The Shinobi Visitor

Chapter 44 - The Black Ship Of The Sea...

(Halloween—October 31, 1949)

South of Japan, Pacific Ocean

The U.S.S. America amphibious-class ship was strolling through the southern area of Japan, entering the Pacific Ocean as its captain and crew were given orders for two new assignments across the globe. The first was a patrolling route in Panama and Central America from July to August. The second assignment transitions to another patrolling position in the Atlantic Ocean. For the latter, the Captain planned to resupply and have liberty in the Eastern Seaboard.

Things were still somewhat tense after the Allies' victory over the Axis of Evil many months ago. Multiple ships like his were still assigned to keep watch of any remnants of Germany's naval power in case they resurfaced. Their orders were to arrest German officers for war crimes committed during what's known as World War II.

Captain Arnold Bishop was within his quarters, relaxing in his comfortable chair after a long day on the bridge. Plans, orders and keeping order on an armed ship crewed with young sailors of both the enlisted and officer class was no easy task.

He looked at the picture alighted by his desk light and smiled at his dazzling wife and happy children. How he longs for them but they knew how important his career is to serve their country. All he has to do was to serve with honor and pride.

Reaching his cup of joe, the captain paused when he noticed a small ripple on the surface followed by his pen rolling off the desk. Suddenly his years of experience with this type of foreboding force kicked in as he stood up from his seat.

"Oh no." Bishop said before the ship was harshly slammed as if by something with great force.

Picking himself up, the captain ran out of his room and towards the ship's bridge while his sailors hurried over to their assigned posts pertained to this type of situation. Finally, Bishop reached the bridge where his crew and XO braced themselves as a 15-foot wave washed over the ship, plummeting its force against the hull.

Luckily it held just as it was designed to do so. However, the captain had one question in mind.

"Where in the hell this storm come from?!" Bishop asked his long-time friend and fellow officer.

Carl Spencer looked at his commanding officer after the wave washed over the ship. "We have no idea sir. None of the weather systems detected it until after we were plummeted just now."

"Helmsman…" The said person looked at the captain. "Take us out of here!"

"Ooh-yah sir."

Bishop grabbed the PA phone and spoke firmly. -"Everybody brace yourselves and stay at your positions."- Upon hanging up the phone, Bishop still couldn't shake off this feeling of dread and went to the navigational map, specifically for the nautical coordinates.

Upon doing so, the feeling grew worse as a bead of sweat slid on his cheek once the coordinates popped on the screen.

"Oh God no." Bishop grabbed the international radio to contact the naval base back in Japan as he waited to be answered. "Come on, come on, come on."

-"U.S.S. America, this is Naval Base Osaka. We heard your emergency signal."-

"Send reinforcements to our location now! We're—"

"Sir!"

"What is it?" asked Bishop after being interrupted.

"We have incoming!" Both the highest-ranking officers looked at the main display screen as a lone dot was seen approaching the ship at the starboard side with incomprehensible speed. "What is fast enough to come out of nowhere and approach our ship?"

"Is there an island nearby?" Bishop asked despite already having an idea. His navigational officer charted their current position and used the GPS monitor to find any nearby island. He received a 'yes' from the young sailor. "Set sail for it."

"Sir?"

"We have no choice." Bishop said solemnly as the helmsman complied and steered the vessel towards their new destination. "Naval Base Osaka, our coordinates are in the Forbidden Zone Beta-300." Carl stood stiff upon hearing their location. "Send reinforcements please."

-"…We hear you, America. Help is on the way."-

Bishop hung up the phone and stood in balance despite the ship was hit by another wave, his head hung down as he knew that there were no reinforcements on the way. His only regret now was he couldn't see his family's faces anymore. He prayed for help to come.

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(Present Time—November 1, 2005)

Boston, Massachusetts

After a small party to celebrate the twins' first walk, the clan had one of the best sleeps they've had in a long time. Unfortunately, the next day was a Monday and that meant an early morning stroll throughout the city.

Suppressing a yawn as he jumped to another building, the hooded Patronus stopped at the edge upon reaching it. His mind was playing back to his clone's memories of last night: the mysterious yet powerfully dark energy deep in the mountain outside of the city; those spiders and the teenaged prisoners; and lastly that boy he met at the food truck fighting against the giant spider.

From what the clone sensed, Naruto assumes that Rokuro used something similar regarding the Light Style of Yang and the Dark Style of Yin; two incredibly advanced nature transformations of chakra. How did he do it was the question in both Naruto and Kurama's minds.

However, they both agreed that no one in this dimension possess Chakra but Ki, the same type of living energy the Elder and the members of Ryozanpaku have instead along with the rest of the Humans in the previous dimension.

"Well given what we know so far, it's plausible that there are people who use their Ki similar to how we ninja and Tailed Beast use chakra albeit different methods."

"Like the Yang and Yin transformation you claim that boy used."

"What do you mean by 'claim'? Don't tell me you're skeptical about it." Naruto gritted his teeth when Kurama snorted as his answer.

"Kurama, don't be like that." Ashura pleaded to the Tailed Beast. "Naruto is just a little antsy from waking up this morning."

"What you say?!" Naruto responded in shock at the apparent betrayal of his ancestor.

Thereby a show of bickering between the Jinchuriki, Tailed Beast and the ghost which fortunately woke up no one. However, it didn't last long as Naruto turned around and blocked something with his drawn Pivot Blade before he was blown back by the unsuspected force behind the strike.

After landing, Naruto held his left hand as he tried to calm the shaking. "That really hurt dattebayo!" The hooded Jinchuriki face-palmed himself immediately after saying his verbal tick. "Not again."

The one responsible for said attack was dressed in a peculiar attire. He wore a light green kimono underneath a long green cape with an extravagant blue collar latched around his shoulders. His eyes were unusually yellow and his brown-red hair reached his neck not unlike a woman's natural straight hair.

"Face God's judgement." The attacker declared before commencing another attack with his katana, disappearing akin to the ninja's Shunshin. Naruto followed up and disappeared as well and both combatants reappeared on the opposite sides where each other once stood. "You're fast." He said with a small bit of intrigue.

"Not bad yourself." Patronus commended as he readjusted his grip on the Pivot Blade. "How are you?" No answer came from his attacker. "Okay then. I'll go first and you tell me. My name is Patronus."

"'Protector'? How unsightly boastful of you." Although he couldn't see the hero's face, the feeling of being glared was unmistaken. "I touched a nerve." The man stated rather than asking in a calm tone.

"A friend of mine gave me the name. I appreciate it if you don't insult him." Patronus warned as his right hand flexed into a fist.

"Speaking ill of the dead is taboo. I apologize for that just as I'll be sorry once I take your life."

Slumping forward with his head, Naruto sighed loudly. "Why?"

"Just allow yourself to fate. It'll be easier for you and I." The attacker raised his katana and pointed its blade at Patronus. "I shall grant your request. I am Shogo Amakusa. And with my style of the heavens, you shall pay with your life."

"Perfect." Patronus muttered as he Shunshined to meet Shogo's unnatural speed and clashed with their blades.

The early birds below yawned, ran or drove in the city as they soon noticed sparks despite the morning light although all soon played it off as their imagination.

The several clashes soon led to the outskirts of the city as Naruto and Shogo reappeared at a familiar area after one last clash. The area where Rokuro saved the teenagers. A small breeze rustled their respective capes as they played through their past clashes.

"This guy's fast. Unbelievably fast. I think he actually sped up after one of our clashes." Patronus glanced at the small cut on his haori near his leg. He dodged the attack and the blade didn't connect with his skin but still… "This is going to take a while."

Meanwhile Shogo finished his observations as he eyed his opponent. "Very few people can match my speed let alone block my attacks. No one outside of my school can evade like he did. Even when I used my full speed in that last clash, he still countered it." His grip on the katana's hilt tightened a little. "This will not go unpunished." He thought calmly before slipping into a stance and sheathing his sword with his hand still on the grip.

Patronus played through several scenarios of the situation that seemed to have found him. None of them involved retreating due to the possibility of Shogo harming the civilians to draw him out in the open. With no other option left but to fight, Naruto smirked within his hood at the possibility of a good fight.

"This is going to be fun." Patronus muttered under breath as he jumped high in the air. He was about to commence one of his clone aerial attacks when he sensed a familiar presence… above him. "What?!"

With a subtle twinkle in his eyes as his body succumbed to gravity, Shogo swung his katana in a double-handed grip at the surprised hero. "Ryutsuisen." The sword's blade connected with Patronus' person but not the part intended.

The ground below erupted with a vast cloud of debris and rocks by the combined force of the sword strike and Naruto's Hidden Blade bracer after he crashed deep into the ground. Grimacing from the impact, Patronus's eyes widened as Shogo had his blade's tip pointed at his throat in a spinning motion.

"Ryutsuisen—Zan."

Naruto Shunshined to dodge the stabbing motion and he reappeared on the side of a tree, slightly crouching before propelling himself with his Pivot Blade at the ready to stab. His blade was blocked by Shogo's katana after a quick sheathe-and-redraw motion and entered a clash as sparks flew from the contact of the metal weapons.

"My turn!" Patronus drew his right Hidden Blade and stabbed at Shogo's unprotected left side flawlessly.

Until it was blocked by the wooden sheath itself, much to his surprise and apparently, Shogo himself.

"To think you blocked my Soryusen with such a small blade and execution."

Feeling bashful about his unintended block, a sweat-dropped Patronus slightly looked away. "Sure. That's what I do." He said with a nervous chuckle before becoming serious as the blonde kicked Shogo towards a tree with a loud impact. "But you're really serious about this. About killing me."

Shaking off the attack like it was nothing, Shogo stood up from the fell tree behind him and strolled towards his opponent with his katana at the ready once more. Patronus readied his Hidden Blades for the next attack and mentally prepared one of his martial arts techniques as well.

"I gave you my answer earlier. I had hoped to ease your suffering by now, but you are skilled." Shogo's left foot etched a little forward as his right foot dug slightly into the ground. "This shall end you."

Patronus narrowed his eyes beneath his hood and answered with two words. "Bring it."

"Kuzuryusen." Shogo had commenced his attack just when Patronus barely finished with the last word.

*Clap-Boom*

His eyes widen in shock, Naruto couldn't react to the attack nor the nine wounds around his arms, shoulders, legs and the kicker of it all: the bleeding stab wound in his chest.

With a 'clink' of his blade and sheathe becoming one, Shogo sighed deeply as he turned around to see his opponent on the floor. "You lasted more than most of my enemies. You should be proud of that." He looked up at the sky with a melancholy expression. "With the Sun Queen's bidding and power, I shall reap the world of its corruption and fanatical activities like these superheroes and villains in this country."

A loud crack interrupted him as he looked for the source until his eyes took the ground where instead he was punched with an uppercut. The swordsman flew up in the air for a few seconds until he crashed on top of a tree, crushing it with his weight.

"What was that?! A partner?!" Shogo struggled to get up due to the force of the uppercut. He held his chin while rubbing it to ease the unpleasant pain as he looked up and saw what he could not believe what he was seeing. "That's impossible!"

"Whew… That was close." An uninjured and completely fine Patronus rubbed his head sheepishly.

A clone was created after his rather unfortunate descent onto the ground just moments before Shogo's Ryutsuisen—Zan could stab him and the original hid underground for the perfect time to strike.

He looked at the spot where his clone once laid after being killed by Shogo's attack and it was frightening if Naruto was honest after receiving the memories. "That attack he used…it was a lot faster than before. Nine simultaneous strikes all aimed at the nine spots of the body. It was unavoidable."

Patronus looked back at the bewildered Shogo who was still trying to comprehend the sight before him.

"Magic? Are you a wizard?" The swordsman asked with great shock as Patronus sweat-dropped with a dry look.

"Sure, sure. I'm a wizard." Patronus said sarcastically as he moved his hands in an exaggerated mystical way like Mickey Mouse from 'Fantasia'. "Open Sesame~"

A rare instance of anger flashed across his face for the first time. "You mock me?" Shogo asked calmly albeit with somewhat anger.

"I've been mocking you the whole time. You just didn't know until now." Patronus admitted as he fixed his haori before drawing Tenkaichi, preferring to settle this with the sword now. "Guess I should honor you with a swordsman bout this time."

Shogo bristled at the implication of the hooded figure not taking him seriously the whole time. "You dare to insult me? I will have your head."

"And take it to this Sun Queen I assume." Both his Jinchuriki and ghost roommate nodded to the fox's statement. "Can we torture him a little for more information?" Kurama asked with a little glee.

"No/No!" Both Naruto and Ashura flatly denied as the fox snorted in annoyance. "So I assume you're going to use 'that'?"

"Yep." Patronus answered simply as he entered a stance that was peculiar to Shogo. The hooded ninja held the blade in his right hand, angled forward with his left arm held parallel and the off-hand in a gesture of challenge while his right leg was placed back and the left leg extended forwards in a brace-ready position.

"That is rather an unusual style. What is its name?" Shogo asked since he couldn't help his curiosity.

"You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine."

Shogo closed his eyes as he contemplated but soon found himself with the same mindset of his opponent.

With nothing need to be said, the two practitioners of different styles dashed with incredible speed and clashed with their blades as a big dust cloud erupted from the blowback of the strikes.

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S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier

Manhattan Island, New York

"…Come on."

Steve glanced around at his sparring partners as they surrounded him closely to avoid any openings he could exploit. His ears prickled a little before he turned around to catch an overhand punch and flipped the attacker over the shoulder and kicked him against one of the attackers as they soon fell in a heap.

While the Legend was still flipping one of their own, the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents charged towards him as they attacked in every possible direction to attempt to overpower him.

However, this was the Legend who played a vital role in the Second World War.

One of them realized that he was in the air and felt a familiar yet brutal feeling of pain in his stomach as he soon landed on the ground. His eyes averted upwards and saw Captain America in a low crouching position with his arms close to his sides.

"Jujutsu? No, it was a combination of something. No wonder he's called the Legend in our military." The agent thought before he blacked out.

Exhaling as he stood up fully, Steve grabbed a towel to wipe away the sweat while the resident medics ran in to carry the unconscious agents to the infirmary. The Legend walked through the halls towards the bridge where Fury wanted to speak to him about an important mission.

Among the chattering of various agents sitting in front of monitors tuned in different frequencies across the world, there was one presence that dwarfed them all.

Nick Fury was standing on a small pedestal as he briefly changed his glance at each screen that held different topics whether they be S.H.I.E.L.D. directory, military reports or the news outlet about recent heroic deeds.

His head perked up when a familiar presence alerted him of the one he waited for. "Captain."

"Director." Steve greeted curtly as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D turned around with a file in hand.

"We have a situation concerning national security." Fury said before he handed the hand to the hero, his eyes still facing forward at the huge glass windows.

Steve sighed deeply before his eyes narrowed once he read the report from the Navy. "There's a civilian naval vessel missing outside the Dragon's Triangle?"

"That's the official report." Fury clarified as he faced Rogers for the first time since the latter arrived. "Unofficially, the ship was inside the Triangle when they sent the distress signal. As I'm sure you know, the Dragon's Triangle is Forbidden Zone Beta-300."

Across the world were several Forbidden Zones designated by S.H. .D. due to their unpredictability and unknown circumstances like the Negative Zone, the Bermuda Triangle and lastly the Dragon's Triangle.

All government vessels from any countries in case they were caught by any of the Forbidden Zones are declared DOS: dead on scene.

That ruling never sat well with the Captain ever since his awakening from the 70-year sleep. He believed that no soldier from any military should be left behind and that no attempts to rescue them was even worse and a disgrace to all the past soldiers and veterans.

"There's something else, Rogers. We monitor all naval traffic around that region to make any ship don't enter." Fury paused and Steve knew what it meant.

"Civilians didn't listen?"

"We sent warning signals to its captain before they entered the Triangle, but he ignored them and continued onward. The signal went silent moments later. This was 10 minutes before they disappeared just like the U.S.S America did back in 1949. Captain, I know what you're going to say—"

Steve turned around, silencing the director. "I'm going there." He stopped when two agents stood in his way. "Do you boys want to stand aside or risk broken bones?" The agents gulped loudly but nevertheless they stood their footing.

"Men. Let him go."

Sparing the eye-patch wearing man a look, Captain America continued his pace towards one of the hangar bays with the steely eyes of determination to save the civilians. And he wasn't going alone.

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Boston, Massachusetts

A certain Exorcist was watching from afar with a breakfast burrito in one hand and a drink in the other. His three Shikigami sat beside him as each of them held pieces of Rokuro's burrito, enjoying the show with their creator/master.

"I wonder if I could get his autograph." Rokuro thought off-handedly before he shrugged his shoulders, choosing to enjoy his meal and watch the live battle in the distance.

His morning was usual: he woke up, showered and dressed himself, and prepared to start his day as a tourist. It was only after he bought his breakfast did his senses pick up on the huge spiritual flare within the city. Rokuro had tracked it to the outskirts of the city and found Boston's hero fighting against a Revenant.

Revenants are beings who were once humans but they died with regret, anger or any negative feelings at the time of their death. They are nothing like those who are the mortal enemy of the Exorcists.

Impurities.

The name itself struck fear through all Exorcists sans the Twelve Heavenly Commanders of the union. The 1000-year war brought many agony and suffering but hope remained for his people that it will end soon. Even he knows it and prays for the day of that to come.

"Ryushosen!"

Naruto held his sword's blade to block a rising attack from below, causing another shockwave from the fighters' strength. From what he observed, that last attack was meant to slice through his chin. "This sword style is very dangerous."

"I second that."

"Me three." Ashura agreed with the Tailed Beast as Naruto countered with a low kick.

Shogo saw it coming and lifted his target leg high in the air and quickly bringing it down to strike his head. However, it didn't connect as Patronus lashed out with a swift palm thrust, slamming him with a powerful shockwave.

"Furinji Oshi Itte!"

Shogo dug his katana into the ground to slow down the force of the blast, digging his feet to aid the process as he soon lunged forward with a blade thrust. Patronus suddenly brought his blade close to his body to deflect the attack that left Shogo open to an elbow thrust.

"What?" Shogo said with surprise as he processed the pain.

The swordsmen traded blows with their blades while sparks flew, the trees fell and the ground crumbled from the force of the attacks. "Imagine yourself."

"What?"

Patronus looked at Shogo as their blades clashed, creaking beneath their strength to overpower one another. "Was I thinking out loud? My bad." He broke the stalemate and jumped back just as Shogo charged at him. "Though credit goes to the old master."

(Flashback Begins)

"Old Man Six Paths…"

*Whack*

"OW!" Naruto cried out as he nursed the bump on his head. He looked at his master who held a bokken in his right hand just like him.

"We still need to work on your manners it seem. Back to the Grill later." The Sage of Six Paths off-handedly remarked, slightly smirking at his disciple's lemon-puckered expression. "Now back to the training."

"Master…What's the point of this style? All its movements and techniques are defensive in nature." Naruto mentioned as he assumed the opening stance of the mentioned sword style. "I mean from all the others you showed me, this one doesn't seem right for me."

"Because you're an all-offense type ninja?"

Naruto beamed with a bright smile. "Yep."

"And that's exactly why I'm teaching you this style." Hearing an 'eh' from the blonde Uzumaki, Hagoromo elaborated his reason. "Being an all offensive round guy is good and all, but it will backfire on you when someone comes along and fight you with a different style of fighting."

"What's the chances of that happening?"

"…I don't know." Cue a face-fault from Naruto. "Now imagine yourself as if you are in the center of a storm. Your blade must never breach the circle. Maintain constant movement of the blade to leave little room as possible for absolute defense." Hagoromo stated as he proceeded to display the motion of the sword style to his disciple. "Attack me."

Smirking, Naruto lunged at him with a sword thrust aimed at the stomach before swiftly spinning around to the opposite direction. A feint. "Gotcha!" The blonde declared as his wind chakra-coated blade was about to hit until it was blocked by the Sage's own bokken downward.

The First Ninja chuckled at his descendant's expression before they entered another barrage of offense and defense. It lasted until the much younger ninja was knocked out by a simple hit to the head of the Sage's hilt as he soon woke up with a throbbing headache.

"You see what I mean?"

A pouting Naruto turned his head to avoid showing his embarrassment. "Yeah." He looked at his master once more. "That style is crazy. I couldn't break through your defenses no matter what I used."

"In the hands of an proficient user, that person is formidable in the battlefield. In the hands of a master, however, he or she is virtually unstoppable." Naruto looked like a little kid who was given a candy for the first time as Hagoromo chuckled in response. "I assume your mindset has changed now."

Naruto suddenly stood straight and saluted like a soldier. "Yes sir!"

(Flashback Ends)

"Doryusen!"

Patronus cringed when Shogo dug his blade into the ground and swung it out with such force that several car-sized rocks hurled at him with blinding speed. With one technique in mind, Patronus built momentum by swinging Tenkaichi's blade around him before he slashed normally.

The added momentum and strength from the slash cut through most of the debris with ease as some of them were deflected back at Shogo who jumped high in the air. He looked back to see the rocks dig into the several trees behind him.

"He deflected them?! I thought he just cut through them like any amateur swordsman."

Meanwhile Patronus stared at his blade and the result of the technique's performance. A bright smile etched his face as he squealed with glee. "Yeah! I did it! I finally did it!" He shouted to the skies, much to his opponent and their far-away audience's confusion. "The Old Man better pay up once I show him."

"What are you talking about?" Shogo asked after landing and sheathing his sword for another Battojutsu.

Patronus stuck his tongue out in response even though the opposing swordsman couldn't see it.

"Nothing you need to know." The blonde ninja responded before he met Shogo's immense charge with a Shunshin. After another barrage of attacks varying between offense and defense, the two warriors took their invisible battle atop of a cliff that overlook the city.

A puzzled Shogo stared at his opponent who was completely calm as he analyzed the sword style that was used against his Mitsurugi Style. It lacked any offensive capabilities yet its defensive capabilities were beyond what he expected.

"This is unacceptable. My way of the sword is superior to all!" The infuriated Amakasa tightened his grip on the hilt as he prepared for his one of two strongest attacks. "This time I will kill him."

"This guy is giving off crazy amount of energy now. I got to be careful from here on." Naruto's eyes widened when he suddenly found himself face-to-face with Shogo's glare. "He's gotten even faster?!"

The ninja clashed blades with the swordsman before the former was sent flying through the air and crashing through several trees. He barely raised his blade to block another strike that meant to take his head. Shogo and Patronus exchanged looks before the latter inhaled deeply with puffed cheeks.

"Wind Style: Stream!" Patronus thought as he exhaled a powerful stream of wind at Shogo.

"What on Earth?!"

Smirking at his airborne opponent, Patronus Shunshined above Shogo and swung at him which was blocked as he was sent back into the ground with a loud 'crash'. "Tsuiraku Konoha!" Patronus held Tenkaichi above his head with a double-handed grip before he swung its blade once more.

The ever so swift Shogo rolled out of the way and charged at Patronus with a sheathed sword. "Soryusen!"

"That technique!" Patronus shouted with surprise as he deflected both strikes with rapid success. However, he was caught off-guard when Shogo kicked him in the stomach but the ninja recovered his balance in time. "Oh crap." He said afterwards.

The reason being was the simultaneous nine-strike attack from all sides.

"Kuzuryusen!"

A huge dust cloud covered the forest area from the kick-up of the much more powerful technique. Meanwhile Rokuro and his Shikigami held on for dear life as the ground shook violently.

"What the hell!?" The Exorcist cried with streaming tears.

Once they managed to situate themselves to a safer location with a better view, Rokuro and the three Shikigami watched the cloud being swept away by the wind as two silhouettes were becoming more visible by each second.

As the last blanket disappeared, both combatants were still standing but one of them was not on the ground nor shed any blood. Shogo's eyes were in shock as his blade had hit nothing but air while Patronus, his body held in a dodging motion, held Tenkaichi's point at the former's throat.

Patronus inwardly praised his master's teaching of the sword style as he managed to barely parry eight of the nine strikes out of their nine individual trajectories. Another practice of the mentioned sword style was its subtle transitional positions to avoid any long-range attacks with impeccable speed.

The mentioned transitional positions were what allowed Naruto to narrowly avoid the thrust that aimed for his heart and close in for the winning strike.

"Lay down your weapon. Now!" Patronus demanded before he jumped back as Shogo was suddenly enveloped in a dark aura.

"N-No! My lady, I can still—AHHHH!"

Patronus groaned as what remains of Shogo was his clothes and burning skeleton laid in front of him.

"What the hell?" The hooded ninja rubbed his head in mere confusion before he shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, time for me to go home." He sheathed Tenkaichi in its scabbard before leaving in a Shunshin.

Just before Rokuro landed unceremoniously on his behind. "Damn it! I missed him again!" A tick mark appeared on his head when he heard chuckling from above. "Quiet you three!" He shook his angry fist at the Shikigami. "Man, I have—"

"Explain what you're doing in my city?"

Rokuro absent-mindedly nodded to the voice behind him. "Yeah and how I'm going to be the best Exorcist in—" He finally paused as his now-trembling body turned around to see Boston's hero looking down at him. And that was because of their height difference. "P-Patronus!?"

"Hello there." Patronus looked at the direction where the sirens were heard from. "Let's go somewhere private for us, okay?" With no room for him to debate, the hooded ninja grabbed the Exorcist and the three small creatures before Shunshining to somewhere isolated.

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"Now then… What do you want?" Naruto beamed with a smile even though it cannot be seen.

"Uh…Um…" For the first time in his life, Rokuro was speechless.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Waving his hand in front of the Exorcist's face, Patronus snapped his fingers as well. "Yoo-hoo~" He snapped his fingers again. "Oi. Are you there?"

Faster than he could react, the hooded hero was slammed in the face by a notepad and a pen held by a beaming Rokuro.

"CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?!"

"Huh?!" Patronus said after sitting upright, blinking as he processed the action before him. "That's a first."

"What is?" Rokuro asked as he and his Shikigami tilted their heads altogether.

Turning his head to hide his embarrassment, Patronus thought internally with crying eyes. "My very first fan!"

Two chibi versions of Kurama and Ashura appeared on his shoulders and held out their arms in the air with a 'First Fan Ever' banner above him. 'Hooray, hooray!' They shouted while jumping up and down.

"Uh, Patronus? Are you okay?" Rokuro asked with a confused eyebrow raised.

"Never better!" Patronus answered happily, surprising his apparent fan by his outburst. "You made my day, especially after what I went through a couple minutes ago. So, what'd you think about it?"

It was Rokuro's turn to tilt his head once more. "What do you mean?"

"The fight is what I'm talking about. You were watching after all."

Naruto smirked as Rokuro and the Shikigami jolted in shock. He sensed them beforehand?! This guy was better than he thought.

"You're not normal, are you?" Rokuro stated in a deadpan tone. His Shikigami nodded together as it was the obvious answer.

It was now Patronus's turn to tilt his head. "But aren't we all not normal in our own way?" He answered like a little kid with his index finger on his lip.

"Is he a grownup or a child?!"

"Anyway…" Patronus got up into Rokuro's personal space before his hands lashed out and grabbed the three Shikigami off his shoulders. "Now what are you three? A summoning creature?"

The answer he got was the creatures biting on his fingers, forcing him to release them.

"Ouch! You little runts!" The hooded ninja shouted as the Shikigami retreated to their master. "You'll regret that."

Rokuro stepped forward when he heard that. "Not while I'm here. I'll make you think twice about hurting my family."

Impressed with the younger boy's nerve to stand up to him to protect them, Patronus's mood turned cheery as he rubbed Rokuro's head. "Nice. You stood your ground to protect those dear to you. That makes you okay in my book."

"Huh?" Rokuro could only say as Patronus turned around, indicating that he was about to leave. "Hold on a minute!"

Sighing loudly, Patronus glanced at him. "What now?"

"Are you an Exorcist?"

"A what?"

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Logan International Airport

Walking through Customs and ATF agents sweeping around the perimeter, a man of Japanese descent hurried towards one of the desks for rental cars. Unfortunately, the person who was before him had just taken the last car of the day.

"There are taxis outside if you want, Mr. Nishimura." The lady said, trying to comfort the man.

"Thank you for the help." The man sighed as he took a seat in one of the many uncomfortable rows. Jetlag was always a killer for him, especially in his age. Nakamura reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded picture as he soon unfolded it. "Sam." He said affectionately.

On the photo were two young girls in black graduation gowns as they stood in front of the Big Ben tower in London, holding their diplomas in clear view and smiling at their accomplishment.

His daughter had his features but she inherited her mother's hair color and adventure-loving personality. It was a couple of days ago when he heard about the ship that his daughter boarded had disappeared without a trace. Its last location was south of the Sea of Japan.

It was these last two days that stressed him out unlike before. At Japan, he went to the Defense Force's headquarters to save his daughter and the crew of the Endurance but his pleas was ignored. He called a friend who worked in S.H.I.E.L.D. and hoped that his friend could persuade the director to send help, but the mention of the Dragon's Triangle and the island of Yamatai had cut the phone line before he could even ask.

The businessman was using all resources but neither friends nor associates in major law enforcement agencies would accept nor hear his requests. He was beginning to feel hopeless since the Avengers were no longer active and if they were, the heroes would've rescue them by now.

That hopelessness was quelled when news of a new American hero emerged in the city of Boston. The news being the mayor and his family was kidnapped by a villain and the hero rescued them. The hero's name was Patronus, a rather unusual name but fitting all the same.

Since then, he followed every bit of news related to Patronus since July and knew that he was the one to turn to in case anything ever happened to his daughter. Well, that time had come at last.

"…" Nishimura took out his phone and pressed the necessary numbers. "Please answer."

*Click*

"Hello. Police Chief Watson's office."

"This is Mr. Nishimura. I need to talk with the police chief immediately." The man stood up and walked towards the nearest exit for a bus terminal.

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Fenway Baseball Park

"Yatta!"

"No!"

Rokuro did his personal happy dance while a downtrodden Patronus gave him five dollars after losing a bet. The bet was Boston would win 3-2 and the same was said for New York plus an additional home run or two.

"Damn it." Patronus pouted with crossed arms.

Rokuro pointed his finger at him with a viciously smug smile. "Haha, you lose. Yankees are better!"

"HEY WHO SAID THAT?!"

"LET'S KILL HIM!"

The duo hid themselves behind the lights after the angered fans searched any signs of them. Once the coast was clear, the ninja and Exorcist left their spot before they faced each other. "So you are an Exorcist from Kyoto, Japan who was sent here on Halloween to stop any demons or Yokai that slipped through the barrier. Is that correct?"

Rokuro and the Shikigami nodded together as Patronus continued.

"And this said barrier weakens on Halloween and all Exorcists from Japan stop creatures on that same day through the globe."

They nodded once again.

"I see. And you mentioned you wanted to see me. Why?"

"Because you're awesome." Rokuro said simply and Naruto suppressed the urge to hug him. "And as for you, you come from a village of mercenaries who used to protect the innocent until a rogue member massacred almost all but you and parents."

As Rokuro continued prattl about the lie he fed him, Patronus felt a little guilty about it as well. Although he was usually trustworthy to all, Naruto had to think about his family first. Of course, the lie was based on a truth. The truth of originating from a village of trained individuals to protect their citizens, home and country.

The hooded ninja recomposed himself and offered a hand. "It was nice meeting you... You never told me your name."

"...Oryu."

"Yellow Dragon?" The Exorcist took his hand before placing a photo at his chest. "Oh well. It's for his security as well." The photo was two of them shoulder-hugging. "Right, right. The autograph." He signed it 'Benio and Rokuro for life' since Benio was apparently a fan of his as well.

"Yatta!" Rokuro said as his Shikigami held stubby hands together and danced around in a circle. After calming from his teenage outburst, the Exorcist activated a Talisman and opened a small portal behind him. "I hope we meet again, Patronus. Come visit Japan when you have a chance." He said lastly before entering through the void with his Shikigami.

Looking at the sky with a smile, Patronus chuckled at the notion. "Something tells me we're going to meet each other a lot more from here on." A beep 'chimed' in his left ear and he pressed the button on his earbud. "Skye? What's up?"

-"You've been summoned, Patronus."-

"Huh?" Patronus exasperated aloud in disbelief. "By who?"

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23rd Precinct, Downtown

"You must understand how this is crazy, Ethan."

The weary man sighed heavily since the favor he asked was apparently too high an order. Also, the chief had conflicting views on the vigilante whose heroism brought hope to police officers under his command but the oath he took since his academy graduation and years on the force was telling him to arrest the hooded figure.

But it was his friend's daughter and Sam was his goddaughter. The rules were thrown out the window when the mention of Sam came to mind. It was also his rule that seem to go for everyone around Earth or the vast universe. Family goes first after all.

"You do not have to be here, Daniel. This will be between me and him."

Daniel placed a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "You know I would move heaven and earth to find Sam and bring her home." Ethan sent him a look. "What?"

"You do know there are people in this world who can literally do that."

The veteran police chief coughed to hide his embarrassment. "Anyway…" He turned his head back to Ethan after getting rid of the reddened cheeks. "Patronus is sure taking his time getting here."

"Not really."

Both the business man and police chief jolted in shock and turned around to see Patronus standing behind them, his arms crossed in a playful manner.

"I've been here for the last 10 minutes. Good thing too since I heard some juicy stuff about the police chief here." The said professional gawked as he realized the hero knows what he and his wife does in the bedroom. "Is your wife still flexible to do that though?" Patronus assumed a thinking pose. "From what I heard, it's near impossible unless—"

"Enough!"

*BAM*

Patronus stared at the door while Nishimura stifled a chuckle before he looked at the former. He was taller than the businessman expected and the whole orange/black color scheme threw him off but then again it was original. The daito on his back showed him that he possessed skill with it but the entire body language told him that the hero prefers the hands-on approach with criminals.

"Anyway…Who are you and what do you want?"

"Well isn't he rude?" Nishimura asked sarcastically before he cleared his throat. "I need your help, Patronus."

"With what exactly?"

"My daughter's gone missing." The father raised a hand when Patronus was about to speak. "Under abnormal circumstances."

After a debate or two, Patronus walked to the edge and sat down before pointing at the spot next to him, offering the man a seat. "Tell me everything and I'll give you my answer."

Nishimura was going to argue but he thought about Sam and how her safety along with Lara's were more important than an argument. From there on, he told Boston's hero everything he knew of the Dragon's Triangle and the secrets it contained.

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(The Next Day)

Uzumaki Manor, Homestead Grounds

The Uzumaki head was getting ready to go to Japan as he prepared his weapons of choice to bring at his hired job. Upon finishing up, Naruto walked towards the basement where his wives and children were waiting for him. With a sigh, he gave each of them a passionate kiss that last 20 seconds while the twins got raspberries on their heads.

He explained everything to his wives about everything that happened early in the day after his patrol. The strong swordsman with an unusual style, the Exorcist Rokuro and lastly the job he was hired for by Nishimura, the concerned father.

Apparently, his daughter Sam went on an expedition trip somewhere in Dragon's Triangle which is the Pacific Ocean's own Bermuda Triangle. She was supposed to call him every two hours, which was one of the conditions he set for her to go, but there was no call.

Naruto was about to reject the offer and tell him that it might be bad cell reception, but the look in his eyes told him something else. The eyes of a concerned father. As a father himself, Naruto would move heaven and earth to find and rescue the twins if they were in any danger. A situation he hopes to never happen in his life.

Therefore, he had accepted the job.

The girls however were not pleased at all. This meant that they'd have to live without him for days. Naruto had seen that coming and made sure they were not unsatisfied last night, which explains their everlasting glow. "I love you girls."

"We love you too." The girls chorused as Naruto kissed his children once more.

Naruto, putting on his hood, looked at the clock before him and set the two hands to a certain time. The bricks within the wall shifted and formed a door-like hole in front of him as four spots of light appeared at each of the corners. The lights then shot forward to the center of the cavern-like door before it blanketed within the frames.

Colors squirmed and warped within the door until a familiar sight caught their attention, especially the twins. Ashla and Masaki's arms were stretched out and cooed once they saw Tokyo Tower. Their cooing ceased when they saw their father pass through it, followed by the wall returning to its original state.

"How about some lunch, everybody?" Kuroka and the twins cheered while Saeko and Medusa shrugged their shoulders. Their thoughts as one family only had one thing in common regarding their favorite blonde in the multiverse.

"Come home safe, Naruto."

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Tokyo International Airport, Nishimura Private Ward

After a little sightseeing through the famous city, Naruto clad in his Patronus outfit walked towards the hangar just as Nishimura exited through the doors, surprised to see him.

"Does this mean?"

"I was never going to say 'no', Mr. Nishimura." Patronus offered a hand, which the businessman shook it gratefully. "I assume everything is in order."

"Well…"

"Apparently so."

His hands creaked into fists as Patronus recognized the voice behind him and he didn't need to look back. It was Captain America clad in his signature uniform with his famous shield attached to his right arm. Said soldier approached the fellow hero as he turned around to face him.

"Patronus."

"Captain."

Nishimura gulped under the sudden tense atmosphere between the two heroes. Summoning his courage, the businessman composed himself the best he could and stood between them. "I-I take you two know each other."

"Somewhat." Patronus admitted tersely, much to Captain America's solemn chargrin.

"In case the two of you were wondering, I've been keeping an eye on all matters regarding the Dragon's Triangle." Steve sighed upon noticing the hooded hero's fist creaking slightly.

Patronus tilted his head when the Living Legend's gaze dug into him. "What? You're going to stop us from going there?"

What the Captain said next threw off the ninja and his unofficial client that they almost face-faulted to the ground.

"Not at all. In fact, I'm going there myself and I was going to ask for your help, Patronus."

"EH?!"

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(Three Hours Later)

Sea of Japan

Aboard the famous Quinjet of S.H.I.E.L.D. were two heroes with the mutual goal of saving the crew of the Endurance as the aircraft waded through the lightning-struck dark thunderclouds. Fortunately for them, one of them was an experienced pilot.

Pushing down the wheel, Captain America felt the sensation of his stomach feeling empty as the Quinjet took a quick nosedive to dodge a sudden lightning strike, much to Patronus's chagrin. After that happened, the aircraft managed to find a small clearing like the eye of a hurricane.

"So, I take it we're in the center of the mysterious storm." Patronus stated as Captain America touched several buttons and a counter soon activated.

"Follow me." Captain America gestured the ninja as the latter complied while they walked to the end of the aircraft. He grabbed a parachute and handed it to Patronus. "You'll need this."

Patronus stared at the object before him as he asked, "What's that?"

Face-faulting to the ground, Steve looked up at the hooded figure with disbelief. "Are you serious?" A dumbfounded nod was his answer from the rookie hero. "I don't believe this."

"Welcome to the club, pal." Patronus muttered as Captain America pressed the button beside him, opening the hangar doors as a great rush of wind blew inside the aircraft that bristled against the heroes' uniforms. "Tornado much?"

"We're actually outside the island's storm radius so the weather is easy."

Patronus sent him a look before he stared at the raging storm. "He calls this easy?"

"Here's the game plan, Patronus: we shall free fall to the sea and swim our way to the island. According to the GPS onboard, Yamatai is about 10 miles out." Captain America tapped Patronus in a playful manner. "Think you can keep up with me?"

Smirking with a chuckle, Patronus stepped closer to the edge of the hangar before he glanced at the old soldier. "I should be asking you that." He joked as he nosedived to the wet ocean followed Captain America sans parachute like him.

The duo of protectors mentally prepared themselves for whatever obstacles the island lingers within its cloud of mystery. Nothing will stop them to save the stranded civilians and reunite them with their families.

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Yamatai Island

"Okay, Patronus. Let's set out to." Captain America stated after finding a nearby cave and starting a fire to dry their clothes.

When no answer came from the rookie hero, the veteran looked for him to find Patronus already sleeping against the walls.

"Really?" Then intrigue struck him as the sleeping hero was now defenseless and vulnerable. The chance to find out his secret identity. However, he shook his head and chose to sit instead as trust was needed between them especially after what happened in Boston.

"…Thanks."

The Living Legend looked back and saw Patronus sitting upright, apparently awake and stretched out by the look of it as he stood up and headed for the exit.

"Where are you going?"

"To scout ahead. Find rendezvous points and routes for the island." Patronus answered before leaving the cave.

Feeling that it was best to give him space, Captain America lifted his left arm after he placed his shield next to him as he rolled the sleeve to the upper forearm and revealed a black screen on a protective sleeve. He slid his finger across it and the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on a blue background replaced the featureless black screen.

"This is Captain America calling S.H.I.E.L.D. Base Osaka and nearby agencies. I repeat this is Captain America." No answer came from the other side, worrying the veteran hero. "This is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s latest technology in communications and I can't get through. That is not good obviously." He pressed several buttons on the screen and spoke into it. "This is Captain America. It is…" He looked at the upper right corner of the device. "0400 on the island of Yamatai, one of the Forbidden Zones registered to S.H.I.E.L.D. files. I accompanied by Boston's own hero who goes by the name Patronus are stationed in what looked to be the southwest sector of the island."

He was silenced by the loud thunderstorm and lightning as his eyes stared out at the cave.

"Patronus had taken the initiative to scout the area around our basecamp. Hopefully, once the storm has passed, we can begin our search for the survivors. He seems bright and didn't hesitate to join me to save the civilians. I hope he'll begin to trust me but time will tell."

Another round of lightning strikes and thunder interrupted him once more.

"However, there is something about this island that bothers me. There is this uneasiness ever since I stepped foot on the land. I have the distinct feeling that Patronus and I are about to have our work cut out for us."

Another sound drew his attention to the outside of the cave but this time it was not the lightning nor the thunder.

"Was that a gunshot?"

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"That was a gunshot, wasn't it?" Patronus stated rather than asking after he tree-hopped several trees and jumped over destroyed aircraft and houses, making his way towards the origin of the gunshot.

"You might want to rethink that as multiple gunshots." Ashura pointed out to his descendant/reincarnation.

"Yeah."

After climbing a mountain, Naruto was appalled the sight below him as he had activated his Kitsune Sense. It had improved on the range but its quality needed a little more work. He heard several more gunshots as multitudes of fire burned through small Japanese-style houses while the army of armed men laughed at the show before them.

Once leaping and nose-diving through the air, Naruto vaulted himself over another tree as he hid himself among the foliage, letting his ninja training to do the work for him.

"Find the girl!"

"Girl?"

"She shot Vladimir! She's dead!" The other armed man ranted angrily as flashlights loomed over one body in front of them.

"Could it be one of the survivors of the Endurance?"

"Then you better find her before they do. They're disgusting. Their emotions are of that nature."

Ashura then spoke next as he realized what his fellow roommate implied. "You don't mean…"

"I do. Kill them, Naruto."

"I'm not going to kill them, Kurama, but I am going to kick their ass." Patronus walked off the branch and drop on the duo just as they looked up at him to see his Hidden Blades emerged from his sleeves.

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"AAAGGGGHHHH!"

Heavy panting lightly echoed as the soaked person ran through numerous bushes and muddy landscapes before stopping near a waterfall. She ignored the cries of 'help' and curses as her only objective was to escape from the armed men and get to safety.

Climbing up over an obstacle and arriving on a wooden floor, she perked her head slightly while hiding behind a crate. "Two men…Both armed and blocking the way." She sat back down to calm her beating heart but to no avail.

Right now, she is in survival mode.

Drawing her weapon, a makeshift bow looted from a corpse, and pulling back the string with the arrow in hand, she released the projectile and grabbed another one just as the first one hit its mark.

"What the?" One of the men said as his companion just before he himself was silenced by another arrow.

"Hey, what's on down there?"

The archer looked for the voice and found its owner on the rope ladder, climbing down to aid his fallen companions. Drawing another arrow, she fired the projectile at the vulnerable man's back as he soon fell from his loose grip and screamed to his demise.

Approaching with caution, the young lady looted the bodies for the arrows and other objects that could prove useful for as she sheathed her weapon before she climbed the rope ladder just as her walkie-talkie crackled.

-"Lara, are you there?"-

"Yes!" She spoke with relief to hear her mentor's voice.

-"I can see smoke coming from the old ruins, are you okay?"-

"Oh God… Roth, I'm in trouble. They're killing people."

-"What? Who?"- Roth said with surprise.

"Men. I don't know why…I had to kill some of them. I had no choice…" She admitted with a shaky voice.

-"That can't have been easy."

"It's scary just how easy it was." Lara admitted as she pulled herself over the top of the ledge. "You've got to warn the others, Roth."

-"Don't worry about them right now. You just do whatever it takes to get to me, Lara."-

"I'll try."

Lara looked around at the old wooden house connected to a cliffside. Focusing her mind, she saw something briefly glowed atop the roof and climbed to it to find a container of sort. "Who would leave this behind?" She saw a bridge over a nearby waterfall and was about to cross when she saw a light near the waterfall.

Since her childhood, Lara had always been intuitive and observant given from what her parents told her. After their passing, Lara discovered that she pinpointed objects or people of interest with a bright glow of various colors but she didn't have control over it. That was until she told Roth about it and since that day, he had trained her everything she knows today especially the gift.

Back to reality and her curiosity piqued, Lara entered the open roof section and found boxes of materials that could upgrade her equipment and lastly a journal. Pocketing it for safety, Lara silently lurked across the bridge and crouched against the stone wall that provided her cover as she heard voices.

"Just got word from the west beach." One of the armed men said to his partner. "Looks like a smaller group escaped into the lower forest."

The partner responded with a query. "Maybe we got a hunting party down there."

"No, Father Mathis went himself." The first man responded with a shake of his head. "Told us to stay put."

"What? Why?" The partner asked with surprise.

The first one shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe another girl for the ritual. We'll know more by tonight."

"It was a blood bath down there."

"Vladimir's in charge. What did you expect?" He said as it was obvious. "He loves killing."

"What's Father Mathis say about that?"

"Not a damned thing."

"They don't know he's dead yet." Lara mused as her mind tries to figure out a plan to get past them.

*Crackle/Buzzzzzz*

"What the hell?" Both men reached for their radios. "Anyone okay? What's going on down there?"

-"Help! Black figure*crackle*Disappearing*crackle*Can't fi*crackle*aking us out!"-

"Black figure? You don't think?"

"No way. Those things are on the other side of the other side of the island. We haven't entered their territory for months now."

Figuring that she learned enough for now, Lara drew her bow and arrow as she aimed for one of the men's neck but her instincts told her something else. One of them could pinpoint her location once she fires it. Deciding an alternative, she aimed her arrow at the wall not far from the men and fired it as it clattered loudly.

"What was that?" The man closest reacted as he turned around and cautiously approached the area.

Meanwhile Lara readied another arrow and aimed its point at the other guy's head before she fired it. She grabbed two more arrows and released them at the first man's back as he soon fell forward on the ground. Once cleared, Lara approached the bodies and looted them for the arrows and more objects.

Focusing once more on her senses, Lara found her next objective at the top of the slanted hill blocked by debris of a wooden house. She found an open window on the two-story and kicked the wall to push herself up to it before she fell inside with a small grunt.

"She's in here somewhere. Find her."

Another one of the man ordered behind the clutter of boxes and tarps in front of her.

"Capture or kill?" The lower-ranked man asked his superior.

"Kill her. She's too much trouble."

Lara saw a lantern hanging over the debris and fired another arrow at it, felling the object atop the boxes as it burned like a small bonfire.

"What was that?" One of her enemies demanded after hearing the shattered glass.

"Quiet! Quiet!" The apparent leader shouted. "You two check that side."

As she heard distant footsteps, Lara crouched through the narrow hallway and walked until she reached an opening of the second floor collapsed just as one of the men entered with his flashlight lighting the way. She stopped as the man inspected the area with his back turned to her, completely unaware of her presence.

Grabbing her bow, Lara silently approached the unsuspecting man. "Keep looking. She's gotta be here somewhere!" She raised the bow over the man's neck and pulled it against his throat as he struggled to shake her off until his consciousness ceased.

Once the body felt slack, Lara expertly placed the body down to alerting his partner nearby as he was looking at the other section of the small and burning room. "You find anything on that side?" A group of the soldiers asked from the upper level.

"Not a damned thing!"

The man in front of Lara was struck by an arrow to the back of his head as he soon fell to the wooden planks. The archer hid behind boxes for cover as the room was connected to a cavern with cascading water.

With another brief flash of her gift, she saw there was two men on the boardwalk on the other side of the cavern. She fired an arrow at both men but doing so caught the attention of their colleagues from the upper levels behind her.

A blind spot for her gift apparently.

"There she is!"

"Fire at her!"

Hearing that and her senses now on high alert, Lara climbed a nearby box and pushed herself over as she soon found cover behind a metal box before drawing the pistol she looted from one of the men earlier. Pointing the barrel at an upcoming soldier, Lara fired three bullets at him, bringing the armed man down.

"Kill her, kill her!"

One particular man held a lantern in his hand and that caught both Lara's and the other soldier's attention.

"What the hell are you doing? You'll burn the whole place!"

"I'll burn her outta here!" The obvious crazed man answered with glee as he threw the lantern below.

The room's wooden support beams and dry tarps was caught ablaze as the flames quickly spread throughout the cavern, forcing Lara run and jump across a gap to another platform that led to outside. She looked all over for a way to get to ground level and found a rope connected to the wall near her to the Shinto torii below.

Lara grabbed her bow and used it to rapidly descend the ground as she rolled after dislodging to soften the impact. Grabbing her burnt out torch, she set it aflame and ran towards the cavern behind the torii until she stopped in front of two walls with narrow space between them.

The archer wedged herself between the walls and climbed until she reached the top which was the inside of another cave.

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Village Plateau, Mountain Village

Hoisting herself out of the wedge and running through the hall, Lara soon heard the familiar sound known to man.

*Bam-Bam* *Bam-Bam* *Bam-Bam*

"Get away you mutts!"

Once hearing the voice and reaching the exit, Lara found her mentor and father figure, Roth, firing his dual pistols at the snarling wolves until one fell dead as it missed its mark by an inch. As for the rest of the wolves, they scattered after seeing their one of their own dead.

"Roth, I'm coming!" Lara cried out as she dashed towards him after Roth fell on his behind with a grunt of pain and exhaustion.

Once she reached him, the duo briefly hugged each other before Roth rested against a boulder while they inspected each other's wounds. Roth's left leg bled while the pant leg torn and bloodied. As for Lara, there were scratches on her shoulders and arms but the biggest one that caught Roth's attention was the big hole in her left abdominal.

From what he could tell, it recently had been cauterized.

"Thank God you're alive." Lara gratefully said.

Roth scoffed as he gestured his weapon at the dead wolf. "That god's got nothing to do with it." He watched Lara beginning to wrap his wounded leg with a cloth. "It's good to see you too, girl."

"Sorry. They did a real number on your leg." Lara panted while wrapping the leg as Roth waved it off.

"Nah. Looks worse than it is." Roth groaned after his disciple tightened the cloth on his leg, finishing the touches for now.

"Have you heard from any of the others?"

The older man shook his head as he began to stand up slowly, which caught Lara's attention.

"What are you doing?" Lara exclaimed with worry.

Roth looked at her. "The wolves took my food pack. The transmitter from the lifeboat's in it. If we don't get that back, we're not getting off this bloody island." He reasoned to Lara.

"Yeah, but you need… you need bandages, morphine, antiseptic…" Lara reasoned back to dissuade Roth from going after the wolves.

"Also in the pack."

"Shit." Lara cursed with her hands on her hips.

"Exactly." Roth clarified with his own disappointment before he fell unconscious. Lara caught him before he touched the ground and dragged him near the small fire underneath the open building as she soon laid him on the ground and checked his pulse.

"Good. He's still alive."

"That is indeed good."

With her widened eyes, Lara grabbed her pistol and swung the barrel at the one behind her. She didn't feel the impact but the distinguishable feeling of being in the air as her back hit the ground.

"Now, now. That wasn't very nice."

The scared archer looked up and saw a stranger in a black/orange hooded cloak with a sword on his back. She gulped as thoughts of her death flashed before her eyes but that was quickly vanished when the stranger offered his hand in front of her.

"I'm here to help whether you believe it or not." He saw her hesitance still holds her so he pointed behind him. "If you don't believe my word, believe his."

They looked behind the hooded stranger and saw one of the legendary heroes of America of all time. His blue and white wings-adorned cowl matching the Star Spangle Banner colors of his uniform and the circular disc-like shield on his left arm sealed the deal.

Captain America was here on Yamatai.

"Conrad Roth. Ms. Croft." Captain America greeted the exhausted duo as they sighed with relief. "We're here to help you. We received your distress signal not too long ago."

"Oh thank God. Thank God." Lara said with great relief as she fell to the ground with Roth.

Supporting his disciple and foster daughter, Roth nodded at the legendary superhero before his eyes drifted onto the hooded figure, specifically at the crest that acted as his belt buckle.

"Brother?" Roth did his best to avoid showing his surprise when the hooded figure flicked his wrists and blade emerged from them.

The action also drew Captain America and Lara's attention as well.

"Patronus?" Lara's interest peaked when Captain America spoke the hooded man's name. "What is it?"

"Trouble."

The word barely left his lips when several mist-like apparitions appeared all over the area. Lara and Roth were caught off-guard when the mists coalesced into demonic heads with fangs showing through their sinister and permanent smile. Two horns protruded from the top of her malformed foreheads as the flickering flames around their bodies lightly brightened the area around them.

But one question was on their minds.

"Why are there different colors of them?"

Well one question was different than the rest of them, but a question nonetheless.

"Ms. Croft. Stay here with Mr. Roth while Patronus and I—"

Roth interrupted him with a pointed finger. "He's gone."

The Living Legend looked again and saw Patronus already mowing down several of the floating heads with his small blades. He could hear loud cackling from the young hero as the latter double-stabbed two of their enemies with swift precision and thrusts.

After taking down the last one nearby him, Patronus looked behind and waved at his audience. "What are you waiting for? An invite?"

"…"

"What?"

"Your blades are on fire." Lara answered with awe as the said hero looked at his flame-bearing blades. A sweat-drop fell down her temple when Patronus screamed in shock and rolled around on the ground, trying to put out the fires. "Is he really a hero?" She asked at the sheepish masked Rogers.

"Yep although I'm having second thoughts now." Captain America admitted honestly as Patronus stopped his current action.

"I heard that!" Patronus glared at the veteran hero until he heard Kurama to look at his Hidden Blades.

He did and found that the flames didn't burned his arms or hands. In fact, he felt fine. Several theories came to mind but only one remained true.

The Adamantine metal used to forge the plates and Hidden Blades. Since said metal was said to be the Metal of the Gods, most likely the Adamantine has certain properties that can either absorb an enemy's power or protect its wielder.

"Behind you!"

Patronus barely looked up to see the shield hurtling at him, ducking underneath a second as the defensive weapon knocked out a flaming head, ricocheted off a house's wall to hit another and another and another. He, Lara and Roth watched the shield bounced around the area as it defeated almost all the flaming heads but one.

"Hey, look out!"

Lara, hearing Patronus's voice, turned around as she grabbed her bow and quickly fired her arrow as the last head bobbled in the air before it fell and disappeared while the shield returned to Captain America's possession albeit in flames as well.

"What's the deal with your shield, Captain?" Roth asked before he looked at the approaching Patronus. "And your blades, kid."

What he got was an innocent and nonchalant whistle tune from the hooded hero while the soldier chuckled nervously.

"Custom-made?" Both heroes answered with hope, much to the civilians' chagrin.

Lara stepped forward and began to work, heading to the direction of where the wolves fled towards. Until she was stopped by Captain America who stood in her way.

"Ms. Croft, you need to stay here." Rogers told the young lady but she was not having it.

"Roth needs the medicine in the food pack and that was taken from the wolves. I'm going after them!" Lara tried to shove the hero aside but the latter's superhuman status prevented her otherwise, so she chose to walk around him. He stepped in front of her, blocking her way once more. "Let me go."

"Ms. Croft…"

"Let her." Three pairs of eyes were drawn at Patronus who had crossed arms. "She can handle herself. I've seen her do it." He stood away from the ledge and walked towards Lara and the Captain. "I'll go with her. What's the saying: 'There's power in numbers'?"

Lara raised a brow. "But in this case, we're separating from each other."

"Eh, tomato, tomahto." Patronus waved it off as he began walking towards the forest. "Besides out of all of us, you're probably the only one who has medical training, C.A." He said aloud.

Lara shared a concerned look with Roth who stiffly nodded but signed with his fingers. Be careful and stay alert. Captain America noticed the sign but chose not to address in favor of calling out to Patronus.

The hooded ninja turned around and caught something the Living Legend threw at him. It was a technological device designed to fit onto the wearer's forearm and Naruto knows this since he saw one attached to Captain America's right arm.

Doing the same, Naruto attached the device under the Hidden Blade's bracer beneath the blade itself. "See you later, Captain. You coming, Lara or what?" He called out as Lara soon rushed after him.

"…May the Creed guide you both." Roth whispered under breath to his brother and disciple.

And his hope for their safety would be gravely challenged as the obstacles ahead of them will test their abilities, both physically and mentally.

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As they climbed past through the several run-down houses, Patronus glanced at his reluctant companion who struggled to keep up with him. Despite her scars around her arms, she was quite breath-takingly beautiful. Her silk-like dark brown thick hair that was tied up in a ponytail while the front was in a layered and choppy style as her deep brown eyes surveyed everything around her.

Her slender and toned body was the result of obvious and rigorous training as seen through her clothing. She was wearing a blue tank top over a white one with tan cargo pants and dark boots. A quiver filled with arrows and a bow were slung on her back as a pistol was holstered on her left side.

"Focus, will you?!"

Patronus faced forward after being called out and barely stopped himself from running into a wooden wall. Hearing a disapproving groan, the ninja glanced at Lara as she hoisted herself upwards efficiently, impressing the blonde in the process.

After reaching the hilltop, Patronus had hoisted himself over and found Lara standing before a cave. "The wolves went in there." She stated surely.

"How can you tell?" Patronus asked curiously as he saw no tracks due to the rain.

"…Initiative." She stated as she lighted her torch with the nearby lantern before entering the dark cavern.

Patronus followed her inside as he used his Kitsune Sense to see ahead in case the wolves chose to greet them. They passed a few piles of skeletons until they reached a large room as a wolf ran past them, alerting them even more as Lara drew her pistol.

The wolf didn't come back so they continue onwards through the space over littered skeletons of both animal and human.

"I just want the pack…that's all." Lara said aloud, mostly to herself rather than to the wolves.

They found a small cavern where there was a bigger mass of skeletons piled onto each other as Lara noticed a bulge on the farther side. She shoved aside the remains until the packet finally revealed itself underneath the flames.

"Got it…" Lara said with relief as she pocketed it on her person and turned around, moving around Patronus in doing so. "Okay, got to get this back to Roth."

"We will. Unless something stops us in the first place."

With a roll of her eyes, Lara retraced the path they took but not before the wolf from earlier lunged at her with snarled fangs. However, Patronus had seen it coming with Kitsune Sense and pushed the girl out of the way, taking her place as a result.

However, he did not plan to become its meal.

In a fluid motion, Patronus tilted his body diagonally, letting the wolf pass him by as he thrust his left arm at the creature with his Hidden Blade extended at the neck. The wolf howled in pain as Patronus held its head to the ground with his free arm until it ceased all motor functions.

"Arigato." Naruto thanked the wolf as he withdrew his Hidden Blade before wiping the blood off it.

Watching the hooded figure's blade retracting within his sleeve, Lara grabbed the torch and headed to the exist but not before saying, "Thank you."

"…No problem." Patronus returned as he followed after her back in a series of acrobatics and freerunning to the campsite.

They returned to see an unconscious Roth tended by Captain America who, upon seeing them return, urged Lara to treat him. She did so with proficiency that could only come from countless amount of practice. Then they waited for Roth to regain consciousness and that meant rest for Lara for the time being.

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With a loud 'gasp', Roth shot straight up as he looked around, alerting the trio of his awakening. Lara helped him scoot across the floor for a better position against a rock before she sat down next to him as Roth inspected the work on his leg.

"Not bad. Where does a young lady like you learn something like that?" Roth teased as Lara chuckled.

"Late shift at the Nine Bells." Lara answered. "A wolf's got nothing on a broken bottle."

Patronus had to ask when he put it together. "You learned how to do this at a bar?"

"Yes." She answered tensely, surprising the ninja. "Is there something wrong about that?"

"I was going to say impressive but with your attitude lately, I'm not going to say anything."

Captain America stepped between the space of the two youngsters. "All right, all right. Let's take it easy." The teens scoffed as they looked away from each other. "What's the plan, Mr. Roth?" He asked the elderly man.

"The plan is to take that…" He pointed the device near Lara's feet. "And attached it to the radio station atop the mountain behind us. That kind of position will send a strong signal in every direction."

"Sounds good."

"Hold on a minute." Patronus placed a hand on Cap's shoulder. "What about your S.H.I.E.L.D. gadgets? Can't we ask for help with these things?" He pointed at the device on his right arm.

"For some reason, I can't get a strong enough signal to any station in a 10-mile radius around the island." Captain America admitted honestly, shocking the trio. "I didn't expect this at all. Hopefully with the radio station and Roth's device here, it could amplify the signal to reach the authorities for help."

"'Hopefully?' Very reassuring coming from you." Patronus starkly responded with a sigh at the end.

"But the question is…who's going to go?" Lara asked despite knowing the answer.

Roth looked at her and saw the unsure expression on her face. "Lara, we need to send that SOS and I'm not climbing anytime soon."

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

Roth shifted his body to look at her better. "You can do it, Lara. After all, you're a Croft."

"I don't think I'm that kind of Croft." Lara admitted somewhat bitterly and unsure of herself.

"Are they a big deal or something, C.A.?" Patronus whispered to the soldier next to him.

"The information about the Crofts are the device I gave you but basically they are aristocrats." Rogers whispered back as Roth handed Lara his climbing axe to use for her next challenge.

"You just don't know it yet." Roth answered confidently.

Feeling inspired yet dreadful, Lara smirked as she looked at Roth. "Well, let's just hope I'm a fast learner then." She was about to get up when Roth held her hand.

"Just be careful, Lara." The elderly man told her with hope as she stood up and went towards the base of the mountain. He exchanged glances with the hooded hero and nodded at him, telling him to keep her safe.

Patronus nodded back and walked after Lara as both old men stared at each other.

"So, what do we do?" Roth asked the Living Legend.

"Let's get you healed up first and then wait for those two to come back. Then we'll head back to our base Patronus and I set up near the beach."

With that plan set, Roth sat against the rock and tried to get as much rest as possible.

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As he reached her in front of a craggy wall on the side of a platform, the radio on her belt blared with Roth's voice as both Patronus and Lara heard him.

-"Lara, you might want to give that axe a go on the rock wall over there first."-

Nodding, Lara pulled the axe and used it to climb the wall with ease despite the rain. Upon reaching the top, she looked back down to Patronus just standing there. "What's the matter? Scared of heights?"

"Hahaha~" He replied sarcastically as he extended his Hidden Blades and used them to climb the wall with his chakra to help steady his footing. He smirked at her after reaching the top which Lara somehow sensed and turned away from him.

The duo ran across an old rusty plane that acted as a bridge and climbed several ridges followed by another craggy wall as they reached another Japanese wooden bridge in front of a waterfall. However, their journey was derailed when Lara stopped and noticed white chalk drawings on a nearby wall.

"Uh, Lara. Where are you going?" Patronus asked as his female companion dropped down to the mass of water and saw her entering a cave with more of the white chalk drawings. "Hello!"

"You could stay there if you want. I'm going in."

"Fine then." Patronus crossed his arms when Lara entered the cave and it was some time until she finally emerged out of it with a bag slung on her left shoulder. "What was in there?"

"…A tomb." Lara replied curtly as she marched ahead, leaving Patronus slightly behind until he was right next to her.

"A tomb? You sure it's a good idea to disturb an individual's resting area?"

"There was no body so it's fine."

Seeing there was no reason to argue further, Patronus followed Lara to the other side of the bridge which led them back to the wolf's cave as the archer soon climbed the craggy wall near the entrance.

Avoiding to gaze at the view above him, the hooded hero saw a stable wall atop the cave's entrance and with a glance to make sure he was not seen, he jumped to the top and held tightly before climbing to the top with ease.

"Thank you, Assassins' free-running." Patronus praised the ancient method of travel as he made it to the top and walked to the edge where Lara just reached the top. When she looked up, her eyes widened in surprise before they looked below and at him again. "What?"

"How'd you…"

"I'm a climber." Patronus answered as he offered a hand, only for Lara to ignore it and moved past him. "You're welcome."

The duo climbed to the next upper level where they heard voices, causing them to take cover behind boxes.

"Hey, you find anything?!" One of the strangers shouted over the loud wind.

His companion, who was under a shelter on the other side, shouted back. "Nothing. There's no one up here! They never make it up this far!"

"Should we head back up to the bunker?!"

"Nah, let's wait out in the storm!"

"Got it!"

"Stay alert!"

"Let's move inside!"

Patronus did a quick flash of his Kitsune Sense and pinpointed three men near their position, one on the right side and two on the left. He looked at Lara who had her bow ready and pointed his fingers at her right, then pointed at himself and the men on the left. "I got them. You get the last one."

Lara nodded and readied an arrow while Patronus reached into his pouch and pulled out two shuriken. With his free hand, Naruto counted from three…two…one…

"Gah!"

"Argh!"

"Ofpmh!"

Their projectile weaponry hit their marks as Patronus's two shuriken hit their targets' backs while Lara's arrow penetrated through his neck. After making sure the coast was clear, the duo continued their trek upwards to the top of the falls where the last wooden bridge they reached began to crumble due to years of age.

"Go, go, go!" Patronus shouted at Lara as they ran to the other side.

However, the bridge had broken midway, forcing them to jump for it as Lara barely managed to get her axe out in time while Naruto used his strength to dig his fingers into the wall discreetly. The duo climbed to the top when Lara's radio blared with someone's voice.

-"Lara…are you there?"-

"Reyes! Did you find Sam?" Lara asked as they walked past stone walls and down the hill.

-"We're still on her trail."-

"We're going to try and send an SOS from an old radio tower from up here." Lara replied back.

-"Wait, 'we'? Who's 'we'?"-

"We're not alone on the island. Captain America and his sidekick are here to help us."

Patronus bristled at being called sidekick but chose to be the better person and stay quiet as Reyes exclaimed her relief about backup having arrived for them. "Cap, Cap…Can you hear me?"

="Loud and clear, Patronus. Is there something wrong?"=

"Not for now at least. Lara just received word from one of her friends in her radio." Patronus talked after rolling up his right sleeve and activated the blue/white screen. "I'm thinking that we should be in the same frequency to stay in contact. Can the touch screens do something like that?"

="When it comes to technology, S.H.I.E.L.D. is second to none. Do you have the frequency?"=

"Can't you ask Roth for it since he has the same radio as Lara's?"

="Good point."=

"Lara, tell your friend to await a response from Roth." Patronus told the archer as they stopped in the middle of the path.

After getting the frequencies, Captain America had isolated the two frequencies into a private channel and told Patronus to speak. "Reyes, was it? This is Patronus and I'm with Lara at the top of the mountain."

-"You a guy?"-

"Yeah~" Patronus answered hesitatingly.

-"Don't try any funny business with Lara or I'll gut you like a pig."-

A sweat-drop fell on Naruto's hooded head while Lara chuckled at his misfortune as Captain America spoke through the channel.

="I can assure you, Ms. Reyes, that Patronus is not that sort of person. He'll watch out for her."=

-"…I trust your word, Captain America. Hopefully we'll get out of here in one piece."-

"Have faith, why don't you?" Patronus teased through the touch screen.

With a roll of her eyes, Lara spoke next through her radio. "Any tips for the SOS?"

-"This is Alex, Patronus and Captain America. Now Lara, you're going to need to find the communications console. It'll look like a bunch of old switchboards."-

"What's a switchboard?" Patronus asked curiously, drawing Lara's deadpanned expression onto him. "What?"

"Okay. I'll let you know when I find it." Lara said as she and her reluctant companion stopped in front of a cliff. A post was stationed to the side with a rope tied to it while the other end was attached below. Without regarding anything below, Lara used her bow to slide down while Patronus jumped off and rolled on the ground to soften the impact.

Both actions, however, caught attention of hidden stragglers.

"Hey! Hey! Wake up, we got intruders!"

"How'd they get up here?"

Trembling with fear, Lara pointed her gun at the armed men. "Please, you don't need to do this!" She ducked under a lit bottle and had no choice but to fire bullets at them.

Patronus ran past the covered Lara and rush at one of the men near the cave before knocking him out with an elbow strike. One bullet dug into one man's head while the last of them ran towards her with a machete, preparing to strike at her.

Seeing this, Patronus whipped out a shuriken and threw it swiftly at the machete-wielding man while Lara fired the bullet through his head. Lara looted the bodies for ammo, both arrows and bullets, before she and her slightly taller companion entered the cave after lighting her torch.

"How many caves is there?" Patronus asked exasperatedly.

"More than you can count apparently."

Breathing in deeply to calm his nerves, Patronus let that go as they wedged themselves between a tight space and made it to the other side where it opened to a plain area with wreckage and a couple of burning empty oil drummers.

Extinguishing her torch, Lara spoke out her uneasiness. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"You too, huh?" Patronus agreed as he noticed something far away in the distance after he and Lara sat near a burning fire.

It was a large blinking building of sorts that he assumed was the radio tower they were looking for. From the looks of it, the distance was not going to be easy for them.

He then heard multiple voices out of nowhere and saw that Lara was holding a video camera, watching its contents to alleviate some of her stress from today's events.

"Are those your friends?" Patronus asked Lara who did not answer him. "Okay, I have to ask: Is there a problem between you and me?"

"…"

"Look, I don't know what your problem is with me but you and I are in this together now. Whether you like it or not." Patronus admitted his distressed feelings as he stood up to give her some space.

"Question: Why haven't you used your Ninjutsu?"

"Those guys and this whole thing isn't exactly the type of situation that calls for it. Plus, I don't want Captain America to know about them." Naruto replied through the link. "Hopefully I don't have to use them on this island."

Ashura then took his turn to speak his input. "Although I have a feeling you won't be so lucky soon." Dual groans came from his partners. "What?"

"You just jinxed us/You just jinxed us!" Both Kurama and Naruto screamed through the link, causing a sheepish Ashura to cover his ears.

Lara looked at the fuming hooded hero's back and her camera a few times before her eyes stayed on the camera's screen. It was the video many hours before the ship's crash and the crazy storm that brought it down. The last few seconds of the video had shown her and Roth with the latter commenting on Lara's great potential and how her father would be proud of her.

She knew the journey ahead of her was going to be rough with the crazed armed men and her missing friends, but she was not alone today. Lara admitted that she was still afraid but now had the confidence to continue onwards.

Her friends needed her. Roth needed her to succeed to get that SOS out.

Although she would never admit it to Patronus yet, Lara was glad to have someone like him to watch her back. All she could hope for was that nothing worse was waiting for them.

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North Sector, Yamatai

"AAHHHH—"

A moan of pleasure echoed across the dark caverns after the scream of agony was swiftly silenced moments before. One of her paralyzed victims laid on the ground, completely terrified and silently pissed his pants after he watched the creature suck the life of his friend.

He tried his best to calm his heart to avoid the creature taking him away like his company before him.

However, that was just wistful thinking.

"No! No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no!"

"Oh, calm down, my darling."

Strangely enough, the man stayed frozen as his nerves were suddenly calm despite her hands held tightly onto his face. He was so calm and strangely at peace that his body was slowly being encased with silk-like webbing ejected from her wings. His eyes widened in shock as the creature sank her fangs into his jugular, draining his blood.

The gulps of blood were loud before the apparent female creature finally released her now-paled and dead victim, licking her lips lusciously as her appetite was sated…for now.

That did not stop her thoughts about scouting the island for more victims.

With a flap of her wings, the creature took flight through the narrow hole out of her sanctuary as she soared through the skies, searching for her next meal.