Never Again: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 12: Depths of the Mind

"There is no hope, yet you still persevere in order to beat me. Why?" Madara asked as Naruto and Sasuke stood across from him, both men breathing heavily. 

"Because we won't allow this world to become trapped in a delusioned monster's world!" Sasuke shouted, wiping the blood from his lip as he opened his left eye, revealing his Rinnegan. "Let's go, Naruto!" 

Naruto nodded and breathed a sigh of relief as himself and Sasuke walked through the portal, teleporting into a different dimension where they could rest. Naruto collapsed to his knees and hands as he threw up.

"I told you not to over-exert yourself, idiot." Sasuke muttered under his breath, getting a small chuckle out of Naruto.

"Well it is what it is." He stood up, his body screaming at him to get some rest and lay down, but he ignored his body's pleas and continued walking alongside Sasuke. 

They would get through this, he knew they would. They would overwhelm Madara and bring back all of those who were lost using the Rinnegan they would steal from the monster of a man. He had seen Nagato use Rinne-Rebirth to revive everyone in the village after it was destroyed, so Naruto knew it was possible. 

He would bring down Madara and revive those who had given their lives for this war. 

He swore he would.

Naruto stood in an open field, his eyes closed as took deep and steady breaths. In his right hand was his sword. The wind made the grass he stood on move slightly, the trees and branches rustling as they shook steadily. 

Then a whistle. 

Naruto ducked under a kunai as it flew over his head, missing his golden blonde hair my mere millimeters as he suddenly twisted in the air, pushing off with his left foot as two more kunai glided under him.

Landing on his right foot, Naruto deflected two more kunai that had come from different directions with his sword, the metal clashing together, sparks flying off of the respective blades as Naruto shifted around and slapped another kunai with his blade.

The kunai began hailing down upon the Uzumaki, who only kept weaving between them, dodging and ducking under them with the occasionally block from his sword. It went on like this for several more minutes before Naruto sealed his sword away and began catching the kunai. 

After he had ten kunai in each hand, all expertly placed, he jumped into the air, flipping and as he spun slightly before he hurled the twenty kunai in different directions. As he landed on the ground, Naruto opened his eyes to see the smoke from twenty different shadow clones that had been scattered across the training ground, a satisfied smirk appearing on his face. 

It had taken him six times to get that down perfectly, but now that it was done, Naruto felt nothing but pride in his own accomplishment. 

He looked up at the setting sun, admiring the dark purple and orange color the sky was turning. He was interrupted from his sun-gazing when his stomach rumbled, a result from not eating anything but a banana for the day that was rapidly ending. 

Rubbing his stomach, Naruto headed to Ichiraku Ramen, a place he had neglected when he had first arrived in the alternate world he now lived in. He didn't bother checking his wallet, knowing very well he had sufficient funds.

Apparently killing Orochimaru and his accomplices in the Forest of Death rewarded a ridiculous amount of money that he could easily retire in peace with. However sad it may be, he would not retire.