Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > Dead Rising
Chapter 19
0 reviewsNaruto 1.0, Naruto 2.0 and Samantha proceed deeper into the joint facility, kick some ass and mercy kill a few experiments.
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Dead Rising
Chapter 19
Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo and Fu watch on as the blizzard on the tactical map grows bigger, its sheer size almost engulfing the entirety of the Land of Iron. Several dots are on the map. Two of them are red, one is green, and the rest are blue. The red and green dots are separated from the others, which are piled together in one spot.
The Kage Summit.
Several blue dots from the Kage Summit had tried to go out. Likely to search for and capture their companions only for the dots to turn back when the weather had suddenly gotten more wild and unpredictable.
They knew the blue dots are Samantha and Naruto. But they have no idea who the green dot with them is. And not only that, there is some kind of interference keeping them from contacting the duo. While they knew Samantha and Naruto are capable of handling themselves, the fact that they are unable to contact them has the four of them on edge.
“It's like a hurricane. Or is one.” Dempsey said, a worried expression on his face as he stares at the tactical map. The image everyone in their dimension base is seeing fits the criteria of a hurricane. The clouds are gathered in one spot, there's an 'eye' in the middle, and it's massive. Just like all hurricanes. The former Marine Raider squints his eyes as he leans forward slightly. “Is it just me or is it getting bigger?”
“It is not you, Tank.” Said Nikolai who too has a worried look on his face. “The blizzard is bigger.”
Takeo crossed his arms. “It seems who ever is controlling this unnatural storm is intending to keep Naruto and Samantha separate from everyone else.” He added his input.
“I hope that green dot is a friend.” Fu said, nervously drumming her digits on her arm.
Nikolai, Takeo and Dempsey despite being worried for them are confident that their wayward comrades on the surface are completely fine. Samantha already knows how to use guns despite never being taught to use them. Watching Naruto, Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo and Richtofen fight the on the moon prior to the latter taking her control over them away must have been a large help to that. Naruto on the other hand had been trained to use guns by Dempsey and sometimes by Nikolai and Takeo after they had busted out of Der Riese the first time.
“They'll be fine.” Dempsey said reassuringly.
That had been the wrong thing to do as Fu looks mad at his non-worried tone. “Why aren't you worried? Aren't they your friends?” She demanded hotly.
Dempsey looks offended. “Of course I'm worried! But whining isn't going to change the situation. We can't contact them and they can't contact us. Besides if they do get into trouble then they should be able to handle it. Takeo, myself and Nikolai all helped mould Naruto into what he is now.”
“Da! Have faith. This Russian does!”
“I shall pray to the spirits for their safe return and hope that the situation will end in their favour.”
X.X.X.X
With the knowledge of the joint facility residing in his head Naruto 2.0 is leading the way. The zombie found that the joint facility isn't that big. It's size is comparable to that of Der Riese. And thanks to the knowledge he had received from that scientist, he knows where every room is. What every room dedicating to experimentation contains.
Right now the trio are heading to one room that can provide them with both weaponry and information. The arms-foundry, a facility that is dedicated to weapons research and development. If they can find that then they will have a major advantage.
Naruto 1.0, Naruto 2.0 and Samantha are leaving bodies in their wake. Everyone room they searched they left bodies from Group 935 and Division 9 behind.
Suddenly Naruto 2.0 came to a stop in front of a closed double door with a wheel valve on it. The sentient zombie reached up to grasp onto the valve only to hesitate. Naruto 1.0 and Samantha stand behind the man with concerned looks as they saw the hesitation.
“What's wrong?” Naruto asked his zombie counterpart.
Naruto 2.0 exhales as he clenches and unclenches his fist. “I believe this room is where Division 9 and Group 935 are using the Element 115 they've extracted from me.” He informed them and he could feel their gaze on him. “If the memories I have are correct then the arms-facility is just past this room.”
“There is something else isn't there?” Samantha said, looking between the door and the older Naruto with narrow eyes.
The zombie inhaled and exhaled heavily. “Yes. The information I had received from that Division 9 scientist tells me that there are test subjects beyond this door.” He looks over to Naruto 1.0 and adds. “They are people and animals that have been taken and kidnapped by these joint organisations. And with the type of experimentation they have been forced through killing them would be a mercy.”
Being told that has Naruto 1.0 and Samantha looking at each other with surprise. People in the Elemental Nations have been kidnapped? How long as this been going on for!? That knowledge further cemented the fact that this facility needs to go.
With his piece said Naruto 2.0 pushed open the door and hovered into the room. Naruto 1.0 and Samantha both quickly followed after him, only for them to pause with expressions of pure shock and disgust on their faces.
“Holy shit.” Said a stunned Naruto 1.0.
Test tubes. Capsules. Slabs. Bloody floors and walls. Sinew. Bodies. Surgical tools. The room had it all.
The trio could see floating bodies inside of the test tubes. The glass is so dark they couldn't make the people that are floating inside of them out. They can only see the silhouette of them, and what they are currently seeing from the dark outlines are disturbing. They have appendages and other features growing out of them in places where they shouldn't be.
When Naruto 1.0 walks over to one of the capsules he can see the person through the glass. The person is a woman with shaved hair, one limb, the arm, is completely covered in bark from hand to shoulder and even covered a part of her chest which is still covered. The capsule is preserving her. Keeping her alive.
Samantha didn't need to walk over to one of the slabs to see what is on it. A body of an animal. A dog to be precise. The deceased dog is heavily disfigured and is securely strapped down; Samantha scrunched up her face as she saw that the majority of the dogs skin and fur has been replaced with plant life.
A syringe with a faintly glowing dark yellow liquid inside of the tube is beside it. Samantha scowled heavily; those sick bastards must've injected the dog with that liquid and what is laying on the table is the result of it.
“They must be in so much pain.” Both Naruto 2.0 and Samantha look over to Naruto 1.0 who is still standing in front of the capsule. He has his hand on the glass. “This is just plain cruelty. A fate worse than death. What kind of people would do such a thing?”
“The kind of people who wants to control life and death. To play god.” Naruto 2.0 answered grimly. “The kind of people who believes that the end justifies the means.” He gestures around him. “They don't care about the suffering they inflict on people, as long as they get the results they want.”
“You were right.” Said a solemn Samantha. “Killing them is a mercy.”
With that said Naruto 1.0 goes ahead and turns off the life support on the capsules. Samantha meanwhile switches for her Ray Gun and shoots the tubes. Killing the test subjects inside and letting loose the liquids within. A waste of ammo for sure but she wanted to put them out of their misery as quickly as she possibly can.
The zombie Naruto just floats in place watching as his living counterpart and friend terminate the test subjects. They moved on after they were done and Samantha changed back to her sub-machine gun. The gun fire from Samantha's Ray Gun had brought some attention to them in the form of more well equipped guards from Group 935. They were quickly taken care of by both Naruto and Samantha and the group of three continued on, killing even more scientists and guards in their way.
The scientists and guards were very adamant on preventing them from getting further into their facility. It is almost as if they were trying to prolong them.
Getting to another room they saw it had been abandoned in a hurry. Nearby they could hear the sounds of machinery being turned on. The only exit is being blocked off by an electric trap. Like the one's in Der Riese.
Looks like these people are trying to prolong their advancement. They were never meant to keep them back.
“It's gonna take a while until the trap stops.” Naruto 1.0 said before walking to one of the tables. “Let's take a look around the room in the mean time. Maybe we'll get some clues on what this room is meant to be used for.”
Samantha nods approvingly and proceeds to do just that.
The room while large just has the bare necessities. Chairs are over turned. Tables are messy with sheets of papers strewn about. There are stands on some of the tables however. In front of one of them is a blueprint for a mechanical looking European Longsword. Another blueprint on another table shows a long bow made of bone and some weird adhesive.
Four more which are also on and on the floor around another table shows to Naruto's surprise the Elemental Staves. The Staff of Fire. Staff of Ice. Staff of Lightning. And finally the Staff of Wind. All of them have different names though. But from the large cross that is marked on the image, they were unsuccessful in recreating them. A good thing for them.
There's several more of the blueprints laying about. Naruto concluded that this is the room the two organizations were using to create these weapons. A quick look at Samantha told Naruto 1.0 that she came to the same conclusion.
“You come to the same conclusion as I have Sam?” Naruto 1.0 asks.
“If you mean these Stücke von Scheiße had been using this room to make their weapons?” She received a confirmed nod from her friend. “Then yes I have come to the same conclusion as you have.”
While they weren't looking Naruto 2.0 swipes a small empty vial attached to a needle injector and a syringe and hides it in his pocket behind his trench coat. He has a feeling that this is going to come in handy later on.
“The loud mechanised noise is coming from over there.” Naruto 2.0 says, pointing at the only exit excluding the door they just came through. “Who bets the remainder of Group 935 and Division 9 went through there?”
“That's a suckers bet.” Naruto 1.0 and Samantha replied at the exact same time.
Just then the trap keeping them from advancing stops. Allowing the three of them to advance. Suddenly Naruto 2.0 stops his vibrant glowing blue eyes wide. Thanks to his stolen knowledge of the place Naruto 2.0 knows where the mechanical noise is coming from. And he knows what is causing the noise!
“Oh shit!” The sudden panicked curse from Naruto 2.0 took the teenagers by surprise. “I know where they are! Follow me, hurry!!!” Without waiting for a response the sentient zombie leaves them behind, completely focused on stopping the enemy from achieving on what they intend to do.
“What the hell has him in a panic?!” Exclaimed Naruto 1.0 just as Samantha and himself chased after the zombified Naruto.
“I don't know! But whatever is happening over there can't be good if he's acting like this!” Was Samantha's retort. “I'll take point, I can keep track of him!” She exclaimed, running past her friend. Naruto accepted without protest.
The two sprinted down the hallway; both trying their hardest to keep up with the zombie. But they eventually lost sight of him. Samantha's ability to detect zombies allowed them to know where he is heading so they never lost track of him. Not completely.
Then they heard explosions in the distance; the explosions itself sounding closer and closer with every step that they took.
The earth trembled. The shaking caused parts of the ceiling above to fall down. Samantha lost her footing and fell to the floor, her MP-40 sliding out of her hands. Naruto staggered before he too fell to the floor. His own weapon sliding out of his hands when his front made contact with the floor.
More explosions are heard in the distance and the earth shook once more. More parts of the ceiling fell in front and behind them. Thankfully none of them managed to hit Naruto and Samantha. Naruto slowly got back up first and made his way over to the still prone Samantha and got her back to her feet.
“C'mon.” He said to her. “There is no rest for the wicked.”
She looked at him with dull eyes. “I am not wicked.” She flatly retorted.
Naruto nodded in agreement. “No you're not. You're a nice piece of ass though.” He said offhandedly as he admired her buttocks when she bent down to pick up her MP-40.
She looks at him from over her shoulder with bewilderment. “What was that?” She said, wondering if she heard him say what she thought he said correctly.
“I said 'you're a nice friend though'.” He quickly replied, covering for himself with something that he hopes to be believable.
Now standing up she merely looks at him with squinting eyes. Clearly not believing, but accepting of the answer as she nodded. “Come on. Let's catch up to the zombie before he gets himself killed.”
Naruto nods and gestures her to lead the way. He follows her. The earth trembles once more as more explosions can be heard; the two hastens to their destination. Naruto and Samantha both reach their destination and they could hear panicked screaming and yelling from both men and women in German and Japanese.
“Shūtai o teishi! (Stop the abomination!)”
“Er wird uns alle töten! (He will kill us all!)”
They find a door blown off of its hinges, along with several scorch marks surrounding the butt of an arrow on both the ground and walls. As they approached they heard Naruto 2.0 exclaim, with righteous fury in his tone.
“I will fucking kill all of you before you escape into that thing!”
He didn't know why but he felt something was going to happen again. By pure instinct Naruto quickly pulls Samantha away from the doorway, and presses his body up against her. Before she could demand what he is doing a single seemingly harmless arrow come through the doorway where she was seconds after she had been pulled side. It collided with the ground several meters away from them, and it exploded upon impact. Naruto did his best to shield Samantha from the blast and hissed in pain as he felt the heat.
Thank god for Juggernog; he can tank a lot of things before it becomes too much. Taking a small blast like that is one of them.
Not to mention Samantha has no 'upgrades' of any kind. No Juggernog. To Quick Revive, Speed Cola, Double Tap. Nothing of the sort. She is more vulnerable to these types of attacks despite being able to handle herself.
“Thank you.”
Naruto waves her thanks off and pulls away. “Don't worry about it. You would do the same for me.” With that said he and Samantha then both take cover beside the doorway. They sneak a peek inside the room.
Naruto 2.0 is floating in the middle of the room, surrounded by several men and women who are trying to kill him. They would have killed him a long time ago if it weren't for the fact that the zombie Naruto has several slabs of metal orbiting him. While it did its job of deflecting the bullets it could not deflect all of them. The zombie Naruto has many bullet holes in his body and is bleeding. For a normal person those injuries would be lethal, but for zombie it is merely an annoyance at best or a minor injury at worst.
Two people are armed with medieval weapons, the mechanical looking European Longsword that has fire coming off of the blade part of the weapon in the hands of a Division 9 solider. The bone-made bow is in the hands of a Group 935 soldier who has a flaming tipped arrow notch and ready to fire.
Bodies covered in bullet holes are laying on the floor in a pool of their own blood. The unlucky sods who had their own bullets reflected back to them.
What took up most of the room however is a very large contraption. It is circular shaped with several rectangle and square clamps holding it up. Several large cables are wired into it. It appears they have found the machine responsible for the loud noise. There is a portal in the middle of the contraption and people are slowly backing into it one by one while the others are trying to keep the zombie occupied long enough for them to escape.
“A gateway...” A stunned Naruto 1.0 said under his breath. “How long was this here?” That was a question that was going to go unanswered; Naruto brought his weapon up and took aim at one of the armed soldiers.
He pulled the trigger in a short controlled burst. The bullets met their mark, striking the soldier in the head once and on the chest twice. The men fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Seeing one of their own killed before their eyes, several people shifted their attention from the zombie to the doorway and opened fire. Naruto 1.0 took cover again and fired blinding from his cover in the direction he hopes the opposition is coming from.
Samantha took a quick peak, picked a target, and fired blindly from behind cover too. She took down a soldier and a scientist. Before pulling her gun back to reload. Naruto took that time to return fire.
Naruto 2.0 on the other hand used this opportunity to make one of the metal slabs lash out at the soldiers like a chakram, before bringing it to rotating around him like an automatic shield. The force behind it has severed the heads and caused the near disembowelment of several people who are unfortunate enough to be in its way.
Naruto 1.0 and Samantha both moved in and shot those who were aiming their guns at them. Naruto 2.0 disarmed the Asian wielding the flaming sword, before he effortlessly snap the man's neck. He kicked the flaming sword away from the enemy so they won't be able to use it. He quickly looked at his left another person fell front first on the ground. The German with the bone made bow. There is a large section of the back of his skull missing.
The encounter took less than a minute, but everyone who had not gone through the gateway is dead. Unfortunately for the three they were unable to stop the rest of Group 935 and Division 9 from getting away.
The trio stood in front of the still active gateway with Samantha looking over the control panel in an attempt to keep it active and to track where the survivors gotten too. Where ever those bastards went they're gonna cause trouble and needed to be stopped.
“What do we do now?” Naruto asks his zombie counterpart.
“...I don't know.” Replied the zombie as he crossed his arms, a deep frown pulling at his lips.
“What do YOU want to do?” Naruto 2.0 looks down at Naruto 1.0, looks back at the active portal and shrugs.
“I want to go after them.” Naruto 2.0 admits; then he sighs.“But I don't know where the other side of that gateway ends up.”
The two Naruto's stand shoulder to shoulder in silence. Listening to the soft humming of the gateway. The silence was broken when Naruto 1.0 says to his counterpart in a low tone so only he could hear him.
“I have a question.”
The zombie glances at the teenager. “What is it?” He brings his gaze back to the gateway.
“...How does one change a future?”
“...That, well, it depends on what you're trying to change.”
“What if I wanted to stop this?” Seeing the questioning look the other Naruto is giving him Naruto 1.0 elaborates. “I want to find a way to stop the zombies from attacking this dimension. But I don't know how or where to even begin to do that.” It's contradicting of him to think this, but while he doesn't care for the Elemental Nations or its people, he doesn't want it to end up a zombie cesspool. Even if said dimension is full of power hungry people and bigots no one deserves a fate like this.
Naruto 2.0 strokes his chin, thinking, he then looks at Naruto 1.0 once more with his full attention this time. “Do you have an idea on when the zombies attacked?”
Naruto nods affirmatively. Tazuna told his group the zombies first appeared and started attacking people three years ago. He does remember bits and pieces of his past now, along with Sasuke and the Valley of the End.
But the fact the zombies attacked the Elemental Nations three years ago, when he found himself in Der Riese the exact same time? If you ask him that is more than a coincidence.
And since he had been told the planet is a lot healthier, he had to guess he is at least a year or two in the past.
“Yeah. I have an idea.” He answered.
“Okay. Well. I'd say that the quickest way to stopping the zombies is to go back when the zombies weren't around. Find out who is the cause of them being unleashed and stop them.”
“What if they don't listen?”
“Then you force them to stop.” The zombie answered as if it were no big deal. “Stop them permanently if you can.”
“But...isn't that a bit extreme?”
“Extreme? Yes. Do you have to like it? No.” The zombie pauses momentarily to recollect his thoughts. “If you want to stop a zombie apocalypse, you need to do whatever is necessary to make that happen. Even if it means making yourself to be the enemy. Besides-” He pats Naruto 1.0 on the shoulder, in an attempt to raise his spirits when he sees the dampened look on his face. “-you already have an idea when the zombies appeared right? Then use that and find out what happened.
Naruto 1.0 looks down, pondering, and nods with acknowledgement.
“However...” Naruto looks up at Naruto 2.0 who is looking at the ceiling with a contemplative expression. “...if you try and eliminate the problem before it can begin, there are plenty of things that can go wrong. Worse case scenario, you do a lot more damage than good making the future turn out a whole lot worse. Or erase yourself from existence.”
The latter had Naruto 1.0's eyes bulging out. “...How do I stop myself to wiping myself out?” He does not want to end up like that. No way in fucking hell!
“Believe it or not, your blood will prevent it. Somewhat.” Naruto 1.0 looks at the man as if he were trying to pull his leg. “Don't give me that look. Element 115 is so powerful it can last for an eternity.”
“I know Element 115 is able to defy logic...” Naruto 1.0 replied, sounding a bit unsure.
The zombie Naruto shrugs. “Well you may not know this, or maybe you do. The effects of Element 115 may differ in each timeline, but they do follow the same principle: if you're infected, you die, you get reanimated as a zombie. Or you develop an immunity, but get your memories suppressed, personalty altered or slightly magnified and your body gets healthier. So if you have Element 115 inside of you...” The zombie trails off hoping the younger, more liver Naruto would get what he is trying to say and pick up where he left off.
Naruto spends a few seconds to think. He gains a look of realization. “...It will be in your blood.” He adds conclusively.
Naruto 2.0 nods with approval. “Yeah. Blood has genetic information stored in it such as memories and ancestry.” The zombie clasps his hands behind his back. “Now what do you think will happen if you inject a sample of your own blood into say another version of yourself who is living in a much different timeline? I don't know myself. I never tried it.”
Naruto looks down again with his brow scrunched up from his heavy thinking. That is food for thought. He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard his friend say, “I have managed to stabilise the gateway.” She exhaled and wiped her forehead with her forearm. “Thankfully it is similar to the one we used to get here from our timeline.”
“Do we know where they ended up?” Naruto 1.0 asked her.
“No. Whatever is beyond the gateway is out of my knowledge.” She shrugs. “Who knows, perhaps the remnants of Group 935 and Division 9 returned to their own timeline.”
While no one else was looking Naruto 2.0 swipes both the Bone arrow and the mechanical European sword and hides them much in the same way Naruto 1.0 does to the Staff of Lightning.
In the meantime, the young Naruto who came back to thinking what the zombie counterpart has told him finally came to a decision on what he wants to do.
“Samantha can you memorise what is on the control panel?” He questioned.
“I can if I had a piece of paper and ink to write it down. It's in Japanese.” Is her answer, pointing at the screen displaying the kanji.
“Really? In that case I should have a look at it.” Naruto 2.0 says as he floats over to the control panel and commits the kanji displayed on the screen to memory. “Looks like the location is my timeline.” He begins to look around for a piece of paper and a pen. “But to make sure...” Once he finds them he jots down the kanji just in case something happens; he has a feeling the other Naruto is going to ask something big. “There we go.” He said to himself once he was finished squibbing down the kanji.
“Hey, other me, before you go there is something I need to do.” Naruto 1.0 says to the confusion and worry of Samantha. Naruto 2.0 already has an idea what is going through the young Naruto's head and approaches him.
“What? What are you talking about?” Samantha looks between the two Naruto's. The older Naruto who is changing the location on the monitor to another timeline. And her Naruto is being tight lipped on it. She narrows her eyes with suspicion. “Naruto what's going on? ...What are you going to do?”
“To get some insurance.” Before she could ask what he meant by that, both Naruto's to her shock and dismay vanished before her eyes. Then several seconds later they came back with Naruto having a noticeable bruise on his left forearm. The young Naruto blinked and shook his head to get rid of the cobwebs as the gateway closed after their return. “Whoa. Okay that, that was new. And weird. I hope to never do that again.” He said, rubbing the spot where his bruise is located.
Samantha went over and roughly grabbed her Naruto by the jacket and started shaking him like a rag-doll. “Naruto. What did you do? Where did you disappear too!?” She demanded as she stopped shaking Naruto in order to let him answer.
“I went to get some insurance.” Was his answer after he regained his bearings.
Samantha leaned in with dangerously narrowed eyes. “What. Kind. Of insurance?” She asked, her tone made it sound like it were a demand.
“Just some insurance.” He replied evasively.
If anything that answer made Samantha's eyes narrow even more; she leaned in with an intimidating aura around her. Naruto 1.0 leaned away out of instinct. “I repeat: what kind of insurance?” She asked once more, using the same tone she had used before.
Naruto 2.0 who has been watching all this time couldn't help but snort with amusement at what the scene looks like to him. Hearing the snorting Samantha redirected her glare to the other Naruto and if anything the intimidating aura around her increased.
“Something funny?” She demanded.
Naruto 2.0 is not at all intimidated by her and shrugged. “You know if I didn't know any better I would think that you two are boyfriend and girlfriend.” He straight up told them.
Both Samantha and Naruto 1.0 blinked dumbly as their brains registered his words. Samantha's face gained a far away expression at the idea and she released her grasp on Naruto 1.0. Said Naruto quickly back peddled from Samantha before looking at his counterpart with an odd look, wondering why he thought of them like that.
“Why is that?”
“Just from the way you two are acting.” He said and gestured to Samantha who still has that far away look on her face. “She's like a girlfriend or close to it. Either that or she's a really close friend of yours if you're allowing her to get away with manhandling you.”
Naruto 1.0 blinks. Then he looks at his counterpart with confusion. “She wasn't manhandling me.” He said with his tone matching his expression before his expression changed to being unsure. “I think? Yeah, I'm pretty sure she wasn't manhandling me.”
The amused look on the zombie Naruto shows he didn't believe him. He looks back at the gateway and says. “Anyway I'd better get going. Someone has to stop Division 9 and Group 935.”
“What about the blizzard outside?” The young blonde asked.
“I have relinquished my control over it.” The zombie replied as he made his way over to the control panel and re-entered the kanji he had written down earlier. “It will be around for a while, but after a few hours it should disappear.” Naruto 2.0 pressed a button to reactivate the gateway once more with the co-ordinance needed to chase after the remnants of Group 935 and Division 9. The zombie floated over to the portal, stopped in front of it and looked over his shoulder at his alternate self. “Good luck. You're gonna need it if you want to stop the dead from walking.”
With his farewell said and done with the zombie Naruto floated into the portal. Naruto watched as the gateway closed behind him. Samantha at this time came back from her faraway thoughts only to see they were alone and are one sentient zombie less.
“What happened?” She asked looking around the room wildly. “Where is the other Naruto?”
“He's gone.” Naruto answered her. A small knowing smirk pulled at his lips. “You were too far gone in your own thoughts to notice weren't you?”
Just then they heard Dempsey speak to them from their otherworldly base. “Naruto! Samantha! Can you hear me?”
Naruto looks up at the ceiling. “Yeah. Loud and clear. Why?” He answered, his tone tinged with confusion.
“Kid, we've been trying to contact you and Samantha for a while now. Something was blocking us but it's gone now.” Naruto and Samantha share a look upon hearing that. Them not being able to contact them until the other Naruto left is far more than a coincidence.
“I think I know who it was.” The teen eventually said.
“...Really? Who?”
“An alternate version of me.” The boy replied.
While they couldn't see them Naruto and Samantha both could practically feel the gears turning in their heads.
“Kiddo, when you mean an 'alternate version'...” Dempsey trailed off.
“I mean a fully fledged version of me from another timeline. Like the Richtofen we met a while ago.” Naruto confirmed and elaborated at the same time. “Before I get into it though, Samantha and I need to get out of here. Are you able to get us out or is there still something interfering with you?” He said, directing the question at Samantha herself who shook her head in the negative in response. “Alright. We'll see you in a minute or two Tank.”
“Okay kid. Heh. I can't wait to hear this.” They heard the man say before he cut off the connection.
Naruto exhales and slung his M16 over his shoulder. He looks at Samantha upon hearing her clear her throat and finds her staring at him with her glowing yellow/orange eyes. What has him slightly on edge is the determined look on her face.
He has a guess as to what she wants. Never the less he asked his question. “Samantha, what is it?” He asked.
“When you and that other Naruto disappeared. Where did you go?”
Naruto licked his bottom lip. “To another timeline.” He admitted with complete honesty since he has a feeling she won't stop until he has given her a straight answer. “I have a plan that should stop the zombies in this place. However, I needed to get some insurance. A fail safe just in case it doesn't work.”
Samantha stares at him with narrowed eyes. “What did you do?” She asks with a frown.
“I found another version of myself and injected him with my blood. He's got our timelines' version of Element 115 running through his veins now.” That shocked look she is wearing told him all he needed to know about what she thought of that. “Yeah. I know. It was pretty stupid.”
“Yeah. No shit, Sherlock!” She shook her head at him with disbelief on her face. “What the hell compelled you to do such a thing?”
Seeing as they're going to be here for a long time unless someone does something Naruto made a compromise with Samantha. “I promise I will tell you once we get back to the others. Okay?”
She looks for any sign that he is lying. When she sees he is not, she sighs and nods her head. Samantha proceeds to teleport them both out of the now defunct joint Group 935 and Division 9 facility.
Chapter 19
Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo and Fu watch on as the blizzard on the tactical map grows bigger, its sheer size almost engulfing the entirety of the Land of Iron. Several dots are on the map. Two of them are red, one is green, and the rest are blue. The red and green dots are separated from the others, which are piled together in one spot.
The Kage Summit.
Several blue dots from the Kage Summit had tried to go out. Likely to search for and capture their companions only for the dots to turn back when the weather had suddenly gotten more wild and unpredictable.
They knew the blue dots are Samantha and Naruto. But they have no idea who the green dot with them is. And not only that, there is some kind of interference keeping them from contacting the duo. While they knew Samantha and Naruto are capable of handling themselves, the fact that they are unable to contact them has the four of them on edge.
“It's like a hurricane. Or is one.” Dempsey said, a worried expression on his face as he stares at the tactical map. The image everyone in their dimension base is seeing fits the criteria of a hurricane. The clouds are gathered in one spot, there's an 'eye' in the middle, and it's massive. Just like all hurricanes. The former Marine Raider squints his eyes as he leans forward slightly. “Is it just me or is it getting bigger?”
“It is not you, Tank.” Said Nikolai who too has a worried look on his face. “The blizzard is bigger.”
Takeo crossed his arms. “It seems who ever is controlling this unnatural storm is intending to keep Naruto and Samantha separate from everyone else.” He added his input.
“I hope that green dot is a friend.” Fu said, nervously drumming her digits on her arm.
Nikolai, Takeo and Dempsey despite being worried for them are confident that their wayward comrades on the surface are completely fine. Samantha already knows how to use guns despite never being taught to use them. Watching Naruto, Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo and Richtofen fight the on the moon prior to the latter taking her control over them away must have been a large help to that. Naruto on the other hand had been trained to use guns by Dempsey and sometimes by Nikolai and Takeo after they had busted out of Der Riese the first time.
“They'll be fine.” Dempsey said reassuringly.
That had been the wrong thing to do as Fu looks mad at his non-worried tone. “Why aren't you worried? Aren't they your friends?” She demanded hotly.
Dempsey looks offended. “Of course I'm worried! But whining isn't going to change the situation. We can't contact them and they can't contact us. Besides if they do get into trouble then they should be able to handle it. Takeo, myself and Nikolai all helped mould Naruto into what he is now.”
“Da! Have faith. This Russian does!”
“I shall pray to the spirits for their safe return and hope that the situation will end in their favour.”
X.X.X.X
With the knowledge of the joint facility residing in his head Naruto 2.0 is leading the way. The zombie found that the joint facility isn't that big. It's size is comparable to that of Der Riese. And thanks to the knowledge he had received from that scientist, he knows where every room is. What every room dedicating to experimentation contains.
Right now the trio are heading to one room that can provide them with both weaponry and information. The arms-foundry, a facility that is dedicated to weapons research and development. If they can find that then they will have a major advantage.
Naruto 1.0, Naruto 2.0 and Samantha are leaving bodies in their wake. Everyone room they searched they left bodies from Group 935 and Division 9 behind.
Suddenly Naruto 2.0 came to a stop in front of a closed double door with a wheel valve on it. The sentient zombie reached up to grasp onto the valve only to hesitate. Naruto 1.0 and Samantha stand behind the man with concerned looks as they saw the hesitation.
“What's wrong?” Naruto asked his zombie counterpart.
Naruto 2.0 exhales as he clenches and unclenches his fist. “I believe this room is where Division 9 and Group 935 are using the Element 115 they've extracted from me.” He informed them and he could feel their gaze on him. “If the memories I have are correct then the arms-facility is just past this room.”
“There is something else isn't there?” Samantha said, looking between the door and the older Naruto with narrow eyes.
The zombie inhaled and exhaled heavily. “Yes. The information I had received from that Division 9 scientist tells me that there are test subjects beyond this door.” He looks over to Naruto 1.0 and adds. “They are people and animals that have been taken and kidnapped by these joint organisations. And with the type of experimentation they have been forced through killing them would be a mercy.”
Being told that has Naruto 1.0 and Samantha looking at each other with surprise. People in the Elemental Nations have been kidnapped? How long as this been going on for!? That knowledge further cemented the fact that this facility needs to go.
With his piece said Naruto 2.0 pushed open the door and hovered into the room. Naruto 1.0 and Samantha both quickly followed after him, only for them to pause with expressions of pure shock and disgust on their faces.
“Holy shit.” Said a stunned Naruto 1.0.
Test tubes. Capsules. Slabs. Bloody floors and walls. Sinew. Bodies. Surgical tools. The room had it all.
The trio could see floating bodies inside of the test tubes. The glass is so dark they couldn't make the people that are floating inside of them out. They can only see the silhouette of them, and what they are currently seeing from the dark outlines are disturbing. They have appendages and other features growing out of them in places where they shouldn't be.
When Naruto 1.0 walks over to one of the capsules he can see the person through the glass. The person is a woman with shaved hair, one limb, the arm, is completely covered in bark from hand to shoulder and even covered a part of her chest which is still covered. The capsule is preserving her. Keeping her alive.
Samantha didn't need to walk over to one of the slabs to see what is on it. A body of an animal. A dog to be precise. The deceased dog is heavily disfigured and is securely strapped down; Samantha scrunched up her face as she saw that the majority of the dogs skin and fur has been replaced with plant life.
A syringe with a faintly glowing dark yellow liquid inside of the tube is beside it. Samantha scowled heavily; those sick bastards must've injected the dog with that liquid and what is laying on the table is the result of it.
“They must be in so much pain.” Both Naruto 2.0 and Samantha look over to Naruto 1.0 who is still standing in front of the capsule. He has his hand on the glass. “This is just plain cruelty. A fate worse than death. What kind of people would do such a thing?”
“The kind of people who wants to control life and death. To play god.” Naruto 2.0 answered grimly. “The kind of people who believes that the end justifies the means.” He gestures around him. “They don't care about the suffering they inflict on people, as long as they get the results they want.”
“You were right.” Said a solemn Samantha. “Killing them is a mercy.”
With that said Naruto 1.0 goes ahead and turns off the life support on the capsules. Samantha meanwhile switches for her Ray Gun and shoots the tubes. Killing the test subjects inside and letting loose the liquids within. A waste of ammo for sure but she wanted to put them out of their misery as quickly as she possibly can.
The zombie Naruto just floats in place watching as his living counterpart and friend terminate the test subjects. They moved on after they were done and Samantha changed back to her sub-machine gun. The gun fire from Samantha's Ray Gun had brought some attention to them in the form of more well equipped guards from Group 935. They were quickly taken care of by both Naruto and Samantha and the group of three continued on, killing even more scientists and guards in their way.
The scientists and guards were very adamant on preventing them from getting further into their facility. It is almost as if they were trying to prolong them.
Getting to another room they saw it had been abandoned in a hurry. Nearby they could hear the sounds of machinery being turned on. The only exit is being blocked off by an electric trap. Like the one's in Der Riese.
Looks like these people are trying to prolong their advancement. They were never meant to keep them back.
“It's gonna take a while until the trap stops.” Naruto 1.0 said before walking to one of the tables. “Let's take a look around the room in the mean time. Maybe we'll get some clues on what this room is meant to be used for.”
Samantha nods approvingly and proceeds to do just that.
The room while large just has the bare necessities. Chairs are over turned. Tables are messy with sheets of papers strewn about. There are stands on some of the tables however. In front of one of them is a blueprint for a mechanical looking European Longsword. Another blueprint on another table shows a long bow made of bone and some weird adhesive.
Four more which are also on and on the floor around another table shows to Naruto's surprise the Elemental Staves. The Staff of Fire. Staff of Ice. Staff of Lightning. And finally the Staff of Wind. All of them have different names though. But from the large cross that is marked on the image, they were unsuccessful in recreating them. A good thing for them.
There's several more of the blueprints laying about. Naruto concluded that this is the room the two organizations were using to create these weapons. A quick look at Samantha told Naruto 1.0 that she came to the same conclusion.
“You come to the same conclusion as I have Sam?” Naruto 1.0 asks.
“If you mean these Stücke von Scheiße had been using this room to make their weapons?” She received a confirmed nod from her friend. “Then yes I have come to the same conclusion as you have.”
While they weren't looking Naruto 2.0 swipes a small empty vial attached to a needle injector and a syringe and hides it in his pocket behind his trench coat. He has a feeling that this is going to come in handy later on.
“The loud mechanised noise is coming from over there.” Naruto 2.0 says, pointing at the only exit excluding the door they just came through. “Who bets the remainder of Group 935 and Division 9 went through there?”
“That's a suckers bet.” Naruto 1.0 and Samantha replied at the exact same time.
Just then the trap keeping them from advancing stops. Allowing the three of them to advance. Suddenly Naruto 2.0 stops his vibrant glowing blue eyes wide. Thanks to his stolen knowledge of the place Naruto 2.0 knows where the mechanical noise is coming from. And he knows what is causing the noise!
“Oh shit!” The sudden panicked curse from Naruto 2.0 took the teenagers by surprise. “I know where they are! Follow me, hurry!!!” Without waiting for a response the sentient zombie leaves them behind, completely focused on stopping the enemy from achieving on what they intend to do.
“What the hell has him in a panic?!” Exclaimed Naruto 1.0 just as Samantha and himself chased after the zombified Naruto.
“I don't know! But whatever is happening over there can't be good if he's acting like this!” Was Samantha's retort. “I'll take point, I can keep track of him!” She exclaimed, running past her friend. Naruto accepted without protest.
The two sprinted down the hallway; both trying their hardest to keep up with the zombie. But they eventually lost sight of him. Samantha's ability to detect zombies allowed them to know where he is heading so they never lost track of him. Not completely.
Then they heard explosions in the distance; the explosions itself sounding closer and closer with every step that they took.
The earth trembled. The shaking caused parts of the ceiling above to fall down. Samantha lost her footing and fell to the floor, her MP-40 sliding out of her hands. Naruto staggered before he too fell to the floor. His own weapon sliding out of his hands when his front made contact with the floor.
More explosions are heard in the distance and the earth shook once more. More parts of the ceiling fell in front and behind them. Thankfully none of them managed to hit Naruto and Samantha. Naruto slowly got back up first and made his way over to the still prone Samantha and got her back to her feet.
“C'mon.” He said to her. “There is no rest for the wicked.”
She looked at him with dull eyes. “I am not wicked.” She flatly retorted.
Naruto nodded in agreement. “No you're not. You're a nice piece of ass though.” He said offhandedly as he admired her buttocks when she bent down to pick up her MP-40.
She looks at him from over her shoulder with bewilderment. “What was that?” She said, wondering if she heard him say what she thought he said correctly.
“I said 'you're a nice friend though'.” He quickly replied, covering for himself with something that he hopes to be believable.
Now standing up she merely looks at him with squinting eyes. Clearly not believing, but accepting of the answer as she nodded. “Come on. Let's catch up to the zombie before he gets himself killed.”
Naruto nods and gestures her to lead the way. He follows her. The earth trembles once more as more explosions can be heard; the two hastens to their destination. Naruto and Samantha both reach their destination and they could hear panicked screaming and yelling from both men and women in German and Japanese.
“Shūtai o teishi! (Stop the abomination!)”
“Er wird uns alle töten! (He will kill us all!)”
They find a door blown off of its hinges, along with several scorch marks surrounding the butt of an arrow on both the ground and walls. As they approached they heard Naruto 2.0 exclaim, with righteous fury in his tone.
“I will fucking kill all of you before you escape into that thing!”
He didn't know why but he felt something was going to happen again. By pure instinct Naruto quickly pulls Samantha away from the doorway, and presses his body up against her. Before she could demand what he is doing a single seemingly harmless arrow come through the doorway where she was seconds after she had been pulled side. It collided with the ground several meters away from them, and it exploded upon impact. Naruto did his best to shield Samantha from the blast and hissed in pain as he felt the heat.
Thank god for Juggernog; he can tank a lot of things before it becomes too much. Taking a small blast like that is one of them.
Not to mention Samantha has no 'upgrades' of any kind. No Juggernog. To Quick Revive, Speed Cola, Double Tap. Nothing of the sort. She is more vulnerable to these types of attacks despite being able to handle herself.
“Thank you.”
Naruto waves her thanks off and pulls away. “Don't worry about it. You would do the same for me.” With that said he and Samantha then both take cover beside the doorway. They sneak a peek inside the room.
Naruto 2.0 is floating in the middle of the room, surrounded by several men and women who are trying to kill him. They would have killed him a long time ago if it weren't for the fact that the zombie Naruto has several slabs of metal orbiting him. While it did its job of deflecting the bullets it could not deflect all of them. The zombie Naruto has many bullet holes in his body and is bleeding. For a normal person those injuries would be lethal, but for zombie it is merely an annoyance at best or a minor injury at worst.
Two people are armed with medieval weapons, the mechanical looking European Longsword that has fire coming off of the blade part of the weapon in the hands of a Division 9 solider. The bone-made bow is in the hands of a Group 935 soldier who has a flaming tipped arrow notch and ready to fire.
Bodies covered in bullet holes are laying on the floor in a pool of their own blood. The unlucky sods who had their own bullets reflected back to them.
What took up most of the room however is a very large contraption. It is circular shaped with several rectangle and square clamps holding it up. Several large cables are wired into it. It appears they have found the machine responsible for the loud noise. There is a portal in the middle of the contraption and people are slowly backing into it one by one while the others are trying to keep the zombie occupied long enough for them to escape.
“A gateway...” A stunned Naruto 1.0 said under his breath. “How long was this here?” That was a question that was going to go unanswered; Naruto brought his weapon up and took aim at one of the armed soldiers.
He pulled the trigger in a short controlled burst. The bullets met their mark, striking the soldier in the head once and on the chest twice. The men fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Seeing one of their own killed before their eyes, several people shifted their attention from the zombie to the doorway and opened fire. Naruto 1.0 took cover again and fired blinding from his cover in the direction he hopes the opposition is coming from.
Samantha took a quick peak, picked a target, and fired blindly from behind cover too. She took down a soldier and a scientist. Before pulling her gun back to reload. Naruto took that time to return fire.
Naruto 2.0 on the other hand used this opportunity to make one of the metal slabs lash out at the soldiers like a chakram, before bringing it to rotating around him like an automatic shield. The force behind it has severed the heads and caused the near disembowelment of several people who are unfortunate enough to be in its way.
Naruto 1.0 and Samantha both moved in and shot those who were aiming their guns at them. Naruto 2.0 disarmed the Asian wielding the flaming sword, before he effortlessly snap the man's neck. He kicked the flaming sword away from the enemy so they won't be able to use it. He quickly looked at his left another person fell front first on the ground. The German with the bone made bow. There is a large section of the back of his skull missing.
The encounter took less than a minute, but everyone who had not gone through the gateway is dead. Unfortunately for the three they were unable to stop the rest of Group 935 and Division 9 from getting away.
The trio stood in front of the still active gateway with Samantha looking over the control panel in an attempt to keep it active and to track where the survivors gotten too. Where ever those bastards went they're gonna cause trouble and needed to be stopped.
“What do we do now?” Naruto asks his zombie counterpart.
“...I don't know.” Replied the zombie as he crossed his arms, a deep frown pulling at his lips.
“What do YOU want to do?” Naruto 2.0 looks down at Naruto 1.0, looks back at the active portal and shrugs.
“I want to go after them.” Naruto 2.0 admits; then he sighs.“But I don't know where the other side of that gateway ends up.”
The two Naruto's stand shoulder to shoulder in silence. Listening to the soft humming of the gateway. The silence was broken when Naruto 1.0 says to his counterpart in a low tone so only he could hear him.
“I have a question.”
The zombie glances at the teenager. “What is it?” He brings his gaze back to the gateway.
“...How does one change a future?”
“...That, well, it depends on what you're trying to change.”
“What if I wanted to stop this?” Seeing the questioning look the other Naruto is giving him Naruto 1.0 elaborates. “I want to find a way to stop the zombies from attacking this dimension. But I don't know how or where to even begin to do that.” It's contradicting of him to think this, but while he doesn't care for the Elemental Nations or its people, he doesn't want it to end up a zombie cesspool. Even if said dimension is full of power hungry people and bigots no one deserves a fate like this.
Naruto 2.0 strokes his chin, thinking, he then looks at Naruto 1.0 once more with his full attention this time. “Do you have an idea on when the zombies attacked?”
Naruto nods affirmatively. Tazuna told his group the zombies first appeared and started attacking people three years ago. He does remember bits and pieces of his past now, along with Sasuke and the Valley of the End.
But the fact the zombies attacked the Elemental Nations three years ago, when he found himself in Der Riese the exact same time? If you ask him that is more than a coincidence.
And since he had been told the planet is a lot healthier, he had to guess he is at least a year or two in the past.
“Yeah. I have an idea.” He answered.
“Okay. Well. I'd say that the quickest way to stopping the zombies is to go back when the zombies weren't around. Find out who is the cause of them being unleashed and stop them.”
“What if they don't listen?”
“Then you force them to stop.” The zombie answered as if it were no big deal. “Stop them permanently if you can.”
“But...isn't that a bit extreme?”
“Extreme? Yes. Do you have to like it? No.” The zombie pauses momentarily to recollect his thoughts. “If you want to stop a zombie apocalypse, you need to do whatever is necessary to make that happen. Even if it means making yourself to be the enemy. Besides-” He pats Naruto 1.0 on the shoulder, in an attempt to raise his spirits when he sees the dampened look on his face. “-you already have an idea when the zombies appeared right? Then use that and find out what happened.
Naruto 1.0 looks down, pondering, and nods with acknowledgement.
“However...” Naruto looks up at Naruto 2.0 who is looking at the ceiling with a contemplative expression. “...if you try and eliminate the problem before it can begin, there are plenty of things that can go wrong. Worse case scenario, you do a lot more damage than good making the future turn out a whole lot worse. Or erase yourself from existence.”
The latter had Naruto 1.0's eyes bulging out. “...How do I stop myself to wiping myself out?” He does not want to end up like that. No way in fucking hell!
“Believe it or not, your blood will prevent it. Somewhat.” Naruto 1.0 looks at the man as if he were trying to pull his leg. “Don't give me that look. Element 115 is so powerful it can last for an eternity.”
“I know Element 115 is able to defy logic...” Naruto 1.0 replied, sounding a bit unsure.
The zombie Naruto shrugs. “Well you may not know this, or maybe you do. The effects of Element 115 may differ in each timeline, but they do follow the same principle: if you're infected, you die, you get reanimated as a zombie. Or you develop an immunity, but get your memories suppressed, personalty altered or slightly magnified and your body gets healthier. So if you have Element 115 inside of you...” The zombie trails off hoping the younger, more liver Naruto would get what he is trying to say and pick up where he left off.
Naruto spends a few seconds to think. He gains a look of realization. “...It will be in your blood.” He adds conclusively.
Naruto 2.0 nods with approval. “Yeah. Blood has genetic information stored in it such as memories and ancestry.” The zombie clasps his hands behind his back. “Now what do you think will happen if you inject a sample of your own blood into say another version of yourself who is living in a much different timeline? I don't know myself. I never tried it.”
Naruto looks down again with his brow scrunched up from his heavy thinking. That is food for thought. He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard his friend say, “I have managed to stabilise the gateway.” She exhaled and wiped her forehead with her forearm. “Thankfully it is similar to the one we used to get here from our timeline.”
“Do we know where they ended up?” Naruto 1.0 asked her.
“No. Whatever is beyond the gateway is out of my knowledge.” She shrugs. “Who knows, perhaps the remnants of Group 935 and Division 9 returned to their own timeline.”
While no one else was looking Naruto 2.0 swipes both the Bone arrow and the mechanical European sword and hides them much in the same way Naruto 1.0 does to the Staff of Lightning.
In the meantime, the young Naruto who came back to thinking what the zombie counterpart has told him finally came to a decision on what he wants to do.
“Samantha can you memorise what is on the control panel?” He questioned.
“I can if I had a piece of paper and ink to write it down. It's in Japanese.” Is her answer, pointing at the screen displaying the kanji.
“Really? In that case I should have a look at it.” Naruto 2.0 says as he floats over to the control panel and commits the kanji displayed on the screen to memory. “Looks like the location is my timeline.” He begins to look around for a piece of paper and a pen. “But to make sure...” Once he finds them he jots down the kanji just in case something happens; he has a feeling the other Naruto is going to ask something big. “There we go.” He said to himself once he was finished squibbing down the kanji.
“Hey, other me, before you go there is something I need to do.” Naruto 1.0 says to the confusion and worry of Samantha. Naruto 2.0 already has an idea what is going through the young Naruto's head and approaches him.
“What? What are you talking about?” Samantha looks between the two Naruto's. The older Naruto who is changing the location on the monitor to another timeline. And her Naruto is being tight lipped on it. She narrows her eyes with suspicion. “Naruto what's going on? ...What are you going to do?”
“To get some insurance.” Before she could ask what he meant by that, both Naruto's to her shock and dismay vanished before her eyes. Then several seconds later they came back with Naruto having a noticeable bruise on his left forearm. The young Naruto blinked and shook his head to get rid of the cobwebs as the gateway closed after their return. “Whoa. Okay that, that was new. And weird. I hope to never do that again.” He said, rubbing the spot where his bruise is located.
Samantha went over and roughly grabbed her Naruto by the jacket and started shaking him like a rag-doll. “Naruto. What did you do? Where did you disappear too!?” She demanded as she stopped shaking Naruto in order to let him answer.
“I went to get some insurance.” Was his answer after he regained his bearings.
Samantha leaned in with dangerously narrowed eyes. “What. Kind. Of insurance?” She asked, her tone made it sound like it were a demand.
“Just some insurance.” He replied evasively.
If anything that answer made Samantha's eyes narrow even more; she leaned in with an intimidating aura around her. Naruto 1.0 leaned away out of instinct. “I repeat: what kind of insurance?” She asked once more, using the same tone she had used before.
Naruto 2.0 who has been watching all this time couldn't help but snort with amusement at what the scene looks like to him. Hearing the snorting Samantha redirected her glare to the other Naruto and if anything the intimidating aura around her increased.
“Something funny?” She demanded.
Naruto 2.0 is not at all intimidated by her and shrugged. “You know if I didn't know any better I would think that you two are boyfriend and girlfriend.” He straight up told them.
Both Samantha and Naruto 1.0 blinked dumbly as their brains registered his words. Samantha's face gained a far away expression at the idea and she released her grasp on Naruto 1.0. Said Naruto quickly back peddled from Samantha before looking at his counterpart with an odd look, wondering why he thought of them like that.
“Why is that?”
“Just from the way you two are acting.” He said and gestured to Samantha who still has that far away look on her face. “She's like a girlfriend or close to it. Either that or she's a really close friend of yours if you're allowing her to get away with manhandling you.”
Naruto 1.0 blinks. Then he looks at his counterpart with confusion. “She wasn't manhandling me.” He said with his tone matching his expression before his expression changed to being unsure. “I think? Yeah, I'm pretty sure she wasn't manhandling me.”
The amused look on the zombie Naruto shows he didn't believe him. He looks back at the gateway and says. “Anyway I'd better get going. Someone has to stop Division 9 and Group 935.”
“What about the blizzard outside?” The young blonde asked.
“I have relinquished my control over it.” The zombie replied as he made his way over to the control panel and re-entered the kanji he had written down earlier. “It will be around for a while, but after a few hours it should disappear.” Naruto 2.0 pressed a button to reactivate the gateway once more with the co-ordinance needed to chase after the remnants of Group 935 and Division 9. The zombie floated over to the portal, stopped in front of it and looked over his shoulder at his alternate self. “Good luck. You're gonna need it if you want to stop the dead from walking.”
With his farewell said and done with the zombie Naruto floated into the portal. Naruto watched as the gateway closed behind him. Samantha at this time came back from her faraway thoughts only to see they were alone and are one sentient zombie less.
“What happened?” She asked looking around the room wildly. “Where is the other Naruto?”
“He's gone.” Naruto answered her. A small knowing smirk pulled at his lips. “You were too far gone in your own thoughts to notice weren't you?”
Just then they heard Dempsey speak to them from their otherworldly base. “Naruto! Samantha! Can you hear me?”
Naruto looks up at the ceiling. “Yeah. Loud and clear. Why?” He answered, his tone tinged with confusion.
“Kid, we've been trying to contact you and Samantha for a while now. Something was blocking us but it's gone now.” Naruto and Samantha share a look upon hearing that. Them not being able to contact them until the other Naruto left is far more than a coincidence.
“I think I know who it was.” The teen eventually said.
“...Really? Who?”
“An alternate version of me.” The boy replied.
While they couldn't see them Naruto and Samantha both could practically feel the gears turning in their heads.
“Kiddo, when you mean an 'alternate version'...” Dempsey trailed off.
“I mean a fully fledged version of me from another timeline. Like the Richtofen we met a while ago.” Naruto confirmed and elaborated at the same time. “Before I get into it though, Samantha and I need to get out of here. Are you able to get us out or is there still something interfering with you?” He said, directing the question at Samantha herself who shook her head in the negative in response. “Alright. We'll see you in a minute or two Tank.”
“Okay kid. Heh. I can't wait to hear this.” They heard the man say before he cut off the connection.
Naruto exhales and slung his M16 over his shoulder. He looks at Samantha upon hearing her clear her throat and finds her staring at him with her glowing yellow/orange eyes. What has him slightly on edge is the determined look on her face.
He has a guess as to what she wants. Never the less he asked his question. “Samantha, what is it?” He asked.
“When you and that other Naruto disappeared. Where did you go?”
Naruto licked his bottom lip. “To another timeline.” He admitted with complete honesty since he has a feeling she won't stop until he has given her a straight answer. “I have a plan that should stop the zombies in this place. However, I needed to get some insurance. A fail safe just in case it doesn't work.”
Samantha stares at him with narrowed eyes. “What did you do?” She asks with a frown.
“I found another version of myself and injected him with my blood. He's got our timelines' version of Element 115 running through his veins now.” That shocked look she is wearing told him all he needed to know about what she thought of that. “Yeah. I know. It was pretty stupid.”
“Yeah. No shit, Sherlock!” She shook her head at him with disbelief on her face. “What the hell compelled you to do such a thing?”
Seeing as they're going to be here for a long time unless someone does something Naruto made a compromise with Samantha. “I promise I will tell you once we get back to the others. Okay?”
She looks for any sign that he is lying. When she sees he is not, she sighs and nods her head. Samantha proceeds to teleport them both out of the now defunct joint Group 935 and Division 9 facility.
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