FicWad

Dead Rising

Chapter 20

Some time had passed since Naruto and Samantha had encountered Naruto 2.0 and the dark haired girl is retelling everything to those who were out of the loop. Naruto sat there, listening half-heartedly as Samantha regaled them all on what they had seen and what they had done down there. He stared, watching as Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo and Fuu looked between him and Samantha at certain parts of the retelling.

He couldn't tell what they were currently thinking. Their expressions are blank. Stoic. Serious.

Samantha held nothing back and when she was finished they knew just about everything that happened down there.

Once she was done a narrow eyed Dempsey looks at Naruto and asks. “What the hell compelled you to do that?”

Naruto looks at Dempsey and answered. “I wanted to find out if there was a way to stop the zombies for good. To change the future. I asked my alternate self if there's was a way to do that.”

“You idiot! Only a fool would dare change history!” Nikolai exclaimed with a wide eyed snarl, and made everyone jump as he slammed his hand on the table.

Naruto takes a deep breath and looks Nikolai directly in the eyes. “Are you telling me, that what is happening right now, is okay?” He said this in a very controlled, very calm tone.

“Of course is not!” Nikolai exclaimed. “But to change future is to change past. It could have severe impact on future! Make things more worse in long run!”

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but before he could he is interrupted by Fuu.

“What did this other version of you say exactly?” Fuu questioned.

Naruto looks at her for a moment. “He asked me if I had any idea on when the zombies attacked. I told him I had one.” He answered.

Takeo leans forward and interlocks his digits together. His eyes stare at Naruto with curiosity. “Which is?” The samurai asks.

Instead of answering Naruto instead gives Fuu a question. “When did I go missing exactly?”

Fuu narrows her eyes at him, confused, but answers him nonetheless. “Three years ago.”

“And when did the zombies appear?” Naruto asks once more.

“Three years ago. Give or take a few months after your disappearance” Fuu repeats.

Satisfied with the answer he had gotten from her Naruto looks at Dempsey, Samantha, Nikolai and Takeo and finds them looking at him with perplexed looks on their face. The gears are running in their heads though and from the expression on their face, they had an idea on what he is talking about.

“Three years ago I went missing here. A few months later the zombies attacked. During the time I was unaccounted for, I was in your dimension.” He said as he pointed at Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo and Samantha. He lowers his hand on the table. “The zombies appearing just months after I disappeared is too much of a coincidence.”

Everyone started to pick up on what he is saying.

“So we go back to when you were still here.” Dempsey slowly nods to himself, thinking, then after several minutes he looks at Naruto a plan forming. “Do you know where and when you disappeared?”

Naruto shakes his head before wincing as he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He instinctively reached back to hold it; then a memory of his past rushed to the forefront of his mind

X.X.X.X

Pain. That was all he felt through his body as he followed the current of the river. He had fought his best friend at a place known as 'The Valley Of The End'. His mission, was to retrieve his wayward friend who tried to defect to a traitor called Orochimaru, one of the Sannin trained by the Third Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato.

He was part of a five-man team. Or was it six? Yeah it was definitely a five-man team.

Nevertheless as they got closer to their target, someone from their team would have to stay behind and hold off an enemy that was sent by Orochimaru to escort the defector to him.

In the end it was only himself out of his entire team that caught up to their target. The other's had stayed behind to buy him time to catch up to him unhindered. There was a fight. A massive one. He remembered being pierced in the lung by a lightning covered hand; his neck broken as he was launched head first into a cliff side.

He lost in the end though. He held back. All because of a promise he made to someone he cared for. Cared? He had taken another lightning covered hand to the chest by his best friend – or was it ex-best friend? - and the strain his body had been under had finally taken its course.

He didn't know how long he had been unconscious for. But he was still aware, even if his body had been unresponsive. He could feel the rain pelting against his battered body. He could feel his own blood drench his clothing, only for it to be washed away by the water that fell from the sky. He had felt his body being dragged into a river as the unstable structure he had been on finally collapsed on itself. Then he felt himself being washed away; his unresponsive body following the current of the river that was dragging to a place unknown to him.

He became completely aware of himself when he hit a riverside. He bared his teeth, hissing in pain as his body burned in protest upon trying to move. After a few minutes of this the boy gave up and just laid there on the riverbank.

Curious as to where he is he opens his eyes and slowly leans his head up and looks around. He found that the lower half of his body was still in the river but, he was under no risk of being dragged away by the current. Frowning slightly in curiosity he looks to the left, and saw a series of trees, rocks and shrubbery. Looking to his right he saw the river and more trees rocks and shrubbery.

Inhaling and exhaling, the pre-teen turned his head so he was looking toward the sky. He rests his head against the ground and closes his eyes. His body was in so much pain, attempting to move would not be the smartest thing to do.

So he did the only thing he could. He rested. If his body, despite being beat up as it is, could heal itself to the degree he would no longer be in pain then he will allow himself to move.

He didn't know how long he was resting but when he opened his eyes again, he was healed enough to move without his muscles burning in protest. That was a lie. His muscles still burned when he moved but it wasn't as painful as it was before. It's bearable now.

Gritting his teeth the pre-teen groaned as he dragged the lower half of his body out of the river before sitting himself up. Breathing heavily he leaned forward to see his reflection in the water.

Blue eyes. Blonde hair that was partially covered in blood. He could make out whisker marks on his bloodied face. He wore an eyesore of a jumpsuit. Bright orange, with the shoulders having a navy blue. The jacket had a fist sized hole on it with burnt marks around it. Through the hole was a slowly closing wound that was still bleeding and drenching his jumpsuit with his life liquid. How he was still alive was a mystery to him.

Wincing the blonde haired pre-teen stood up, making sure not to do it so quickly other risk dazing himself. Reaching back the pre-teen winced again when he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He guessed his head impacting the cliff side did a lot more damage than he thought if that still hurt.

“Where am I?” Were his first words. Turning his waist so he could look over his shoulder the pre-teen found a little muddied path leading to somewhere. Knowing staying in one place would not be ideal and his childlike curiosity getting the better of him, the pre-teen decided to follow the muddy path and state his curiosity.

Putting an arm on his abdomen to lessen the pain he was getting as he moved, the pre-teen turned around completely and slowly walked along the muddy path while making sure to watch his step. With how much pain he was in – despite it not being as bad as it were before – he didn't want to risk tripping over something and injure himself even further.

He didn't know how long he had followed the path. A lot of trees had went by, and, to him it felt like hours had passed. It was that long for him. Eventually the blonde pre-teen came across a structure in the middle of a clearing. Putting his free arm on a tree bark next to him the blonde squinted his eyes as he tried to get a better look at it.

It was similar to a stone henge. And as he got closer to it he saw that the stones had runes engraved onto it, and it was in a language he had never seen before. What was odd was that the stones were glowing. More accurately, the engraved ruins on the stones were the ones that were glowing. He could make out two colours in the glow: green and blue.

Curiosity getting the better of him again, the pre-teen made his way to the stone henge like structure until he was right in the middle of it. Now in the middle the glowing lights seem to brighten; as if it knew someone was in the middle of it. The pre-teen blinked confusingly, and looked around when the lights on each of the stones suddenly scanned his physique from head to toe.

He didn't know why, but he was getting a bad feeling about all this. Before he could do anything the entire structure lit up drastically, the pre-teen instinctively raised his free arm to shield his eyes. The next thing he knew, he could feel the chakra of the Nine-Tails getting drawn out of his body, while the chakra monster itself was bellowing in anger, calling him an idiotic child in the back of his head before its voice was suddenly cut off.

He screamed in agony. His body felt as if a thousand needles were being stuck in him, roughly yanked out, before being stuck in again.

His chakra coils strained too as something is being drawn out of him. He could hear a noise that was akin to electricity, and, energy pulsing around him that was growing with intensity. An explosion like sound deafened him, as the stone henge like structure and the boy was consumed by a flash of light that could have been seen for miles.

X.X.X.X

He knew what happened. He vanished after touching that stone and quite possibly kick started the apocalypse without intending too! It was him. All of this is his fault.

With that thought in mind Naruto slowly woke up. Everything is dark. Around him he can hear muffled noises of people talking to one another. The voices of his friends along with the tag along.

“Is he...be alright?” He heard from Fuu.

“He's...remem...past.” From Dempsey.

As he returned to the land of consciousness the more aware he became. The better he could hear them. Eventually their words are no longer muffled and is clearly heard for him.

“His ancestors are by his side.” He heard from Takeo.

“This Russian knows the boy will be fine. I have full confidence he will get through this in one peace. He is strong.”

Naruto looks around and found himself laying flat on the ground. He chuckles drawing everyone's attention to him.

“Your confidence in me is...nice.”

Dempsey and Samantha were immediately by his side; both pair of hands holding him by the shoulder before they pulled him up onto a sitting position.

“You okay kiddo? What did you remember?” A concerned Dempsey asked.

Naruto blinked, eyes squinted in thought; they then widened with remembrance. He looks at Dempsey and said. “I remembered where I was just before I was teleported into your dimension.” He slowly gets to his feet, with him putting all his weight onto Samantha and Dempsey as they helped him up. “We need to go further back in time.”

“How far?” Questioned Nikolai.

Instead of Naruto answering, it was Fuu who did. Everyone gave Fuu their utmost attention as she spoke.

“If this is the same Kage Summit that I think it is, then we will need to go back one more year.” Seeing the questioning looks from Naruto and Nikolai, Dempsey and Takeo and Samantha the mint haired girl elaborated. “The Kage's of all the Five Hidden Villages hosted a Kage Summit a year after your disappearance Naruto. To discuss of an alliance in the face of the undead that threatens everyone. It is a well known event throughout the Elemental Nations.”

“The leaders were in a meeting.” Began a chin rubbing Naruto. “And since it was let out that I came from the future they wanted to know if they made any progress in stopping the zombies. If what Fuu said is true, then we need to go back a year and find my younger self.” He looks at Fuu. “Do you know where the Valley of the End is located?”

She looks at him for a short moment, nods affirmatively, and looks at the real time tactical map of the Elemental Nations. Naruto and Samantha, Dempsey and Nikolai and Takeo all gazed at the map as well.

“The Valley of the End is located near the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Sound.” As she spoke the six watched as two blinking dots appeared on the tactical map. Those who did not know of the location stared on with interest as their satellite view of the Elemental Nations drastically zoomed in to give the six a better look.

The view they are shown is of two cliff sides, a waterfall, and two statued carved into said cliff sides. The statures are of two men wearing samurai like armour. They noted how damaged the two statues and the state of the area.

In the future they came from the Valley of the End is nothing more than a barren wasteland. There is no sign of life anywhere and the water itself almost looks like blood-like. Here two years in the past the valley is more lively. There are signs of life dying and the water itself does not look as pure as it should be. It's cleaner.

“This is the Valley of the End huh? Looks nice for a dying place.” Dempsey said as he took in the view.

“It is a shame it will be wasteland in the future.” Nikolai said.

“This is the place from your memories?” Questioned Takeo as he looked over at Naruto with a curious look on his face.

“Yeah. It is.” Naruto confirmed.

The memories of his past self and Sasuke fighting in this very place resurfaced. Before his very eyes, unseen to everyone else is a projection of two pre-teens. Himself and Sasuke. He can see where he stood. Where Sasuke stood. He can see them both fighting; the environment around them getting damaged in their rapidly escalating confrontation.

Then finally it ended with him laying on a seemingly stable piece of earth. Unconscious and unaware. His torso bloodied with a fist sized hole in his chest. The Uchiha straddled on top of him, contemplating, before he got off and limped away. Rain started to fall wiping away the trail and blood into the river surrounding them.

Then the structure collapsed and his younger self was swept away with the rivers current.

“Can we find out where the rivers current leads too?”

“Sure. But vhy?” Samantha asked.

Naruto narrows his eyes as he replied, “I remember fighting duck-butt here. I lost the fight and I was washed away by the river. So if we follow the current...”

When he trailed off, Nikolai continued conclusively.

“Then we might know where you ended up.” Naruto nods to Nikolai's deduction.

The tactical map started to follow the current and everyone paid close attention to the direction it is leading them. South. Naruto wouldn't know how long following the river is going to take. He had been unconscious most of the time. But finding out where he woke up should be a simple enough thing to do.

At first nothing happened. No one saw anything. No change in the environment. Nothing. But a few minutes in they saw something.

“What the...” Dempsey said.

Takeo crossed his arms, a deep frown pulling at his lips. “The ground is dead and the trees are dying. It appears to be growing more ill the the more we follow the current.” The Samurai said.

And so the tactical map followed the current with the earth and forestry growing sicker and deader every minute. Then finally they found the epic centre. The one place where everything is dead.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he saw a stone henge like structure appear before his eyes. No one but him however can see it.

“Stop.”

The map stopped and orbited around the area; giving everyone a clear view of the location. Everyone stared either with confused and intrigued looks on their faces. Naruto on the other hand is remembering.

The glowing blue and green stones. The flash of light. The engraved runes on said stones that were from a language he had never heard or seen of before. They're gone now but the area itself is still recognisable.

“...This is it. This is the place.”

“You sure, kiddo?” Dempsey asked taking his eyes away from the tactical map for a moment to look at his friend.

Naruto nodded. “Yeah. I'm positive.”

“I cannot see the significance of this place.” Takeo said analytically. The bearded man narrowed his eyes saying, “However appearances can be deceiving.”

“What is it you remember comrade?” Nikolai asked.

Naruto sighs and rubs the back of his head.

“Well, for one I remember there being large stones all positioned in a circle. Like a stone henge. The stones had these weird runes engraved onto them. They were glowing blue and green too. There was this flash of light and pain; and then I passed out.”

“Blue and green huh?” Dempsey folded his arms, staring at the visual with a heavy frown. The thing he's thinking about is dark red, and glows. And the meteors also had these weird carvings on them. Could they be similar?

“Could it be?” Takeo mused to himself. He really hoped it wasn't what he thinks it is.

Samantha put in her own thoughts on the matter. “Zhe stone henge you loosely described isn't here, so zhat either means it vanished vhen you did, or it vas moved some time after you disappeared.” She looked at Naruto and added. “Vhat is more: zhe stone henge you described may have been zhis vorld's version of Element One Fifteen.”

“Or it could, y'know, be a different type of teleportation device like the one myself, Nikolai, Dempsey and Takeo found that one time in that temple?”

Everyone stared at the blonde with surprised looks on their faces. Although one of them, the newcomer to their little group, had an clueless expression on her face. Fuu has no idea what they're talking about, but she expects she is going to learn what it is soon enough.

“Like the one that teleported us into the past for a limited amount of time?” Dempsey asked with Naruto nodding affirmatively.

“Yeah but instead of sending me back in time it teleported my unconscious ass to your world.”

“So now we know of this; what is it we do next?” Takeo asked Naruto questionably.

“We go back one year.” The blonde replied, looking at the bird's eye view of his last known location with narrowed eyes and a heavy frown. “And we'll keep an eye on this place as we do that; that way we'll know we're in the right time period.”

As Samantha manipulated the tactical map, another thing Richtofen was able to do when he was leading himself, Nikolai, Dempsey and Takeo to different locations like puppets, no one saw the deep frown pulling at the boy's lips.

And then they found it. The stone henge that Naruto described is there and they can hear signs of battle in the far distance.

It won't be long now.

X.X.X.X

Naruto Uzumaki stood outside of the stone henge. Observing the glowing structure with analystic eyes. His assault rifle slung over his shoulder with one hand resting on the the grip of his revolver.

He's been standing here for several minutes now.

Waiting.

This is the place that caused the whole zombie problem this world, his world, is facing in the future. And now with the advice he had gotten from that other version of himself he is going to try and change this worlds future for the better.

At least he hopes it's for the better.

If not, well, he'll walk that bridge when he gets there.

Minutes pass and Naruto slowly turned around when he heard someone approaching.

A young boy with a very familiar face. It is himself at thirteen years old. The horrible looking neon orange jacket with a singed hole is dirtied with blood and water. A wound inflicted by the fight the boy had with the defector.

Naruto came to a stop upon seeing the much older version of himself. His eyes are wide open, and his mouth agape with surprise.

And so they stood. The 16 year old and the 13 year old staring at one another in tense silence.

“Hello.” The 16 year old Naruto greeted, breaking the tense silence.

“Who... are you?” The 13 year old Naruto questioned warily.

“Well,” the 16 year old began with a small smile. “the last I saw I was me. Who are you mini-me?” There is no way he is not going to take the opportunity to mess with his younger self.

The 13 year old Naruto in spite of his slowly healing wound gave his 16 year old self a flat stare, the joke completely going over his head. Seeing the flat expression on the boy's face caused the 16 year old to sigh.

“Alright, all jokes aside, I am you from the future.” That got the young boy's wide eyed attention. The boy didn't believe the surely to be imposter, but decided to humour him anyway and to test him on his genuineness.

“Really?!” Upon getting a rather flat stare and a confirmed nod, the pre-teen suddenly burst out into questions that took his older self by surprise. “Is Sakura going out with me? Have I found out who my parents are? Did I make it past Genin? Did I bring Sasuke back? Did I become Hokage-”

The 16 year old was quick to put a stop to that however.

“Jesus fucking christ, calm your ass down would 'ya!?” He yelled out loud, prompting his younger self to close his mouth. “Okay kid, listen up because I am only going to say this once: most of my memory is gone; I am getting them back in pieces at a time though.” The 16 sighed again before counting off. “So to start off; no, I have no idea who this Sakura is. No, I don't want to know them either. Don't know what the fuck a genin is. No, that prick is still at large and to be honest there's something much more serious than keeping a promise that is more than likely to get me killed. And finally no.” He gives the younger boy a hard look. “Now do you have any questions? Preferably nothing relating to Konoha, or Sasuke, or Sakura?” He asked, spitting the words relating to his home as if it were something foul.

The 13 year old closed his mouth upon hearing the elaboration, prompting another sigh from the 16 year old. Great. Looks like his past self has a one track mind. Never mind the fact the kid didn't take notice of his guns, his clothes and his attitude in general.

Not to mention he seems...well...stupid.

“What could be more serious than keeping a promise?!” Naruto gave his past self a flat stare. A really flat stare. Out of everything he said THAT is what he choose to comment on?

“Something that threatens the entire world.” He replied, his expression unchanging. “That is what I am here to do. To keep YOU from dooming the future.”

The past Naruto didn't believe him; but he decided to humour him.

“And what could I – y'know – have done to doom the future?”

The 16 year old Naruto sighs once more before moving aside to allow the other Naruto to get a full view of the slab in the middle of the stone henge. “From what I can remember you – me – walked into the middle of this.” He said jerking a thumb at said stone from his memories. “It did something and teleport you – me – to some place else.”

“And where is this place?”

“In another world entirely.” He shrugged and looked half way over his shoulder at the slabs of stone. “Whatever it did in my past it affected my memory. Burying it deep and changed pieces of my personality too..” The 16 year old looked at his past self and added. “But to get to the point, I vanished from this world and ended up in another. A few months later the dead, started to rise up and attack everyone. They adapted to everything the ninjas threw at them.”

The 13 year old Naruto nodded as he took in the information and scoffed dismissively.

“As if I’d believe a stupid lie like that. Me going to another place by walking in the middle of that? Get real.” With a shake of his head the wounded boy slowly limped his way over to the older teen with the intent on walking past him and through the stone henge.

His attempt was blocked by the older Naruto who firmly pushed him back and away from his current path.

“Kid, I don't give a flying fuck if you believe me or not-”

“Good because I don't!” The 13 year old rudely interrupted.

“-but if you don't turn around and walk away then I will make you.” The 16 year old casually went on as if he hadn't been interrupted. “And, believe me, kid,” He puts a hand on the handle of his revolver, ready to draw it if the boy intends to keep on going. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure the future is changed. Even if it means taking you out to do so.”

There's a threat in there somewhere but the 13 year old Naruto couldn't see it. Or rather he couldn't hear it. The boy's face scrunched up at the last sentence.

“Taking me out? Like on a date or something?” Suddenly the 13 year old's eyes grew wide and he comically pointed at his older self with a freaked out expression. “Ah! You're a paedophile aren't you!!!”

The older Naruto recoiled as if he were slapped, and stared down at his younger self with an appalled expression on his face. In his shock he lowered his arm that was hovering over the handle of the revolver to his side. “What? No! I am not a paedophile! What the hell gave you an insane idea like that?!?” He yelled out with wide horrified eyes.

“You said you were 'gonna take me out'!” The pre-teen Naruto replied as he slowly backed away from the – in his mind – child molester. “Not to mention you look similar to me! You could be some sicko who's in disguise, and is going after helpless young boys like myself!! That's clearly paedophile material!”

“That was a figure of speech you moron!” The teenage Naruto yelled out with bared teeth. “And why the HELL would I want to that?! I like girls not little boys!”

It took a moment for him to realise what he just said.

“I didn't mean it like that!” 16 year old Naruto's face is the perfect definition of an 'oh crap' expression.

The pre-teen Naruto, whose injuries have been long forgotten now, merely yelled out in horror as he mistakenly took what his future self had said in the worst way possible.

“You prey on helpless little girls!? You, sick bastard!”

“That is SO NOT what I meant!”

But the pre-teen wasn't listening. “You're a sicko that likes little girls!”

“No I don't!”

“How many little girls did you trick huh?!”

The teenage Naruto felt his brow twitch with annoyance at the kids constant yelling. “Kid! If you don't shut the fuck up right now I was suplex you into next week!”

“I would like to see you try, paedophile!”

“Okay, THAT'S it! Get over here!”

The pre-teen Naruto was taken by surprise so much from the outburst, he was unable to react fast enough for his future self to get behind him, grab him by the waist and effortlessly lifted him off his feet. The teenage Naruto fell backwards while bridging his back and legs and slammed his past self down onto the ground on his back, knocking the air out of the boy's lungs and making his promise on giving the pre-teen a suplex.

While this was going on, Dempsey and Nikolai, Takeo and Samantha and Fuu were all watching the one sided beat down between the two Naruto's with astonishment. At first they were amused with Naruto's past self and how stupid he seemed. Dempsey was giving it everything he had to not burst out laughing at how the young Naruto kept calling his future self a paedophile, when he actually isn't.

The five flinched when they watched Naruto suplex his younger self, turn the pre-teen on his front before giving him another suplex.

Of course if the past Naruto hadn't been through a fight right now he would have been able to better resist the wrestling move. But because he is still injured he hadn't been able to endure the pain all that much. Even though he's had it much worse.

Getting an electric encased hand shoved through her chest twice and your neck broken when getting pile dived into a cliff side does tend to do that.

Not to mention the ground is made from Earth. Like rocks and stuff. It can dislocate a persons shoulder if they hit the ground hard enough. Like getting a suplex. Twice.

Thankfully the past Naruto had not suffered such injuries.

“Ow...”

But that did not mean he is unscathed.

Getting suplexed twice is going to leave a bruise later on.

The two Naruto's laid there on the ground. One with a very sore back and the other still having his arms wrapped around the waist of his younger self.

Naruto craned his neck up and looked at his past self with dangerously squinting eyes. “Are you gonna call me that again?” He asked, his tone practically begging his past self to say something stupid.

The younger Naruto slowly shook his head. “No. Even though you are one.” He whimpered, before adding the last words under his breath.

Unfortunately for the boy his future self heard him. Instead of giving another suplex however the 16 year old settled for punching his past self in the stomach, making the young boy forcibly exhale from the unexpected punch.

“I heard that.”

“You didn't have to punch me.” The 13 year old wheezed out.

Naruto squinted his eyes even more. “Do you prefer getting another suplex instead?” He asked, before arching an eyebrow questionably.

“No!”

The older Naruto grunted and allowed his head to drop down. The two laid there for what seemed like hours before they heard several people approaching.

“Heh, nice to see you two getting 'along'.” They heard a very amused Dempsey say; and from the sound of it he's barely able to keep himself from laughing.

“Naruto would make a good Russian if he was born in the Motherland.” Nikolai proudly exclaimed much to the confusion of the past Naruto, who had never heard these weird accents before.

“...Huh?” Hearing the strangely voice accents the 13 year old craned his head up and found Dempsey and Nikolai, Takeo and Samantha and Fuu all approaching them. All of whom had their assault rifles, sub-machine guns and battle rifle in their hands. “How do you know my name?” The pre-teen asked; and instead of getting a reply from them he received it from his future self.

“He's talking about me.” At the surprised look he is getting from his past self, the 16 year old Naruto nods his head confirming his silent question. “Yeah. I wasn't lying when I said I'm you from the future.”

“You aren't lying about being from the future?” The innocent and clueless expression may have been endearing to someone else, but for his future self, it just annoyed the hell out of him.

“...I just said that.”

By now the rest of the group had regathered with the two Naruto's and Samantha had a look of nostalgia on her face as she looked at the youngest of the two Naruto's. Sure he may be...less intelligent than the one she knew, but he is still the same person.

Just, dumber, than she had expected.

Yeah. Just dumber.

“So who're they?” The 13 year old asked, looking at the team of zombie slayers and Fuu with a great deal of curiosity.

“They're really good friends of mine.” Naruto answered as he sat up with a grunt. “The kind of people I would trust with my life if it came down to it.” He grunted again as he stood up and offered a hand to his past self who took it and was pulled up to his feet.

“We watch your back, you watch ours, yeah?” Said Nikolai to which Naruto smirked and nodded.

“Yeah. We watch out for each other.”

As Nikolai and Naruto fist bumped and grasped each others hand with a grin, Dempsey was looking between the two Naruto's with analysing eyes. Comparing the past Naruto to the one he was with three years ago.

“So this is what you were like before you lost your memory, eh?” Dempsey said catching the attention of the 16 year old.

“Yeah. I know. I feel the same.” The older Naruto replied with a disappointed sigh, much to the annoyance of the other Naruto.

The past Naruto didn't know what his future self is talking about, but he has a feeling it's about him. And he has another feeling it's not a compliment either. Too bad for him, he is dense enough to not notice the sigh of disappointment from his future self.

“Maybe it is time to leave, no? We are here to prevent future from being destroyed by zombies, are we not? And this Russian thinks we must be going far from this place as possible.” Nikolai stated while looking at the stone henge warily.

Dempsey is all for that. “Good idea, Nikolai. That thing is giving me the creeps.” He didn't know why but the stone henge is giving him goose bumps; it almost feels alive somehow.

But that can't be right can it? No inanimate objects are alive, it's just not possible; it's simply inconceivable to think of that. Unfortunately the world isn't as simple as one may think.

While they gave the stone henge wary looks they made their way out of the area, away from the structure. Naruto, the younger one, scrunched his face for a moment before he looked at Fuu with squinted eyes.

Said girl noticed the interested look he is giving her and felt a little unnerved, “What's wrong?”

The 13 year old looked Fuu in the eye. “Have we met before?” He asked in a low enough tone for only the mint haired girl to hear.

Fuu narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “No. Pretty sure we never met each other.” She paused, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Well, if you exclude your future self.” She added as an after thought. She looked ahead as she asked, “Why do you ask?”

The boy pointed at this stomach. “Something big, furry, and has nine tails says one of its own kind is in you. It won't tell me who though.”

While the jinchuuriki of the past and future are talking to one another, Naruto and Samantha, Dempsey and Takeo and Nikolai are having a conversation of their own.

“So do you think we changed the future?” The 16 year old Naruto questioned, surveying at their surroundings with a look of unease.

“That is the question is it not? We shall not know until we return from whence we came. ” Takeo replied; he too is surveying their surroundings and is on guard and ready to act. “It is almost as if our ancestors disapprove of this action.”

Naruto looked at Samantha, the only person in the group who may have had experiences with this sort of thing. “Samantha you were in the Aether for a long time. Do you feeling anything off?”

She frowned and creased her brow in concentration. “Yes. I am feeling something.” Her eyes narrowed in concentration. “Vhat I am feeling is as if zhe vorld is splitting in two.”

“Figuratively or literally?” Questioned Dempsey who glanced at the German girl from the corner of his eye.

“Figuratively,” Was her answer much to their relief. Their worse case scenario is out of the window, for now at least. “It is like zhe vorld split off into two, and are co-existing beside one another. I can feel zhis vorld and zhe vorld ve came from.”

That got them all thinking on the possibilities on what may have happened. But it was Nikolai who spoke what may have been going through everyone's mind. “So we may have created alternate timeline? This is one where Naruto did not go to our world and is safe from zombies, and one we came from is 'true' reality.”

“That may just be what we have done Nikolai.” Dempsey said. He then looked at the young Naruto chatting animatedly with Fuu. “Let's just hope the other Naruto won't mess it up.” He concluded with a frown.

X.X.X.X

The group of seven reached the riverbank where the young Naruto came from and seeing the current of the water, the group followed the riverbank in the opposite direction. Since there are no zombies, no dangerous creatures threatening to end them, the group had their weapons hanging by their shoulder, and with their hand on the grip.

After several minutes of quiet walking it was broken by the young Naruto who asked, “How come we're not using the ninja way of travelling?”

“My friends, excluding Fuu, are incapable of using chakra. And I don't remember much of the techniques I use to use because of my memory loss.” Naruto's future self explained.

“And how did I lose my memory?”

“I was kidnapped and experimented on by a madman. Said experiments either wiped or suppressed my memory and altered my personality.”

That was not entirely true, but not a lie either. He was taken by a madman in Group 935 that much he knows; Richtofen was the one that took him but he isn't too sure about that. And he has a feeling the Group 935 would have found his past self if the kid had went in the middle of the stone henge.

“The same happened to us.” Dempsey added; the two Naruto's looked at the man as he gestured to himself and Nikolai and Takeo. “We were captured and taken in for experimentation. It made us all stronger. Healthier. But we had no memory of who we were, except our names, our expertise for kicking ass and taking names, and what uh, Nation we were born in.”

“Of course, over time we got better.” Nikolai added.

Takeo nodded and said, “We remembered more of our past with each passing day. But the side effects of the experiments remained.”

The 13 year old took that information in and walked with them in silence. But after a long time of travelling they finally came to the sight of the Valley of the End, which has seen better days. The statues are heavily damaged and the landscape has been reshaped slightly. There's still smoke in various areas of impact.

Dempsey let out a low, impressed whistle. “Wow. This place is completely wrecked.” He said taking in the sight. “I do not want to get on the bad side of whoever did this.”

“That, uh, may have been my fault. Partially my fault.” The 13 year old Naruto admitted.

Everyone, except Naruto and Fuu, looked at the boy in surprise.

“Really?” Nikolai asked and when the boy nodded the Russian surprised him by shrugging dismissively and said, “Okay.”

“Y-you don't care?”

Nikolai shook his head. “No. Other Naruto is able to do whatever it is you are able to do. He does not remember many of them, but of those he does remember, he does not use.”

The attention of Nikolai and pre-teen Naruto was brought to the teenage Naruto when he said, “I never really saw the point. We got through a lot of tough situations without them.”

“That's true, I'll give you that.” Dempsey said; but then he added, “But there were plenty of situations in the past where that cloning move of yours would have been used as a distraction.”

“Such as the first time you tried to save us by luring the demons away.” Takeo added.

Nikolai, Dempsey, Takeo and Samantha all gave their Naruto a flat stare. Yes, they remembered that pretty well. They were not amused in the slightest at the admittingly suicidal stunt he committed. Samantha almost went flying into a rage at the time too.

“...It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Naruto weakly defended himself.

“Yes. Because jumping out of a one story building, through a broken window, and into a horde of zombies is such a good idea.” Dempsey dryly replied.

“You vere lucky Dempsey had zhe Vundervaffe DG-2 at zhe time.” Samantha added scoldingly. “I vanted to strangle you for committing such an act!”

“I survived, though!” Exclaimed the 16 year old. “I mean, I know I got electrocuted for my troubles, but I survived.”

“Yeah. And after getting overwhelmed one of us had to go and revive your ass.”

Coughing with embarrassment the 16 year old decided to change the subject and looked at his past self. “Before this place got wrecked to hell and back remind me of the direction you came from again?”

His past self pointed at the damaged Hashirama statue.

“Ah.” he immediately saw the problem. “That's quite the distance.” The teenage Naruto sighed. Standing between them and the statue the past Naruto came from is a large body of water. Fortunately for them the riverbank they were following should lead them in the direction of their destination. As long as they don't encounter anything that would require them to backtrack.

After a while the group managed to find the path Naruto had taken when he chased after the defector, and followed it back. They saw a literal forest of bones and sand along the way too. Something that shocked them all when they saw it. They stopped to state for a few minutes before they continued on their way.

“You know,” Began Nikolai. “I cannot help but wonder...what are we doing?”

“We're changing the future.” Dempsey re-mindedly answered.

“And we are returning our comrades past self to his home I believe.” The former Japanese Imperial Army Officer, Takeo added on.

“Then how come we are walking all way back instead of teleporting close to location?” At that everyone stopped walking at looked at the Russian. The only person left out of the loop is the younger Naruto but he did the wise thing and kept out of it.

“Why aren't we doing that?” Dempsey questioned.

“It may have slipped our minds.” Answered Takeo.

The past Naruto yelled out in shock when he saw Samantha suddenly go into her awakened state. Her glowing yellow eyes, her pale snow white skin. It wasn't a drastic transformation, but it was a quick and sudden one.

“I'll do it now.”

And then they were gone. And promptly reappeared again on a path that is within the Land of Fire just a few miles away from Konohagakure no Sato. The young Naruto groaned with discomfort before falling flat on his ass. Everyone else meanwhile is surveying their surroundings from the sights of their weapons. Once they confirmed there was no one around they stood down.

The pre-teen Naruto looked up when he felt someone patting his shoulder. “Yeah...” His future self said with understanding. “That tends to happen for first timers. After a few times you get use to it.”

“Wh-at is it? And why does everyone look all swirly an' stuff?”

“Motion sickness.” The older Naruto answered. “Just take some deep breaths and don't make any sudden movements, it'll pass before you know it.”

He looked over his shoulder when he heard Dempsey say, “Hmm? What's wrong? The kid got motion sickness?”

“Yeah.” The older Naruto replied, “It should pass in a minute or so.”

“Alright. We'll rest here for a bit and then we keep moving.”

“Vait” Everyone looked at Samantha who is looking directly behind them. To their surprise her eyes are glowing ominously and her skin is a pale snow white. “We are being watched.”

“How can you tell?” Nikolai asked.

Samantha looked at him. “A woman's intuition.” to everyone's surprise she teleported away and in the distance they could hear someone panicked screams and Samantha's laugh. Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo and Naruto all shuddered at the return of Samantha's laugh. It's deep, demonic and twisted sounding.

Then she returned to the group. She's floating off of the floor and in her hands is an odd human-like creature. One side is completely black and the other is completely white. There's a Venus fly-trap like extension emerging from its sides that is capable of covering its upper body and head like a shell.

Suffice to say the mere sight of the creature freaked everyone the fuck out and they immediately trained their weapons on it, ready to put it down.

“What is this abomination!?” Takeo exclaimed.

“It looks similar to a human. But it's not. What is it a failed experiment or something?” Dempsey questioned.

“I don't like this thing.” Naruto, the future one, stated with a freaked out expression on his face. “It's giving me the creeps.”

“What on Earth is it?” Nikolai questioned aloud to himself.

“This creature is what has been watching us.” Samantha answered without taking her gaze off of it. “It was halfway submerged into a tree believe it or not.”

“Let us go you bitch!” The terrified white half of the creature exclaimed, with the deceivingly calm black side adding, “Or else-” His monologue was interrupted when Samantha increased her grip on the beings neck, causing it to choke in pain.

“Or else what?” She leaned in, her ominously glowing eyes looming down at the creature threateningly. “Humour me. I can use a good laugh. No-” She said stopping the creature from speaking. “actually I have a better idea. Let's see what's in your mind.”

Samantha put her hand on top of the creatures head and channelled Element 115 into it. The black and white halved creature's terrified and pained echoed through the air as Samantha ruthlessly tore through their mental defences and took everything she needed.

By the time she was finished the humanoid creature was brain dead. Pulling her hand back she closed her eyes and flicked through the information she had gained. She did not like what she saw. She knew everything, from its birth, what it did during its years of existence, to its own absolute goal.

Eyes opening a deeply scowling Samantha dropped the comatose humanoid, known as Zetsu, to the ground and took out her Ray Gun. She pulled the trigger and Zetsu, both black and white, were atomised in moments. Returning the highly advanced weapon back to its holster, Samantha turned and looked at Naruto's past self, who was staring at her in shock with what she had done. The other Naruto, her Naruto, merely looked on with an raised eyebrow.

Dropping to her feet she approached the young boy and looked down at him.

“What do you know of Akatsuki?” She knew everything, that much is true, but that doesn't mean the young version of Naruto does. She wants to know how much he knows of them.

“Wh-what?” The boy is startled at the sudden question but from the expression on his face, the boy knows of them, or at the very least has had an encounter with them in the past.

“Akatsuki. Who. Are. They? What do you know of them?” The German girl pressed on.

“Not much! All I know is they're an organization of dangerous ninjas!” He is telling a partial truth. He knows they're after him for the Nine Tailed Fox sealed in him. But he doesn't know of the reason.

“Samantha, what's going on?” She heard Dempsey ask.

Without looking she pointed at the spot Zetsu use to be before it was atomised and said, “From what I got from its memories, that plant thing was part of this Akatsuki organization. It was spying on us when it noticed us enter the area, but was very focused on you three.” She looked at both Naruto's and Fuu respectively. She then looked at the younger Naruto and Fuu this time because her Naruto wouldn't know anything of this thanks to his memory loss. Which means his past self is the next best candidate. “Care to explain what it is you have that they want?”

Fuu shrugged with a clueless look on her face as never heard of the Akatsuki up until now. The pre-teen Naruto on the other hand had instinctively put his hand on his stomach, where the seal holding back the Nine Tails is located.

The past Naruto however spoke up seeing as he is the only one who knows the most about them. Not to mention Samantha looks pretty freaking scary and imposing the way she looks now. “I don't know much. As I said before, they're an organization of dangerous ninjas. But I did run in to two of them before.”

Samantha narrowed her eyes. “And let me guess: you have something that they want. Something powerful and dangerous. Am I right?”

The boy didn't say anything but he answered by nodding in the affirmative. He saw the indifference in her expression. It was like she expected it, or rather, she already knew about it. But how could she have known unless...

“You already know what they want. Don't you? You have its memories.”

Samantha nodded confirmedly. “I do know what they want.” She exhaled and crossed her arms and looked between both Naruto's with worry and pity. “Suffice to say what that creature wanted to do is dangerous. This Akatsuki that is after you, wants what you and the 8 others contain to create a weapon that will enforce 'peace'. The plant thing had another idea.” She exhaled once more and put her hand on the boy's forehead; he was so surprised he didn't have a chance to react as foreign memories began to download into his brain. “It'll be better if I were to just show you rather than tell you. The memory dump will likely give you a raging headache, but I have full confidence you will persevere.”

It only took a moment, but for the boy it was a moment too long. He fell flat on his ass and held his head in his hands as he grit his teeth in pain.

Christ, his head felt like it was going to split apart! The Nine Tailed Fox was working overtime to allow the centuries worth of memories flow through his mind without them breaking him down. But now he knows what the Akatsuki is doing and why they want the Nine Tails. It is as Samantha said; the leader, the figure head with strange rippling purple eyes, wants to collect the chakra beasts to create a weapon that would enforce peace in the Elemental Nations.

By using the Tailed Beasts he would destroy the Hidden Villages; and with them out of the way he would snuff out any resistance. Then he would create small wars and stomp them out. Making everyone live in a state of fear. Everyone would be living in a time of tyranny.

The true leader on the other hand, wants to create a monster of such devastating power from the Tailed Beasts and after taking control of it put the entire world in an illusion.

When the foreign memories finally settled in his noggin' he went pale on the face. He could feel the Nine Tails inside of him radiating with worry and fear, which was a first for the boy considering the bastard fox had always showed malice, anger and spite filled with smugness.

“Oh, crap...”

“I know that look.” The older Naruto said with worried eyes. “That is the expression of someone who knows something bad is going to happen.” He looked at Samantha, who had turned back to normal at this time, and asked, “What was it from that plant thing that you showed my past self?”

“Something zhat may be just as bad as to vhat happened to zhe place ve came from.” Those who were in the know knew what she was talking about.

“Holy shit,” Dempsey slowly said, “if what's going to happen is just as bad as that then this kid is going to need all the help he can get.”

“We can't get ourselves involved in this Tank.” The older Naruto said. “We have enough problems already.”

Dempsey nodded as he already knew that. “Oh, I know kiddo. But what I'm curious if this Akatsuki is active in the future? Because if it's the case then we're gonna have to fight them off alongside the zombies. And believe me when I say that fighting on two fronts is not ideal.”

“Well we never heard anything about this group. So chances are they may have been overrun by the zombies and killed off.”

“And if they're not?” The teenage blonde asked,

“Then we put the fuckers down.”

Everyone except Fuu had voiced their acknowledgement to that, and Naruto smiled at knowing his friends will back him up. With that out of the way the group continued on to their destination. After several hours of walking they saw a large wall with a two metre open gate far in the distance.

They all stopped in the middle of the road and Nikolai took out his Hyena Infra-Dead to get a better view. While it is made to pick up the signature of Element 115 within corpses, because it's a sniper rifle it can still let you see far into the distance. Nikolai can see the dark un-glowing forms of several people around the gate.

If his scope is right then he is seeing at least five to ten people around the gate. Maybe more. Nikolai relayed this information to the others and they decided to talk amongst themselves on what to do next. The objective is getting Naruto's past self back home, and they achieved that, but they're certain they are going to bring them in and will want to question them and quite possibly confiscate their weapons.

Dempsey being the designative team leader spoke up, “Samantha, when we get there, get ready to teleport us out just in case they have the bright idea on taking us in for questioning. I have no intention on letting then get their hands on us.”

The German girl nodded affirmatively. “Understood.”

“We're gonna need to do something about my past self as well just to be sure.” Everyone, even the younger Naruto, looked at him with surprise.

“What is it you mean? You want memories removed?” Nikolai questioned for clarification seeing as he saw everyone else looking at the 16 year old as if he had lost his mind.

Thankfully the 16 year old saw the looks he was getting and both elaborated and added on to what he meant. “I mean I want the memories of that place gone. If I remember correctly there are people over there,” he pointed at the Hidden Village, “that can delve into your mind. I don't remember the specifics but I'll wager they're able to see and experience everything the person they're looking into has done.”

“Future me is right.” Everyone looked at the boy who shrunk slightly under their intense gaze. “There is a Clan in Konohagakure that can go into your mind and take things from you. There's a girl I know who belongs to that clan. So, um...” the 13 year old looked at his future self, “if you are set on stopping what is happening in your future, I think taking away my memories of that place is a good idea.”

“Hmm, maybe taking away that particular memory isn't a good idea.” Dempsey said and as everyone looked at him questionably he continued saying, “who knows what'll happen if his mind is messed with. Maybe suppressing it would be a better option?”

“Good idea.” The two Naruto's said simultaneously.

With the two Naruto's in agreement Samantha proceeded to suppress everything relating to the stone henge. Its name blank, the area the two Naruto's met one another had been blacked out leaving the two of them in a twisted mess of colours. The path they took leading to the Valley of the End had been done the same too. Only up until the teleportation.

“It is done.” She announced with the 13 year old shaking the cobwebs from his head.

“Good...” The 13 year old sighed as he held the side of his head in discomfort. He looked towards his birthplace, exhaled and after looking at his temporary companions he gestured them to follow. “Well, let's get this over with.”

“Right behind you mini-me.” The 16 year old said before gesturing him to lead, “Lead on.”

Now they were moving again Nikolai slung his Hyena Infra-Dead back over his shoulder and followed Naruto's past self to Konohagakure.

As they made their way to the Hidden Village, they hoped this encounter with the residence wouldn't escalate into something big and over drastic. But they knew, no matter the outcome, this was going to be nuts.

Just when did this become so complicated?