A/N: This story will be ignoring most of the things after the end of the series. I have not watched the new Boruto anime and don't really intend too. I've got nothing against it, it just doesn't draw any interest to me so it'll be left out.

Published: 10/19/2017

Warnings: Language, I guess?

Chapter 1

The Guardian

The snake freak had caught up then at last. Whoever the hell this bitch was, she was faster, she was stronger, she was more dangerous than anything they had ever faced.

Naruto remembered Kakashi-Sensei facing off against Zabuza. He remembered the utter raw power the two had displayed. He remembered how it had been so difficult to keep up with them as they moved across the battlefield. How their power, their chakra, had echoed across the battlefield.

Two Jounins, locked in combat.

This monster was worse.

This was no Genin. Naruto had already determined that. She was too strong to be a Genin. Too powerful.

Still, he had to try.

Giving up, surrendering? As if! He was Naruto Uzumaki, the boy that would be Hokage! If something as little as a psycho snake faced bastard was enough to take him out, then he didn't deserve the title of Hokage!

Naruto wouldn't run. No, he wouldn't be like Sasuke, that coward. Pathetic! Completely and utterly pathetic!

Naruto called on it. Called on the beast, on the monster. He could feel the tainted chakra flow through him. Twisted, and full of hatred. Naruto didn't mind. The darkness had never bothered him, not really.

If anything, he welcomed it like an old friend, feeling it fill him with energy.

"Hey kid, you're not hurt are ya?" Naruto panted heavily. Behind him, he could feel the body of the snake. The kunai shook in his hands. That idiot Sasuke hadn't moved. What would Kakashi sensei say when he realized Sasuke didn't know how to dodge?

In another universe, Piccolo tilted his head towards an unknown force.

Then, at last, Naruto looked up. Eyes red and glowing, his pupils eloglated into slits, he snarled.

"You scaredy cat!"

Sasuke, idiot Sasuke, looked at him in horror. Naruto couldn't be more disgusted. This wasn't the Sasuke he knew. This couldn't be the Sasuke he knew.

Sasuke twitched. He was probably remembering how he had tossed the exact same words at Naruto so many weeks ago, during that mission to Wave.

"Standing there frozen like a frightened rabbit! No way! You're not the Sasuke I know!"

Then, the second grossest thing imaginable happened to Naruto, second only to being covered in Snake guts after he had ripped his way free only minutes earlier.

A tongue wrapped around him and pulled him up.

Sasuke, the coward, uselessly stared.

"Hey! Oh man!? Disgusting! Put me down before I yank this tongue out of your head!"

Naruto struggled even as the snake freak pulled him closer, a twisted smile on her face.

The snake freak lifted a hand

"I see. When your anger is aroused, some of the Kyuubi's chakra is released," she whispered to him as purple flames began to envelope her fingers. "What an interesting childhood you must have had." She stated, ignoring Naruto's growing horror and struggle.

Then, she lifted his shirt with that disturbing tongue of hers.

"Gogyo Fujin!"

Then, that burning hand slammed into his chest, and the world ended. The fingers burned, their mark branding themselves into Naruto's flesh. In the back of his head, he heard Sakura calling.

He heard her, but her words didn't matter. He couldn't make them out. All he knew was that this, this was death. This was the end. This was-

Naruto slumped over. Eyes closing, Naruto realized that this was the end. Huh. Maybe, just maybe, this sacrifice would mean something. Maybe, just maybe-

Naruto felt himself thrown through the air and he knew no more.

An interesting child, no doubt about it, but not the one Orochimaru was currently interested in. Oh no, his true target stood before him.

Orochimaru had to say, he was disappointed so far. At this age, Itachi Uchiha would put a much greater fight. Sasuke, on the other hand, was average at best.

No. Worse than average.

When faced with an opponent he couldn't possibly match, his response was to cower.

The Uzumaki boy, at the very least, had the balls to face him.

Then again, Orochimaru should not have been surprised. All things considered, the real anomaly was Uzumaki. No normal Genin would have dared attack Orochimaru. No normal Genin would have shrugged off his killing intent as if it were nothing. No normal Genin-

"You shouldn't have done that."

Eyes widening, Orochimaru spun. How had someone snuck up on him? Who could have possibly managed to make his way here without Orochimaru detecting them?

There, holding the Jinchuriki's fallen form in his arms, was a shimmering young man. The stranger landed upon one of the many branches around them before gently laying the Uzumaki boy down. Then, burning blue eyes glared right at Orochimaru.

What was this? Who was this?

The young man stood. Light brown hakama pants, a form fitting dark shirt, and a shoulder pauldron at his side, the male glared at Orochimaru. The ethereal glow shimmering from his skin, almost as if the man were an illusion.

"Who are you?" Orochimaru stared.

"My name," the man lifted a single hand, and the air shimmering. There was a sudden golden glow and then the man was holding a strange looking sword, shaped oddly like a key.

A key…

Orochimaru's eyes widened.

"Is none of your concern. You've harmed my charge." Then, the man closed his eyes. Foolishness, Orochimaru decided. A wielder of the famed Keyblade, but foolish nonetheless. Orochimaru would break him.

Then, the eyes snapped back open, a yellow glow over taking them.

"I will break you." The man promised.

Terra had every confidence that Naruto would not remember. He had every hope that Naruto would not remember. He didn't want Naruto to remember.

Some things, some memories, are best left forgotten. It had been around half a decade, he guessed, since he had ended up sealed within Naruto alongside the Kyuubi no Kitsune, but until now that sealing hadn't mattered much.

It had been Terra's choice. He had contented himself to rest, to wait until the opportune moment.

This creature before him, however, had other ideas. Terra wasn't sure who the man before him was, but he did know that his opponent had actually had the idiocy to mess with Naruto's seal.

The bloody lunatic could had unleashed the Kyuubi, and then they would all have been fucked. This was not a crime Terra took lightly.

As he felt the darkness overtake him, it felt good. Terra had, of course, practiced channeling said powers. It wouldn't do to have another incident like Xehanort. This was who Terra was. What he was. Pretending his own magic didn't naturally call to the Dark would be stupid.

It's what had fucked him up in the first place, if he was being honest with himself. Master Eraqus hadn't understood, but Terra, at long last, did.

The man smiled with a tilt of his head.

"A Keyblade bearer. Your kind are legend of old. It's an honor to face off against-"

The man was forced to dodge.

The serpent was not so lucky. Keyblade jabbed into the snake's head, and it's face twisted into a snarl, fangs and all, as Terra pumped power into the blast. It trashed for a moments before Terra leapt away. It fell to the cold unforgiving earth, fading away from this realm as its life came to an end.

With a single swing of the Keyblade, he watched as the man, and several trees, were torn in half by the force of the blow.

Terra had the satisfaction of watching shock blossom on the man's face before he unceremoniously vomited. This wasn't normal vomit, however. How could it be, when out of the vomit jumped another man?

Terra landed on another branch, the other two children behind him. Lifting his Keyblade before him, Terra was determined to protect them too.

His opponent landed before him, his appearance changed.

"So," Terra spoke, "this is your true form."

Glowing yellow eyes, slit like a snake's, grinned up at him.

"But of course. My name is Orochimaru. Forgive me for my fascination, but that sword of yours… Is it not the famed Keyblade, the weapon wielded by the Masters of Uzushiogakure of old?"

Terra raised a single eyebrow.

"Why would I reveal anything about my powers to you?"

Then, wordlessly, Terra sent a blast of scorching dark fire towards his foe.

The now named Orochimaru wordlessly vomited again, this time a wall of mud erecting itself.

Terra took advantage.

Only his decades of experience allowed Orochimaru to defend himself as Terra appeared practically out of nowhere, Keyblade coming down in a slash that would have taken off his head. It clashed against the Sword of Kusanagi, and the ancient legendary blade shook front the force.

Yellow eyes met yellow eyes.

Orochimaru twisted back and countered.

To the children, the pair of them became a blur, slashing blades as the forest shook around them.

Terra cut yet another snake before giving another roar. Leaping in the air and twisting, he summoned a meteor and let its destructive force rain down.

Orochimaru was taken by evident surprise. A lava based technique was obviously not one he had been expecting. He managed to dodge, but only barely. With a hiss, Orochimaru realized his body was covered in burns. Looking up, he glared at Terra as Terra strode to him, Keyblade in hand, fury in his eyes.

"Just what are you!" Orochimaru snarled.

"A guardian. Now… Begone!"

Another slash that ripped through the air. Orochimaru deflected it with difficulty and watched as it ripped several trees from the force. Then, the last thing he expected happened.

Chakra Chains.

The bloody brat had Chakra Chains as well! The Chains shot out from all directions, attempting to ensnare him, to impale him. This so called guardian really was going for the kill.

Where had Sarutobi been hiding this exquisite young man! The famed Keyblade and the famed Chakra Chains, both jutsu's lost with the Fall of Uzushiogakure, yet here was a practitioner of both.

Orochimaru's surprise cost him. The Keyblade ripped into his stomach. He hadn't seen it before, but he could see it now. He could see the darkness that clung to the young man like an old friend, hugging itself to him, enveloping him.

A glowing hand struck Orochimaru's face and his world exploded in pain.

Orochimaru, with a groan, lifted himself up. Had he been any other, he would have been dead. Without his body modifications, the brat would had killed him. As it was, Orochimaru had survived, if only barely.

"Well, this was fun, Uzumaki-San, but I'm afraid I must be going. Toodles!"

Then, Orochimaru performed an act he had not done in years, but one every ninja worth their kunai knew how to perform well. He fled in the face of a superior opponent. Superior for now.

Sasuke-kun had been intriguing, but this… Oh this was far more interesting. A far better prey. Yes, he would make the young man his prey. He would make him his prey, and perhaps, as an afterthought, Sasuke-kun would be next. Implanting the eyes of an Uchiha would normally be asinine, but in the body of an Uzumaki to match?

Well…

Such a body with could sustain such eyes, and when he had them it would truly make Orochimaru the greatest ninja ever.

As soon as Orochimaru had departed, Terra let out a gasp. Clutching at his chest, he felt the Keyblade vanish from existence, back into his heart.

He needed to get back.

With that, he turned and began to make his way towards Naruto.

Then, to his shock, the dark haired boy jumped in his way. Eyes glowing red and spinning with the tomoe of the Sharingan, the boy glared.

An Uchiha. Interesting.

"What do you want with Naruto!"

Even more interesting. It seemed his charge's actions had awakened a protective edge in the Uchiha boy. His terror had fled. Instead, all that was left was a raw instinct to protect his comrade.

Fitting of an Uchiha.

"I'm going to undo what Orochimaru did to him. If I don't, there will be far reaching consequences." Terra saw no reason to lie. Behind the Uchiha, a pink haired girl cradled Naruto against her, eyes glaring at him as she held a kunai.

It shook in her hands.

She was terrified. Terrified of him. No doubt, the Uchiha was as well but he did a better job of hiding it.

"How do we know that? We won't let you harm our teammate!"

Terra neglected to point out that if he really wanted to harm their teammate, the pair of them combined would hardly be able to stop him.

"If you don't move aside, then Naruto will be the one harmed. The longer I am manifested, the weaker his life force gets."

That was the reason his battle with Orochimaru had been so rushed. He didn't have time to wear down his opponent. He had to take him out quickly and effectively.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru lived. Terra had a feeling that their next meeting, and there would be a next time, would end far less in his favor than this one had.

"What do you mean by that?" The pink haired girl spoke up.

"Years ago, I lost my body. My spirit, however, survived. It found a new home, a relative of mine who called to me." Terra motioned towards Naruto. The children looked aghast at learning their teammate had apparently been playing host to a ghost. Oh, if only they knew. "This body though…" Terra lifted a single shimmering arm, "It's made from his life force. The longer I stay out, the weaker he gets."

The Uchiha considered.

Then, with a nod, he stepped aside.

"Sasuke-kun-" the girl began.

"He's telling the truth. I can see it. Do what you can." The unspoken or else was ears loud and clear. Terra smiled.

"It's good to see that after all this time, the Uchiha clan and the Uzumaki clan still stand as brothers."

He didn't wait for a response. Ignoring the spluttering and shock in the Uchiha boy's eyes, Terra made his way to Naruto. Reluctantly, the girl moved aside.

Lifting Naruto's shirt, Terra examined the seal Orochimaru had made.

Then, fingers lighting with fire, Terra slammed it into Naruto's chest. His body convulsed and eyes snapped open, face scrunched in pain.

"Hey! What the hell was that!"

Terra smiled up, even as the Uchiha boy looked ready to kill.

"Hail, brother. Take care of each other."

Then, hand placed above Naruto's heart, he vanished in a shimmer of glowing blue light.

Naruto's body convulsed once more before it calmed.

Then, with a groan, he sat up. Eyes blinking tiredly, Naruto stared up at his teammates. Noticing the looks they were shooting him, Naruto frowned.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Sakura practically fell over and Sasuke's expression turned murderous.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. Was it something he said?

A/N: This story idea had been in my head for over a year. I've got most of it already mapped out.

Thanks for reading :)