Chapter 3: Mortal Curiosity
( — 0.0.0.0.0 — )
Naruto stared intently at the strange object that had emerged through the portal created by the TemPad he had obtained.
Driven by curiosity, he decided to investigate it, but the relentless rain forced him to find a more sheltered place.
He stored the object inside his inventory: an old sand-colored metal filing cabinet. Before walking away, he remembered Aetheria's suggestion: use a Reset Charge. According to her, the TVA would not bother him for a while.
He placed the small cylinder on the ground and pressed the button on top.
As he walked away, the device began to function. A liquid started filling its interior, and suddenly, the small machine activated.
It began to "prune" the exact area surrounding it, radiating an intense glow that spread across the ground, erasing everything that should not exist there, everything within the radius necessary to repair the damage caused by Naruto.
Naruto, meanwhile, ignored the entire "pruning" process, focusing only on his walk while wondering what secrets the object that had passed through the portal moments earlier might contain.
He took the bluish gem from his pocket and looked at it for a moment before shrugging. He had no idea how to use it; all he could do was wait and see what happened.
Naruto paused for a moment after noticing something strange about himself: his clothes had changed. He was no longer wearing the gray hooded jacket, the white shirt, or the tactical pants.
Now, his torso and arms were covered in metal chainmail; a black vest with six gray ornamental discs fitted comfortably over his chest; a long red cape hung down to his ankles behind him; and knee-high boots completed the outfit.
"My clothes...?" he asked curiously, turning slightly as he admired every detail. He also noticed that all the dirt covering his body had disappeared.
[That is the outfit you obtained when you claimed Mjolnir, Master,] Aetheria replied calmly. [It protects you and symbolizes the power you now carry.]
Naruto looked at his new clothes and gave a slight nod. He liked them. They carried an aura of strength and mystery that only he seemed to understand. With a small shrug, he continued walking, each step echoing with the confidence his new attire gave him.
But as he walked through the rain, he watched a rectangular orange portal open before him, quickly followed by several more.
Naruto paused for a moment, fully aware of what was coming. Even with Mjolnir in his hand, he doubted he could fight all of them.
A clear mistake, considering the level of power the young Uzumaki currently possessed.
A power he was completely unaware of.
Calmly, though slightly annoyed, he took the blue gem from his pocket.
Holding the gem in his hand, he tried to feel what he had experienced before, just as he had when escaping Alioth. It took him a few seconds, but eventually he sensed that same feeling again.
The Space Stone shone in response to his intentions, and in the blink of an eye, Naruto vanished, leaving behind nothing but the lingering echo of his presence.
Seconds later, the portals were filled with TVA agents. Among them, an overweight Black woman stared at the empty space where the energy of one of the Infinity Stones had just been detected.
"Why did a high-level anomaly suddenly disappear?" B-15 asked, a trace of irritation in her voice. Even the Nexus Event in this universe had been reset, something that surprised her since she had never imagined the anomaly knew how to use TVA equipment.
The other Hunters remained silent; not even they could explain what had happened.
B-15 merely sighed before activating her communicator.
"The high-level anomaly has escaped the universe it was in. The Nexus Event here has been reset; everything is returning to normal," B-15 reported solemnly, her voice carrying clear frustration at failing to complete the mission.
"Since the anomaly has vanished, it must be located. Returning to Headquarters. The Nexus Event has been reset; the mission continues."
After she transmitted the report, another voice came through the communicator, issuing new orders.
B-15 simply nodded before relaying the information to the other Minutemen, who silently acknowledged it in turn. Moments later, they all stepped through their respective portals, abandoning this universe.
( --- 0.0.0.0.0 --- )
New York City, Manhattan — April 27, 2018.
Naruto suddenly appeared inside an alleyway, slightly disoriented from the trip, even dropping the gem as it hit the ground with a faint clink.
"Using this gem is definitely not a good idea," he muttered, leaning against the nearest wall while pressing a hand to his head. He gently rolled his neck, hoping the dizziness would gradually fade.
Once he finally regained his balance, he picked up the gem, stored it inside his inventory, and began observing his surroundings. He noticed the narrow walls closing in around him and raised an eyebrow in curiosity. A moment later, however, he was forced to cover his nose as a nauseating stench drifted from a nearby green dumpster. Without a second thought, he quickly backed away, determined to leave the alley behind.
As soon as he stepped outside, Naruto came to a halt.
Before him lay New York City, the island of Manhattan: the bustling streets, vibrant colors, dazzling advertisements, skyscrapers rising like giants of glass and steel. Everything instantly captured his attention. Every detail stirred an almost childlike curiosity within him.
But something did not seem right.
He soon realized that people were behaving with inexplicable violence. Some were running, others were screaming... while several were throwing themselves at innocent pedestrians. Naruto watched as certain individuals, with bizarre appearances and erratic movements, bit into ordinary people.
Naruto had no way of knowing it yet, but he had arrived in a universe on the brink of collapse: an apocalyptic world where a virus had only just begun to spread.
Even so, he calmly continued walking through the unfamiliar surroundings, observing every detail with apparent composure. Then, in an unexpected instant, he noticed one of those strange figures charging straight at him.
The pale figure lunged clumsily yet aggressively, letting out a guttural growl that shattered the silence. Rather than reacting with fear, Naruto simply watched it with curiosity, as though trying to understand what stood before him.
Once the creature came close enough, he casually extended his hand, showing neither haste nor tension. His fingers wrapped effortlessly around the creature's neck, bringing its charge to an abrupt stop as though all of its momentum meant nothing.
For a brief moment, everything fell silent.
Then it happened.
Without realizing it, without any intention whatsoever, his grip became too strong. A dry crack echoed through the air, followed by the sudden disappearance of all resistance. The zombie's head tore cleanly away from its body with unnatural ease, remaining in his hand while the lifeless corpse collapsed onto the ground.
Naruto stood motionless, staring at what he had done.
He did not understand what had happened. He had only stopped the strange being so he could get a better look, never expecting this outcome.
He glanced at the zombie's corpse for a moment before shaking his head and continuing his walk through the strange city.
As he walked, everything fascinated him, mainly because it was all so new to him.
People's clothes, some stained with fresh blood; cars speeding past only to crash into one another; towering buildings, many of them releasing thick columns of black smoke. Even the smells were unfamiliar: a heavy mixture of metal, gasoline, dead flesh, and decay.
Every experience felt like seeing the world for the very first time, even if that world was falling apart.
Naruto continued walking through the gruesome scene... until a loud growl from his stomach forced him to stop.
He placed a hand over his abdomen.
"What is this?" he asked, confused.
[You're hungry, Naruto. You need to replenish your calories.]
"And how do I do that?" Naruto asked rather awkwardly.
[You can look for something to eat in a store. It's not complicated. Just choose whatever you want.]
Naruto nodded slightly and headed toward a small nearby convenience store.
He stopped in front of the entrance once he reached it, studying the door for a second. Without much concern, he reached out and grabbed the handle.
The moment he applied a little pressure, it gave way with a dry creak, bending and snapping apart in his grip.
He stared at it in silence for a few moments. Then he gently shook his head, as though it no longer surprised him all that much.
Deciding not to overthink it, he placed his hand directly on the door and pulled... but instead of opening normally, the entire structure ripped free from its hinges with a loud metallic screech.
The door remained in his hand.
He raised an eyebrow, looking at it with a mixture of mild curiosity and resignation, as though it were nothing more than another minor inconvenience. Without giving it another thought, he casually tossed the door behind him, almost absentmindedly.
Unaware of his own strength, Naruto threw it with a little more force than intended, sending it soaring high into the sky before it disappeared into the distance.
Far away, a small group of survivors cautiously made their way through the area, moving slowly and staying alert to every sound as they headed toward what they hoped would be a safe place within the city.
From another angle, the flying door continued along its path before crashing directly into a vehicle near the group.
The impact echoed loudly, and within seconds, the car alarm began blaring, shattering the silence.
Immediately drawn by the noise, the zombies turned their heads toward it and began running in growing numbers, until they also noticed the healthy bodies of the survivors, who looked around in confusion, unable to understand what had just happened.
They never had the chance to react.
The horde descended upon them mercilessly, knocking them to the ground before tearing into them with savage brutality. Their screams of pain and despair filled the air, mixing with the blaring alarm before fading away one by one.
Naruto, meanwhile, heard the noise in the distance. Turning around, he caught sight of a large crowd of zombies gathering around the still-blaring vehicle.
He watched them for a few seconds before lightly shaking his head, seeing nothing unusual... aside from a few zombies clutching pieces of human remains in their hands while devouring them savagely.
Once inside the store, the first thing that caught his attention was the counter, covered in dried blood.
With Aetheria's help, he began browsing the shelves, curiously examining the different foods and drinks.
Whenever he found something that caught his interest, he quickly grabbed it and stored much of it inside his inventory. However, before he could collect most of it, many items were accidentally crushed by his absurd strength.
After gathering everything he wanted, he carried several bags in one hand while holding a carbonated drink in the other. The hammer's leather strap remained securely wrapped around his wrist.
Then he walked toward the exit with steady steps, focused solely on not spilling the drink he had just opened, while also being careful not to crush it.
The moment he stepped outside, several figures began moving between the abandoned cars and the bodies scattered across the street. Their completely white eyes locked onto him almost simultaneously. Their faces were pale and unnaturally stiff.
Then they spread out as soon as they saw Naruto.
It was nothing like the clumsy stumbling Naruto would have expected from injured people. Those creatures charged at him with savage speed, shoving one another aside as they opened their mouths in hungry shrieks.
Naruto reacted purely on instinct.
He slipped to the side with a slight movement, avoiding the first leap. Then he twisted his body to evade another that lunged toward his back. His feet barely touched the ground as he moved effortlessly among them.
But amid the chaos, something went wrong.
The bags slipped from his hand.
The soda can was crushed by his grip, spilling all its contents. The bags were torn open beneath the infected's footsteps, and just like the drink, everything inside was smashed across the pavement.
The infected trampled over them.
They stepped all over the food.
The can was flattened, while the potato chip bags were ripped open and covered in dirt.
Naruto stood still. For a moment, he simply stared at the ground, completely blank.
The liquid spread across the pavement. Torn wrappers lay crushed beneath the infected's feet as they continued surrounding him.
His food.
The blond's expression slowly changed. First came a slight tightening of his jaw. Then a faint crease appeared between his brows.
Annoyance began to seep through... quickly followed by something much deeper.
Rage.
"My... food."
The words came out quietly, almost in disbelief.
Naruto was hungry. Very hungry. And he had not even gotten the chance to taste the new things that had caught his attention inside the store.
His eyes slowly lifted toward the creatures still rushing at him. Then his pupils narrowed, becoming thin vertical slits.
He was going to kill those bastards... no... he was going to destroy them.
( — 0.0.0.0.0 — )