direction of the not-currently-visible Moon. "Alright, it's done. Hopefully we'll manage to pick... Wait... What the hell?!" Naruto was in the middle of telling everyone he'd sent out a plethora of clones when all of the ones that were headed in the direction of the Moon dispelled suddenly, nearly at the same altitude. "Something's blocking my clones from going any higher than the upper atmosphere!"

Hagoromo and Hamura instantly activated their Visual Prowess and ran to the window, and were able to clearly observe a thin, translucent barrier with an outward curvature. Tracing an outline of where the barrier interacted with the Earth's atmosphere, they were able to determine the source of the disturbance was an entity on the Moon. "Something on or in the Moon is causing this. That's about the location of the spherical center of the barrier."

Armor's eyes shot up in surprise. "Oh shit!" The group turned to him. "If what you're saying is true, I know exactly what the problem is. Back when I was just a foal, Mom and Dad would always tell me stories about a legend that was found in Canterlot's Royal Archives. It spoke of an entity known as Nightmare Moon, borne of darkness corrupting one of the Princess's loved ones, though no one knows who, and attempting to plunge the entire world in eternal night. The Princess summoned artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony, extremely potent and powerful magical implements tied to core values of Equestria's founding, and on the eve of the summer solstice, using her connection to them, banished Nightmare Moon to imprisonment inside her own namesa0ke for a thousand years. That was just short of nine hundred ninety-nine years ago. I'm warning you now, it's possible Nightmare Moon may have found a way to prematurely escape her imprisonment. If you find her up there, be extremely careful. I know how powerful your group is, but Nightmare Moon isn't somebody to be trifled with. Before Celestia had the Elements, Nightmare Moon had proven more powerful than her."

Naruto's eyebrows scrunched together. "Wait, you just said this was from a legend. How are you absolutely sure this Nightmare Moon exists?"
"Because I found out it's actually true. Apparently, it's tradition for the former Captain to inform the incumbent of the tale, and of strategies to keep the population of Equestria safe when the day does come that Nightmare Moon escapes. The Captain told me before he left with Minato, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen. He was sure he was going to die, and he'd already given the Princess a personal recommendation to promote me to Captain, so he told me, thinking he'd never come back."
Naruto nodded, a somber expression on his face. "Thank you for the information, Shining Armor. I promise we're going to do the best we can should Nightmare Moon have escaped. You just take care of everyone down here, alright?" Shining nodded, and the two shook hands, before Hagoromo opened a portal. "Hopefully we'll be back in decent time." Hagoromo and Naruto hopped through the portal shortly after, and the portal closed behind them.
Hamura moved back to Celestia's side, resuming the jutsu that kept her in a medical coma, while Shining left the room, heading back to the throne room to get ready to make an announcement that would crush the entire country.

Naruto and Hagoromo landed on the surface of their old training ground on the Moon, and the two looked around. Neither noticed anything. "Naruto, are you able to discern a presence here?"

"No, but let me try something. Could you activate your Rinnegan and Rinne Sharingan?" Hagoromo nodded and activated his Visual Prowess. Naruto activated his own. "I see nothing of note."

"Hmm... I can't see any... Wait..." Naruto concentrated on an area at the edge of the basin and found a tall woman wearing pure black, revealing armor sectioned into shoulder blades, a breastplate in the most literal sense, a bikini mesh covered with a large black belt, and knee-high black boots, with a spike on the heel of each.

Naruto teleported next to her, and upon discovering she'd been seen, what seemed like a veil over her lifted, and Hagoromo was able to see her as well. "You must be Nightmare Moon."

The woman looked Naruto up and down, then smirked. "I am. And you are?"

"My name is Naruto of the space-faring Otsutsuki Clan, and the man several kilometers behind and west of me is one of my three sensei - teachers - Hagoromo Otsutsuki. We've come to the Moon upon the Royal Guard Captain's observation that you may have escaped your imprisonment early. We're investigating some unknown force's presence in Equestria."

Nightmare Moon scoffed, crossing her arms under her breasts to purposely try distracting Naruto, who pointedly ignored the gesture. "And what business am I supposed to have relevant to this matter? I've been trapped on my moon for nigh a millennium. Why should I have a care for what happens to Equestria?"

"I can tell you have quite a bit of darkness. Malicious intent that was aggravated by your sadness and loneliness. Even so, I bet even someone like you cannot condone murder."

Nightmare's eyes dangerously narrowed at Naruto's declaration, stomping over to him and grabbing the collar of his shirt. "What is this heresy you speak of? Murder has not happened in Equestria in centuries! Even before I had been imprisoned, Celestia and Luna made sure of that!"

Hagoromo teleported over and rested his hand on Nightmare Moon's shoulder. She released her hand from Naruto's collar in shock at the sheer presence the old man possessed. "We have not the time for this needless bickering. I can assume reasonably by your shock and anger that murder is not your forte. In such case, you wield a brand of magic most of Equestria does not possess. You may be the key to finding who or whatever has been causing this chaos."

Nightmare stepped back, her arms falling to her sides. A minute later, she looked back at Naruto, a conflicted expression on her face. "What is the death toll so far?"

"Four. Three citizens, a unicorn in the White-Tail Woods, a pegasus in an abandoned Cloudsdale district, and an earth pony east of Horseton, and in downtown Horseton last week in broad daylight, the former Royal Guard Captain was executed. And unfortunately, if something isn't done very quickly, Celestia is due to become the fifth."

Nightmare's eyes shot open in shock. "Surely you jest. Nothing has ever bested Celestia."

"Well, something in Equestria found a way around the alicorns' natural advantages. An unknown poison that is both causing cell deterioration and blocking the body's access to its innate magical abilities. As a result, we can't even heal Celestia."

Hagoromo interjected briefly. "As a result, my younger brother Hamura has been forced to place Celestia in a medical coma, so as to slow down the progression of the poison until a cure can be found."

Nightmare Moon sighed, then took off her helmet and placed it to her chest. After a brief moment of silence, a tear fell down her eye as her coat turned a light shade of blue and the darkness dissipated off of her and manifested as a separate entity next to her. "If what you say is true, I have to act on this personally. And throughout my imprisonment, I have kept track of the affairs of the country in the nearly thousand years I have been here. I also know some of my energy has dissipated from the Moon itself. Most likely, one of the few cults that has sprouted in the last century has found a way to harness this energy and is using it for nefarious purposes. As dark as I may have been and still am, wanton violence and death is not something I will stand for."

She turned and caught the falling woman she had left behind in her arms, hefting her up. "This is Princess Celestia's younger sister, Princess Luna. When I was still little more than a mass of coalesced energy given sentience, I manipulated this young and fine woman into attacking her own sister. I had not intended on driving a wedge between the two of them at the time, I was simply in need of testing the powers my sentience granted me. As a result, being imprisoned on the Moon has given me ample time to use my abilities to create my own form, that the injustice of my actions be rectified. Unfortunately, the method of imprisonment has not until now allowed me to extricate myself from Luna's being and energy. Now, if you please, we need to return to Earth immediately. This talk of murder must be resolved immediately."

Hagoromo nodded as he stepped away and used his Rinnegan to summon a portal to the peak of Mt. Canter, and the three, Nightmare Moon carrying the unconscious Princess Luna in her arms, stepped through, the portal closing shortly thereafter.

So occupied were the two Otsutsuki that they did not notice the presence of a much younger, nearly teen-age Kaguya on the other side of the Moon. "Nightmare Moon, you'd better be happy I exerted my chakra to allow you to free yourself. That's a debt that's going to take you a long time to repay." Kaguya sat down at the rim of the dust dune she had been standing next to, gazing at the stars above her, sighing as she absently ran a hand through her hair. "Maybe next time that cutie comes back with the old-ish man and his younger brother that call me their mother, they'll actually realize I'm here. I used the last of my chakra letting that manipulative idiot out, so I'm trapped here until they come back anyway."

After arriving back on Earth, the three quickly made their way down to the castle, cloaked under Naruto's Transparent Escape Jutsu, a technique of Jiraiya's that he had reverse-engineered thanks to finally improving his chakra control past what it had been before the group had found themselves on this version of Earth. Using said jutsu, the three made their way to the throne room. Jiraiya, having mastered the jutsu before, saw Naruto and the others. Naruto sent him a set of ANBU hand codes Jiraiya had taught him during their training trip, and Jiraiya immediately understood.

As Jiraiya called Minato and Hiruzen over and moved to have Shining postpone Day Court, the three moved to Celestia's hospital room, where Hamura was still using the jutsu to keep her in a coma. Sweat was now slowly beading on his brow, and small patches of skin were now visibly missing on Celestia's arms and legs, revealing the deteriorating flesh below.

Naruto released the jutsu, and Hamura nodded as the three became visible. He saw Princess Luna unconscious in Nightmare Moon's arms and used the Tenseigan to pull a spare hospital bed over. Nightmare Moon laid Luna on the bed and pulled the bed covers over her as she came to stand by Celestia. "If you will, I need to examine the toxin that is killing Celestia." Hamura nodded and stepped away. "Do we already know something about the toxin that has caused this?"

"Yes, we've already established the part that is actually killing Celestia is nightshade. We're still not sure about the part that is interfering with her magic." Nightmare Moon nodded and used her magic to scan Celestia's body.

"Hmm... I recognize this particular toxin. It is a derivative of manchineel tree sap, from the manchineel tree. It is deadly to all races except alicorns, and completely shuts down an alicorn's magic. This very poison is the reason so few alicorns exist, as many alicorns were killed in the Ancient War before the centaur Tirek was banished to Tartarus. I do not know your name, but keep tending to Celestia. Manchineel sap poisoning is very inhibitive, but only lasts about two months. In the meantime, I shall try to contact the medical experts and have them create an antidote for the nightshade, that death may be avoided."

"No need, I heard everything." Shining walked in, Minato at his heel. He raised his eyebrow at Nightmare Moon's presence. "I'm guessing you're Nightmare Moon, and I'm not going to bother wasting brain cells trying to comprehend why you're here, but since you're already helping preserve the Princess's condition and keeping her from death, I suppose I can forgive whatever crimes you've committed in the past. I'm too concerned for the Princess anyway, and I've been trying to figure out why her magic hasn't been working." Shining flared his horn in a specific pattern reminiscent of Morse code. "Alright, I've let the experts at the hospital know that the part of the poison involving the Princess's magic is incurable, and we have to let it run its course." He paused for a few seconds as his eyes crossed, before he turned his eyes back on Nightmare Moon. "The doctors and botanists say that the nightshade antidote is already halfway done, and we'll have it by the evening."

"Good. Considering your reach, I assume you're the current Captain of the Royal Guard. I'd ask you to keep maintaining the peace as best you can. I shall stay here and administer a temporary stop for the nightshade with my magic while we wait for the cure." Armor nodded and tapped Minato, who used Flying Raijin Jutsu to teleport back to the throne room, leaving Nightmare Moon, the two unconscious Princesses, and the three Otsutsuki in the room. Žiara came in and nodded to the newcomer.

"Naruto, despite the current situation, we must perform one more session of training while we wait for this situation to resolve itself." Naruto nodded, and Žiara put her arm around his shoulder, before the two phased out of existence to train in Shinigami's realm.

Nightmare Moon blinked, then asked a question she didn't realize was obvious or rhetorical. "Are those two... familiar with each other?"

Author's Note

Naruto Otsutsuki
STR: 64 (+2) STA: 87 INT: 63 (+9) DUR: 75 (+2) CHA: 100
Score/Rank: 380 +13
Notable Feats: Completed the Rasengan, Defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, Pacified the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Unlocked Awakened Byakugan, Unlocked Awakened Sharingan, Unlocked Awakened Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan
Notable Abilities: Rasenshuriken (various styles), Talk no Jutsu, Six Paths Sage Mode, Senjutsu Master, Shadow Clone Jutsu, Byakugan Sensory Capabilities, Complete Body – Susano'o

Hagoromo Otsutsuki
STR: 88 (+1) STA: 94 (+1) INT: 100 DUR: 83 (+1) CHA: 75 (+3)
Score/Rank: 430 +6
Notable Feats: Sealed the Ten-Tails, Defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, Created Ninshu
Notable Abilities: Mastered Rinnegan, Truth-Seeking Orbs, Creation Of All Things, Senjutsu Master

Hamura Otsutsuki
STR: 87 (+2) STA: 90 (+1) INT: 100 DUR: 86 CHA: 95 (+5)
Score/Rank: 455 +8
Notable Feats: Sealed the Ten-Tails, Defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, Founder of the Shinobi of the Moon
Notable Abilities: Mastered Tenseigan, Yin-Yang Style

Kaguya Otsutsuki
STR: 53 STA: 61 INT: 88 DUR: 47 CHA: 75
Score/Rank: 324 (C Rank)
Notable Feats: (temporarily redacted)
Notable Abilities: None Known

Princess Celestia
STR: 48 (-4) STA: 17 (-1) INT: 70 DUR: 32 (-3) CHA: 90 (+2)
Score/Rank: 257 -6
Notable Feats: Banished Nightmare Moon, Defeated Discord, Sent Tirek to Tartarus, Sealed Sombra, Former Wielder of the Elements of Harmony, Directs the Motion of the Sun and Moon, Leads Equestria
Notable Abilities: Solar Magic Mastery, Elemental Magic Mastery

Princess Luna
STR: 47 STA: 21 INT: 64 DUR: 53 CHA: 79
Score/Rank: 264 (High D Rank)
Notable Feats: Defeated Discord, Sent Tirek to Tartarus, Sealed Sombra, Former Wielder of the Elements of Harmony, Dreamwalker
Notable Abilities: Mind Magic Mastery

Nightmare Moon
STR: 61 STA: 37 INT: 71 DUR: 39 CHA: 49
Score/Rank: 257 (High D Rank)
Notable Feats: Dreamwalker
Notable Abilities: Dark Magic Mastery

Christ, nevermind. I did not expect to suddenly crank out nearly four thousand words and finish Chapter 13 with less than an hour to spare. Guess that means we're still on schedule. I'll start working on Chapter 14 on the 21st. For those of you who aren't following updates on my profile page, where I post updates on the progress of my writing per story, I was writing this back on the 11th, but lost over three thousand words of writing when I lost internet and my computer randomly restarted.

Anyway, not much else to say there, so I'll leave you guys for now. See you all in Chapter 14!

Hidden in Shadow: Battle for Canterlot

Thursday, April 16, CCY 3381, Dawn

The heart monitor beeped at its normal pace, and the light and substance slowly separated into proper vision, as Celestia opened her eyes for the first time in three weeks. Blinking to clear her vision, she found herself virtually unable to move. That poison must have done more damage than I thought. I did not know nightshade was so powerful. I will have to get off the floor... Celestia's slow-moving brain finally registered the monotone, sporadic beeps indicative of an attached EKG. I'm in the hospital? Was the nightshade truly so devastating? How long has it been? Hours... days... even weeks? She tried to speak to grab someone's attention, but all that came out was a raspy cough, a result of her voice not having been used in nearly a month.

She gingerly, slowly moved her head from side to side. On her left, a closed curtain indicated another patient. That is... unique. One would think to separate my room from others so I am not bothered in any attempts to recover. On her right was a view of the peak of Mount Canter through the open hospital window.

A minute later, she heard footsteps, then the door unlocking, before two of the medical staff walked into the room, one holding a clipboard to check vitals with. The doctor who did not have a clipboard looked at Celestia, and his eyes widened. "Princess, you're finally awake! The entire country feared you'd never wake up again!"

The other doctor, recovering from dropping her clipboard in shock, clamped her hands around the other doctor's mouth. "You buffoon, you're going to wake up Princess Luna!" she hissed dangerously in his ear, just softly enough that the Princess did not overhear the exchange. The doctor bowed before her. "I apologize for that, Princess. How long have you been awake?"

"A few minutes, at best. Why does it feel like I'm unable to move?"

The doctor pulled out a sheet and read it off to Celestia. "Hagoromo and Naruto used one of their abilities to temporarily paralyze you while your body recovers from the nightshade poisoning. It's for your own safety. Once the nightshade is completely out of your system and your body has repaired and replaced the damaged and destroyed cells, they will remove the effect."

Celestia slowly nodded. I can appreciate their looking out for me in that manner. I do not like the feeling of being confined, but anyone worth their salt knows unwarranted movement only propagates the poison. Uncomfortable as it is, this is best. Something else clicked in her mind. "Doctor, what day is it?"

"April 16th, Princess."

"In that case, what could have caused me to be in the hospital for such extended time? Nightshade does not normally affect alicorns, as their natural magic dispels the effects before they can take hold."

"I'll have to let the person who figured that out tell you themselves. Trust me when I say you wouldn't believe me at all."

Celestia sighed. Of course things like this couldn't be easy, not like anything ever was. "Very well. In that case, could you have them come down?"

"Unfortunately, the two of us and the two patients in this room can't leave. We're in an underground shelter carved into Mount Canter. An unknown threat calling themselves the changeling race have tried to siege Canterlot, and they're here to kill you."

Naruto batted aside another changeling who'd tried to do a less-than-ideal impersonation of him. "Gggrrrhhh, when will these things stop coming? Where did they even come from?!"

Twilight stopped another changeling from lunging at Naruto with a flick of her new wand and a muttered spell, though Naruto would have dealt with them anyway. "No idea, but we can't let them get to the castle! If we do, the Princess will be in danger!"

On a nearby rooftop, Nightmare Moon and Žiara threw aside a group of changelings who'd tried to attack them head on. "Gah, I hated the Princess, but sending an army of this size to simply capture her is ridiculous in every sense of the word!"

"We've been tossing them aside like flies, yet still they refuse to give up. I admire their determination, but if so many of them can't even get past Naruto and Twilight, what hope would they have of even touching Celestia?" Žiara commented as she flared her power, sending a changeling crashing through the roof into one of the floors of the building below.

The two suddenly saw a green-and-black blur shoot past them toward the castle. Žiara went to lunge after the figure, but was stopped when she stepped in a pile of the changelings' mucous saliva. "When did this appear?"

Nightmare chuckled as she swatted away the changelings responsible. "Told you to look out. Too bad you weren't paying attention."

The figure lunged toward the doors of the castle, but was stopped by a translucent blue barrier springing up and rebounding her to the ground in the castle courtyard. As she quickly righted herself, Hagoromo and Hamura appeared in front of the door, having been alerted by the flare of chakra the barrier made.

"Huh... I guess Nightmare Moon was right. Set the trap before danger appears and it will always be stopped. Going to have to give her something as thanks." Hamura chuckled.

"Be serious, Hamura. This... changeling must have a reason to attempt attacking Celestia in broad daylight in the capital of this country, and I shall find it out." Hagoromo cleared his throat to grab the attention of the changeling in front of them. "I am Hagoromo Otsutsuki. State your name and purpose for conducting this crime against existence."

"Heh heh heh… I don't think I'm going to be doing that." The changeling, whose voice identified her as female, moved to attack the two and force them away from the doors.

Celestia heard a light cough and looked over to the curtain separating her bed from the other patient's. "Ah, so you're finally awake. Admittedly, being in a bunker several kilometers underground is not the best environment to find oneself in."

"Thy words ring true in mine ears." The person, who sounded like a younger woman, said in response. A few moments passed in silence, before the curtain was ripped open with such force that part of the curtain detached from the track. "Sister?! Do mine eyes deceive me?"

Celestia's eyes widened. Staring back at her from the other bed was a distinctly younger Princess Luna. Weakened as her body was, Celestia was not prepared for such a shocking development, and she started hyperventilating as her body went into shock. She lost consciousness as the EKG went haywire and the two doctors standing guard outside rushed in.

Luna's eyes watered as she watched the doctors try to stabilize Celestia. "Oh, sister, I'm so sorry!"

The female doctor turned and glared at Luna. "I don't care if you're her younger sister, we already told you not to open the curtain! Celestia wasn't physically or mentally ready to meet you after nearly being killed!"

"I... is... is there anything I can do?"

"How much of your magic can you access?"

Luna took a moment to observe her mana well. "Actually, mine magic is nearly unrestricted."

The doctor nodded, not taking her eyes off the EKG next to Celestia's bed as it started stabilizing. "In that case, you can put your magic to good use. Canterlot is under attack by a race known as the changelings. We don't know what their purpose is, but they're after Princess Celestia."

Luna nodded and went out the door, a serious expression on her face, only to find herself standing in a black void-like area, with a very small pinprick of light far ahead of her. She shrugged, narrowed her eyes, and began sprinting to the end of what she assumed was a tunnel leading to the bunker she'd awoken in.

"Okay, that's it. Where's the pest of a coward that brought an army of insects to a fistfight?" Naruto made a snide offhand comment as he threw a changeling into the wall of Donut Joe's breakfast joint, on the central street of Canterlot.

Several of the surrounding changelings hissed at him for the threat against whoever their leader was. "Oh? Should I make an example out of you too, then? I would say that I have all day, but then I'd be lying through my teeth."

"You're getting really antsy, aren't you, Naruto?" Twilight commented as she finished outmatching a changeling in a test of magical ability, knocking it unconscious with a blast of Mind magic.

Next to him, Žiara finished off another set of changelings, leaving their heads firmly planted into the street, the carapace protecting their inner bodies cracked at the skull, down the middle. She and Naruto simultaneously sensed a flare of chakra belonging to Hamura, and Naruto's head shot in the direction of the castle. "Go! I'll finish up things here and start sweeping the floors!"

Naruto chuckled, before nodding. "Thanks, Žiara. I owe you one later." He phased out of existence in a burst of speed and into the site of a badly upturned castle courtyard, just in time for his precognitive reflexes to snap his hand up independent of his own input and block a harsh punch from what looked to be another changeling. He instantly revised that assessment, based on the look of clear surprise in the changeling's eyes. He momentarily turned his head to behind him, where Hamura laid, barely conscious, in a crater in the castle wall. "Hmm... good thing I got here when I did. You okay over there, Hamura-sensei?"

Hamura registered Naruto's appearance, and weakly raised his hand in a thumbs-up. "Yeah, I'm good... Just be careful... dunno how she did it, but this... changeling seems to be able to seal our chakra somehow. Just took me by surprise is all. Hagoromo had to leave to deal with the matter of Celestia and Luna."

Naruto nodded in thanks, and was about to verbally thank his sensei, before the changeling cut in. "I'm still standing here, you know! Don't ignore the Queen of the changelings!"
The changeling experienced a brief instant of fear that was quickly quashed by her desire for dominance after seeing an almost evil glint suddenly enter Naruto's eyes. "Oh, so you're the pain in my ass I had to wake up at five o' clock in the morning to deal with. This is going to be fun."

"How dare-"

"For me, not you. Just to make sure we'e clear." Naruto lashed out with a lightning-fast, Senjutsu-enhanced strike to the face that sent the changeling careening into the wall at the other end of the courtyard. "Boop snoot. Naruto one, Queen zero. Your move."

He put up a shield made of his own chakra when barf green-colored magical energy flew at him in the form of a spear. His smile turned to a brief look of shock when the spear went through the shield like it wasn't even there, before he phased out of the way of the spear just in time for it to pass where he'd just been and strike the castle wall behind him with enough force to crack it and dislodge a small portion of the bricks. From his new position on the top of the opposite wall, he sweatdropped. Yeah, that might've actually killed me were I a little slower. Going to have to actually put up my guard with this one.

He hopped down from the wall, causing the changeling to turn around and glare at him. "Congratulations, I'm actually one percent serious now."

The changeling went to dash toward Naruto. "Like that will mean anything when I-"

"That'll be your last mistake." The Queen's eyes widened in shock, hearing Naruto's voice behind her. How had he moved so fast as to be behind her without her notice? The changeling wasn't given a chance to respond as Naruto smacked her in the back of the head with a Frog Kata-supplemented bitch-slap, creating a crater two feet deep in the courtyard, the Queen's stuck head at its epicenter. "Time to finish this." Naruto made three handseals and used his newest jutsu. Sealing Art: Binding Dragon.

"Now, listen, young Naruto. This technique, while powerful and effective in its own right, is nothing to trifle with. This is one of the Otsutsuki Clan's beginning techniques for the Sealing Art, gifted to the pupils of only the strongest members and those blessed in the art as you are." Naruto nodded eagerly. Despite how long he had been subjectively training for, he still had a habit of getting a bit overzealous when learning a new jutsu, a habit he thought he'd have outgrown by this point.

Hagoromo showed him the handseals. "Before I allow you to practice this jutsu, you must remember the major part of this jutsu is your chakra, in that the strength of the seal correlates directly to how much chakra you place in it. If you use too much and drain yourself to an extreme, you will not be able to fight, and if you aren't careful, you will die, former Jinchuuriki or otherwise.

"Of course, Hagoromo-sensei. I vow I'll be careful in using this jutsu." Naruto used the jutsu and pointed the dragon at a nearby asteroid, and was shocked when the entire massive rock disappeared. Shortly after, what was left of the asteroid, a small rock no bigger than his closed fist, floated over and landed in his open palm. The seal's symbol, a coiled dragon, was clearly visible. "Density compression?"

"Yes. That is one of the facets that makes all Otsutsuki sealing jutsu extremely effective. By increasing the density of whatever is sealed, and forcing it to collapse into its own gravitational field, it becomes an almost certainty that whatever you hit with this isn't escaping. Furthermore, you may choose to make the seal itself and this side effect mutually exclusive while casting the jutsu, which means this type of seal is also quite versatile."

The dragon flew out of Naruto's clasped hand, between his fingers, and bum-rushed the downed changeling queen, slamming into her... before abruptly shattering like dropped glass. Naruto's eyes narrowed. Damn... Of course. If this Queen managed to catch Hamura-sensei off guard, of all people, it's no surprise that didn't work. Too bad density and chakra are still exclusive from one another. The chakra goes away but the increased effects of gravity will persist. True to form, right after the Queen pulled her head out of its own crater, she collapsed under her own - massively increased - weight.

"What in... What have you done to me, you foul beast?"

"I've made you immobile until someone else arrives that can... more permanently deal with you. Since whatever innate... thing you have is negating my chakra's effects, I simply hit you with a gravity blast instead. You're currently experiencing two hundred times Earth's gravity. I will admit, I'm impressed you're still able to hold yourself above the ground, let alone fluently speak and be understood. Your vocal cords shouldn't work under such high levels of strain. I won't lie, since you can somehow either steal or completely negate my chakra, as well as that of Hamura-sensei, had you come out the victor in a straight-out taijutsu battle, I would have lost."

"Don't... don't think... this will stop me! I won't... let some... overconfident simpleton... best me in battle!" With an insane amount of effort, the Queen shakily stood up despite the effects of the increased gravity being felt on her body.

Naruto's eyebrows promptly took a hike into his messy hairline in surprise. To not only be able to stay conscious and speak under the effects of such strong gravity, but to be able to resist its effects enough to muster the energy to stand!? What is this changeling's body made of, hyper-dense steel?!

He narrowed his eyes and prepared to fire off another Binding Dragon, but that quickly proved to be unnecessary, as Princess Luna landed harshly on her knee beside him, wings folding as she brandished a magical sword and shield. "So which Queen are you this time?"

The Queen chuckled as she continued managing to stand despite the Binding Dragon's gravitational effects. That was before she looked at the new arrival, and her eyes clouded over with rage. "You..." she hissed. "You're the one who killed my mother!"

Luna's eyebrows raised. "So you are the spawn of Queen Oedipus then... Inform me, changeling, what is thy name?"

"I am Queen Chrysalis, not like you'll remember, considering I'm about to kill you the same way you killed my mother!" The now-named Chrysalis managed to charge at Luna, though the effects of Naruto's gravity field slowed her movements down considerably.

Luna looked at Naruto. "I know not who or what you are, but please refrain from interfering in this encounter."

Naruto held his hands up. "Not a problem. Besides, this Chrysalis has some kind of ability that renders most of my fighting capability ineffective, so other than fisticuffs, I'm not good for much here. I have to help my sensei anyway."

Luna momentarily pondered the meaning of the word 'sensei' before divesting herself of the momentary distraction and dodging Chrysalis's clumsy right hook, smashing her knee into the changeling's stomach. Spittle and a little green blood flew out of her mouth as Luna grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the ground, forming a crater of not inconsiderable size.

Right as she was about to say something to the changeling, she unleashed a blast of green magic that threw Luna back a few feet, her coat slightly singed. "Okay, you will regret that, foul bug!"

"Did you just call me a bug?! You're going to pay for that!" Chrysalis managed to get back on her feet and charge at Luna a second time.

Meanwhile, Naruto had moved over to Hagoromo as he helped Hamura up. "Sensei, are you alright?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me, Naruto. Right now, the greater worry is Celestia. We need to get to her before this Chrysalis does, otherwise she'll more than likely kill her. Celestia is too weak right now to even walk around without tripping over herself, let alone fighting a battle she may not win even at full health."

"Right. Hagoromo-sensei, can you open a portal?"

Hagoromo nodded, a portal already in existence next to him. "Need you even ask?"

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, maybe that question could've gone better unasked. Let's go." The three hopped through the portal, leaving Luna to her one-sided stomp-fest. Several craters had already been made by way of Luna slamming Chrysalis's face and body into the walls of the castle and the dirt of the castle courtyard.

Chrysalis tried to growl in anger, but found herself with a mouthful of dirt that Luna literally picked up with her magic and stuck in the changeling's mouth. Chrysalis wasn't given the chance to rebut as Luna kept shoveling dirt into her mouth, until the changeling couldn't breathe.

As she futilely tried to remove the magically-held dirt, Chrysalis tried to flare her magic, only to find it wouldn't answer her call, having been blocked by a magical seal. Damn... a magic block...?

A few seconds later, Luna shut off the flow of her magic to her horn as the body of the now-lifeless changeling hit the ground like a sack of bricks. "That is how this kingdom deals with outside threats." She turned to walk off, but found a group of citizens that one of Naruto's clones had missed staring in slack-jawed horror at the scene before them. Before Luna could get a word in edgewise, they all ran off, screaming in terror.

Luna cocked her head to the side, unaware of the immense passage of time. "What reason do mine subjects have to be afraid? Occurrences like this are on an almost monthly basis."

Author's Note

Yes, I did just. For one, I very nearly hated Chrysalis as a character. From the way she was designed in the comics - I can forgive a little for the cartoon version, which I do prefer - to how the writing staff handled her introduction - "Oh, let's just introduce someone that hates Celestia's guts so much, she can't be reformed ever!" "And let's make her show up to be the very antithesis of whatever sappy event comes next on the list!" - and even how she's ingested the Kool-Aid to such a degree she doesn't even care about her own subjects, and would much rather sacrifice most or all of them for her own selfish desires... at least later in the series.

So instead of rehashing the wedding episode like a large portion of the other MLP writers here in the fandom usually do, I got rid of her. And what better way to introduce a character so disconnected from the passage of time than to perform what is in the current time a very morally reprehensible act, completely unaware of the irony of the situation? Besides, even had all of that been a non-factor, the future events as I have them mapped out don't fit Chrysalis anywhere in, or any villains with her mindset, for that matter.

Also, for those of you who will inevitably have a gripe for why Luna can't just immediately teleport willy-nilly all over the place, even if you don't end up putting it in a review, consider the fact that not only has she been trapped in the Moon for nigh a thousand years, which in and of itself would cause any degree of mastery to go right down the shitter, but taking said passage of time into mind, Canterlot is also not where it used to be, so if she tried teleporting, she'd just end up in the Everfree Forest anyway.

... Heh, yeah, if you couldn't tell, I'm giving some of the canon occurrences a more realistic feel instead of just bending over backwards to deliver the same old rehashed thing. Sudden, unexpected rant over.

Anyway, that's Chapter 14, so I'll see you guys in a month, after I've updated The Power of Us over on FF.Net!

Hidden in Shadow: Kink in the Plan

Sunday, April 19, CCY 3381, Afternoon

Nightmare stretched her arms as she rose out of the bed Celestia and Luna had given her to stay in while Equestria’s finest searched for whatever was using her power without her permission. “I think I’m in the mood for some breakfast. What to get, I wonder?”

Nightmare was startled by an Essence Clone of Naruto phasing into existence, leaning against the wall. “Just let me know and I’ll pass it along to the chef.”

“Holy heavens, why must you do that? Clones enough are a bit overwhelming, I don’t need you popping into existence like you were there the whole time.” Nightmare grumbled as she grabbed a magical comb and began combing her hair as she got out of her bed.

“Celestia ordered the Boss to. She and Luna both think that if this force that is recklessly using the leftover traces of your magic realizes you’re not only no longer trapped in the Moon, but out over a year earlier than expected, then whatever is at the head of this operation will figure they must personally deal with it. Which is also why Celestia doesn’t want you leaving Canterlot or the castle for the time being.” Nightmare got ready to grumble. “Don’t. We’ve been over this three times already. Strategically speaking, it’s a very useful tactic. Especially since Celestia and the Captain are using their pull to specifically let certain people in… less than savory positions know of the situation while making sure they keep tight-lipped with regards to the populace at large, they’re casting a line into the water they’re one hundred percent sure these wannabe criminals will take.

"And while I don’t like keeping people held anywhere against their will, especially with what the Boss went through as a child, in this circumstance, it’s necessary. You said it yourself, you won’t condone wanton violence and outright murder, and I see it the same way. I don’t know what you’ve had to do, but I’ve very nearly had blood on my own hands more times than I care to count, and the last thing I want to happen for anyone is to see them die, sacrificed for a needless desire for power that will only cause everything to repeat. All intelligent life on my entire planet is gone because of that cycle, and it’s not something I want to see, ever again.”

Naruto cringed as the memories of the Fourth War hit him like a speeding train. He took a moment to force them back down. There was no use dwelling on the past now. He’d admitted to his defeat and made peace with the life he’d left behind. Now it was time to move forward with the lessons he’d learned.

Nightmare sighed, running a hand through her now flowing hair as she looked out the window. “You know… I know how you feel. There are many unsavory things I’ve done. I’ve actually existed for hundreds of thousands of years, since the days of the bygone ages where magic was a myth to most of the races of the world. And in all of that time, I believed no intelligent life should have access to the magic, for fear they’d destroy themselves with that power. As a sentient mass of magic myself, I was able to pull strings like no one and nothing else could, but somewhere along the way, I lost sight of my goal and turned into the very monster I was trying to prevent. When we were fighting those changelings and their queen a few days ago, it brought everything full-circle. I saw in that queen, before her death, the same qualities that turned Luna against her own sister, and the same qualities that you say caused the extinction of an entire species, and it put it into perspective.

“It made me realize, for the first time in forever, that while my goal might have at some point been noble, the methods I used to keep myself on that track were farthest from it. And now, looking at the state of the world in this new age, in the thousand years since Luna and I were sent, as one, to the Moon to pay for crimes only one of us committed, I see I was wrong. It takes a different kind of touch, a delicate one, to guide any species toward its brightest future, and it takes the very symbols of unity Celestia defeated me with to preserve that balance and peace once it has been attained.” Nightmare turned around, an almost unnoticeable smile on her face, before she walked to the closet next to the wall and opened it, revealing the armored outfit that she had been wearing when Naruto and Hagoromo encountered her on the surface of the Moon. “I suppose it is time to finally recover the vast pools of magic and many years I spent crafting this armor. After all, tools of war are not needed in times of peace, are they?” Nightmare turned to the clone. “If the real Naruto will not allow me to leave, then at least make yourself unnoticeable or whatever it is you do. Undoing the many years of work I spent crafting these will take quite a while.”

The clone nodded before using Transparent Escape to make itself invisible.

“Alright, now that we’ve carefully leaked some of the information we need to flush these culprits out, what am I going to do? I can’t very well stand around. My senseis have decided I need to start training on my own, so no time can be wasted.” Naruto inquired, sitting next to Celestia at a table in her private quarters. Hagoromo, Hamura, Žiara and Shining Armor sat beside them.

Celestia picked up her cup of herbal tea and took a small sip, then set the cup back on its ornamental plate. “You should be able to train with your clones, as Hagoromo has informed me, correct?”

“That was what I was planning on doing. And I need to test something, too. Hagoromo-sensei and I have firmly established that whatever about my particular set of eyes is special, it allows me to use one-use moves, such as Izanagi, with no apparent drawbacks, so I need to look into making a type of clone that transfers all of the benefits of training when it dispels, and the Essence Clones seem to already have that, to an extent.” Naruto took a sip of the water in the tall glass next to him.

“And while Naruto resumes his training solo, my brother and I must resolve an issue on our own world. Rinnegan and Tenseigan combined allow the users the ability to traverse the Convergence freely and knowingly, so we must return to our world and investigate the remnants of our clan.” Hagoromo stated with finality, as if he had already known this would come to be, despite the fact that, until a few months ago, no one was aware Hamura existed in this timeline.

Celestia nodded and hmm’d in thought. “In that case, Naruto, Žiara, can I trust you to deal with any potential intruders? I must make a trip to Griffonstone myself, regarding a border dispute issue of the utmost importance.”

“Of course, Celestia. It is of no consequence. Besides, Luna is not quite yet ready to resume her duties as the Night Princess, so I will need someone capable of aiding the citizens of Canterlot and Equestria in the meantime.”

“Thank you, Žiara. In that case, I will inform the residents of Canterlot that you will act as Princess in my stead, while I leave to resolve this.” Celestia flexed her wings as she stood up out of the chair. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for correcting the issue of this planet’s… physical dilemma. My power and control of my magic have grown much because I can now focus more of it toward understanding and mastering my abilities.”

“No problem. I knew something was off about the planet’s motion when we were on the Moon training Naruto, so I needed to set it back in its proper revolution. Honestly, I’m still not sure how it managed to completely cease movement in the middle of space, and for so long. I guess you can count yourselves lucky Earth here is the only planet in this system, otherwise the complete stoppage would have caused catastrophic destruction worldwide.” Žiara said as Celestia took off from the platform outside. The others walked outside, and Hagoromo turned around, casting a chakra-enhanced version of the same spell that locked the door when not in use.

“Well, Žiara-kun, can you open a portal to Shinigami-sama’s realm? I let him know yesterday I would be training with Hashirama and Tobirama, so I should probably get to it.”

Žiara nodded. “Of course, Naruto-kun. Just be careful you-“

“Don’t anger Shinigami-sama, I know. I’ve been close to death before, but I’m not that suicidal.” Naruto chuckled as he walked through the portal to the Realm of Judgment, the portal snapping closed behind him.

Žiara chuckled herself, before turning to fly toward the bottom level of the castle, where the throne room was. “I’m going to begin my duties as the stand-in now, so make sure you let the Captain here know if something comes up regarding the Nightmare impostors.” Shining waved himself before teleporting to the throne room.

Hamura chuckled. “Feels just like it did when we left our home to check out the Tree.”

Hagoromo nodded. “That it does. Now, we should be on our way. You told me before that your descendant, Toneri, has important information to share with us.”

Hamura nodded. Both brothers then formed the ram seal, and a portal to Convergence opened up for them to step through, the path to their version of Earth already highlighted. “By the way, how exactly are we going to know when the curious idiots take the bait?”

“Naruto, Shining, Minato and Jiraiya personally saw to that.”

“Dammit, how could I have been fooled?! Nightmare Moon never came back, did she!? You just used that information to lure us into a trap!” The pony known only by the single name Umbra complained. “I’m a master of the shadows! No one should have been able to catch me even if I was found out!”

Of course, there wasn’t much one could do inside of a dungeon cell buried two kilometers into Mount Canter, one that blocked all access to magic, to boot.

“I’ll ask you again, and I don’t need to warn you what’s going to happen if you don’t start talking and stop jabbering like a five-year-old that just lost their favorite toy.” Minato snickered quietly at Jiraiya’s roundabout way of gathering intelligence. Jiraiya briefly cast a venomous glare over his shoulder. “Minato, shut it before I shut it for you. This is business.” Minato raised his hands in surrender, walking out of the cell to keep Jiraiya from hearing him quietly laughing.

Jiraiya’s method of getting information included not restraining the victim whatsoever. Dominance theory, as he was fully aware of, combined with his own not-inconsiderate strength as a shinobi, meant that most of what got dragged into these situations would try to escape him. He would then force the information out of his victim by ruthlessly showing them he was objectively superior to them in every way possible. By breaking both body and spirit, this method of interrogation nearly guaranteed results if handled properly.

Which was exactly what happened, as Umbra tried to make a bolt for it the second he saw a momentary distraction. Jiraiya’s response was an underpowered Rasengan to the gut that sent Umbra flying into the back wall, gasping for breath and holding his stomach in pain.

“How many times have I told you this? You’re going to keep getting up, and every single time, I’m going to knock you right back down. This will continue until you tell me what I need to know. That’s all there is to it. I’m even in good with the actual Death God, so not even death will grant you escape from me.” Which wasn’t true, but Umbra didn’t need to know that. The more broken Jiraiya’s victim, the better.

Umbra shook with barely concealed rage for a few moments, before throwing what looked like a needle at Jiraiya. Got you now, you old coot! Manchineel sap! Even the slightest contact will kill!

What the trapped unicorn wasn’t expecting was for Jiraiya’s hair to suddenly grow ten feet in length, the ten feet to turn into a shield of hair in front of him and then completely disconnect from the rest of his hair, and for the needle to get stopped right in its tracks, bouncing off the mass of falling hair with a loud, echoing ping sound like it had just met solid steel.

“Cute, kid. You’re not the first to try getting an assassination attempt under my nose, and you certainly won’t be the last. You’re not getting out of this, no matter what you try.”

A smoke bomb hidden in Umbra’s pocket went off, and Jiraiya sighed in frustration as his arm lashed out and grabbed the collar of Umbra’s high-neck shirt, slamming the unicorn into the magically-reinforced concrete floor of the cell with enough force to crack it. “Start talking before I really have to make this hurt.” He sweatdropped as he looked at Umbra’s now mashed face. Multiple teeth had been dislodged entirely from the unicorn’s mouth and blood was starting to pool around the crack in the ground. “Well, drat. Didn’t know the dungeon could take that much punishment.” Jiraiya flipped a quick series of ANBU signals, and the Essence Clone of Naruto that had been standing by for assistance dissolved into thin air to let the real Naruto that backup was required.

On the same ground that the Fourth War had been fought on, Hagoromo and Hamura stood. A hundred feet away, Madara Uchiha, both Rinnegan active, glared at them. “Hamura, head to the Moon and discuss what is necessary with Toneri. I shall handle this.” Hamura nodded before summoning a portal to the Moon and immediately hopping into it before the portal closed.

Madara dashed forward at blazing speeds to hop into the portal, but was stopped by a barrier of invisible chakra that Hagoromo summoned with his Rinnegan. “So, another descendant of my foolish older child wishes to cause more bloodshed. It seems the very ideals I tried to instill in the world have long since faded. Very well, you shall have your fight, one-sided though it may be. I care not that the Divine Tree sought to bring you back to the world of the living. I will rectify that issue permanently.”

“One-sided for me. You see, I am Madara-“

“Uchiha, I know who you are. Naruto Otsutsuki is my distant descendant, and has told me much about the strife you caused this world in recent history. Cease the pointless banter and attempt to battle me.”

Madara growled in rage and summoned several Wood Clones, who then sunk into the ground or dispersed to flank Hagoromo, who simply raised an eyebrow. Those clones that tried to ambush Hagoromo quickly found themselves sapped of their chakra, as clones of Hagoromo used the Preta Path to absorb their chakra. Hagoromo soon started deflecting various elemental jutsu with casual swings of his staff. Hamura just arrived on the Moon. I estimate they will be finished with the business we came here for within the hour. In the meantime, I should probably deal with this result of my failure.

Madara’s clones were immediately dispelled, and Madara buried seven hundred meters into the side of a mountain three kilometers away, when Hagoromo decided it was time to get serious. Before Madara had any time to react, Hagoromo simply appeared next to him, slamming him upward with his staff, completely destroying the mountain Madara had found himself in a fleeting moment ago.

Madara stopped and glared at the Moon. Hagoromo didn’t bother to stop him. “Infinite Tsukuyomi!”

“Now, it seems the Otsutsuki are trying to make a move on the world. I’ve been deflecting their attempts, but it won’t be long before-“ Hamura and Toneri’s conversation was cut short and both suddenly formed a joint ram seal to cast a chakra barrier on the surface of the Moon. “-they decide to become more bold in their attempts. I won’t be able to hold them off for long, Hamura-sama.”

Hamura nodded. “That’s all I need to hear there. Now, what about the other tasks I gave you?” he asked, like a failed attempt at planetary subjugation didn’t just happen and everything was normal.

“AAAGGGHHHH!!!” Madara screamed in agony as the Rinne Sharingan eye was forcefully ripped out of its socket and immediately sealed away, before he fell onto the ground, most of his power drained.

Hagoromo calmly walked up to the downed Uchiha and activated one of the… more unsavory powers of the Rinnegan as he placed his hand on Madara’s skull. Human Path. Soul Siphon.

Madara stood no chance against Hagoromo’s wisdom and experience, and the soulless body of one of the most feared shinobi in history fell to the ground without another word. Three tomoe disappeared from each of Hagoromo’s Rinnegan as he activated the Fifth Edict of Existence and instantly appeared before the Shinigami.

“Lady Ice, Umbra has been captured! What shall we do?” A grunt stood before Frosty Ice as he kneeled and delivered news of Umbra’s capture.

Frosty snapped a cold gaze at the grunt. “For now, nothing. Umbra is a reliable asset, and he will not talk. He would sooner die. We shall wait out the Princesses and these unknown factors that call themselves humans.” Frosty turned off the projection of a frozen wasteland she had pulled up on the screen, before turning to the grunt. “You are dismissed.” The grunt heard the finality in her voice and immediately ran for the hills.

Frosty chuckled coldly to herself. “They always run for the hills the moment I get serious.” She turned back to the screen and a projection of Celestia appeared. “Just you wait, Celestia! I shall empower Nightmare Moon to have her break out of her imprisonment, and with her newfound power, no one will be able to stop her!” The woman began cackling madly, though no one was around to hear her thanks to the soundproofed underground walls.

Author's Note

Naruto Otsutsuki

STR: 71 (+7) STA: 90 (+3) INT: 80 (+17) DUR: 77 (+2) CHA: 100
Score/Rank: 409 +29
New Feats: None
New Abilities: None

Hagoromo Otsutsuki

STR: 90 (+2) STA: 95 (+1) INT: 100 DUR: 83CHA: 80 (+5)
Score/Rank: 438 +8
New Feats: None
New Abilities: None

Hamura Otsutsuki

STR: 89 (+2) STA: 93 (+3) INT: 100 DUR: 86 CHA: 100 (+5)
Score/Rank: 465 +10
New Feats: None
New Abilities: None

Žiara

STR: 89 (+4) STA: 91 (+9) INT: 100 (+6) DUR: 92 (+6) CHA: 93 (+18)
Score/Rank: 453 +43
New Feats: None
New Abilities: None

Princess Celestia

STR: 56 (+8) STA: 34 (+17) INT: 74 (+4) DUR: 41 (+9) CHA: 100 (+10)
Score/Rank: 305 +48
New Feats: None
New Abilities: None

Princess Luna

STR: 65 STA: 52 INT: 73 DUR: 71 CHA: 58
Score/Rank: 319 (Low C Rank)
Notable Feats: Defeated Discord, Sent Tirek to Tartarus, Sealed Sombra, Former Wielder of the Elements of Harmony
Notable Abilities: Mind Magic Mastery

Nightmare Moon

STR: 69 STA: 57 INT: 72 DUR: 51 CHA: 38
Score/Rank: 287 (High D Rank)
Notable Feats: None Known
Notable Abilities: Dark Magic Mastery

Shining Armor

STR: 48 (+3) STA: 52 (+4) INT: 60 (+4) DUR: 49 (+6) CHA: 90 (+23)
Score/Rank: 299 +40
New Feats: None
New Abilities: None

Human Path: Soul Siphon: Also called the Human Path: Soul Extraction. A technique granted to users of the Rinnegan that allows the user to directly obtain information from a victim’s mind. This also kills the victim. Those who have fallen victim to this technique are still susceptible to Outer Path: Heavenly Rebirth.

Fifth Edict of Existence: One of the ancient Eleven Edicts that govern all of existence. This Edict governs the universe’s spacetime properties, and allows the user to instantaneously move to any point in known space. Larger distances require more power to reach. Requires mastery of the Ninth Edict of Infinity.

And that's a wrap! I'll have Chapter 16 out by the end of the month, and Chapter 17 should be out the first half of June. I won't be working on any chapter during the first half of May because of finals week, and the second half of May will be Chapter 3 of The Power of Us over on FanFiction. Luckily, this is the second-to-last time I'll ever have to deal with finals, as I'm only a semester away from graduation.

Oh, I'm also an idiot. I had this updated at 10 AM on FF, but I've been busy setting my PC up for Ultimate Skyrim and totally forgot to post it here. Big RIP.

Hidden in Shadow: The Snake's Head

Chapter 16: The Snake’s Head

Friday, April 24, CCY 3381

“Now listen well, Naruto, for I do fear that this may one day come to pass.”

“Of course, Hagoromo-sensei.” Naruto sat down on the bed next to the cushion Hagoromo had chosen to rest himself on.

“It’s time I educated you regarding the hierarchy of the Otsutsuki clan. This is a very important matter because over the many millions of years we have existed, outsiders have been brought into the clan before, whether they were able to inherit the blood or not. You are of the latter variety, and by receiving a portion of my chakra during the Fourth War, the Otsutsuki blood in you was awakened.

“The lowest members of the clan are the servants. They have comparable chakra reserves to your average jonin and can perform basic manipulation, though their jobs do not require it. Most of these servants either willingly cater to higher members of the clan or are chosen by another to suit a specific purpose. Many of these servants can be found in the court of higher members of the clan or serving as intragalactic messengers, utilizing advanced fuinjutsu and lightspeed travel to safely deliver messages in the fastest time.

“The next… tier, so to speak, are the diplomats. We Otsutsuki are very much influenced by our baser desires, but the ones who are not as inclined to fighting and needless violence serve as diplomats to other worlds, and the task of peacefully integrating other worlds into the system that has been established falls to them. My mother was supposed to be one such, but due to a complication, she failed miserably, and as a result, the Kaguya you know from history and your own personal experience was born.

“Above they are the warriors. As you might have guessed, the warriors in the clan are responsible for handling matters the diplomats are unable to solve peacefully, though contrary to what you may believe, the clan as a whole does not wish to partake in needless violence, even though they do condone it. More than that, they are also responsible for the handling of the next generation. All Otsutsuki begin their formal training at age two, because an Otsutsuki’s body matures much faster than most other mortal races.

“Above the warriors are the scholars. This sect is made up of the researchers, mathematicians and other more intelligent members of the Otsutsuki clan, and they devote their time to studying and understanding the nature of the universe. They are responsible for developing new ways to use chakra and youki, implementing the regimes used for warrior training based on each prospective warrior’s abilities and strengths, and studying the interactions of the quantum realm, beyond the lowest scale in the universe.

“Above the scholars are the nobles. The nobles watch over and guide each sect of the Clan. There are five hundred twenty-seven sects throughout the universe, and each one is headed by a noble. The nobles, in addition to being responsible for their individual sects, also communicate their individual findings from the lower echelons of their sect to the other nobles and to the leader. The nobles are the main method of transmission of information in this manner, which is why the Otsutsuki Clan is aware of almost everything that goes on in the universe.

“Finally, above the nobles are the royal court. The royal court is composed of the greatest Servant, Diplomat, Warrior, Scholar, and Noble of the current millennium, and the royal court is responsible for organizing the Clan in times of war and overseeing the interactions of beings in the universe. The Diplomats answer directly to the Executive Diplomat and only them, because the royal court is also responsible for determining what planets of the universe the Clan will contact.

“The end goal of the Otsutsuki Clan is not only to protect the universe, contrary to what you have seen, but to search for their new Leader. The Leader, while not technically a tier, is the highest-ranked member of the Clan, and the only way to become the Leader of the clan is to defeat the current Leader in open combat. The reason the Clan searches for a new Leader is because of a curse that was inflicted onto the Clan by an angry god two hundred million years ago.

“The Leader of that time had tried to face the god of destruction in open combat, and had grown arrogant in his power. As a reminder for mortals to be aware of their place, he placed a curse on every future Leader. When one becomes the Leader, their mental state will slowly deteriorate the more power they use. If they don’t use any power, their normal personality will be bared for all to see, but as they use more of their chakra, they become more and more fixated on destruction. Their emotions become tainted by darkness, and they become lost in their twisted ambitions. The Otsutsuki clan has very nearly faced extinction many a time over the passing eons because of the Leader becoming so corrupt in their power and desire that their original personality is completely destroyed.

“The prophecy goes that he who can defeat said god in combat will break the curse, and lead the Clan to a new age of prosperity. That prophecy is what formed the entire Diplomat echelon of the clan hierarchy. Members like Kaguya were sent out across the universe to find the rumored one to defeat the god in combat, but none have been successful in the two hundred million years since the curse was inflicted upon the clan. Because of the curse, the Leader is both the most respected and most feared member of the clan.”

“And just how often does one become a Leader?” Naruto asked, once Hagoromo finished his explanation.

“The Leader is defeated, and the new Leader anointed, about once every one thousand years. We are at the very edge of the next change of hands, so to speak, so a new Leader will rise within your lifetime, likely within the next decade. The Leader, by the workings of the curse, also becomes an Immortal, a mortal with a body unaffected by the ravages of Time. Many Otsutsuki, even the Servants, live for two hundred years or more, the Warriors for four hundred years, and the Nobles, for several thousand, but because of the curse, each Leader lives effectively forever. The reason there aren’t two hundred thousand former Leaders freely roaming the universe is because every fight in history has led to the previous Leader’s death. Combat is the only way to kill a Leader.”

Naruto leaned back in his seat. “Huh. I didn’t know the clan was so big, or so powerful. Trying to take on a god… I can’t fathom that at all. Žiara beats me every time we spar, and even though I’m almost constantly getting stronger, I can tell she’s holding back massively. She’s using an almost inconsequential amount of her power, and it’s still more than I can match. It’s actually insane.”

“Žiara is a goddess, so it’s to be expected. She is tens of thousands of times stronger than myself and Hamura, and the other gods of the universe are likely much stronger than her.”

Naruto fidgeted around. “I’m going to go train now.” Hagoromo nodded, and Naruto flashed away.

Hagoromo chuckled. “Might he actually be nervous? This is new.”

Tuesday, April 28, CCY 3381

Naruto collapsed in pain onto the endless black floor. “…ow.”

The eerie, booming voice of the Death God chuckled. “I SEE YOU ARE NOT HAVING THE BEST OF DAYS.”

Naruto tried shrugging his shoulders from his new position on the ground, but ended up wincing in pain. He didn’t try again. “Eh, not much of a big deal, Shin-sama. I just have a little chakra exhaustion and quite a bit of internal and visible damage, is all. Let me tell you, this Absolute Clone was a bitch to perfect.” Naruto’s voice cracked halfway through the sentence as a testament to how much he was holding back the urge to moan in pain.

“THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO ALTER YOUR OWN LIFEFORCE. YOU COULD HAVE PREMATURELY ENDED YOUR VERY EXISTENCE.”

Naruto chuckled himself. “Don’t I know that. And in the end, it isn’t even much benefit. I did succeed in making the type of clone I need to continue my training, but only being able to make one without running the risk of killing myself isn’t a very good tradeoff. Also, I have a question, Shin-sama.”

“REMEMBER THIS LESSON NEXT TIME YOU DARE TO ALTER THE PROPERTIES OF YOUR EXISTENCE. GODS HAVE BEEN ANNIHLATED FOR LESS. WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION?”

“Can you control the gravity here in the Realm of Judgment?”

“I CAN.”

“Could you start slowly raising the gravity here while I’m training? I’m thinking I can train under increased gravity, and I’ll become stronger, faster, as a result.”

“YOU WOULD BE CORRECT. AND I CAN, THOUGH BE AWARE I WON’T BE ALLOWING YOU TO REST DURING SAID TRAINING. USING MY REALM DOES COME WITH A PRICE.”

“Thanks, Shin-sama, I’ll keep that in mind. Just gotta lay here for a few more hours now and let my chakra do its thing.” Not ten seconds later, Naruto was unconscious on the floor, his chakra working overtime to repair the damage he’d caused it in his latest experiment.

The Death God chuckled as his voice faded away. “THOUGH I COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR AUDACITY AND DETERMINATION. THIS WILL BE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.”

He faded back into his own little escape in his realm and found Žiara standing next to his desk. “Hm? What do you require of me now, Žiara?”

“Not much, I just need to see how the other one’s training is doing and whether he’s finally come around to our side.”

“Be my guest then. I do not wish to deal with him; I refuse to respect the plagiarized nature of the Rinnegan.”

“We’re gods in an abandoned universe, what else do you expect? The rest of the gods wouldn’t touch him either if they knew what his motivations were, but the good in him isn’t completely gone, which is the whole reason I decided to ask you to revive him despite what he’s done. If I didn’t think he was capable of change, I’d have intercepted his soul and personally dragged it down to Hell before you had a say in the matter.” Besides, after finally restoring the tablet to display its original text, I’m sure he’s had a change of heart. If it weren’t for Indra fucking up something that worked, I’m sure we wouldn’t even be in this position right now.

“Fair enough, I suppose. Well, enjoy your visit there. After all, it’s not often I allow a soul to remain in Purgatory, especially with its body and lifeforce still attached.”

“Of course. And you have fun judging the dead, Shin-kun.” Žiara opened a portal to the part of the Realm of Judgment that only gods could access, and it quickly shut behind her.

If you were the one in this position, I doubt you’d be making poorly disguised jabs. Being the Death God isn’t dandelions and roses. It’s backbreaking, exhausting work that no other god would bother to dirty their hands and honor with, so they slapped the responsibility onto an Immortal instead, that way they didn’t have to worry about the consequences. Though I’m sure the actual gods never expected an Immortal to ascend, but that’s neither here nor there.

Žiara stepped into the gray void and closed the portal behind her, looking around for the person she’d come here to find. She found him staring at her, a neutral expression on his face. His black hair had been trimmed from its wild look to a shorter length, and its spiky nature had been combed into a straight ponytail. A single bang hung in front of his left eye, and the Rinnegan gazed back at her from the right eye socket. He may have changed after all. The Rinnegan only appears in an Uchiha’s eyes at the end of a powerful shinobi’s lifespan or if feelings of extreme love are realized. Since he’s not dead… well, anymore, it must be the latter.

Sure enough, the young man she had come to find stood an indiscernible distance away, his Rinnegan fixed on her in a blank look, before it became more inquisitive.

Žiara stepped over to him and examined him for a moment. His posture is much looser and he seems to have lost the spark of rage that was always in his eyes before. Did the modified Time Dilation actually work?

Her question was answered for her when the man spoke in a voice that sounded like it hadn’t been used in a month. “Thank you, Lady Žiara.”

“For what? I’m sure I’ve done nothing to earn such gratitude.”

“For breaking me free of my own petty grievances. I was so focused on revenge my entire life that I never considered what I’d do if I ever actually got it, and when it finally happened, instead of trying to actually start some kind of life, I shifted my anger onto people who didn’t deserve it. For that, I have to thank you. I guess now I finally understand those feelings I tried to push away after the death of my mother.”

Žiara’s eyebrows raised briefly in surprise, before she schooled her features. I’ll be damned, it actually worked. Well, guess there’s nothing for it. She took another moment and used her abilities to look into the man’s soul for any traces of taint, and while there was none, there was still a storm of darkness trying to push itself to the surface. That’s something he’ll have to deal with on his own. No one else can help him there. “Well, in that case, since you seem to have turned over a new leaf, let’s get you out of here. I have to introduce you to my other student now.”

“I didn’t know you had another student.”

“The gods work differently than mortal races. We typically keep our disciples separate from one another as a matter of policy unless both are training at the same time. It’s to prevent any unfortunate… accidents.” The man nodded after a moment’s hesitation.

Žiara stepped through the portal, the man following behind.

When the two arrived back in the Realm of Judgment proper, they found Naruto training against his Absolute Clone. The clone attacked Naruto with a shortsword, which Naruto blocked with a pair of kunai before jumping back and returning to a stance. The man’s eyes widened when he looked into Naruto’s eyes and found, instead of his ocean blue pupils or even the altered coloration as a result of his various transformations, a silver, vein-less Byakugan in the left eye and a Mangekyo Sharingan in the right.

A moment later, the man stumbled briefly, his body having registered the effects of the increased gravity. Žiara chuckled. “What’s going on here?” he asked in a strained voice, his body unused to the increased gravity.

“I HAVE INCREASED THE GRAVITY IN THIS REALM TO ASSIST IN NARUTO’S TRAINING.”

The man froze in primal terror like many before him, hearing the Death God’s voice for the first time. What was weird, though, when he recovered, was that Naruto hadn’t been affected by the voice at all, and didn’t show that he even heard the Death God. He just continued training like nothing was amiss.

He turned to Žiara, a question in his eyes, and she looked at Naruto, a hint of admiration in her eyes that the man was unable to find. “I believe the current gravity is two point five times Earth’s gravity at surface level.”

The man nodded, using a lot of his strength to hold himself up. Well… I might as well get this over with. Time to die again.

He slowly walked toward the two Narutos as they trained, using his sword sheath as a weight support. Once he was within range, Naruto sensed his chakra and narrowed his eyes. That’s not possible. I watched Kurama annihilate him.

He turned toward the signature, and the man he wanted to see the least for the next hundred years stood there, only now his hair was in a ponytail, a bang covering his left eye and his right evolved into the Rinnegan. “Sasuke.”

Author's Note

Naruto Otsutsuki

STR: 75 (+4) STA: 92 (+2) INT: 94 (+14) DUR: 76 (-1) CHA: 100
Score/Rank: 428 +19
New Feats: Created the Absolute Clone
New Abilities: None

Sasuke Otsutsuki

STR: 91 STA: 88 INT: 84 DUR: 94 CHA: 43
Score/Rank: 397 (B Rank)
Notable Feats: Unlocked Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, Defeated Itachi Uchiha, Defeated Danzo Shimura, Unlocked Rinnegan
Notable Abilities: Rinnegan Teleportation, Rinnegan Genjutsu, Rinnegan Substitution, Complete Body – Susano’o, EMS Precognition

Žiara

STR: 91 (+2) STA: 92 (+1) INT: 100 DUR: 97 (+5) CHA: 100 (+7)
Score/Rank: 468 +15

And that’s the chapter! I dropped hints throughout the chapter toward the reveal at the end, for those who are aware enough that they’d be able to figure it out, but what do you guys think?

Starting now, I’m revising my update schedule to reflect the fact that every chapter of The Power of Us has been very large, and instead of trying to condense the chapters, I’m letting the chapter be nice and beefy, because the way the Pokemon verse works, large chapters provide better and more thorough content than smaller chapters while also covering canon events more easily.

So from here on, I will still post two chapters of The Trials of Destiny, each half a month apart from the other, but when I work on the chapter of The Power of Us afterward, I will instead allocate an entire month to ensure the quality of the chapters is the best it can be.

With all that said, see you guys next time!

Interlude: The Angered God

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Hidden in Shadow: Ice and Fire

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chaos Incarnate: On the Brink of Death

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chaos Incarnate: Discordant Dilemma

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

New World: First Steps Into a New World

Chapter 2: First Steps Into a New World

The four shinobi watched in a somber silence as the portal closed and all ties to their old lives were severed forever. As one, they turned around and began walking to who knew where. No one could judge distance or time in this realm of formless color, not even Hagoromo, and so they walked.

While walking, Hagoromo spoke up, garnering the attention of Minato, Hiruzen and Jiraiya. "I know not when we will arrive, or where, or how, only that we will arrive. Fate, in an inconceivably complex manner, is simple in that regard. It draws infinite possible routes from point A to point B, and then Destiny selects the lines that are used to map the timeline and spaceline of existence. Each of us is just a part of the line that has brought us to Convergence, and we subconsciously travel this line that will bring us to our unavoidable destination."

The others pondered this for a moment, before simply accepting it as truth. Even Minato did not wish to suffer himself the pain of a headache trying to decipher the Sage's cryptic words, as he already had one hell of a mental plate to digest as it was.

Eventually the three struck up a conversation. It began when Minato had asked how Jiraiya's clothes were getting ready to 'blow away in the wind', and had diverged into a more serious discussion of the former enemies of the Leaf, Jiraiya's death, Minato and Hiruzen's time in the Shinigami's stomach - if one could call it that - and, ultimately, Naruto's role in their current situation.

"I can sense Kyuubi slowly healing Naruto's wound, as well as the other biju that have somehow made their way into his body - let's not even get into that right now - but why exactly did the Old Man have us bring him with? He looked a fleeting touch away from death when we stepped through the portal." Jiraiya pondered on the machinations of the Sage, while Hiruzen stroked his beard in thought, and Minato frowned.

"Perhaps our young boy has had his fate cast from the same die as ours," Hiruzen suggested. It was definitely better than anything else he could think of. He knew for a fact, though, that if - no, when - Naruto woke up from what was basically a coma, he would be devastated to find out that not only had he failed in his second-biggest goal, but the price of said failure had been the extinction of his entire race. Such a jarring revelation would leave lifelong mental scars on the teenage boy, of that Hiruzen had no doubt. Many extraordinary shinobi - Sakumo Hatake came to mind first and foremost - had committed suicide over much less than Naruto would have to face upon his reawakening.

"Yeah, but if he's cut from the same cloth as we are in this, then what are our roles in this going to be? From what I'd heard, my son was basically the apex of strength, determination and leadership when the war started, and Team Seven and Kakashi were single-handedly responsible for Madara and Kaguya's defeat. That probably means Naruto is going to be a lot more important in whatever's to come than we are, that's for sure." Minato speculated. Jiraiya and Hiruzen had to agree the young man's reasoning was sound. Jiraiya even had evidence in the form of Naruto having been the Child of Prophecy backing such a statement up, so what arguments could even be made to the contrary or the alternative?

"Regardless, such matters are not what we should focus on. My instincts have informed me we are about to arrive at our destination." Hagoromo's sentence effectively cut off all conversation, as the others continued walking behind him. Within minutes - or was it days? Time was of no relevance in this space, nor could anyone have figured out how much had passed if they tried - Hagoromo stopped, then flared the power of the Rinnegan and created another portal, this one leading to what looked like a grassy field with a mountain backdrop.

The four men stepped through the portal, leaving Convergence behind, before looking around and getting a feel for their surroundings. A decent amount of trees were situated five hundred feet to their west, a mountain probably two and a half miles high loomed over them to their north, a large lake was to their south, and an entrance to what looked to be a large underground cave system was to their east. They had landed in a grassy clearing between the natural formations. A fallen tree near to them provided firewood, as well as some wood for building a temporary shelter.

Jiraiya and Minato immediately went to work cutting the large fallen tree into smaller and more manageable parts, while Hiruzen prepared a small fire around where the shelter was going to be. Hagoromo chose to use his chakra to examine the new world they found themselves in, casting out his chakra to detect any sapient life. He found many different kinds, though the nearest ones were five and a half miles away, situated near the center of the mountain's slope, on the side not visible to any of them.

Within minutes, the group was completely situated, Minato having made a small shelter using the wood and his sealing skills with Jiraiya's help, and Hiruzen having stoked a fire large enough to keep them warm. They all acknowledged that it wasn't necessary to stoke said fire, but other than Hagoromo, the others hadn't the slightest clue whether the planet would have enough latent energy to replenish their chakra reserves, and they weren't willing to take that risk, even for something so menial as circulating fire chakra within their bodies.

As the three men sat down, they thought once more about the lives they had left behind for good, and Minato sighed, hoping that whoever next came to be top dog on their old world wouldn't make the same mistakes as their race had.

Biju - Realm of the Six Paths

Naruto's unconscious form was laying in the center of the gigantic spherical chamber that the Biju called home. Hagoromo's chakra form stood next to him, and the Biju and Shinju, in their human forms, stood around them. The Biju, in their human forms, looked drastically different from their chakra forms; the purpose was so that they could blend in.

Shukaku, about 5'10", wore a gold loose-fitting suit with a black collar. His sandy blond hair was only a few shades darker than his light-colored skin. The irises of his eyes were completely black, his sclera were a dull beige, and his irises were black, and consisted of a four-pointed shuriken with dots at the corners opposite the points of the shuriken. Around his eyes and on the back of his neck, jagged blue markings resembling the markings he had while in his normal state represented his status as a Biju. He had pointed ears, with three studs and three rings on the outer part of each ear. His canine teeth had been filed into deadly points.

Matatabi, about 5'3", wore a purple kimono with an almost see-through skirt and an arm cover on either side attached by short, durable purple lace strips. A light, yet thick bronze rope held the kimono in place. Two wooden sheaths whee blades could be affixed hung from her back. She wore black shinobi sandals with purple toe-less socks. She had cream-colored skin with markings resembling those of her normal state covering her arms and right leg. Her silky electric blue hair fell down her back and came just short of her upper thighs. Three markings not unlike Naruto's whisker marks adorned her cheeks, and she had heterochromia: her left eye was blue, while her right was a light green.

Isobu, about 6', wore a suit of steel battle armor not seen since ancient times. It was segmented to allow for greater movement and flexibility. Spiked shoulder plates rested on his shoulders, and were the primary reason the armor did not simply slip off his body. Elbow guards fashioned from the same steel were also in place. Underneath the armor was a full-body black mesh suit. Large, folded leather strips tied together any part of the armor that was not already fused together, and a brown cape hung attached from the shoulder plates. Long, back-length silver hair was tied into intricate braids and designs by a set of long, thin black hair ties. He had skin and eyes like Shukaku's, the sole difference being a thick slit for his pupils in place of Shukaku's shuriken. Unlike the others, no markings belied his status as a Biju.

Son Goku stood at an impressive 6'5", with a well-built body that could more than likely break a log in two with a single strike. He wore a simple green kimono with a turquoise sash and a red, fur-lined back-length cape hanging from his shoulders, attached to the kimono. He had slightly darker skin than Matatabi - though one would have to look closely to discern the difference - and had a thick brow with brown eyes. He had bright red hair swept back to form spikes not unlike those of an agitated wolf, and sported a two-inch beard with sideburns that extended from his hair down. Feral, jagged lines on the style of the beard lent to him an intimidating look.

Kokuo stood at 5'4", and wore a cream-colored kimono with a two-piece thick blue sash. She had rose-colored back-length hair that faded into silver, white, and finally bronze. She had skin the same shade as Son Goku's, and she had bright blue eyes that made one feel like they were staring into the sky.

Saiken, standing at about 5'7", wore a sky blue undershirt, a short, teal overcoat, and blue-green jogging pants. A turquoise belt with tentacle-like extensions hung on his waist, holding his pants in place. He had skin the same shade as Shukaku's, and cold, blue eyes that betrayed none of the Biju's thoughts. Sky-blue hair cut yo shoulder-length hung from his head.

Chomei, standing at about 5'5", wore a yellow and green hoodie with red arm warmers, and a black mesh bodysuit underneath. She also wore a light yellow knee-length skirt and netted stockings on her legs. A pair of brown shinobi sandals rested at the bottom. She had soulful hazel eyes and skin the same shade as Matatabi's, and had her light auburn hair splayed out behind her. The back-length hair mostly hung from her shoulders in a silky cascade, but the hair at the very back had been done up into a ponytail with a black hairband.

Gyuki, standing at 5'10", wore a dark gray kimono with black lining, tied with a dark green sash. He had on black socks and a pair of light gray flip-flops. A long, thin white scarf hung from his shoulders. His hair was done in two segments to match his two colors: the top half of his hair, which was black, hung behind his shoulders to about his mid-back; the rest, which was white, hung in front of his shoulders, and down to his chest. A plain katana with no crossguard and a plain handle attached to a leather sheath hung from his back. He had sharp, analytical yellow eyes.

Kurama, standing at 5'11", wore a two-piece set of sheer, revealing medieval battle armor - if one could call it that. Her top was comprised of a large metal ring that rested below her chest and held up her large bust. Fastened to it was a sheer, nearly see-through lace fabric that covered to the minimal degree of modesty her bust and went over her left shoulder. A blue strap was fastened to both this fabric and the ring. The metal ring was held by tightened straps of leather that prevented the entire ensemble from falling off and leaving her half-nude. Her lower piece was a ring with a similar function - the only two differences were that, one, the lace fabric extended down and covered her private area and her upper right leg, and two, a large metal plate akin to a shield hung from the leather on the left side of the ensemble. This outfit complemented her already radiant natural beauty, with her lightly tanned, smooth skin and her striking red back-length hair. A small metal hair clip that resembled a bandanna held her hair out of her eyes for the most part, and two copper pins held some of her hair, which was fashioned into a bun, in the back. She had steely-gray eyes that any who looked into them would swear she could see right into their soul.

Lastly, the Shinju, standing at 6'2", wore a dark blue bodysuit that covered her athletic body almost entirely. Over her arms and legs were bronze bracers, and over her chest and torso, she wore a gold chestplate fit for a king. Each piece of her ensemble had intricately carved designs that looked more like hieroglyphics than actual designs, and the pieces were linked to the chestplate by thin wires that were nearly invisible to both the naked and the chakra-assisted eye. Flexible bronze links had been fashioned to link the arm and leg bracers to the chestplate to allow for a greater range of motion. Finally, behind her, attached to the part of her bodysuit that was visible hung a knee-length white cape. Emblazoned upon it were, in several different languages, the written word for 'Heaven'. A dagger was strapped to her waist by a metal ring affixed to the bottom of the chestplate. The Shinju had skin quite a lot darker than the rest, as it was quite tan, and her eyes were unique. While normal eyes to anyone else, such similarities ended at the border between the iris and sclera. She had a black ring in place of a normal sclera, which rapidly faded into a shining silver at the center of her eye before the pupil. Her shoulder-length silver and white-gold hair fell across her ample bosom and shoulders.

Hagoromo hadn't remained unchanged, either. The Shinju recognized that his soul had been reincarnated to be at the exact same temporal age as the moment of his death so many thousands of years before, and thus his ending age had been determined. He had been reborn into a physical form that more resembled the man in his thirties than the old, wizened man that stories told of. The wrinkles had departed from his countenance, and his eyes, though still bearing the Rinnegan, were more alert and lively than normal. The habit of floating in the air had been borne of Hagoromo's aging body, and his legs had been paralyzed for two years before his death. Having been given back his body in its prime, such a practice was not deemed necessary, and the man elected to stand, the butt of his staff resting on the ground next to him.

The eleven stood, waiting for Naruto's wound to completely seal up. When it did, Naruto moaned in exhaustion before slowly opening his eyes. He looked around at the unfamiliar place he was in, as well as the unfamiliar faces he saw. Then his gaze shot down to his stomach, and a pained grimace made its way onto his features. "I lost..."

"That you did, young Naruto." Hagoromo stepped closer as Naruto turned to him. He recognized Hagoromo due to the Rinnegan and the horns, but otherwise, it looked to him like Hagoromo was strangely younger. "Our destinies were not to be decided on your world. From the beginning of my fate as Sage, I knew a day would come whence my younger would be felled by my eldest in battle. With your battle against Indra's reincarnation concluded, your world, and your path along it, have come to an indefinite close."

Naruto, still not very easily able to understand Hagoromo's cryptic speech, and asked Hagoromo to clarify. "It means, young Naruto, your race has met its inevitable fate. As they rise, so too must empires fall, and thus, the empire known as humanity has met its end." Naruto fell back to the ground in shock. Humanity was gone? Had his failure in his battle with Sasuke caused such drastic consequences? "I can see you attempt to blame yourself for this, but alas, the fault for this lies with my mother. My connection to the Shinju allows me to discern the far future, far past either - any - of us will endure. Humanity had two paths available to it: obey the last directive of the departed gods of our former world and endure in darkness of what the Shinju held, or break those rules and pay the price. That fateful day when my mother chose the path humanity would take, our world's fate was sealed. The very instant she picked the Forbidden Chakra Fruit, she doomed our race to an untimely end. Had she not been so foolish, humanity on our world would have persisted until the end of time."

Naruto could barely comprehend what he was hearing. "So what you're saying is... I was going to fail this whole time?"

"Near as it pains you to hear it, yes. Our fates, though, were cut from a different cloth, so to speak. Another world in peril will need our strength, more specifically yours, in the coming trials. Should you choose to believe the blame for our world's end lies on your shoulders alone, consider this your redemption, a form of reconciliation for the sins of your past. This world I have brought us to is now also in danger of falling in the same manner, and we are the only individuals powerful enough to bring low the darkness that will one day come to pass."

Naruto nodded. He had unshed tears in his eyes from hearing of the fate of the place he was born, but if Kaguya's actions were what inevitably led him to be here, than there was nothing he could do, other than soldier on and gain a new goal. As he remembered all of his friends and family and said his final goodbyes, a new goal surfaced: the desire to protect. Though it was predetermined to happen, he had failed one world, and by the gods, he was going to make damn sure he didn't fail another!

He finally remembered there were other people here, and blushed in embarrassment, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Hey, uh... Super Gramps? Who are these guys with you?"

Hagoromo chuckled lightly, both because of the affectionate - though slightly outlandish - moniker Naruto continued to use to refer to him, as well as the fact that Naruto still had the bad habit of being unable to see what was right in front of him, in both a figurative and a literal sense. "In a way, I am not surprised you do not recognize them. The Biju are also intertwined in this fateful journey and mission of ours, and this world we have arrived in does not follow the same fundamentals as the world we have departed. The Biju could not simply exist as being composed entirely of chakra, being from another reality entirely, and so, they were required to take physical form. Their physical bodies function the same as ours do, and their youki has been converted into the equivalent proportion of chakra. Because of this forced physical manifestation, the seals that once held dear Kurama are now broken, and have dissipated entirely from your body."

Naruto raised his eyebrows and his mouth hung open in shock as he tore off what remained of his tattered shirt and mesh covering to discover the Eight Trigrams seal on his stomach was completely absent. Mysteriously, though, he could still feel his connection with Kurama. Then he realized, in a moment of total shock, that he also had connections to the other eight, at which point he quickly figured out that nine of the other ten were the Biju themselves - or were they humans like him now? They weren't giant chakra constructs anymore, if what Hagoromo said was to be believed - but Naruto could not figure out who the last woman in the group was. He also failed to notice the reactions the former beasts had upon seeing his toned, shirtless chest - Shukaku's grin turned bloodthirsty for a short moment, as if he were contemplating a battle, Matatabi put a hand on her hip and smiled while chewing one of her fingernails, Isobu hmm'd in thought and put his hand under his chin, Son Goku could be heard cracking his knuckles, Kokuo had already done an about-face and did not face him, Saiken started counting on his fingers and tapping the side of his head as if figuring out a complicated equation, Chomei whistled in appreciation as she made sure to get a good look, Gyuki shook his head at the reactions of the others, and Kurama's gaze softened for a fraction of a second before returning to its normal steely gaze.

Hagoromo turned to the Shinju as well. "This is the Shinju, who has also been required to take a physical form. What you know not about the Shinju is that its fruit contained a minuscule fraction of its power, and it sealed its consciousness and the remainder of its power away in the core of our world, awaiting the dusk of humanity to return."

Under any other circumstance, Naruto would be flipping out. This time, though, his features had been schooled into a thin line. Don't overreact, don't overreact... Man, no wonder I'm always on edge. Between the war and this, I- no. Don't worry about it. Probably get a heart attack at this rate. He turned to the Shinju, unsure of what to say, but he didn't have to speak, as she started first. "I would please not like to be referred to as the Shinju. It is painfully obvious now that the gods forsook me, and I wish not to have any ties to that part of my past. Instead, please call me Žiara."

Naruto nodded. "No problem, Žiara! Pretty sure you've already figured it out, but I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" Despite his nature, Naruto still held out his hand as a show of respect.

What he got was not a handshake. Instead, he felt himself being pulled forward and hugged by the taller woman. He blushed at being surprised so suddenly, before hesitantly returning the gesture. He heard her speak next to him. "Thank you for doing your best to protect your world from the dangers it has had to face. Never, in my long existence, have I met a human with such courage and resilience in the face of adversity. I understand your failure has affected you greatly, and for that, I have to apologize. Were it not for my own kind and trustworthy nature, Kaguya Otsutsuki would not have taken the fruit and brought about the changes that have brought you here."

"It's okay... I know you didn't mean anything by it... It's just, I have to cope with my friends and family all being gone..."

As Naruto finished speaking, Žiara finally released him from her embrace, and looked seriously into his eyes for a few short moments, as if staring directly into his soul. She then allowed herself to break eye contact and her eyes roamed up and down Naruto's body shamelessly. "But damn if the gods don't know how to pick fine specimens for their champions!"

War tends to have a drastic effect on one's psyche, and Naruto wasn't nearly as dense as he used to be. He blushed at the blatant admiration. "Uhh, thanks... I guess?"

Hagoromo chuckled again at the young boy's discomfort. "Near as I appreciate the bonding being here has brought about, it is time for us to return to the waking world. We will revisit this realm again soon."

The others nodded and left, their forms dissipating into thin air. Hagoromo was the last to leave, and as the realm became quiet, Naruto focused on the outside world and his form dissipated as well.

Peak of Mt. Canterhorn, Equestria, Equus

Princess Celestia observed the midday sun and took in a breath of fresh air, enjoying the peace and serenity of the mountain's calming atmosphere. However, her peace was disturbed by the feeling of an energy wave moving faster than the speed of sound passing over her and shooting out to the horizon.

She got off her seat and looked in the direction of what she believed to be the source of the disturbance, an area near the base of the mountain. "That's certainly no energy I've felt before. I guess this peace wasn't going to last forever... Well, it's time I took a look into it." Celestia started walking down the mountain and toward the source of the disturbance, electing not to use her wings.

Author's Note

I have pictures from DeviantArt for everyone but the Shinju I'll add for reference at the relevant points once I recover access to my account (don't know how I lost it in the first place).

New World: At The Summit of Canterhorn

Chapter 6: At The Summit of Canterhorn

The group, at dusk, now stood in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, the residence of Princess Celestia. Said Princess was now closing her Day Court and informing the guards that she was not to be disturbed for the rest of the evening. She rose from her throne and motioned for the group to follow her, which they did silently. They passed through several hallways and up to progressively higher floors via stairways, each with guards standing vigil in front of closed doors and maids, waiters, and butlers ushering various items and trinkets to the visitors of the castle. Many were occupied with little enough that they bowed for the Princess as they passed in the hallway and gave clipped greetings to the group she led, before continuing with their duties. Overall, the atmosphere of the castle was unlike what most of the group expected.

As they reached a balcony near the top floor of one of the towers, Celestia stopped the group after they passed through the doorway. "Please remain here for a few minutes." At the group's affirmation, Celestia stepped forward to the end of the balcony. The group was surprised when her wings flared out and the horn on her head lit up with a bright, intense golden light. They - Naruto especially - were even more shocked when the Sun was surrounded by the same glow, and began to move under her guidance. They stood in stiff silence as the Sun dipped below the horizon, and then in the other end of the sky, the Moon rose, bathed in the same golden light. Celestia's magic only waned and terminated once the Moon was at its zenith in the sky.

Celestia turned back to the group and chuckled at the majority of their reactions. Hagoromo and Žiara were the only ones who were unaffected, and for good reason. Žiara was literally a descendant of the old gods, and Hagoromo had fought a battle that lasted the better part of a year and basically created his world's moon. The others, though, even the former Biju, had no frame of reference for the feat of sheer strength and willpower they had just witnessed.

Their attention was collectively returned to the Princess as she called to them. "Come, everyone. We are heading to the summit of the mountain." Celestia turned back and went back inside the tower. The group, mostly still flabbergasted at Celestia's use of her magic, followed silently. Not nearly as many castle servants were out and about as before, their immediate tasks having been finished, but the guards still stood firm in their same spots. A few exceptions fell out of attention and bowed to the Princess.

One guard, who wore more intricate armor than the normal guards, with silver bands running through her chestplate, stepped forward at the door to the throne room. "Princess Celestia, I have been informed the Lieutenant is waiting at the summit of Mount Canterhorn, as requested."

"Thank you, Major." Celestia noticed the bags under the guard's eyes. "You look unwell, my faithful servant. What ails you?"

"Nothing that will interfere with my duties, Princess." The Major quickly dismissed the question - a little too quickly, in Celestia's opinion. Something probably was wrong, but the young mare probably didn't want to burden the Princess with her problems.

"Nonsense. I can see the tiredness in your eyes, and if my reports are correct, you have not had a proper day off, aside from Crown-sponsored events, in nearly ten months. Take the weekend off, Major. The Royal Guard has more than enough able officers to cover for your station while you are away."

The Major looked like she wanted to refute the Princess's request, but eventually caved. "Very well, Princess. Thank you for your kindness."

"It is no problem. Have a good weekend." Celestia led the group through the throne doors and outside to the courtyard as the Major removed her helmet and headed off in another direction.

She directed the group to a path on the west end of the castle and was worn up the side of the mountain, and the group started climbing, each careful not to slip - not like they'd die from a fall anyway, but they didn't want to deal with the hassle.

About halfway up the path from the castle to the summit, Celestia started another conversation, keeping her eyes focused on the path ahead, occasionally flaring her wings for balance. "The Lieutenant is a good pony, if a little guarded. He's been a very hard worker and a very firm believer in trust, loyalty, and family, so as long as you respect those qualities, you should get along swimmingly."

"Guarded? Sounds like the man has undergone many trials." Saiken replied thoughtfully, wondering what the man had done to be guarded.

"As a matter of fact, his guarded outward nature is not because of any trials. It is a result of matters of the heart, as well as the fact that she who holds his heart is... well-known in society. As a show of respect to his trust and loyalty to me as both a Guard and friend, I will divulge no more. If he wishes to impart more specific details to you, that is his choice, not mine." Saiken accepted the explanation and dismissal with nary a second thought, returning his focus to the path beneath his feet.

"How long has he been in this Guard?" Gyuki and Son Goku asked at nearly the same time. They chuckled at the timing, before returning their attention to the Princess as she spoke.

"He has been in the Royal Guard for six years now."

"Wow, must have an impressive track record and a desire for leadership to jump the ranks so quickly," Chomei noted, humming to herself in thought.

"That, he most certainly does. He has been one of the most reliable and trustworthy members of the Guard since he first enlisted." Celestia responded after a short moment. "We are nearing the summit now." At that, the group turned their heads to the peak, which was now easily visible in the light of the Moon.

As the group reached the summit, they saw a lone man standing there. He had a hair and tail that was dark blue with a single silver stripe running through it on the right side, and a white coat. He stood at about 6'1", and was dressed in gold and platinum armor, a shortsword in its sheath belted to his side. His helmet was held by an arm against his side, and he was looking out toward the moon. He heard the footsteps of the group as they approached and turned around, bowing and addressing the Princess before turning to the group that she had brought with her. A raised eyebrow was his primary reaction. "Are you the group the Princess spoke of when she requested my presence here?"

"I would have to assume so, seeing as how she brought us here personally." Isobu commented. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Well, there certainly are a lot of you." It wasn't hard to tell the air of professionalism was a façade, and the man was ready to strike, whether with sword or sorcery, at a moment's notice. "As the Princess has likely already informed you, my name is Shining Armor, and I'm the Lieutenant of her Royal Guard."

Celestia took over at this point. "Under normal circumstances, I would be dealing with your proper introduction into this world myself, but moving cosmological bodies drains a significant portion of my stamina and magic. I must rest for now, and my Lieutenant will help you become acquainted with Equestria." Celestia unfurled her wings and jumped off the edge of the summit, flying down toward the castle.

Shining Armor turned back to the group once Celestia was out of sight, pulling out a map and gesturing for the group to gather. "First, we'll go over the geographic structure of the country. As you already know, we're in Canterlot right now, specifically at the peak of Mount Canterhorn, which is here, at the center of the country. Over here, in the west, are Ponyville, which is closer to the mainland, Las Pegasus, which is a cloud city created by the pegasi and floats near the west coast, and Vanhoover, which is at the northernmost point of the coast and the edge of the country. In the north, above the country, is the wasteland known as the Frozen North. It's completely uninhabitable, according to our meteorologists and cartographers. To the south, there's only a single city before the border to the Badlands here, and that's Hoofton. It's the third largest city in the country. On the east, Manehattan is on the northern coast, and is the largest city in the country. On the south coast is Tallahooffee, a city that's only been around for about fifteen years. That's about it for how the country looks on a map."

He put the map up and started a lengthy discussion about politics ass he directed the group down the mountain and back to the castle. By the time they were there, Shining's general overview of politics was finished, and Naruto was silently complaining at the intake of information. The others chuckled at his reaction, while Jiraiya shook his head in exasperation and Minato winced slightly.

"Now, for the last part of your introduction to Equestria, I'm taking you all to what is known as the Hall of the Damned." The group followed him silently as he turned to a random part of the wall in the hallway they were in, and activated his magic, inserting his horn into a slot in the wall that wasn't there before. The stone rumbled and moved out of the way to reveal a hidden passage, which the group walked through as silently as before.

This process repeated no less than four times before the group arrived in a dark, shadowy room with large stone statues. Shining spoke up again. "Welcome to the Hall of the Damned, the home of the darkest times in Equestria's history."

He turned to the statues on the left. "These are not statues like I know you're thinking. These were once living creatures that were sealed away by powerful magical artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony by Princess Celestia. Many were bloodthirsty killers who thrived on death and destruction, others sought to eradicate the reputations of the entire country, and still others simply wanted to watch the world burn. But the most dangerous criminals and threats to our country in the past aren't contained here. They are sealed in another realm known as Tartarus, where their powers are completely blocked so that they cannot escape."

"You are showing us this to not only demonstrate the country's and the Princess's might and resolve, you are also showing this to us to intimidate us, correct?" Hagoromo inquired after a long silence.

Shining had the decency to look shocked and appalled, before chuckling at Hagoromo's inquiry. "Well, you're certainly wise beyond your years. But it isn't just that, either. This was also meant to show you how far the country would go to ensure its people have peace, even if the government itself doesn't."

"Trust me, young Shining Armor, I am very wise, likely as wise as your own Princess. Before I came to this world and my group came with me, I roamed the world I was born in as a soul free of the reincarnation cycle for over ten thousand years."

Shining's jaw unhinged at this revelation. WHAT?! Someone... as old as the PRINCESS?!

The group chuckled at the man's reaction. Shining eventually recovered, and gestured them to follow him back down the mountain. "Well, I certainly underestimated you then. To be as old as the Princess, you must be incredibly powerful. Well, aside from that, since we're done here, it's time to get you set up with your own rooms in the castle, seeing as how you've arrived with no place to stay."

"No, that's-" Jiraiya cut Naruto's response off before his foot-in-mouth syndrome got the group in a situation they wouldn't want. He shook his head and then released his grip on Naruto's mouth. Naruto kept quiet after that.

A few minutes later, the group walked back into the castle proper, as Shining led them to their rooms. "How many rooms will you need?"

Hagoromo pondered for a minute. "Four should be sufficient. How must we repay the generosity?"

"For now, the Princess has decreed you stay here free of charge. That remains until further notice." Shining arrived at the top of an unused tower. "We don't have four adjacent rooms at the moment because we currently have a high volume of foreign dignitaries, but this tower is spacious and should prove more than enough space for you and your group."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. A good evening to you." Hagoromo issued his thanks and bade the Lieutenant farewell as he went to perform other tasks. The group walked into the tower room to find it was very spacious and would easily fit the fifteen of them, though some would need to use sleeping bags, as the three king-sized beds would only fit at most nine of them total.

As the group settled in, organizing their smaller items, Jiraiya called to Hiruzen and Minato. "How much Θ do we have on us at the moment?"

Hiruzen and Minato looked in their pockets, then their scrolls for a few minutes, counting their money. Hiruzen was done first. "I was dead, so I have no Θ on hand at the moment, but I did take all the Θ from the clan vault, seeing as how it's never going to be used, and the sum of that was about two and a half million Θ."

Minato took much longer to count, but when he was done, he responded. "None on hand for the same reason as Hiruzen here, but I had enough time before we needed to leave that I not only picked up all the money from every location in the village, I also did the same at the Fire Country capital."

Jiraiya's jaw hit the ground. He didn't even need to hear numbers to know that depending on how valuable the Θ were in this country, Minato had more than likely made them all filthy rich. "Umm... a number, please?"

"I had to estimate because it would take me until I was fifty to count that much, but I'd say my scroll has about five billion Θ."

One moment, Jiraiya was all ears. The next, he was twitching on the ground, foaming at the mouth at the number he'd heard, muttering incomprehensible gibberish. This continued for a few moments, before Jiraiya's brain finally gave out and he fell unconscious. The entire group busted into almost uncontrollable laughter at Jiraiya's reaction.

A few minutes later, they had managed to calm themselves down, and Jiraiya had waken back up, grumbling under his breath about troublesome blondes. The group quickly figured out their sleeping arrangements. Hagoromo, Hiruzen and Žiara would take one bed, Minato, Naruto, and Kurama would take the second, and Shukaku, Matatabi and Saiken took the third bed, leaving the remaining men and women to grab sleeping bags Minato and Hiruzen unsealed from their scrolls and get comfortable.

"You know, it's still sinking in... I failed... and now our world is gone..." Naruto brooded in an uncharacteristically dark mood laying on the bed about two hours later. Everyone else had already fallen asleep... or so he had thought.

Kurama, who was also still awake, responded by attempting to encourage him. "When I was still just a cub, the Old Man always told us that everything happens for a reason. As hard as it might be to hear it, I think your failure then was supposed to happen. In some twisted way, it's supposed to give you the drive to make sure it doesn't happen again. Or at least, that's what I think about it."

Naruto carefully turned to her next to him, as he had been sleeping in the center, so as to avoid waking Minato. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But it's still going to be difficult knowing I failed my entire race. I mean, if it was anyone other than me, I can't imagine what they would have done by now. Probably gone insane or killed themselves. Hell, I know people have done far worse for far less."

"That might be true, but you've got all of us by your side. Nine of the strongest comrades anyone could ask for, two of your mentors, your father, a goddess, and someone who's so powerful he might as well be a god. You know no matter what happens, we'll always have each other, right?"

"Yeah..." Naruto was still hung up over his failure, but he decided not to let it get to him, and the semi-permanent smile returned to his face. "Thanks, Kurama, and good night."

"No problem, Naruto, and good night. Make sure you get some rest, I wouldn't be surprised if the Old Man's already got plans for everyone in the morning."

"Heh, you're probably right."

Mindscape

Gyuki was meditating and attempting to gain further control over his now fluctuating power, a result of his - no doubt everyone else was experiencing the same issue - transformation into a human, when he caught the tail end of Naruto and Kurama's late-night conversation. She ain't wrong, kid. You know we've always got your back, no matter what happens. He quickly returned to meditating before what power he'd managed to wrest from his physical chaos grew away from his control, a bead of sweat slowly trickling down his brow.

Author's Note

Thanks to those who reviewed/commented on Chapter 5. No QA this chapter because there either wasn't anything that needed answered or I couldn't answer without giving away plot.

Not sure when I'll start working on Chapter 7, but it should be out by next Saturday at the latest. Thanks to everyone who gave feedback and thanks to ShiningShadow1965 for his beta work.