AN: Naruto and Fallout are owned by Masashi Kishimoto, TV Tokyo, Bethesda Softworks, and Bethesda Game Studios. Please read and enjoy.

"The darkness that surrounds us cannot hurt us, it is the darkness in your own heart that you should fear" – Speech.

'Is three hundred caps worth being known as a Deal Breaker? Seems like bad business to me' – Thought.

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely" – Flashback.

"You want to protect the world and yet you don't want it to change… you're all puppets… tangled in strings…" – Machine/Creature/ Terminal Dialogue.

Nuclear Badlands

Chapter 6: Champion of the Slaves

"Steelyard duty, hehe who'd you piss off to get that death sentence? You know what, don't tell me, it's not like you'll be alive for long anyways" spoke Everett.

Naruto glared at the mohawk Foreman as he followed the Slaver into his office, clearly not finding the joke amusing. He had narrowly survived the deathtrap that was the suspension bridge, the deck lined with empty cars, trucks, and buses did well to hide the many active Frag Mines and Bear Traps.

The interference of a scouting Pitt Raider from an elevated Sniper's Nest did rather well to keep him at bay; that is until he was forced to reload. Shortly afterwards, Naruto had come into contact with a group of runaway Slaves, who unfortunately, did not heed the blonde's warnings about the bridge and were brutally mutilated by the hidden land mines.

To make matters worse, upon entering the primary work zone, the Gatekeepers found the blonde's 'accessories' to be rather fascinating and had left him deprived of his both his Modules and Omni-Tool.

This did not sit well with Naruto, after his squabble with the Outcasts and his most recent discovery off the Talon Company Contract; he did not trust anyone with his equipment. However, with so many Pitt Raiders roaming about on the scaffolds and several more on ground level, he had little choice but to leave his gear in the possession of the Slavers.

Pushing aside the thoughts of his repossessed equipment, Naruto's mind edged towards his conversation with Midea.

"Alright, we can talk now but we have to make this quick, they saw you come in here, so they'll come looking for you if we linger for too long"

Finding Midea wasn't too challenging, considering that she can always recognize a new face amongst the countless post-civilians that worked day in and day out. She had snuck him into her quarters within a half collapsed building, where she would hopefully share some Intel without the eyes and ears of the Pitt Raiders.

"I have a plan for getting you into Ashur's Palace, but it will have to wait, in the meantime, you're going to have to blend in with the rest of us-" she sped, before Naruto interrupted.

"Hey, slow down! Tell me, what exactly is happening here?" he replied, which earned a sigh from Midea.

"I don't know what you saw on the way in, but the guards don't really take kindly to workers just standing around, you're going to have to look busy otherwise they'll sniff you out and if they get too close... you don't look like you belong here"

Naruto raised an eyebrow before reassuring her that he could handle whatever job the Raiders threw at him. Midea looked away as she gave a narrowed glare towards the crumbled wall.

"Outside of the Mill, there are a bunch of old Steel Ingots just lying around, every so often the Foreman puts out a work order to collect them… it's practically a death sentence and they never assign it to anyone, instead they make us choose amongst ourselves on who to send, those fucking bastards".

"If it's considered a death sentence then there's obviously a reason for it, what exactly will I be dealing with on the other side?"

"The area is a quarantine for Trogs" she stated, before noticing the confused look on the blonde's face.

"The hell is a Trog?"

"They're what most of us hope we never become, the contamination gets to everyone to some degree, for most people it's some form of cancer, sometimes harmless, sometimes not, but for others it drives them insane. If it doesn't kill them, it changes them, they become animals, deformed and inhuman, it's not pretty, they're everywhere and kill on sight"

This got the blonde's attention, he wasn't just dealing with authority of the Pitt Raiders but, now he had to survive an onslaught of bloodthirsty mutants.

"So what? Am I supposed to strangle them if I meet one?" he asked, while he could literally bash skulls in with his bare hands, hand to hand combat prove futile against horde and would rather keep them at a distance, preferably with a weapon.

"I can't really help you there, ask around, maybe check with Marco in the Mill, he's been turning some of our tools into weapons, hell you might even be able to find a gun on one of those dead bosses out in the Steelyard, they-"she was then cut off as their attention snapped to several loud bangs against the door.

Their conversation was cut short as Jackson; one of the many higher ranking Raiders, kicked open the door and stormed in with a .45 Auto Pistol in hand.

"What's going on in here Midea? Who the hell is this scab?"

"Uh… nothing… nothing, sir… I was just telling this new worker about the job the Foreman posted…"

"Oh yeah? So he's the one going out to the Steelyard, huh?" he asked, giving the blonde an analyzing look.

"Yes sir, I told him what he needs to do, ten Ingots, as fast as he can"

"Well then, I hope you also said goodbye! Play time's over, get to work grinders!"

Shortly after the Pitt Raider drove him out of Media's quarters the blonde snuck into the Mill's Rotary Press Control Room where he spoke with the paranoid and ever so scatterbrained Slave, Marco. In the end, Naruto walked out with a modified concrete saw slung across his back. Compared to the steel cutting blades that were designated to the captives that were factory assembled, the Auto Axe was crafted from industrial materials and scrap metal.

Its quadruple axe blades were forged of a much weaker alloy and would not cut through metal as its original counterpart; instead it was purposely designed to hack through flesh and bone. While the weapon gave an intimidating vibe, it did have its faults. As Naruto noted, the weapon ran on a fuel source that would had to remain at a minimal level in order to function properly and has called its durability into question.

Not the best weapon he would take into a battlefield, but like the old saying states, anything is better than nothing. If he was lucky enough, the blonde would find the necessary tools to further modify the saw blade to his liking.

"Keep movin' scab! Time's wasting!" called Everett.

Naruto snapped from his train of thought and followed the Foreman into the Mill's Abandoned Area, where they proceeded to walk through a caged serpentine pathway. The Metahuman was a bit curious as to why they had built the protective catwalk when they could have simply walked across to begin with, maybe it had something to do with the enormous fence they had constructed to barricade nearly half of the area.

Unbeknownst to the two, a lone stowaway crawled above on the ventilation pipes. It caught the scent of possible prey and pounced onto the cage, startling both Slave and Foreman, giving a feral growl in attempt to force its claws through the barrier.

'Well, well, well, they've actually managed to find a way in~' thought Everett, before unloading a .308 Round from his Hunting Rifle.

The creature was silences as it's the bullet tore through its unprotected chest, blood sprinkled down from the initial impact before it calmly dribbled from its motionless body.

"See that fella up there? You'll be seeing loads of those…" spoke the Foreman, pulling back and pushing forward the bolt on his weapon, replacing the empty breach with a second round,"… And if you survive them, you'll probably run into those crazies that live up on the blast furnace".

Naruto wiped the blood droplets from his face as he studied the corpse, 'So that's a Trog, huh? Muscles don't appear to be too overdeveloped and like Midea said, it acted like feral beast, meaning it will use everything in its arsenal to kill its prey' his sights then trailed down to its tools.

'It's claws appear to be made for slashing rather than piercing, so they will most likely put most of their strength into their bite… hope these things don't attack in hordes, or I'll be in trouble' thought Naruto before trotting back after Everett.

"Tell you what, why don't you do me a favor and get killed close to the door, that way I won't have to walk far to loot your corpse, hehehe~" laughed the Foreman, missing the glare from the blonde Meta-Human.

Eventually they made it to the end of the pathway were a dented and blood stained steel door stood shut.

"Here's the door, now get out there and grab some Ingots, don't come back without at least ten" spoke the Pitt Raider, before an idea clicked into his head and stopped the blonde before his hand touched the handle.

"Tell you what though, if you can bring in 'more' than just ten measly little Ingots and say, turn them in to me; I may just slip a little something your way".

It seemed pretty ingenious, bribing the Slave with some of the equipment he had looted throughout the years in attempt to present more metal for Ashur's Army. IF the Slave managed to survive and IF he brought in his desired amount, then he would hopefully earn his desired promotion into Uptown.

However, should this scab fail to complete his request, he would simply loot whatever possessions he acquired out in the Steelyard then silence him for good measure. The last thing he needed was for the Slave to run his mouth to the other Pitt Raiders; they'd no doubt hound him over his secret cache.

The Foreman turned and proceeded back to his office when he felt a hand grip his shoulder, Everett winced at the amount of pressure that was being placed towards his joint. His head snapped towards the Slave and froze in place at the intensifying glare he was receiving from said blonde.

"I'll hold you to that…" spoke Naruto, before releasing the man and entering Steelyard.

Everett released small gasp for air as a bead of sweat dripped off his head. The Foreman could feel his arms tremble from the unnerved feeling that had radiated from the blonde, up until recently, only Asher and a selected few Raiders have been able to intimidate him, granted it was usually by threat, but this Slave had been able to do so with a cold stare and few simple words.

Grabbing his aching shoulder, the Foreman retreated back to his office, 'What the fuck was that?' he continued to ask himself.

Steelyard

Naruto shook his head in disappointment. He didn't need to peer into the Pitt Raider's mind to know that the man was using him for his own gain and would sooner gun him down than depart with his equipment. All he really had to know was if the Slaver actually possessed the gear to back up his statement and was mildly surprised when he gained knowledge of the Foreman's hidden cache within the Mill's Abandoned Area.

Upon entering the Mill's backyard, Naruto instantly took notice of the lack of oxygen in the area, gazing up towards the sky, he noticed the clouds toxic black fumes that were escaping from chimneys across the Steelyard. Shifting to the left, his sights landed on a disposal of waste barrels; irradiated by the look of its spilled content.

The environmental hazards were the least of his concerns as gunshots and Trog shrieks echoed in the distance. Naruto began his accumulation by inspecting a nearby corpse who just so happens to hold a firm grasp on a pair of Ingots.

Prying the processed metal from its blood stained hands; the blonde was able to get a closer look at the body. Deep gashes and chunks of missing flesh covered the mangled carcass, blood smeared hand prints marked the Slave's demise at the hands of the Troglodytes. The Metahuman then turned his attention to the R91 Assault Rifle that was laid to waste above several empty bullet casings.

Unfortunately, due to the weapon's below average condition, near empty magazine, and the double feed malfunction within its open bolt made the Assault Rifle a dead man's gun. The only upside to his findings was a pair of loaded 5.56 Magazines and even so, however, carrying the ammunition and any collected Ingots would prove to be a problem.

Taking a second look around the entrance, he spotted a mining cart half buried underneath dirt and rock. Bringing his findings closer to the rolling stock, the blonde placed his hands within the inner walls and uprooted the cart from its sunken position. Tilting it slightly to empty its contents, Naruto pushed the iron tub onto its wheels and dropped in the supplies.

Naruto then proceeded to push his method of transport towards a nearby train yard; promptly beginning his scavenge for Ingots. Soon, a total of eight of the processed metal were accumulated within the cart with Naruto finding himself standing before a quartet of Protectron Units, each locked and deactivated within their pods and linked to the single Terminal stationed on an industrial catwalk.

Peeking into one of the pods, Naruto was able to speculate the machines to be industrial designed. This of course meant heavy reinforcement on armor, a caged guard and upgrades on its combat inhibitor, and most likely a larger and more durable battery unit. Seeing the usefulness of these machines, Naruto strolled back and activated the Terminal. Unfortunately, the coding that was secured into the mainframe was far more advanced than he had expected and without his Omni-Tool, hacking would prove to be a challenge.

What took close to twenty minutes of manual breaching, Naruto was able to successfully bypass security protocols and gain access to the Terminal's input commands. Just as he was about to activate the Protectrons, his attention was turned to the source of a ravenous growl. Behind a chain fence was an unarmed Slave, who was slowly backing away from an approaching Trog.

"B-Billy... it's me... your brother, John-John... y-you remember me... don't you, Billy?"

"Don't just stand there, run!" shouted Naruto.

This outburst caused the Slave to rush towards the gate, triggering his mutated brother's primal instinct and lunged at his sibling. Naruto was instantly at the gate, using his Auto Axe to break off the lock pad keeping the door closed. With a hard strike, both latch and pad snapped from its place allowing the blonde to kick open the gate.

By then however, the Trog had already bitten off large chunks of flesh from his brother. Its teeth were clenched tightly on John's throat, blood gushed profoundly as the mutant rabidly shacked and pulled its head back to rip out his jugular. Its claws left mortal wounds that threatened to tear open the Slave's chest, John refusing to stop screaming throughout the ordeal.

With a sickening crunch, Billy was knocked off his brother who was now bleeding uncontrollably from his missing windpipe. The Trog screeched in pain as large gash traced across its chest, the last thing it witnessed was a descending spinning blade as it sawed through its skull and bisected its upper torso.

Blood, bone, and bits of flesh splattered across the walls and grounds before Naruto pulled his weapon from the disfigured corpse. John gagged, wheezed, and gasped for breath, he had already lost and was continuously losing torrents of his life essence. The soon quickly turned deathly pale and was dead in a matter of seconds.

Naruto kneeled before the corpse and closed the cadaver's eyes, a sigh escaped his lips, knowing full well there could not have been a different outcome. A moment of silence was given to John and was almost immediately disrupted by several feral snarls, causing the Metahuman to snap his attention to the stationed train compartments.

A pack of Trogs eyed the Human with hunger, drool dripped from there blood stained maws and their claws scratched against the rusted surface. Naruto glanced back and forth between the mutants and the active Terminal, the operation system was but several meters away and the Trogs were edging him into making the first move. Remaining still was not an option as the screams of both deceased brothers had alerted many of the local Trogs and when several stray from the pack, the rest will follow.

Shrieks of the approaching horde echoed as the mutants raced towards the source, strapping the Auto Axe to his back, Naruto bolted towards the Terminal with his predators in pursuit. Using the railings to boost himself over the four steps, the blonde successfully activated the first Unit before dismissing the next for a Trog that had pounced on him.

With the help of his adamantium skeletal structure, the blonde stood anchored in place with his left forearm underneath the Trog's gnashing jaws whilst using his free hand to shield himself against the mutant's constant scratch and clawing; to no avail. Just as the other Trogs got ready to tackle, Naruto countered with a bone crushing right hook, stopping the mutant's assault in time for the blonde to throw the staggered Trog onto its comrades.

With the a small window of opportunity, Naruto rapidly pressed the 'Enter' key on the Terminal as he scrolled down between Units. He was able to activate a pair before a Trog latched onto his back and slammed his head against the screen. Unfortunately, the term 'hard-headed' was taken quite literally as an impact crack took nearly half the screen with a dented overhead caved into the Terminal caused the display to glitch every so often. To his slight relief he caught sight of steam exhausting from the pods, ready to release the dormant machines, however, Naruto had bigger matters to attend to.

Snatching the Trog by the head, the blonde pulled it off him and slammed it onto the catwalk where a quick head stomp ceased its attempts to get back up. Naruto turned back and grimaced at the wave of Troglodytes crawling and climbing across buildings, pipelines, and fences.

'It's gonna be a bloodbath' Naruto thought, as he revved up his Auto Axe.

Pulling back the concrete saw, the blonde gave a hard swing towards the first mutants. Four were killed instantly as the spinning blade and force of impact hacked deeply through their torso; causing gruesome damage to their chest cavities. Naruto swung left and right, batting away any Trog that came within proximity of the axe blades.

Unfortunately, with each Trog that fell to the Auto Axe, left a rather hefty toll on the weapon itself as it was primarily designed to be used in similar ways to that of a Chainsaw, not a Baseball Bat. The bolt and mechanisms that held the weapon together were quickly deteriorating and to make matters worse, several of the Mutants he had slashed open were Fledglings, outraging the parents and causing them to enter a new stage of aggression.

Soon, the Metahuman was overwhelmed and pinned to the rails. Scratches and bites spread throughout his exterior and could do nothing but struggle against the onslaught. The smaller Trogs began to pile up and sink their jaws into his flesh and one was prepping to clamp onto his throat but was suddenly disintegrated by concentrated red beam.

Naruto flinched and felt his body tense as blinding red rays shot passed him and burning through approaching horde.

"Scanning... Scanning... Creatures of unusual size detected! Commencing attack on hostile!"

Despite not being struck, the mutants holding down the Metahuman were affected by the fired Energy Cells, blinding their sensitive eyes with the expelled flare of each traveling ray. Loosening their grips to shield their line of sight, Naruto broke free and knocked back the Troglodytes, getting them within range of the Protectron scanners.

With legs threatening to fail him, Naruto leaned against the rails and limped back towards the glitched Terminal. Regardless of the damage received, it remained operation and was able to activate the fourth Protectron Unit with a slight delay in commands.

Turning back to the horde, the whiskered Meta-Human slid to a seat and allowing himself a moment's rest as his wounds slowly came to a close. Taking deep breathes to calm his rapidly beating heart, the blonde peered past the red flashes, granting him view of the growing piles of scattered ash and Trog corpses.

Eventually, the Trogs could no longer bear the visual intensity of the energy weapons and were forced to retreat back into the darkness of the Steelyard. Once his wounds had at closed to a point, Naruto pulled himself up and stood before the Terminal once more. The goal was to erase any data regarding machine's current ownership, listed user employees, and manufacturer.

Once accomplished, a small change in their original programming, filling in the blanks with his identity, and a simple reboot, was all it would take to make the four Units his. With a half broken Terminal and partial knowledge of reprogramming Pre-War Tech, the time of completion was lengthily extended. After claiming ownership of the Protectrons, the rejuvenated Meta-Human promptly addressed the reactivated machines.

"Unit One, Two, Three, and Four, our objective is the retrieval of scattered alloy material, you are to defend against any threat deemed hazardous to both me and yourselves, confirm command!" ordered Naruto.

"Command Confirmed..."

"We'll begin our search within the Supply Plant, any processed metal that was collected in the past would most likely be stored there... now, let's move"

Dragging his mining cart over to a closed coiling sheet door where he forcefully raised the gate and motioned his mechanical allies to follow.

Supply Plant

"Shit! It's got me! It's got me! Auurgh!" screamed a survivor, as he was disemboweled by a pack of Trogs. Flesh, bone, and organs were torn and devoured by a pair while the others raced after the retreating Wildmen.

"Damn it! Fuck 'em up!" exhausted from the mutant's pursuit, the crazed infected retrieved their weapons proceeded to drill holes into their predators.

"Crap, I'm out! Hold them off while I activate the Turret!"

"Hurry the fuck up! We're not made of ammo!"

The Wildman raced up the stairs and onto a catwalk leading to an elevated office room. Stopping before the Terminal, the infected gave the computer a boot and was met with a password request. The man felt his lips twitch into a sneer, having no knowledge of the security phase, he began to pound at the monitor.

"Are. You. Fucking. Kidding- Ack!~" feeling a warm fluid trail down his back, the man fell forward with a deep gash on the back of his neck, a severed spinal cord could be seen through the open wound.

"Sorry, but I prefer working with a non-damaged Terminal" spoke Naruto.

Shoving the body off the wall mounted computer, the blonde broke through security protocols with moderate difficulty and reconfigured the Turrets automated targeting system.

"Hey,we're almost out! Any fucking day now!"

Tapping the 'Enter' Key, a Mark V Ceiling-Mounted Turret sprung to life and rained fire on the unsuspecting Wildmen. This of course allowed the Trogs to proceed but, were gunned down by 5.56 mm Rounds and fired Energy Cells.

"All hostile threats eliminated... move along please..."

"Copy that, continue scanning the area and notify me if anything comes within radar"

"Affirmative..."

Walking past his mechanical allies and over the mutilated corpses, the blonde hefted his Auto Axe and with used the lower handle to break the lock off a sheet door. Raising the coiling metal and plowing away the excess rubble, Naruto pulled in his minecart where he proceeded to fill his cart with the Wildmen's remaining ammo magazines.

Looting the corpses for anything useful, the Metahuman found himself in possession of a Red Passcard; it was moderately worn and taped with a tattered label that read 'Maintenance'.

'Jackpot!' thought Naruto, as he slipped the cards into his tattered leather boots before proceeding to dump the scattered Assault Rifles into his cart.

Steelyard – Forty Minutes Later

I'm not going to make it Milly... I'm sorry, I knew everyone thought I could do it, but they don't know what's out here. It's not just the Trogs, but others... The Wildmen, kind of funny considering my nickname 'Wild Bill' back at the Mill. Finding the Ingots wasn't the hard part, they're practically everywhere, the problem was making it back.

My trusty sidearm came in handy more than once, but I soon found myself in more trouble than I could handle. The gunfire attracted the Wildmen and its only a matter of time before they find me, I'm sorry for letting everyone down. Let everyone know I tried my best... bye...

Glancing up from the folded note, Naruto reached out and closed the lifeless eyes of Bill's ballistic drenched body. He removed the Sidearm from his clutches and slipped both weapon and note into one of the available pouches in his Toolbelt.

Having raided the Maintenance Room, the blonde discarded his 'disguise' for a blue RobCo Jumpsuit and an Overall Rigged Toolbelt. Whilst traversing the Trog and Wildman infested Supply Plant, Naruto had accumulated a total of twenty-six Ingots, a First Aid Kit holding a handful of Stimpacks and Med-X, additional ammo, and a rather unique concrete saw.

The alloy used for its construction was much more denser than that used for its industrial counterpart and the attached blade was thicker compared to slim edge of the Auto Axe; allowing it to shred through metal with ease. Naruto wasted no time in dismantling his Auto Axe and using the spare parts to modify the weapon to his liking.

Along the way, Naruto acquired a fifth Protectron; which after reviewing Tom McMullin's Terminal Entries, believed it was best to double check its systems and ensure its programming was far from its original factory mode.

"Unit Three and Four, you're with me, One, Two, and Five you'll stay here and guard the cart" ordered Naruto.

"Protect... Supply Cart... installation at all cost..."

Dumping the Ingots left by Bill into his rolling stock, Naruto slung a fixed Assault Rifle onto his back and slipped a pair of Stimpacks into his pouch before hiking up the iron stairs and towards the Blast Furnace. The quiet trek had quickly escalated into a firefight as muzzle flash and lasers rays flared across the rooftops. This unfortunately, was a beacon for nearby Troglodytes and the following death cries would only further attract mutants to the source.

Now the blonde was racing further up the stairs, using his Rifle to quickly dispatch of Wildmen with short bursts to the thoracic cavity. His Protectrons had a moderately difficult time keeping up with their master as their bulky design left them with low mobility, however they were still able to provide suppressive fire against the Wildmen and the approaching Trogs.

Naruto ducked left and right as one of the psychopaths swung a sledgehammer, snatching the handle as the blunt tool came at a vertical arc, the blonde kicked the Wildman against the rails and with an upward swing sent the man falling to his death.

"Creatures of unusual size detected, commencing neutralization!"

"What!?" exclaimed Naruto, briefly looking over the rail to catch a glimpse of a mutant swarm.

The blonde grimaced as the Trogs advanced at an alarming rate, a river of Trogs rushing up the stairs, several packs tacking the pipelines, and many were seen crawling up walls. A trail of ricocheting bullets to the surroundings reverted his attention to the firing Wildmen, Naruto discarded the Sledgehammer in an overhead throw.

Due to the narrow catwalk and ascending stairs, the unstable residents were unable to maneuver around the blunt object. One received a broken arm via the hammer's double face and another a dislocated jaw given by its wooden handle. Speeding past the groaning Wildmen, the blonde arrived at the steel plated top of the oversized chimney and was immediately forced to take cover behind a support pillar.

"Ain't got nowhere to run!" shouted one of the many firing psychopaths.

High above the chimney's was a Mark VII Automated Turret attached to the ascending structure, which immediately locked onto the blonde Meta-Human. The amount of rounds fired were enough to keep the blonde behind the iron pillar, grunting every so often as he earned several grazes on his arms and legs. Spotting a Terminal not ten feet away, Naruto began to weigh his option, he had to figure out a way to get to the mounted computer and reconfigure the weapon's system without inflicting heavy damage to his body.

It wasn't until the Turret began firing in short bursts that he found his opening.

"Gotcha' bitch!" shouted a Wildman, skidding to a stop with a ready Combat Knife in reverse grip.

Ducking underneath the sharpened edge, Naruto grabbed the man's head and slammed it against the pillar. Taking the Wildman into a headlock, he proceeded to drag the psycho towards the Terminal while the Turret and Wildmen attempted to gun down the moving target.

Dropping the bullet torn body and accessing the Terminal, Naruto began the steady process of bypassing security protocols. Catching onto his actions, the Wildmen raced down to intercept the Meta-Human, they were only momentarily halted by a flash of red beams.

"Violence will not be tolerated... commencing lawful use of deadly force..."

Averting from its original target, the Turret locked onto the mechanical pair and fired at throttle. Its higher Mk designation guaranteed stronger armor, a faster rate of fire, and superior stopping power. The rounds fired in collaboration with the Wildmen's firearms began leaving visible dents on the Protectrons.

The battle went on the Wildmens favor for a full minute before they erupted into panic. Naruto had successfully reconfigured the Turret at the same unfortunate time that the Trogs had reached the top surface. Bolting from his position, Naruto drew Bill's Sidearm and fired two rounds hitting both Wildmen closest to the top of the stairs. The first round broke through a kneecap causing the man to drop and clutch his wound, while the second round hit dead center of the other's forehead.

With the body immediately ceasing bodily functions, the Wildman fell forward onto his wounded comrade and in turn pushed him onto the Wildmen, causing them to lose their balance and drop to the bottom in a groaning pile. This bought Naruto time to elude the Trogs as he scaled up the structure, leaving the struggling Wildmen to be torn apart by their mutated brethren.

To his dismay, distancing himself from the Trogs came at the price of dooming his Protectron Units. While the machines could tank the sharpened claws and gnashing jaws, their pouncing in numbers had the Turret disregard the Protectectrons and fire at the growing swarm, unintentionally piercing their armor.

The chunks of metal that were blown open were large enough for the mutants to slip their fingers in and sabotage the machine's inner mechanisms.

"Error... critical d-d-damage to Combat Inhibitor... T-Targeting System O-O-Offline..."

"Focusing Chamber m-m-malfunction... P-Primary Weapon S-S-S-System Offline... switching to Secondary W-Wea-" before the Protectron could finish a bullet ripped through its head case, causing its optic emitter to overload and emit unstable laser rays before ceasing along with the entire system.

"And where do you think you're goin!?" turning away from the sight of his ravaged Protectrons, the blonde narrowly avoided a pair of rotating chain blades.

The infected psychopath began to swing his Rippers in a wild fashion, Naruto dropped the revolver and caught a swinging arm, pulling the limb away from himself the Wildman brought down his secondary Ripper only to be snagged by the wrist. The blonde forcibly brought the blade down onto the man's arm, ignoring the cries of agony and his own weapon dismembered him.

Catching the blood spewing arm, Naruto rammed the clutched weapon into the man's face, which immediately erupted into a shower of blood and gore. Pushing the corpse off it's feet, the blonde picked up the .32 Pistol and continued scaling the structure. After eliminating the remaining Wildmen and using their carcasses to temporarily delay the approaching horde, the blonde Metahuman had reached the highest point in the Steelyard where a stockpile of twelve Ingots awaited him.

With the rapidly approaching Trogs and no possible way to safely carry back the processed metal, Naruto was left with a single option. He began tossing the Ingots over the side of the towering furnace and onto the grounds below. A bloodcurdling shriek and clattering alerted the blonde of the first mutants, discarding the last Ingot, Naruto hopped over the rails and onto a large pipeline.

With the Trogs hot on his trail and the pipeline coming to an end, the whiskered blonde could all but hope he would survive the fall as he took a leap of faith. To his luck, an ascending conveyor belt blocked his plummet to the ground, unfortunately he had completely overlooked the increased weight of his skeletal structure.

With gravity working against him, the blonde plummeted faster than anticipated which led him to misplace his footing, causing Naruto to slip forward, crash head first into the cross pipes, and landing roughly down several of the belt's many steel buckets.

While the blow to the head dealt no damage to his skull, the ringing sensation of clashing metals left the blonde disorientated. Grunting as he struggled to stand in his dazed condition, he was forced back down in effort to gain some balance as the belt began to violently shake. Shaking his head to gain minimal optic focus, Naruto snapped his attention towards the upper end of the conveyor belt to see that the Trogs had followed him.

'These things just don't let up'

Lifting the strapped Assault Rifle, Naruto posed to fire but not without taking noticeable changes to his weapon. The stock was dented to the point where it was poking at the blonde's side, the magazine had broken past its locking mechanism and was jammed deeper into its slot, and if one were to inspect it closely, the barrel itself was slightly bended out of place.

If the magazine didn't clog up the firing chamber, then the rounds would further damage the barrel with inaccurate precision.

"Fuck it!" holding down the trigger, the bullet casings reached a count of fifteen before the following cartridges became insared within the weapon.

Missing their original marks by several meters, what could have been fatal placement damage were instead turned into barrage of minor wounds. Flipping the gun and grabbing it by the handguard, Naruto bashed away at the bleeding Trogs, landing half a dozen blows to separate mutants before shattering the weapon on its last target.

Just as the blonde casted aside the remains of his Rifle, the conveyer belt began to shake once more. Detecting the direction of which the vibrations were traveling, Naruto turned his head to see that the rumbling was not from structural damage but, rather from the excess weight of Trog's scaling the belt from the opposite end.

"Can't you take the fucking hint!" shouted Naruto as he brought forth the modified Auto Axe.

Plating the exterior, the Metahuman was able to further increase the saw's durability and welded a second rotating blade with an built-in retraction system. Removing the overhead grip and piecing it together with scattered scrap metal, a contracted grip was added to it's base. With a weapon that could cut the strongest armor and provide the brutality of a human meat grinder, the whiskered blonde had dubbed it, The Man Opener.

Extending both grip and secondary blades, Naruto revved the starting pull and began swinging the at the colliding waves. The blonde's defensive stand never even lasted a full minute, he was tackled onto the scattered remains of several mutilated Trogs; where the mutants began to pile up in a blood crazed frenzy.

Naruto grunted in agony as his body was quickly being torn apart by the hairless mutants. Struggling to push back his oppressors only made him weaker against the onslaught as blood began to gush out through tearing bites and deep lacerations in immense quantities. His vision blurred and skin paled as he suffocated with his dying breath, his arms were close to giving out as time began to slow down around him.

Sensing their prey had lost his strength, the Trogs immediately hoarded in with the intention of devouring a portion of their hunt, lost in their hunger for meat, they completely dismissed the ominous red glow building up beneath them. With blood dripped maws they shot their heads down to snag a mouthful of human flesh, only to stop mere inches away from their feast.

Their hairless forms shook in place, a tremendous sense of fear kept them locked in place as they stared at the crimson red slitted eyes of their 'would be pray', the eyes of an apex predator.

With a monstrous roar, Naruto unleashed a devastating shockwave which obliterated the conveyor belt and sent the Trogs crashing through weakened structures and obstacles across the Steelyard. The ascending half of the conveyor belt swayed from its original position and struck hard against a nearby tower crane which immediately snapped on impact and collapsed diagonally; crushing smaller buildings, train compartments, and burying a section of the Supply Plant.

The rising cloud of debris did not go unnoticed by the Pitt's residents, the bloodcurdling roar had the Slaves stop production and back away in fear while the Raiders looked onto the devastation in cold sweat while leaving a tighter grip on their weapons.

With the torrents of adrenaline pumping through his blood torn body, Naruto's perception kicked into overdrive and instantly latched onto the belt's second half as it swung down and crashed roughly against the wall it was bolted on. Nearly loosing his grip, Naruto forced himself up unstable half as the loud creeks of bent metal alerted of its inevitable detachment.

Upon reaching the edge, the adrenaline had all but burned out leaving the blonde Meta-Human staggered and drained of fatigue. Tumbling onto a suspending platform as the belt finally snapped off its hinges and plummeted down to earth. Rolling onto his back, Naruto remained still as his body trembled in pain. The gashes across his chest made it difficult to breath, pieces of shrapnel sent agonizing jolts to his nervous system, and the severity of blood loss went beyond life threatening.

The pain had only begun to increase as time began to elapse, it had became apparent that his tenant was having difficulty repairing his body. Quickly deducing the problem, Naruto mustered up his remaining strength to slip his hand into his belt to bring out a Stimpak and a dose of Med-X. Biting the caps off the hypodermic needles, the whiskered blonde then jammed the sharpened ends into his chest, earning a sharp yelp as the contents were released.

The introduction of Chems to the body had proven an effective aid towards self-recovery. The Med-X had bonded to the opioid receptors in both brain and central nervous system greatly reducing the pain exhibited; allowing the heart rate to drop a considerable amount and minimize blood loss. Working together with the Stimpak, Kurama focused his attention on closing the more severe injuries while the medicine repaired minor gaps.

For nearly an hour, the blonde Metahuman remained stranded aboard the suspended platform. WIth sealed wounds and a sore body, he scaled down the broken flight of stairs after tossing an Ingot stockpile over the rails. Regrouping with the remaining Protectrons, Naruto restlessly continued his mission. Whilst recovering the Ingots he had dropped, he took a noticed a change in the Trogs behavior, any he ran into would shriek, growl, back and even run away; as if they were terrified of him.

The Mill - 2 Hours Later

"That's the fifth one this month-" Everett groaned in annoyance, referring to the Slave that was currently being dragged out by the Raiders. Coughing with a rapid short breaths, the slave had collapsed due to the harsh labor conditions and was soon to be replaced with another.

"They don't last as long as they used to-" the Foreman continued before a loud bang was heard in his office.

Upon investigating, the Foreman noticed a sizable dent on the iron door that led to the abandoned area. A Trog's shriek was heard before a second dent was made, Everett jumped as a third made impact and drew his rifle. A fourth dent silenced the Trog before the door was blown off its hinges with the battered and bloodied corpse along with it. The Raider lowered his gun a bit once the whiskered blonde walked in, Naruto wiped the blood on his tattered jumpsuit and motioned the Foreman to follow.

After departing to the Steelyard, he had hoped the scab would have gotten himself killed like so many before him; but to see him again; drenched in dry blood no less, has made him increasingly wary of the blonde. Cautiously following him, Everett nearly dropped his weapon as he gaped at the sight before him. A mining cart filled to the brim with Ingots.

'Holy shit, there's gotta be at least a hundred of them Ingots here… lucky day…' he grinned before taking aim at the Meta-Human. This proved to be a mistake as he only just took notice of the three Protectrons, each with their hands raised and shining red.

"Violence will not be tolerated..."

"Put down your weapon and submit to authority..."

'H-He got those things to work! How the hell did he do that!?' thought Everett as sweat began to pour down his face.

"Bring in more than just ten measly little Ingots and say, turn them in to me; I may just slip a little something your way… I believe those were your exact words… there are a total of one hundred Ingots in this cart, more than enough for that promotion you're so desperate for…"

Eyes widened and his throat dried as the Foreman wondered how the Slave knew of that.

"I've kept my end of the bargain, now it's time for you to do the same… unless of course you'd rather be turned into a smoldering pile of ash, it's your choice really" Naruto exclaimed.

Everett's mind was racing, he never would have thought a slave would have him backed into a corner. He was given a single option that he had set for himself and this blonde bastard was taking full advantage of it. Any other options he thought he had went down the drain as it would likely get him killed, so with great reluctance the Raider lowered his gun.

"Fine, I guess I can part with some of my loot, follow me… fuckin scab…"

Leading Naruto and the remaining Protectrons to another coiled door, Everett pulled a keycard from his pocket and swiped it down its lock. Switching its red light to green, the door began rise, allowing access to Foreman's cache. An assortment of clothes and armor spread across a table, several weapons on wall rack displays, and even a full set of Power Armor hooked up to a station. Naruto got to work as he replaced his torn attire with a black tank top, black leather pants, fingerless gloves, armored boots and shoulder pad, and several leather straps holding his attire in place.

He then grabbed grabbed the Assault Rifle off its display and began filling his utility belt with what little magazines available. During which he began examining the weapon he had chosen, the Assault Rifle was quite similar to the R91 variant he had been using only difference being the missing stock, attachable scope, silencer, and black paint finish.

While he would have preferred to take the Laser Rifle, but upon closer examination, he saw the multiple prisms within its muzzle and barrel which would split the beams into multiple rays. This would leave the weapon acting more like a Shotgun than it would a Rifle, not to mention the required energy output to actually split the beams would have him consume an entire Microfusion Cell with each shot; cells that Everett sorely lacked. He made a mental to note to come back for it once he's retrieved his Omni-Tool.

"Starting to look like a Raider, trying to blend in are you?"

"Hardly, just don't like having to wear blood and rags all the time" replied Naruto, strapping the silenced weapon to his back and allowing the Man Opener to hang by his side.

"That attire and those weapons will just draw attention from the other Raiders, they'll strip you once they find out you're not one of us"

"Let them try" exclaimed Naruto, as he slipped on a Steel Knuckle to his right hand and addressed his Protectrons.

"Units One, Two, and Five, you are to remain here for the time being, continue to defend yourselves against hazardous threats, confirm command"

"Command Confirmed..."

Everett wasn't kidding when he said his attire would gain the attention of the Raiders… and everyone else. The Slaves briefly stopped what they were doing to glance at the whiskered blonde, the Raiders themselves wondered who the 'new guy' was but, though the Auto Axe did raise some questions. Naruto could hear murmurs and whispers coming from both sides, Whose he? Wasn't he the one who took Steelyard duty? Never seen him before, he a Slave or Raider? These were just few of the many questions asked.

When Naruto approached Midea's quarters he was confronted by one of Slaves, as it turned out, the Slave was the one mentioned in Wild Bill's note, Milly. Knowing that the Meta-Human had taken Steelyard duty, she asked if he had seen Bill, if he was okay. Naruto gave a solemn look as he told her of her fellow Slave's fate.

"Bill's a close friend of mine, a very dear friend, we've worked the mill together for a long time, last week we were forced to choose someone to gather Ingots from the Steelyard… Bill volunteered… he didn't want anyone to have to die out there… but… he's a survivor… he can't be dead…" she trembled.

Naruto apologizes and hands over both Sidearm and the note he found, upon reading it, Milly fell to her knees, clutching both items with tears refusing to stop falling. Once he entered Midea's quarters, she bombarded him with questions of her own, seeing as it has been while since a Slave survived the Steelyard. Even more so when a Slave survives for as long as he did. Naruto simply ignored her and collapsed onto the bed, "Tired… talk later…" he muttered, before his vision faded to black.

Midea's Quarters - 1 Hour Later

Naruto groaned in annoyance as his body shook against his will, his eyes cracked opened to see Midea shaking him out of the land of dreams.

"What is it?"

"Good you're awake, Ashur has ordered everyone into the square, rumor has it he's opening up the arena again, that's perfect for us"

"Arena? *sigh* before I go anywhere, you're going to have to explain this plan to me"

"It's simple really, from time to time Ashur will opens up the arena, any Slave who wants to can fight against the gladiators"

"How would me fighting a bunch of Raiders help exactly?"

"If you win, you get your freedom; more importantly, you get an audience with Ashur, it's the only way a Slave will get to talk to him directly. You fight, you win, and when you talk to Ashur, you take the cure"

Naruto stared as he processed this information, there is no way it could be that simple. There are so many things to consider, even IF he won and got to meet with ringleader how would he go about getting back with the cure. It would most likely be behind his army of Raiders, inside his heavily guarded fort, and locked with the key hanging around his neck.

"And he'll just give it to me?" Naruto asked in a sarcastic manner.

Disregarding his tone, "No, he won't, Wernher has a… distraction planned, we haven't been making these weapons for nothing you know but, when meeting with Ashur, you'll be close enough to grab the cure. Get it and bring it to me" she replied.

'Tsk, easier said than done'

"Now let's get out there and listen to his speech, there'll be hell to pay if the guards catch us in here"

With that said, the two headed out to find all of the Slaves staring up towards the scaffold, where a middle aged dark-skinned man bearing a mohawk and tribal-like Power Armor stood beside his fellow Raiders.

"Citizens of the Pit! Workers of Downtown, traders of Uptown, and all fierce souls who do what must be done! I bring you good news! We stand at the dawn of a golden age, where others merely survive, we thrive! Our industry is the envy of the Commonwealth! Our Safety is the envy of the Capital Wastes! Our might is the envy of Ronto!-"

'Is he serious!? Hasn't he looked around? These people are barely surviving as it is!' thought Naruto.

"-And while I have led our efforts, it has been by your own strength that you have earned all the envy of the world, they envy the steel shaped by the workers of our mills, and they envy the strength of our Traders and Raiders who wield that steel for the Pitt. And most of all, they envy our victories in the struggle for freedom. Because yes, freedom is what we all work towards, freedom from fear, freedom from disease, freedom to live as we once did before we were shackled by atomic fire!"

'He's either delusional or out of his damn mind!'

"And so, to celebrate this struggle, I ask my loyal workers, who among you is prepared to fight for your freedom? Who among you will risk life in the crucible to create a new life of freedom in Uptown? Who will take this chance to thrive?"

'For Uptown, he means for his band of Raiders… to join and aid him in ruling over these people! That sick son of a-'

"Right here! We have one! This man will fight in the Hole!"

Everyone was silent as they turned to the blonde Meta-Human, who snapped from his thoughts due to Midea's outburst and was now feeling rather uncomfortable as the center of attention.

"C'mon Ashur! Will you send someone to the hole who actually stands a chance?"

Ashur himself rubbed his bearded chin as he eyed the blonde… Slave? Was he a Slave, or one of his? Never seen him before, there was word that someone made it back from the Steelyard, maybe the outfit was looted?

"Sir, you carry only the dream that workers can become free, but that that we may all become truly free from the threats of our world! Come, let us witness the unbreakable will of a man who would face death itself to achieve his own freedom, to the Hole!" he announced.

As the Slaves and Slavers followed their leader to the Mill, Midea pulled Naruto aside and instructs him to speak with Faydra, as she would be the one setting up the fights. Naruto checked the magazine in his Perforator Assault Rifle before joining the crowd.

The Mill

"So you're the dumbass scab who signed up to fight in the Hole huh, well head on down! Faydra's waitin for ya!" exclaimed Spook, the lone guard.

Naruto rolled his eyes in annoyance as he walked down a staircase which led to a Raider themed locker room. Hanged bodies, dismembered blood bags, crude graffiti on the walls, "And what are you doing down here?" the blonde snapped his attention to Faydra.

"Don't tell me your pale ass is gonna throw down?"

"Yeah, I'm here to throw down, now where do I sign up?"

"You don't sign up, you tell me you want to fight, I set up a fight, you die, and I repeat with the next slave who comes down here, sound good? You want in? Death's gotta be better than life, am I right?"

Naruto's eye twitched in a deadpanned stare, "I want to fight in the arena" he replied.

"Oh yeah? You ready to die then?"

"Fucking… yes! Put me down for a fight!"

"Well alright, as it turns out I've got one for you right now"

"Who am I fighting?"

"We're gonna throw you in there with a bunch of other scabs who think they've got what it takes, you're all gonna fight it out, last man standing gets to move on, probably won't be you though"

'She doesn't seem to mind my weapons, which probably means my opponent's are packing guns and armor' he thought.

"Any rules?"

"Pretty simple for a deathmatch, once the gates open you fight, of course when said gates open the barrels drop in, so make sure you kill the other guy before you die of radiation poisoning, you don't want to spend too much time with whatever is in those things"

'You've gotta be shitting me, if she's talking death by Rad Poison than those barrels have to be extremely radioactive, tsk, better not waste time then… otherwise I'll be dead before I can even get the cure'

"Any restrictions on weapons?"

"You use what you bring with you"

"Good to know, now let's do this!"

"Step on in, I'll alert the other side, let them now you're ready"

Standing behind a locked gate, Naruto examined the killzone. A small cavern-like arena, that provided few forms of cover like a pile of cinderblocks and metal sheet barricades. He could see the barrels hanging from the ceiling via hook along with a caged opening where the Slaves and Raiders could spectate the fight.

"They will fight! They will die! And all for you! All for your entertainment!" announced Ashur.

The gates opened, in came six Raiders and down rained the barrels. Rushing behind the closest form of cover, Naruto began taking shots at his opponents. To his dismay many were wearing a dense Metal Helmets and Armor, making it difficult for his bullets to pierce through. The Raiders laughed and taunted the blonde for his attempt.

"Ha! That all you got scab! Ain't no way you're getting past this with that peashooter! C'mon out and die like a bitch-" he declared before a bullet tore through his throat and out the back of his neck.

"MOTHER… FUCKER!" he cried as he fell to the ground, dead.

The Slavers sudden death, surprised the Raiders but, had them instantly go on the offensive, firing at the Slave, keeping him in place as they advance. Naruto sat behind his cover as bullets ricocheted off his cover, there wasn't anyway for him to move from his position without getting shot. Even if there was, he'd have to find a way past their armor. He glanced to his right and noticed the barrels that laid several feet before him. His gaze then shifted to his Man Opener.

Naruto continued to stare, before he heard the magic 'clicks' from the Raiders, "You only live once, so fuck it!" he shouted.

Running out of cover as the Raiders reloaded and began kicked a barrel at them, "What the fu-!" two were knocked onto their backs by the flying barrel. The others ducked and dodged the incoming projectiles, "Those things are almost as heavy as our armor, how the hell is he-" the man turned to receive a Steel Knuckle to the face, busting in the glass visor and denting the helmet's facial plating.

"OH GOD! ALL I SEE IS GLASS AND BLOOD!"

In a panicked state the Raider, fired blindly, randomly hitting nearly everything in the weapons path. Before he could finish the magazine, the Raider gasped as the air was suddenly knocked out of him, which was then followed by a sharp pain in his abdomen. Naruto had slammed the his Man Opener into the man's stomach puncturing through the armor like wet tissue paper. The Raiders and spectators watched in horror as Naruto revved up his weapon and bisected his opponent in a shower of blood and gore.

The blonde quickly regained his footing and launched towards a downed Raider, "No, no, no, no, no~" ignoring the pleas of his victim as a vertical strike ripped apart the man's helmet, tore his armor to shreds, sent chunks of flesh flying, and spraying blood like a geyser. Naruto ripped his weapon out leaving the corpse in two pieces that gave a clear view of the man's entrails.

"KILL HIM!"

"FUCKER!"

The two remaining Raiders unloaded their newly loaded magazines. However, Naruto reacted quicker and did not possess heavy armor to weigh him down. Naruto side flipped and threw his Man Opener in a vertical spinning motion and impaling a Raider from the neck down. The man's partner stood petrified as he watched his fellow Raider choke on his own blood, he turned to see Naruto already in front of him and ready to deliver a punch.

He raised his arms to block and creamed out in pain, as he felt his bones break under the pressure he backed up to see the heavily dented metal on his forearm. A second later, he was on his knee as a second punch dislocated his left kneecap and was sent face first to the ground with a double axe handle. Dazed and terrified the Raider looked up to see Naruto grab his weapon. The man screamed as the blonde revved the Auto Axe and in a spinning motion, decapitated both Raiders.

The Arena grew silent, no one dared to speak as many were shocked and morbid of what they had just witnessed. It wasn't until Ashur spoke once more that they all began to applause and even cheer.

"And there is only left standing! Only one! Oh, my friends! What a fantastic fight! How far will this Slave go?"

Not wanting to stay for the radiation, Naruto quickly got himself out of there.

"Holy shit, guess you put new meaning to the word 'blood bath', hell those were some of the toughest scabs around here"

"Yeah right, all that armor and firepower made them think they were tough shit" Naruto exclaimed.

"Regardless, you've got some serious fight in you, though I wouldn't get too excited, Ashur's got something special planned for your next match, in the meantime, take these-" Faydra replies handing him a small bottle of Rad-X.

"Should keep the edge off for a bit, take this time to freshen up before your next match"

Naruto jumped and ducked away from his opponents, the Bear Brothers; as Faydra called them. Taking an extremely offensive approach the brothers attacked with a rather genius tactic of both CQC and long range combat. Grudd kept him at a distance with a Flamethrower while his brother kept him moving with rapid and deadly strikes from his Deathclaw Gauntlet.

As he recalled, Deathclaw talons are strong enough to through metal and of course, they seriously hurt.

'Just thinking about it, gives me phantom pain' shuddered Naruto, as he backflipped away from the Flamer's stream of napalm.

"Where you goin, blondie? Fun's not over yet!"

Drawing the Perforator, Naruto unleashed several rounds near Grudd's neck, however, the Wildman simply lowered his head to shield his unprotected area. In response, John rushed up swinging his gauntlet wildly, "We caught your last match, you think we'd leave ourselves open like that~" shouted the crazed Wildman.

Naruto dropped his gun and grabbed both of John's arms, "Wasn't aiming for him!" he exclaimed.

"The fuck you mean, you weren't aiming at-" he was interrupted by a headbutt.

Grudd was about ready to unleash another torrent of flames when he heard a high pitched whistle close behind him. He turned to see that his fuel tank had been pierced and was currently exhausting flames through the openings.

"Son of a bitch! If anyone's getting roasted, it'll be you!"

Seeing the approaching flames, Naruto delivered a quick jab to John's claw wielding arm and maneuvered his way behind him. Snapping an iron grip to his neck and wounded arm, the blonde Meta-Human pushed through the liquid fire using his opponent to shield himself. John screamed in agony as the fires melted his skin and muscle tissue, Grudd heard his brother's cries and stopped his assault to see a flaming corpse running at him.

Using the still attached Deathclaw Gauntlet, Naruto rammed Grudd through his chest before tossing the corpse on top of him. Coughing up blood, Grudd gave a tearful scream as his John's scorched face pressed against his helmet, shortly before the fuel tank exploded.

"The Bear Brothers are dead! Amazing! This newcomer is showing promise my friends"

Naruto winced as he splashed water from a nearby fountain onto his hands, while the John provided protection for a majority of his body his hands and legs were still exposed to the flames. Dousing the fire with the blood of his enemies didn't exactly fix the damage it had already caused, thanks to his regeneration his third-degree burns had been reduced to second-degree but, it would take time to fully recover due to the damaged cells.

"Not bad, grinder, not bad, the Bear Brothers were some mean sons o' bitches, with how they normally fight, I'm surprised you're still alive"

Naruto grunted as he wrapped some worn cloth around his hands.

"One more fight and you're free but, I wouldn't plan on making past the next one"

"And why's that?"

"You'll be going up against Gruber, he's one of the only Slaves to win in the Hole, there's only been like… what… three? I guess he's got a taste for blood but, unfortunately for you, he's got a pretty decent gun and an even more impressive armor, so odds are, this'll be the last time you and I will be talking"

"Better step up my game then... hook me up" Naruto replied, taking a seat on a worn office chair, allowing Faydra to attach an I.V. of RadAway to his arm.

"And now, this Slave has proven he's willing to kill and die for his freedom! But how will he fare against the man who made it all the way, Gruber! Undefeated in the Hole! Gruber has yet to meet his match! Only one will walk out with their freedom! Only one will walk out alive!"

'Not much point in using this' thought Naruto, swapping the Perforator for his Man Opener.

"Release the barrels! GO!"

Both gates flung open and in entered the combatants, eyes widened as Naruto gazed upon his opponent. Gruber wore a set of Power Armor plated in rusted metal, a caged torso, and shoulder pads; adding a second layer of protection to his armor. In his grasp, an M60 Light Machine Gun, a gun that had begun to fire.

Naruto ducked behind a metal sheet but was forced into a prone position as the rounds pierced through the barricade. Reaching into his belt, the blonde brought out a grey canister filled with combustible fuel. Loosening the valve, Naruto tossed the container overhead. Gruber took notice of the incoming projectile and fired at it, the round that made impact caused a spark which ignited the fuel which exploded at close proximity. Gruber used his arm to shield himself from the shock wave, blasting away bits of armor plating. He then quickly raised LMG horizontally high to block Naruto's revved up Man Opener.

Sparks flew as the Auto Axe sawed through gun, Gruber growled before kicking the blonde away from him and splitting the weapon in two. Staggered, Naruto was forced to duck as Slave turned Raider chucked both halves of the M60 at him, with a brief window of opportunity Gruber knocked the Man Opener out of Naruto's grasp and tackled him to the ground. He raised his arms as fists tried to connect with his face, Naruto countered with a strong right hook, knocking the Raider to his side.

Pouncing on the Grubers back, the whiskered Meta-Human began tearing pieces off the man's Power Armor. In response, the Raider snapped his hands forward, catching both of the blonde's hands in the process. The two struggled to gain an upper hand, Naruto against the suits built in hydraulics and Gruber against his opponent's inhuman strength. Gruber's helmet hub display showed his arms red in a critical state, he was about to use his leg hydraulics to get the blonde off him when a sudden change sent a shiver down his spine.

Naruto's eyes had gone blood red and slitted while his whiskered had thickened to a more feral look. In an instant the Raider's arms slammed onto the ground with Naruto now gripping them, he planted a foot onto his chest and began to pull. Gruber grunted and gasped in pain as his forearms were crushed along with the armor protecting them. Pops and snaps could be heard, Gruber then screamed bloody murder as his arms were ripped from their sockets.

Naruto dropped the dismembered limbs and went to retrieve his Man Opener, with a pull of the starter cord, the blades began to spin. Without a second thought, Naruto ran the axe blades like a bayonet and plunged it deep past the Power Armor and into Gruber's chest. Pushing the weapon up, Naruto lifted the Raider as it tore open his torso. With a final pull, the helmet flew off the man's head and dropped to the ground with a blood soaked gash up its center.

"And Gruber falls! The champion is toppled! A new Slave rises from the gutter to join us! Welcome him! He has earned it!" announce Ashur, as the arena was now filled with cheers from its spectators.

"Well aren't you the scrapper, congratulations! You've done well. Ashur wishes to speak with you and the guards will be told to let you pass"

'Finally, now comes the hard part-'

"Also, you may find your belongings within that footlocker-"

"Wait, what!?", moving past Faydra and Krenshaw, he opened the container revealing his Omni-Tool and Modules.

'I take it back, things just got a whole lot easier-' thought Naruto.

He opened his storage and at an instant a dark aura surrounded him, he turned back to the Raiders who began sweating profoundly, "Hey… where's my Gauss Rifle?" he growled.

Next Chapter: Outbreak

AN: I… HAVE… RETURNED! FROM THE ASHES OF WRITER'S BLOCK! FROM THE BARRICADES OF COLLEGE! AND THE SHIT THAT'S THROWN AT YOU BY REAL LIFE! DAMN DOES IT FEEL GOOD TO BE BACK!

Now most of you guys are wondering, where the fuck was I the last two years, well if my previous announcement didn't give you a hint then here's more. During these two years, I have undergone a ridiculous amount revisions for my stories and for the most part I couldn't get any of them to work. At more times than none my previous computer would crash and I would have to restart from scratch; so thankfully having a new laptop and USB flash drive makes things so much more easier now.

Then there's college which I'm now back in taking a good portion of my mornings and work which takes all of my evenings. Because of this, I unfortunately don't see myself completing any of my stories anytime soon, hell I've actually considered quitting fanfiction quite a number of times.

So in order for me to get back in action, I'm going to have to focus on only three of my stories, the rest will be discontinued and deleted by the end of this month.

The list of discontinued stories is as followed: Arch Mage Jinchuuriki, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Darkest Light, The V-Kaiser, and Konoha's Dovahkiin.

Fan's of Konoha's Dovahkiin fear not, while I'm in fact deleting the story I do plan on rebooting in the near future, taking a different yet similar approach to it.

As it is stands, I will continue to update Nuclear Badlands and Poke'Legend, those of you wondering what the third story is, well you'll have to wait and see. Till next time guys, Ja Ne!