Gaea watched the chaos unfold before her, her heart sinking deeper with every passing moment. The battle that had started with so much promise had turned into an uncontrollable nightmare. Her eyes flicked desperately over the battlefield, her mind unable to process the magnitude of it all. "This can't happen... My Naruto can't be hurt!" she muttered under her breath, her voice tinged with disbelief and growing panic.
She could feel the world trembling beneath her feet, the very air thickening with the tension of her rage. The power she had so carefully kept contained now surged within her, threatening to overwhelm everything. Her domain, once a place of order and control, now warped and cracked with the intensity of her emotions. 'How dare they... How dare they hurt him?!' Her anger spiraled out of control, and the world around her began to buckle beneath the force of her fury. The very fabric of reality trembled, and it seemed as though all life on the planet was on the brink of being consumed by the overwhelming darkness of her wrath.
"Calm down, sister," a soft, dark voice broke through the madness. A figure appeared beside her, stepping out of the shadows. Gaea's eyes snapped toward her, her anger flaring as she recognized the presence. Nyx, her sister, stood there, calm and composed, her appearance as dark and enigmatic as the night sky itself.
"Nyx, are you going to stop me?" Gaea's voice was laced with venom as she glared at her sister. Her hands twitched, itching to unleash her full power, to tear apart the world that had dared to hurt her beloved.
Nyx's lips curled into a small, knowing smile as she studied her sister's frantic state. "I wouldn't really care, but do you really want your boy toy to suffer Father's wrath?" she asked, her tone teasing but with an undercurrent of cold seriousness. "You know how Father gets when you break his rules. People around you suffer. Perhaps you should have a bit more confidence in him. He seemed interesting, if not too nice for my taste," she added with a small, mocking laugh, though there was a certain respect in her words that Gaea couldn't ignore.
Gaea's breath hitched at the mention of Father, her mind briefly recalling the terror that accompanied his punishments. 'No... I can't let that happen... not to him.' She closed her eyes, trying to center herself as Nyx's words began to sink in. For a moment, it felt like she was losing everything—her anger, her control, her hope. But slowly, the storm inside her began to subside, the chaos receding as she clung to the only thing that mattered. 'Naruto... I have to believe in him. He can do this. He's strong. He will come back.'
Gaea muttered to herself in a daze, her voice a whisper of desperation. "Yes, Naruto should be able to do this." Her tone lacked the fire it once had, but there was a thread of resolve weaving through it now. She took a deep breath, feeling the intensity of the moment settle into something calmer, something more controlled.
Nyx, ever the elusive and detached figure, offered her sister a quiet nod of understanding. "Thanks, sis. I would have made it worse by doing this," Gaea said in a calmer, more collected tone. She could feel her thoughts realign, her emotions slowly becoming manageable once again. The destructive force that had been threatening to tear her apart was now under control, and the world around her began to settle, the shaking subsiding.
"No problem," Nyx replied, her voice as cold and distant as ever. With a final glance at her sister, she vanished into the shadows, leaving Gaea alone with her thoughts.
For a moment, Gaea stood there, lost in the silence that had replaced the fury. 'Naruto... please come back soon. I don't want to be alone anymore.' The words hung in the air like a prayer, a desperate plea from the heart of a mother who had already lost so much.
And it was as if the very world itself answered her.
Far away, in the depths of darkness, Naruto stirred. His consciousness began to rise from the abyss, like a slumbering soul slowly awakening from a nightmare. His vision was clouded, his mind still foggy, but there was something pulling him upward, out of the murky depths. The darkness around him was all-encompassing, a void that seemed endless, but with each passing moment, the pressure seemed to lessen. A sense of awareness bloomed within him, and slowly, his senses sharpened.
He blinked, his vision clearing to reveal the nightmare before him. He was standing in a twisted, dreamlike world, a place where reality felt as though it could bend and break at any moment. The sky above was a murky black, filled with swirling shadows that seemed to shift and writhe like living things. The ground beneath his feet was cracked and uneven, as though it had been torn apart by some unseen force. The air was thick, oppressive, and heavy with the weight of countless souls.
'What... is this place?' Naruto thought, his mind still struggling to fully grasp his surroundings. He could feel something familiar, a presence calling to him from beyond the darkness. But it was distant, too far for him to reach just yet.
In the distance, he saw a faint light flicker—a small beacon in the vast, empty expanse. His body moved without thinking, instinctively pulling him toward it. Each step was heavy, as if the very fabric of reality was trying to hold him back, but he pressed forward, determination setting in. He could hear something in the distance, like the faint echo of a voice. 'Gaea...' the name whispered through his mind, and he felt a surge of emotion—anger, sadness, and a deep longing that pushed him onward.
It was then that he realized, the feeling of isolation that had plagued him for so long was not just the void surrounding him—it was the absence of Gaea. He needed her. He needed to return to her.
Naruto's heart beat faster, and as he pushed forward, the darkness around him began to dissipate. The nightmare world began to fracture, the edges crumbling away as he stepped closer to the light. 'I won't let you be alone, Gaea. I'll find my way back.'
With that thought, he surged forward, his strength returning with each step, each beat of his heart. He wasn't alone anymore. He would come back. He would return to her. And together, they would face whatever came next.
Naruto's rage burned fiercely as he emerged from the dark waters, his body shaking with fury. His heart pounded in his chest, and his eyes blazed with a hatred that seemed to consume him from within. His gaze swept the desolate landscape, desperate to find a target for his anger, but the emptiness around him was suffocating. There was no one to fight, no one to destroy.
"AHH!" he screamed in frustration, his fists pounding the earth with the force of his wrath. The ground cracked beneath him, but it did nothing to ease the burning anger that gripped him.
His breath came in ragged gasps, his mind spiraling out of control. 'Why wouldn't they listen? Why couldn't they understand?' He slammed his fist into the earth again, the impact sending a shockwave through the ground.
'Why did Ella and Alice have to die?' The thought hit him like a hammer, the guilt suffocating him, the weight of their loss crushing him from all sides. The anguish tore at his soul, and he couldn't stop the tears that welled up in his eyes.
"I'm sorry..." he muttered, his voice barely a whisper, as he sank to his knees on the dark, barren earth. His mind was flooded with regret, but no matter how much he wished it were different, the reality of their deaths would never change. 'You should have killed them. They were filth, just like the rest of their kind,' a voice whispered, insidious and cold in his mind.
Naruto recoiled at the thought, the dark voice tempting him to give in, to embrace the hatred that threatened to consume him. 'Fulfill your duty, child of mine,' it coaxed, its words like poison dripping into his mind. The dark force swirled around him, urging him to act.
"No…" Naruto growled, shaking his head violently. "Get out of my head." He tried to search for the source of the voice, but it was everywhere and nowhere at once, a presence that slithered in the edges of his consciousness.
He felt the power of the world—his world—sinking into a dark pit. 'Everything has gone wrong since I've been reborn. Gaea was right… No more mercy. If they don't listen, they are dead. Those three have already lost their chance. Next time, I will erase them for this.'
His thoughts became darker, the weight of loss shaping his resolve. The fierce light in his eyes flickered between green and black, the essence of his soul shifting, torn between the principles he had once held and the rage that now consumed him. He knew this change was not instantaneous, not something that could be decided in the blink of an eye. It would take time—time to embrace the new direction his soul was headed, but the tension between the two forces was palpable.
Naruto stood, pushing himself to his feet, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the empty, rocky surroundings. 'If I'm here, the other three will be here as well. I should meet up with them first.' His mind cleared slightly as he buried his guilt deep within. Moping would solve nothing. The only way forward was to push ahead.
With a steely resolve, he began walking, his footsteps echoing in the silence of the barren land. The air was thick, oppressive, and the only life in sight was a group of ravenous wolf-like monsters, their glowing eyes trained on him, hungry and waiting. He dismissed them with a cold glance—these creatures were nothing to him. He was not here for them, but for something more.
Without hesitation, Naruto's speed increased, the wind around him sharpening his movements. The wolves had no chance. He struck them down one by one, his power overwhelming their weak forms. With each monster he killed, he absorbed their essence, their power, but the increase was almost nonexistent. They were too weak, and the energy they provided barely registered.
He continued, walking without stopping, his mind focused on finding something more useful, something more capable of answering the questions he had about Ella, Alice, and Albion. But as he pressed onward, a growing sense of unease began to settle in. The air here was wrong. The atmosphere weighed on him, and with every step, he could feel the corruption of the place seeping into his very being. His skin was turning a dull gray, the corruption clinging to him like a suffocating fog. He could feel the darkness gnawing at his mind, whispering cruel thoughts that made him want to lash out for no reason at all.
"Che…" Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance, his patience wearing thin as his body fought against the unnatural taint that surrounded him. He focused his energy inward, cleansing the poison from his system. His resolve was strong—he wouldn't let this place break him.
"This place is definitely troublesome…" Naruto muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. "Even my connection to nature is weak here." The words felt like an understatement. The world around him seemed hostile, and his own powers, once so in tune with the natural forces, now felt sluggish and constrained. It was as if the very essence of life here was being drained, making it harder to feel the flow of power that usually came so naturally.
Naruto's thoughts shifted as he began to reflect on the changes he had felt since his death. His body had grown stronger, that much was certain. The constant use of power without restraint before his death had affected him in ways he hadn't fully understood. 'But will it increase more if I do it again?' The question lingered in his mind as he weighed his options. Could he push his body even further? Could he tap into more of the destructive power he now possessed?
As he walked deeper into the heart of the dark land, the landscape began to shift. The monsters were becoming more numerous, their forms more varied and bizarre. He could see swarms of beasts in the distance, each one more dangerous than the last. 'That's a lot,' Naruto thought, his senses sharpening as he took in the sight of the vast waves of monsters that dotted the landscape. 'It feels like seeing the huge waves of Zetsu during the war…'
Naruto didn't hesitate for long. The thought of being overwhelmed by such a massive horde didn't appeal to him, so he shifted his direction, heading toward the mountains in the distance. The terrain here was treacherous, but it seemed to offer fewer of the beasts that had begun to crowd the land.
He climbed with ease, his body no longer bound by the limitations that once plagued him. As he ascended, he encountered fewer creatures, but the ones he did meet were swiftly dealt with. He killed them without a second thought, devouring their power as he went. However, the increase was minimal—far too weak to make any meaningful difference. And, even worse, without Gaea's presence to amplify his powers, the effects were significantly reduced.
Naruto's frustration began to grow once more. He knew he was strong, but in this place, his strength felt diminished, and the ever-present feeling of emptiness gnawed at his resolve. The road ahead would not be easy, but he would press on. He had to find the answers.
Naruto stood in the shadowed landscape, his thoughts turbulent, when the voice spoke again—this time, it echoed all around him, making it impossible to tell where it was coming from.
"You seem to be doing well," the feminine voice remarked, laced with amusement. Naruto tensed, instinctively scanning the barren surroundings, but there was no sign of anyone.
"No need to be so alarmed, Naruto. I am a friend." The voice suddenly whispered into his ear, and he felt the press of arms coiling around his chest from behind. A warmth spread across his back, and for the briefest moment, he froze, sensing the immense strength behind the presence.
He tried to move, but the woman's grip was unyielding. The power she exerted was overwhelming. Naruto knew instantly that she was far stronger than he was in this moment. Yet, there was no malice in her touch. No immediate threat.
He stopped struggling, his body still, and he took a deep breath, his pulse still quick with uncertainty. "Who are you, and what do you want?"
"Good boy. I am Nemesis, so you should guess why I should be here." Her voice was soft, almost teasing, as she whispered into his ear. He could feel her lips curve into a smile, enjoying his reaction as she giggled.
Naruto clenched his fists, the rage simmering just beneath the surface. "Balance, Justice, and vengeance... Did my soul attract your attention, Olympian?"
Her laugh danced through the air. "Relax. I am not like the rest. Also, you seemed to have let your anger take the best of you. I'm not an Olympian, Naruto—more like a primordial. Or should I call you uncle? Hehe..." Her words lingered, teasing, as though she already knew far more about him than she should.
Naruto's brows furrowed, his mind whirling at the mention of being an "uncle." He didn't know what that implied, but his focus remained on the more pressing matter at hand. "Sorry, I still haven't calmed down. But could you release me first, if you want to talk?"
Nemesis sighed dramatically, as if humoring him, and then—finally—released her grip. Naruto turned to face her, his posture still tense but determined to remain in control.
She stood before him, an elegant and powerful figure. At a height of 1.8 meters, she carried herself with an aura of authority. Her long black hair framed her face, and her eyes—just as black—pierced through him with an almost predatory sharpness. Her attire matched the darkness of her gaze, clad entirely in black, an enigma of shadow in the dim light of the land.
'Too much black,' Naruto thought, finding her appearance both striking and unsettling.
"What do you want?" Naruto asked bluntly, refusing to let his curiosity distract him from the matter at hand.
Nemesis smiled slyly. "I want to help you fight for justice because I am always on the right side. Also, mother asked for a favor, as she owed Aunt Gaea."
Naruto's suspicion flared as she casually referenced Gaea, but he kept his focus. "How much can you help?"
"Help? I can provide you with information, and if you decide to fight the Titans, you will need my strength," Nemesis replied, sitting down on a boulder with an air of casual authority, her posture relaxed.
"Why would I fight the Titans?" Naruto's tone was skeptical. He didn't want to believe it, but the gravity in her words was undeniable. "I have no reason to."
"Because they guard the gates," Nemesis said with an edge of seriousness that startled him. "If you want to go out, you will need to fight them. And they are at full strength in this realm at the moment."
Naruto's mind raced. 'Things get worse every minute,' he thought bitterly, his hands clenching into fists again.
"So, you'll fight them, and I get out?" he asked, his voice a mix of frustration and disbelief.
Nemesis chuckled lightly, clearly amused by his assumption. "How silly, Naruto. No. You will fight them with my power at your disposal, but only a certain percentage of it. Your survival still depends on your own skill, after all." She smiled kindly, as though offering a helping hand, but there was a sharpness in her eyes that hinted at the seriousness of her words.
"Thank you," Naruto said, his voice laced with a hint of sarcasm. "So, you said you had information. Where are my comrades, and any advice?"
Her expression shifted, becoming more neutral. "I can't help you with that. But my advice? Go in that direction." She pointed to the right, her finger cutting through the air toward a distant mountain range that loomed ahead. "Beyond that, there is a swamp."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Go and find out." Nemesis stood up, brushing the dust from her clothes, her movements fluid and confident.
Naruto stood there for a moment, contemplating her words. A swamp. A strange, unexplained location that could hold the answers—or perhaps more challenges. Nemesis seemed to know far more than she let on, but there was no denying that her presence had provided him with a new direction.
He turned his gaze back to her, giving her a long look before silently deciding to follow her advice. He needed answers, and if the swamp held them, then it was his next destination.
Without another word, he began walking toward the mountains, the weight of the unknown pressing heavily on his shoulders. Nemesis's figure slowly faded from his view as he moved onward, her words echoing in his mind. What awaited him beyond that swamp? What had she left unsaid? Only time would tell. But Naruto was ready—ready to face whatever came next, even if it meant confronting the Titans themselves.