---

“Woah! What is this?!” A startled and surprised announcer blurts out. “Jin Uzumaki, a legendary shinobi who attacked the 5 Kage Summit and wielder of the Rinnegan, has graced us with his presence!”

The Onikage stands proudly with his arms folded in a darkened arena of a colosseum with the only light source being the bright beam of a spotlight; to everyone’s delight, the spectators all eye him up as their mouths salivate with a most ravenous greed.

It’s now November, and the Storm Village leader has traveled all the way to the Colosseum, a popular venue for underworld arena-style matches akin to the Roman Empire, situated on a remote island that is not marked on any maps, and therefore can only be found by those who already know where it is. Similar to the Chunin Exams, the Colosseum's combatants fight each other in one-on-one matches in front of a crowd. However, the combatants are rarely willing participants, instead being forced to do battle by the island's wealthier patrons who have "acquired" them through various means. Although spectators can gamble on the fights' outcome, the greatest gains can be made by the combatants' owners: the losing combatant becomes the property of the winning combatant's master. Although the combatants are typically little better than slaves, fighters with kekkei genkai are considered especially lucrative.

Ugh… I’ve been here less than an hour and I already fucking hate this hellhole. I’m telling the 5 Great Nations about this island as soon as I’m done here… Wearing a poker face, the disgusted Jin boldly steps forward and exclaims, “I fully welcome all challengers, and I’ll free all the shinobi here. If you truly desire my power… Give it your best shot.”

As soon as the Onikage finishes speaking, scores-and-scores of ninjas all descend upon him like a swarm of enraged wasps; they all gather their chakra and quickly weave a multitude of hand signs.

“Vapor Style…!”

“Lightning Style…!”

“Lava Style…!”

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“Eight Trigrams Air Palm!”

Meanwhile, miles away, Ayanami is currently running through a massive, old, rundown mansion located in the Demon Way; she releases a high-speed palm thrust, sending out a powerful blast of concussive air which completely decimates a horde of enemy puppets; each and every puppet shatters into millions of pieces.

Not bothering to stop, the kunoichi continues sprinting down the abandoned mansion for she is on a mission; Jin had given her the assignment to recruit a medical ninja by the name of “Malice,” the apparent main antagonist of the video game, Naruto Shippuden 3D: The New Era.

The dusty, old wooden planks creak every few steps the young Hyuga takes through the dimly lit passage; the floor feels like it could give out under her at any moment, but she presses forward, remaining undeterred.

♦♦♦♦♦

“…gifted medical ninja. A master puppeteer. And she possesses an unusual kekkei genkai.” The Onikage lists off her powers and abilities. “It doesn’t matter if it's hard work or talent, we need remarkable people like that.”

Ayanami folds her arms. “I don’t feel comfortable adding a villa–”

“Malice is not a villain, but another victim of all the previous regimes’ failures.” Jin interjects.

“Hmmm… I don’t know about this…” The skeptical Kunoichi shakes her head.

Adamant, Jin weaves the Ram hand sign. “Okay, I’m just gonna go ahead and psychically feed you her dossier.”

♦♦♦♦♦

I’m putting my trust in you, Jin… You better be right about this… Ayanami broods while still running.

*CREAK* *RUMBLE* *BOOM*

*CREAK* *RUMBLE* *BOOM*

The kunoichi stops dead in her tracks the very instant the entire structure begins to shake violently; it feels as if this massive mansion could collapse at any moment when she detects powerful chakra directly under her. The veins around Ayanami’s eyes bulge as she activates her Byakugan, spotting two chakra signatures; one is comparable to a Kage while this other is on par with a tailed beast.

Huh…? Something feels off with that larger chakra signature… The analytical kunoichi focuses her chakra into her leg as she raises it into the air.

The young Hyuga swiftly slams her heel down against the floor; the planks instantly shatter into numerous splinters, allowing Ayanami to fall deep underground, with style.

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“Yuto, calm down,” Malice yells to her creation. “Don’t you recognize your mother?!”

The medical ninja frantically tries to grab the attention of the puppet she used to revive her long-deceased son; the puppet has mutated from all the chakra it was giving, growing to the size of a tailed beast; the puppet now has three heads with six arms, and what appears to be a glowing orb on the center head’s forehead.

The puppet gives her a look of apathy mixed with confusion. “Why’d you call me that?”

“What?” Perplexed, Malice takes a step back; her head tilts to one side.

“I said,” The colossal puppet repeats itself as it quickly grabs the medical ninja, holding her in its palm. “Why did you call me ’Yuto,’ woman? That is not my name. And what have you done to me?!”

Struggling, Malice reaches for the puppet. “Y-You’re Yuto… my s-son…”

The puppet tightens its grip on the woman, interrupting what would have been an impassioned plea to cease its rampage; its six eyes glow a radiant and ominous red, terrifying the helpless Malice. Blood begins trickling down the corners of her mouth

“That is not my name… I am–!”

*BOOM!* *CRUMBLE!*

To their surprise, the underground laboratory’s ceiling completely shatters with Ayanami falling through the massive hole; she gracefully lands on her feet but is soon startled by the scene she had just walked into.

“What’s going on here?!” The Storm Kunoichi demands.

Eyes as wide as saucers, Ayanami’s jaw drops; she sees a giant, three-headed puppet, accosting a woman looks like Malice, based off of Jin’s memories; she is a beautiful woman who appears to be in her thirties with medium black hair, light yellow-orange eyes, and two silver hairpins tied on the back of her hair. Her fringe covers her right eye. She wears a black kimono with a white sash, black fingerless gloves, a white jacket with a higher collar and blue rose-printed textures, black leg warmers, gray shinobi sandals and a black forehead protector around her neck.

So, that must be Malice… and that puppet… The Hyuga’s gaze falls on the three-headed creature.

The puppet’s chakra feels chaotic and mushed together to Ayanami, but also strangely familiar, in a terrifying manner; she can’t help but think back to when she fought in the desert during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Gulping, Ayanami remarks, “…That hunk of wood? Something about it is awfully familiar…”

“That hair and those eyes… you’re of the Hyuga clan, are you not?” The puppet analyzes her while winding back one of its arms.

The villainous marionette throws a mighty, lightning-fast left jab; the nimble kunoichi dodges it by swiftly dashing counterclockwise to the attack and continues to run along the room. The Storm Ninja quickly circles back and leaps toward the puppet, delivering a powerful left hook to its leftmost head; cracks form all across its cheek.

“Hmm… Not bad at all…” The puppet says as it raises two of its hands, bringing them together. “How about a little of this?”

The creature swings its hands down for a double ax-handle, but Ayanami vanishes before it can even touch her; she then instantly reappears right behind the puppet, landing a double ax-handle of her own before disappearing again; the marionette staggers to the side as cracks form on the back of its middle head.

“What’s this? I’m being pressured by this lowly Hyuga? How…?” The puppet roars while throwing a left hook at the darting shinobi.

The swift and stealthy Ayanami flies directly behind the creature’s arm in mid-punch so as to not be noticed; she uses this opening to tear off the thumb and index finger on the hand holding Malic, freeing her.

While carrying the medical ninja, the storm ninja leaps back over a dozen meters away from the puppets; she gently sets the injured woman down.

A stern yet patient Ayanami calmly asks, “Exactly whose chakra did you use to make that puppet?”

“I only wanted to bring back my son, Yuto…” Now sitting against the wall, Malice hangs her head low in shame and defeat. “D-During the war, there were… so many Kage-level combatants fighting in that desert… It made the most sense to use their chakras…”

“Except that THING isn’t Yuto, it’s Madara Uchiha… A poor facsimile, anyway, made lesser by your method of resurrection.”

Growing curious, a saddened Malice looks up at her. “Thank you for saving me… But who are you? Why are you here?”

“I am Ayanami Hyuga of the Hidden Storm Village,” Ayanami politely bows, giving a proper introduction. “And I am here, on a mission, to recruit you. But it looks like I’ll have to deal with this first.”

“Handle ME, you say? I’d rather watch you handle this… Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!” Weaving the Tiger sign, Madara spews a sea of flames from the gem in his forehead.

This whole time they’ve been conversing the sly kunoichi had been taking in the surrounding nature energy; her Byakugan have just now turned yellow as orange markings appear around her eyes.

“Madara, your era is over. Go back to the underworld!!” Ayanami shouts in defiance; she counters by throwing a senjutsu-enhanced Eight Trigrams Air Palm.

The kunoichi’s jutsu overtakes Madara’s and slams into him, sending the oversized puppet crashing against the wall; the underground lab rumbles due to the collision.

“Don’t underestimate me!” The Puppet-Madara growls.

Madara slams one of his fists down. However, Ayanami leaps back and avoids it altogether; she quickly dodges another strike by leaping into the air only to be caught between two of the puppet’s hands which clap together with the intention of swatting her like an insect.

The Storm Ninja remains undeterred; she pushes the enormous hands away, prying herself free. Ayanami charges at the main head and punches it directly in the gemstone; cracks take shape along the pearl’s surface while Madara staggers backward, feeling noticeably weaker after receiving damage from the kunoichi’s right hook; his movements have become quite sluggish and cracks are forming all over his creaking, wooden body.

An enraged Madara howls, “N-No… I c-can’t die here…! I am the destined savior of this world! I WON’T DIE HERE!!!”

The poor facsimile of the Ghost of the Uchiha builds up his remaining chakra, focusing it all into his cracked pearl.

“I’ve already fought a much stronger version of you, Madara, and you died. This thing you’ve become… You don’t have what it takes to beat me. Not this time. It’s over, Madara. You can’t win this fight. I’m going to defeat you.”

As Ayanami stands her ground while she speaks, she activates her Tenseigan and its Chakra Mode, coating her entire body in cyan-green chakra; it flickers like a majestic flame. The kunoichi focuses chakra into her right hand; the chakra takes the form of a hound made of black lightning.

“This is it! Six Paths: Lightning Beast Running Fang!!” The storm ninja unleashes her jutsu in all its fury.

Before Madara can even launch his final attack, he is soon overwhelmed and engulfed in Ayanami’s attack; the electric dog incinerates each and every cell in Madara’s body while simultaneously melting all the metal components as well.

“…Gaaagh! DAMN YOOUUUU….!!” The Madara-puppet’s final words before he is reduced to ash.

So, as to not start a cave in, the clever kunoichi puts her chakra control to the test, lowering the destructive capacity to just the puppet and only the puppet; all that remains is a dust cloud with a few unpleasant memories.

“Phew…”

Certain that the fake Madara’s chakra has completely vanished, Ayanami breathes a sigh of relief; she relaxes, powering back down to her base form.

I’m thankful that it was just a cheap imitation and not the real Madara… The young kunoichi thinks to herself while dusting her hands off; the look of satisfaction on her face speaks volumes. …Now where was I…? Oh, yeah--Malice…

The Storm Ninja looks back, focusing her attention back on the forlorn medical ninja; while Ayanami was fighting, Malice had apparently healed herself due to the fact that she is now standing up; she leans against the wall with her head hanging low in defeat; her eyes are oceans of despair.

“Look… I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through, Malice,” Ayanami speaks with a tender and patient tone; her empathy is so strong, it floods the whole laboratory. “But if you work with us, we’ll do everything in our power to help you through this.”

Malice lifts up her head and stares back at the kunoichi, behind her tears are eyes ripe with anguish and outrage.”…The world took my husband and son from me… I tried to bring my son back and you saw how that went. HOW could you possibly help me…?!”

Ayanami quickly answers with, “Jin Uzumaki, my dear friend and the Onikage, knows the 2nd Hokage’s Reanimation Jutsu; he can bring back your son. All he needs is a sample of his DNA.”

“So… You just came all the way to this… godforsaken place to recruit me, and are offering up what I desire most?” Malice queries; skepticism is written all over her teary-eyed face. “Why’re you desperate to have me join you? For what reason could you possibly want me?”

“Our world is in danger; a race of aliens called the Otsutsuki clan are going to invade us. I can go into more detail on the way back to the Hidden Storm Village.”

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*Clang* *Crunch* *Thwack*

*Clang* *Crunch* *Thwack*

*Clang* *Crunch* *Thwack*

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Land of Fire, Rito has a couple mugonhei digging in a cave; Mileena had given him intel on a powerful ninja who was sealed away during the Warring States Period. The symbiote claimed this particular shinobi possessed strength that could be of great use to them.

What was it the Wright Brothers invented again? The three-axis control system…? The young genius ponders, trying to draw up blueprints. …the high wing twists up, catches the wind while the low side twists, creating drag…

While his mindless clay dolls perform menial labor, Rito is in the process of reinventing the wheel i.e., the flying machine and by extension, the airplane in order to repair the many devices they salvaged from the Land of Sky; this will not only be a great boon to the world, but it will also make the young genius rich and famous in the process.

*Thud*

That sudden thud of sound grabs Rito’s attention, bringing him back to why he was even here in the first place; he jumps to his feet from where he is sitting.

*Thud* *Thud*

“Don’t just stand there, dig it up! We struck gold!” Rito excitedly commands.

The mugonhei scramble to excavate what they had been searching for, a cylindrical casket covered in sealing tags with a rope tied around it; judging from the wear-and-tear of the wood and rope, the coffin must be, at the very least, a hundred years old if not older.

After lifting the casket out of the ground, the clay dolls gently set it on the floor before Rito who has begun infusing his chakra; he places his left hand over the coffin while his right hand weaves the Tiger seal.

“Release!” Rito chants while channeling his chakra into the casket.

The sealing tags all simultaneously combust into flames and burn away. Subsequently, the rope wrapped around the sarcophagus unites itself in a very poltergeist-like manner.

With a simple gesture, Rito flips the lid off the casket and cautiously looks in, gazing at its contents; to his surprise, the ninja inside is a girl slightly older than himself; she has spiky black hair with a blue tint which reaches past her shoulder blades. The old, tattered, blue cloak she wears can hardly be considered clothes.

The hell? This sheila looks about my age, maybe older… Rito is disgusted by the bandages and chains around her legs. “…This is Nanashi Uchiha? J-Just… What the hell happened to her?”

The boy watches as the girl’s eyes pop open, she looks up and they make eye contact; her eyes are filled with an incomprehensible dread and a soul-sucking depression. Rito immediately moves out of the way as the kunoichi bursts out of the coffin she was sealed in; she clumsily rushes to the cave entrance with the young genius quickly chasing after her; she stumbles before catching herself and continues running.

The mugonhei waiting at the entrance sense them coming and brandish their weapons, prepared to strike the kunoichi down.

“Don’t hurt her!” Rito commands them, shouting. “It was a century for us, but for her it’s only been a few minutes!”

The clay dolls heed their master’s orders and back down, allowing the girl to dash past them. Once outside, in a forest clearing, the young genius watches the girls stop in her tracks and take in the sunlight; she takes a deep breath and falls to her knees.

Be cool, Rito. You NEED to play your cards very carefully right now… The boy quietly broods while he slowly and cautiously inches closer to the young girl.

“How long?” The girl asks, looking away with her head hanging low.

“About a century, give or take.”

The girl groans in a quiet tone as she rises back onto her feet, slowly turning to face Rito; her head remains low.

“…You’re Nanashi Uchiha, right?” Feeling awkward, the young genius smiles, scratching the back of his head. “I know this is a weird thing to ask when we’ve just met, but… would you mind joining up with the Storm Village? We’re looking for powerful shinobi to recruit and you happen to fit the bill.”

“Join you?” The girl lifts up her head and looks him in the eye.

Rito takes a step back when he witnesses the kunoichi’s lifeless expression has changed, turning into one with a seething anger; her eyes have transformed from a solid black to red with three tomoe, proof of her Uchiha blood; powerful chakra erupts from her body while she reveals her fangs and clenches her fists.

“I hate the ninja world… HATE it…!” She says through gritted teeth. “What I want… is to destroy it!!”

“You don’t need to tell me that,” The boy’s smile fades, and he takes on a more serious demeanor. “I get it. I understand where you’re coming from.”

“The world turned me into a weapon and took away my name… WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND?!!” Nanashi snarls; provoked by his choice of words, the girl scowls.

“I too was treated as nothing more than an object… I never knew my parents and spent my early childhood being a guinea pig for invasive and unethical experiments; they wanted to grant kekkei genkai to those who don’t possess them… themselves. My earliest memory is being locked up in a jail cell with others who shared my fate…”

Giving a thousand-yard stare, the boy laments having to share his life story, in detail; horrible memories that he has tried so hard to repress are coming back to him, bubbling up to the surface. However, as he continues speaking, a new feeling emerges from deep within, a sense of relief and some triumph oddly enough.

“I wanted the pain to end every day. I wanted to die, but they wouldn’t even let me have that…”

“Wh-What… What happened after?” Nanashi asks, taking a few steps closer; her anger subsided, and her expression has softened.

“I met the people who would become my best friends, my family.” Rito gives a shy grin.

Confused, the kunoichi looks at him. “Does having people who care about you really make that much of a difference?”

“Oh, it makes a whole WORLD of difference.” The young genius shakes his head, coming back to reality; he gives her a firm, but fair look. “You’re not wrong for being angry, for wanting to destroy the world that hurt you, BUT… What kind of world will you create to replace it with?”

“What?” Nanashi questions, confused.

“My friends and I are trying to make it so that the things that were done to you and me never happen to anyone else ever again. Help us make that a reality; join us and I’ll protect as if you were my own, I will do my damnedest to make sure that every day onward is a joy.”

The Uchiha’s eyes begin to glimmer as her cheeks become flushed red due to hearing Rito’s request; full of sincerity, he holds out his hand to her; she hesitates for a brief moment, pulling back some. However, Nanashi takes a deep breath and slowly reaches for it.

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Meanwhile, back at the Colosseum, Jin stands tall in the center of the arena to the shock and awe of the dead-silent audience; the wealthy patrons are completely devastated by what they had just witnessed. The Onikage calmly looks down at numerous shinobi he defeated; they were all strewn across the arena floor, beaten the same way, a single well placed karate chop to the back of each of their necks.

“This is something no one could’ve ever imagined… Jin Uzumaki has beaten every last shinobi!” The announcer exclaims; he too is in shock and awe. “Which means that he’s acquired every single shinobi.”

“So now… what happens to us?”

Jin looks to his right and sees one of the ninjas he beat, a thirteen-year-old boy with tan skin and snow-white hair, slowly picks himself up; there is a faint trace of fear in his eyes.

The Onikage gets down on one knee so that they are on eye-level “The Hidden Storm will take you in. Welcome to the family.”

“You will?” The boy asks.

“Yes. We of the Hidden Storm will safeguard all of you shinobi.” Jin gives a warm smile while weaving the Ram hand sign, performing the Mind Transmission Jutsu. “Hey, Ino, Naruto, you there?”

“…Huh?” Naruto responds.

“Jin? Why are you contacting us?” Ino questions.

“I have some info to pass onto your Ninja Alliance… Think of it as a show of good faith. What if I told you there was an island where illegal gambling and slave trade took place?”

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A day later, miles away in the Land of Snow, Jaeger is walking down a hallway with the diplomat he is guarding; he finds himself confused and surprised as the one escorting them to meet with Lady Koyuki Kazahana is none other than the snow ninja, Fubuki Kakuyoku.

Isn’t Fubuki the enemy kunoichi from the Land of Snow movie? But she should be dead. How…? The Storm Ninja ponders to himself, brooding. Maybe this version of her is good. Or did she just survive past the movie somehow…?

“Is something on your mind?” The curious diplomat asks.

“It’s nothing. Just not looking forward to the boat ride back home when we’re finished here.”

The diplomat nods, “Ah… I see.”

“We’re here,” Fubuki says, garnering their attention; she opens the door and utters. “Lady Koyuki? The envoys from the Land of Ogres are here to see you.”