5 #4

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A SAGE ADRIFT

#4

When Naruto was first told about the worker's quarters that he was supposed to live in, he had not expected this.

In front of him stood a three-story building with a nice cement road that led to the main road with a parking space on the right side of the building. Right in front of the building was a small garden alongside a jungle gym where 4 kids could be seen playing around. Most of them were too young to be able to work but were at the age where they could be trusted to play around in a secure area without much supervision.

"They are the worker's kids," He was brought out of his thoughts by Richard's words. 

"Most of the people who work here have families and while we do pay more than the market average, it is nothing to write home about. So, we take care of the kids as a bonus."

He looked at Richard, surprised. Naruto had tried to do the same with the orphanages back home but the village never had the necessary surplus funding to fund that project, especially once he became Hokage and brokered peace in the Elemental Nations. 

He would never wish the horror of war on anyone but it was undeniable that if there was any time period where shinobis earned the most, it was war. It was also true that shinobis were the ones who lost the most during wartime situations.

"That's a nice thing to do, sir," he said while taking a look at the gym that was available on the ground floor of the complex.

"I consider it my duty," Richard said and after taking a look around and seeing that none of the adults were around, decided to show him to his quarters by himself as well.

Climbing up three stairs of flights, he was a little surprised when they arrived at the terrace rather than waiting on the top floor.

"Um?" He voiced out towards Richard in confusion as he held the door open for Naruto to go through.

"Since we had no plans of expanding the farm, we had a pretty clear-cut labour force in mind so I'm sorry but until we figure out what to do with you, in the long term, you are gonna have to stay up here," Richard said as he showed Naruto his living quarters.

Ironically enough, even after a decade of escaping that place, the area in front of him reminded him of the run-down apartment he used to live in as a child.

Although, the one-room apartment in front of him wasn't nearly as isolated or desolate as the one he used to live in, so that was a plus.

Richard clapped his shoulder, "Well, you have got a lot of work ahead of you, young man. Cleaning supplies are in the basement. Good Luck"

Why did he sense a bit of smugness in Richard's voice when he said "Good Luck"?

As the sound of Richard's footsteps receded, he took a deep breath and sighed, absolutely bamboozled by the turn of events his life had taken recently.

Going from a Kage to having to clean your own tiny apartment was not jarring at all.

Notice his sarcasm?

Rolling his sleeves, he stashed his suitcase beside the door and dashed downstairs in search of the cleaning supplies, even passing Richard who looked startled at the whirlwind speed he had assumed to get his living quarters in order.

Finding the basement was not hard, finding what cleaning supplies to pick for the job upstairs was infinitely harder since there were multiple products he had never seen before but in the end, the tried and tested method won out. He chose the mop, the broom, and the rag for cleaning off some hard surfaces.

With renewed determination, he got hard at work to make the place his own.

It was late at night and he was laying down on the makeshift bed he was given by Richard who had arrived with Dorothy in the evening to check in on him. They were pretty surprised to find the condition of his living quarters as it was a literal day and night difference. Dorothy in particular could not stop telling him about the jobs she was going to have for him. To be honest, he was not particularly looking forward to cleaning the horse stables but a job was a job and as he had given his word, he would do the job without any complaints.

For what it was worth, he could see Richard giving him pitying looks when the stables were mentioned but he was pretty sure that the job was not that bad.

They had also brought him dinner, for which he was very grateful since he had not eaten anything since the morning but was too awkward to ask them for food since he had not done a single job since he had barged into their lives.

He was pretty sure that Dorothy was going to call for him very early in the morning and he should be asleep by now for that but he just could not sleep. It was not as if he was tired. Even injured, his body was more than capable of working for weeks at a time without even feeling the slightest bit tired and that was without the enhancement of chakra aiding him. There was a reason his body was his greatest weapon instead of his chakra or his Sage Mode. Those things can be taken away in specific circumstances, his body and its natural strength cannot be taken away by anything. 

Not seals, not curses, and not "magic" as the Ancient One called it.

So, with sleep eluding him and with nothing else to do, he sighed and sat up. 

Taking a cross-legged meditation position, he exhaled and focused on his breathing. Ever since he came here, he had been having nightmares.

Nightmares of his home being overrun by White Zetus spawned by the next wave of Otsutsuki that came to investigate the silence from Kaguya and Isshiki. He could see Sasuke's dead body along with all of his comrades.

Before he could see anybody else he loved, dead, he slapped himself and brought himself out of the nightmare he was in.

He fell back down on the bed, his heart beating wildly and his entire body covered in sweat. He took a look at the clock hung on the wall and saw that it had been nearly 2 hours since he had been in meditation or more accurately, that nightmare trance.

Frustrated, he stood up and began removing his clothes. Putting on his running shoes and tracksuit, he exited the worker's quarters and began jogging down the road that was connected to the living area.

It helped that it was a circular track but he kept on running until he saw the sun rise. Running for one last lap made him feel much better and clear-headed. After which, he went to his modest apartment and freshened up, ready to tackle the day with renewed energy and enthusiasm even if some of it was forced since it was not easy shaking off whatever he experienced last night.

In the mirror dimension, the Ancient One was keeping a close watch on the newest and perhaps most importantly, the strongest intruder their universe had seen in the millennia she had been alive.

Naruto Uzumaki was perhaps the most polarizing person who had entered their Universe and survived to tell the tale. His very personality was built around helping people and collecting them as part of his family.

A family for whom he would do nothing. He would leave no stone unturned, no boundary uncrossed.

Nothing. There was nothing that could stop him from trying to go back to his family should he come to know about them being in danger. Perhaps, he would even, even if accidentally, destroy their universe in a bid to get to his home.

"Or, he could build another family here? Become the guardian of this reality. Then you'll finally get the retirement you deserve," The voice of an old annoyance and ally could be heard right behind her.

Centuries of experience in dealing with her was the only thing that allowed her to control her instincts and stop herself from casting a point-blank disintegration spell that not even she could have come out of unscathed.

The Ancient One sighed and turned around with a raised eyebrow as the figure of Frigga, clad in her royal attire, could be seen exiting a portal into the mirror dimension.

Noticing the lack of a sling ring on Frigga's fingers, the Ancient One commented, "Figured that out, did you?"

"Oh, this," Frigga said as she cast a spell using just one of her fingers which opened up a portal to who knows where, "Did I just solve a problem that had been plaguing your order ever since it was built? I did. You know I love challenges, Yao, and this was a fun one. So, what are we looking at here? Your newest boy toy?"

The irritating intentionally provoking words did nothing but mildly annoy her, "No, Queen Frigga, that is Naruto Uzumaki. Someone who has undoubtedly been on Heimdall's vision ever since he arrived in this universe."

"Hmm, I did hear my husband talking about it but I have no idea about the specifics. Walk me through them, will you?"

"*sigh* He is an anomaly that has become used to the void energy that circulates around our multiverse. He is one of the few people recorded to have survived the void energy storm outside of our multiverse and come here."

"I bet he is the only one that came out unscathed then? Physically as well as Mentally? Though that mental part seems slightly debatable now,"

"He…is a work in progress. I have put him here because this is the best path for him to progress on and if, by any chance, it doesn't work out, I am in the ideal conditions to eliminate him without him even reacting to it."

"Hmm, cold but in our profession, we have to be. Anyway, it's been nice chatting with you, please come to Asgard soon. I would at least like the honor of being the only sitting Queen of Asgard to host the strongest Sorcerer Supreme since the time of Agomotto himself. Especially since your death draws near and you refuse to do anything about it."

"Alright, that's enough out of you," Saying so, the Ancient One snapped her fingers and the next moment, Frigga was out of the mirror dimension.

That woman, while a magical genius and a strategic mastermind, could be so exhausting at times. He was pretty sure she had been sent here on the orders of Odin himself but when has any of her dealings with the Asgardian Royal Family ever been straightforward. Now she had to visit Asgard for some unknown reason without even having anybody to take over.

It would seem that Mr.Uzumaki's healing process must be hastened else if something happened to Earth while she was away, she would not be forgiven by the Vishanti.

Word Count - 1885

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