Prophecies, Puppets and Pandemonium

A New Name

Last Time:

Less than a week later they started their journey across what was believed to be an impassible desert ...

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Two days into the desert and the group was starting to see why this was believed to be an impossible feat. The sizzling hot days and the freezing nights were almost too much to bear.

"Hey Naruto, are we going the right way?" groaned Iruka as he wiped the sweat off his brow.

The blonde, who looked perfectly content in the blazing heat, said "Yes, we just need to head in this direction." Naruto stopped to look at a sand pit and threw a rock in. He watched the rock get sucked up by the sand and vanish. "HEY guys I found quicksand!"

"That's nice Naruto." Iruka mutered tiredly.

"GERANAMOOOOOOOO!"

Everyone froze ...

"Naruto wouldn't, would he?" asked a worried Torune. Everyone turned and looked at the sand pit ... Naruto was not there.

"That boy is insane!" Danzo yelled as everyone ran over to the pit

They all heard a distant echo coming from under the sand, "Are you guys coming?"

Kurama growled, "I'm going to kill him."

"Not if I get to him first." hissed Anko as she and Kurama jumped into the pit and disappeared beneath the sand.

Danzo held out his good arm and kept anyone else from going into the pit, "It isn't safe yet." *Bang*Smack* Danzo lowered his arm. "Now it's safe."

The rest of the group jumped into the sand pit and fell into the tunnel of an underground cave. They all sweat dropped as they saw Naruto lying on the ground with a large lump on his head and a red handprint on his cheek. Anko and Kurama were standing over him looking a little too innocent.

Naruto got up rubbing his aching head, "Ow ... ok, ow, let's go."

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They continued down the tunnels until they reached a large stone cavern with a waterfall coming out of the far wall. The waterfall poured into a crystal clear stream that flowed down one of the two tunnels.

"We should rest here before continuing." Danzo said. They set up camp and ate. They also took the opportunity to refresh their supply of water in the stream.

"This place is amazing! How did you know it was down here Naruto?" asked Iruka

Naruto shrugged, "I just did. I think it has something to do with the access to past lives."

Danzo raised an eyebrow, "Past lives?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, Kami said she believes I tapped into my previous lives at some point."

"Wait, Kami is a woman! Sweet! Is she single?" asked an eager Anko.

Naruto sweatdropped, "No clue. I'll ask her if I die again."

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Kurama laid in his sleeping bag trying to sleep, but it wasn't working so he left his tent and watched the waterfall for a while.

"Can't sleep?" The redhead turned and saw Naruto standing there.

Kurama shook his head, "No, I can't."

Naruto sat down next to him, "I'm here to listen."

"When the sage first separated us we got along fine, but I started saying stupid things about power and we began fighting with each other ... and we went our own way. Not long after that they were all captured and I wasn't there to protect them ... all I could do was run. At least, until I was sealed too." The redhead wiped a tear from his eye before continuing. "If I didn't say any of those things maybe ... maybe things would've been different ... maybe-"