A/N: This story is rated M for mature content not suitable for children.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Chapter 2: The Dark Waters of Selection
Mortal Kombat Universe
The wooden planks of the pier creaked under a weight that had nothing to do with the physical mass of the people standing on them.
The harbor at the edge of Hong Kong was completely abandoned, swallowed by a thick, unnatural fog that tasted of salt, old iron, and rotting seaweed. Moored to the dock was an ancient, sprawling junk ship. Its dark wood looked petrified, its tattered sails hanging like dead skin from masts that scraped against a starless, violet sky. It didn’t belong to this century, or perhaps any century recorded in Earthrealm’s history books.
Naruto stood near the edge of the dock, his left hand shoved deep into the pocket of his orange-lined black trousers. His right arm was held tight against his stomach, completely encased from the knuckles to the shoulder in the thick, charcoal-colored metallic bandages Oro had woven for him. To any casual observer, he looked like a casualty of a street war, a young guy with a broken limb and a stubborn expression.
But beneath those bandages, the raw natural energy he had drawn from the mountains was coiled like a spring, compressed so tightly it made the air around his shoulder faintly shimmer with heat waves.
"It looks like a ghost ship," a smooth, clear voice murmured beside him.
Naruto didn’t need to look to know it was Chun-Li. He had tracked her steady, light heartbeat from a quarter-mile away. She had traded her official Interpol uniform for a less restrictive blue training tunic, her dark hair pinned back into her signature ox-horn buns with white silk ribbons. The fabric hugged the powerful, dense muscle of her thighs, legs forged by millions of strikes against ironwood posts.
"It's not dead," Naruto replied, his blue eyes scanning the dark water lapping against the hull. "It’s breathing. Just really slowly."
"You have a strange way of looking at things, kid," she said, though there was no mockery in her voice. She stepped closer, her shoulder almost brushing his left arm. The subtle scent of lotus flowers and clean sweat drifted from her skin, a sharp contrast to the foul stench of the harbor. "Raiden said this is the only way to the island. If we miss it, Earthrealm loses by default."
"Then let's get on board. Standing around in the damp is making my good arm itch." Naruto offered a brief, sharp grin and stepped onto the gangplank. The ancient wood didn't even dip under his weight; his mastery of Ki allowed him to distribute his mass so perfectly that he barely left a footprint in the dust.
The deck of the ship was already occupied, and the atmosphere was toxic with tension.
Near the main mast stood two men in traditional Shaolin robes. One was tall, his posture perfectly straight, his eyes clear and calm as a mountain lake. That was Liu Kang. Beside him was Kung Lao, his broad-brimmed hat pulled low, his arms crossed over his chest in a posture of disciplined defiance. They didn't speak, but their eyes followed Naruto and Chun-Li the moment they stepped over the gunwale.
"Great. More extras," a loud, grating voice complained from the raised aft deck.
Naruto turned his head. Sitting on a wooden crate, wearing a custom-tailored silk shirt, pristine white trousers, and expensive designer sunglasses despite the heavy midnight fog, was Johnny Cage. He was flipping an autographed glossy photo of himself between his fingers, looking thoroughly bored.
"Hey, pal," Johnny called out, pointing the photo at Naruto. "The casting call for the pirate movie was three docks down. And what’s with the arm? Did you trip over your own anime hair?"
A few yards away, leaning against the rail with her arms crossed, was Sonya Blade. Her green military tank top was damp with fog, her face tight with a mixture of anger and confusion. She didn't laugh at Johnny's joke. Her eyes were fixed on Naruto's bound arm, then shifted to Chun-Li’s low, coiled stance.
"Shut up, Cage," Sonya snapped, her voice like a whip. "This isn't a film set. None of this makes sense. The tracking signals are dead, my radio is white noise, and we're boarding a vessel that shouldn't legally be afloat."
"Relax, Lieutenant," Johnny said, sliding his sunglasses down his nose to wink at Chun-Li. "It’s viral marketing. Give it an hour, and the directors will jump out with champagne. Though, I gotta say, the casting for the martial arts lady is top-tier. Sweetheart, if you need an agent after this gig, call my guy."
Chun-Li’s jaw tightened. Her left foot shifted back an inch, her heel digging slightly into the deck. "I am an officer of the law, Mr. Cage. If you call me 'sweetheart' again, I will arrest you for obstructing an investigation, after I break your nose."
"Ooh, feisty," Johnny chuckled, completely missing the dangerous hum of Ki beginning to swirl around her boots. "I love it. Authentic method acting."
Naruto let out a short, dry laugh. He walked past Johnny, his left hand still in his pocket, his boots making absolutely no sound on the weathered timber. He didn't look at the actor, but his sensory perception was already cataloging him: Decent muscle density. High reflexes. No real discipline, but he handles his body well. A showman, not a killer.
Then Naruto's gaze shifted to the bow of the ship.
Sitting in the shadows, completely isolated from the rest of the group, was a man clad in deep blue cloth and light armor. His face was obscured by a dark mask, but his eyes, cold, pale, and entirely devoid of human warmth, were fixed on the horizon. The wood beneath his boots was covered in a thin, glittering layer of frost that didn't melt, despite the humid sea air.
Sub-Zero.
Naruto stopped walking. The natural energy around his shoulders twitched, sensing the profound, artificial cold radiating from the Lin Kuei assassin. This wasn't just cold weather; it was a localized death of heat, a manipulation of the elements that felt completely different from the ice-style jutsu Naruto remembered from his youth. It was heavier, sharper, driven by raw spiritual malice.
Sub-Zero didn't turn his head, but a low, icy hiss escaped his mask. He knew he was being watched.
"Don't push him," Liu Kang’s voice was low and steady as he stepped up beside Naruto. The Shaolin monk bowed slightly, his hands pressed together. "He is not here to defend Earthrealm. He is here for his own purposes. I am Liu Kang."
"Naruto," the blonde replied, returning the nod but skipping the formal bow. He pointed his chin toward the frosty assassin. "He feels like old ice. The kind that stays at the bottom of a crevice for a hundred years."
Liu Kang’s eyes flickered with surprise. He looked at Naruto's bound arm, then at the relaxed, almost lazy slope of the boy's shoulders. "You have a warrior's sight, Naruto. Lord Raiden spoke of a hidden strength in the mountains. I see he did not exaggerate."
"Hey! Are we ignoring the talent now?" Johnny Cage called out, swaggering down from the aft deck. He stopped a few feet from Naruto, crossing his arms and tilting his head. "Look, kid, I don't know what kind of stunt work you do, but you're ruining the aesthetic. If we're supposed to be a team of 'champions' or whatever Raiden's script called it, you need to look the part. You look like you got ran over by a delivery truck."
Naruto turned slowly, his blue eyes dropping to Johnny's expensive leather shoes. "You talk a lot for someone who doesn't know how to stand on a boat."
Johnny blinked. "What?"
"Your weight is too high," Naruto said simply, his voice casual. "The water is changing underneath us. In about three seconds, a wave is going to hit the port side. If you keep your feet like that, you're going to eat the deck."
"Kid, I do my own stunts in Dragon Fist II. My balance is..."
The ship suddenly shuddered. A massive, black wave slammed into the port bow, tilting the junk ship at a violent thirty-degree angle.
Sonya instantly grabbed a guide rope. Chun-Li sunk into a deep, flawless horse stance, her center of gravity dropping instantly. Liu Kang and Kung Lao shifted their weight fluidly, their bodies moving in perfect harmony with the rolling wood.
Johnny Cage, however, went airborne. His expensive shoes lost all traction, and he pitched forward, his arms flailing as he flew straight toward the heavy wooden mainmast.
He didn't hit it.
Naruto's left hand shot out of his pocket. With a movement so fast it left a brief afterimage in the grey fog, he caught Johnny by the belt of his white trousers with one hand. Naruto’s feet didn't move a millimeter. His boots remained flat against the tilted, slippery deck, his body absorbing the kinetic energy of Johnny’s momentum and passing it harmlessly into the ship's massive timber framework.
The ship righted itself, the water draining through the scuppers with a heavy splash.
Johnny hung from Naruto's left hand like a sack of groceries, his sunglasses dangling from one ear, his face pale.
Naruto held him there for a second, then casually set him back on his feet. He patted Johnny's shoulder with his open left palm, leaving a slight smudge of soot from the deck. "See? Keep your knees bent. It saves on dry cleaning."
Chun-Li let out a sharp, genuine laugh, her eyes sparkling as she watched Johnny scramble to adjust his ruined clothing. Sonya simply shook her head, a small, cynical smirk touching her lips before she turned back to the dark horizon.
"Thanks for the tip, kid," Johnny muttered, his face turning an impressive shade of red as he snatched his sunglasses back into place. "That was... okay, that was a decent grip."
He retreated back to the aft deck, his swagger significantly deflated.
Liu Kang watched Naruto tuck his hand back into his pocket. The monk's expression was grim but filled with a new level of respect. "The waters around Shang Tsung's island are governed by magic, not nature. We are entering Outworld's domain."
"Good," Naruto murmured, his golden-flecked eyes fixed on the black fog ahead. "The old man's mountain was getting a little small anyway."
The middle of the night brought no moon, only a deeper, heavier shade of violet in the sky. The ship moved without wind, its tattered sails full of an invisible force that pushed it deeper into the uncharted sea. The rest of the champions had retreated to the lower cabins to rest or find shelter from the freezing mist, leaving the main deck empty.
Except for Naruto.
He stood near the stern, his vest discarded on a wooden crate. He wore only his black trousers and the tight, dark wraps around his torso. His right arm remained completely bound, the metallic cloth gleaming faintly under the lanterns.
He was moving.
It wasn't a standard martial arts form. It was a slow, deliberate calibration. He stepped forward with his left foot, his knee bending until it was parallel to the wood, then threw a short, left-handed punch into the empty air.
Thump.
The strike didn't look fast, but the air three feet in front of his fist compressed with a distinct, dull crack. The sheer density of his Ki was off-balance. Because his right side was restricted, every time he used his left, his body had to compensate by drawing more natural energy through his left leg to stabilize his spine.
"Your left hip is dropping a fraction of an inch when you finish the rotation," a voice called out from the darkness near the stairs.
Chun-Li walked into the dim light of the lantern. She had removed her heavy silk ribbons, letting her long, dark hair fall loose over her shoulders. She wore a simple white sleeveless training shirt and dark shorts, her bare feet moving across the damp deck without a sound.
Naruto paused, his left hand hovering in the air. He straightened up, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead with his forearm. "The wrap makes me heavy on one side. It's like trying to run with a boulder tied to your hip."
"Then why keep it on?" She stepped closer, her eyes fixing on the intricate knots Oro had tied around his right shoulder. She reached out, her fingers hovering just above the metallic cloth. "You fought Kano's men with one hand. You caught an adult man out of mid-air like he was a feather. If you took that off, what happens?"
"The old man says I'd burn myself out," Naruto said, his voice dropping its usual teasing edge. He looked down at her, his blue eyes catching the yellow flame of the lantern. "My energy... it doesn't have normal pipes. If I don't keep it squeezed down, it floods. It breaks things. Including me."
Chun-Li looked up into his face. There was a raw, intense focus in her gaze, the look of a woman who spent her life studying human bodies, their mechanics, their power, and their vulnerabilities. "I've seen masters of Ki from all over the world, Naruto. Gen, Bison, the hermits of the hidden temples. None of them feel like you. You feel different."
Naruto grinned, the tension breaking. "Is that your way of saying I'm handsome?"
Chun-Li’s lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. She stepped directly into his personal space, her chest almost touching his bare ribs. The heat radiating from his skin was intense, warming the cold midnight air between them. "I'm saying you're a mystery, kid. And I'm a detective. I don't like unsolved cases."
"Then investigate," Naruto murmured, his voice low. He didn't back away.
"Maybe I will," she whispered.
With a movement as sudden and fluid as a striking viper, Chun-Li launched a low, sweeping kick aimed at Naruto's ankle.
Naruto didn't leap. He simply shifted his weight, his left leg lifting just enough for her foot to pass harmlessly beneath him. But Chun-Li was already moving. Using the momentum of the sweep, she spun on her hands, her powerful legs snapping upward in a lightning-fast vertical strike aimed directly at his jaw.
Naruto brought his left forearm down, blocking the kick mid-air.
Bang.
The impact was sharp, a localized explosion of physical force that rippled across the deck. Chun-Li twisted in the air, landing lightly on her feet, her eyes burning with an intense, competitive fire.
"Not bad," she panted, her chest heaving slightly under her white shirt. "But you're relying too much on your upper body to stabilize. Watch your stance."
She lunged again. This time, it wasn't a single strike. It was the Hyakuretsukyaku, a blur of thirty kicks executed in the span of two seconds. Every strike was aimed at a different vital point: his ribs, his neck, his thighs.
Naruto didn't retreat. Moving only his left arm and his legs, he parried, ducked, and blocked. The sound of their flesh colliding was rhythmic, like a drumbeat. He could feel the incredible power behind her legs, this wasn't just muscle; she was channeling her own refined, blue-hued Ki into every impact, making her shins as hard as reinforced steel.
As she threw the final, heavy roundhouse kick, Naruto slithered inside her guard. He caught her leg under his left arm, lifting her slightly off the deck to break her balance.
Chun-Li didn't panic. She wrapped her arms around his neck, using his own momentum to pull herself up. For a second, they were completely locked together. Her face was inches from his, her warm, rapid breath brushing against his lips. Her powerful thighs were clamped around his waist for leverage, her skin hot against his bare sides.
They froze, the movement stopping instantly as the sheer physical gravity of the position took hold.
Naruto could feel every line of her body, the hard, dense muscle of her back, the curve of her waist, the absolute strength locked within her frame. Her dark eyes were wide, her pupils dilated as she stared down at his mouth. The tease was gone; the atmosphere had shifted from a martial arts spar into something thick, heavy, and intensely biological.
"You're very heavy," Naruto whispered, his left hand resting on the small of her back to keep her from falling. His fingers dug slightly into her skin, feeling the intense heat she was radiating.
"You're very stubborn," she rasped back, her fingers tightening at the nape of his neck, pulling him a millimeter closer. "You didn't use your right arm. Not even to balance."
"I told you," he murmured, his eyes locking onto hers with a fierce, burning intensity that made her breath hitch. "If I use it, the game ends. And I’m really enjoying this game."
Chun-Li’s smile was small, sharp, and hungry. She leaned down, her lips brushing against the corner of his mouth, a brief, tantalizing taste of skin that sent a literal shockwave of Ki crackling between them.
"Then don't lose your grip, kid," she whispered.
Before the moment could boil over into the wooden cabins below, a low, guttural groan echoed from the deep belly of the ship.
The ancient timber vibrated, and the thick grey fog surrounding the vessel suddenly tore open like a piece of old silk. The temperature didn't just drop, the air became heavy with the smell of blood, ancient stone, and sulfur.
Chun-Li fluidly unclasped her legs from his waist, dropping back down to the deck. Her breath was still short, her skin flushed, but her professional instincts returned in an instant. She smoothed down her shirt, her eyes lingering on Naruto's chest for a fraction of a second before she looked toward the bow.
Naruto picked up his orange vest, sliding it over his left shoulder. The casual, cheeky expression was gone from his face, replaced by the hard, analytical focus of a warrior who had looked into the eyes of gods.
"We're here," he said.
The junk ship didn't dock; it simply drifted into a massive, jagged crescent bay carved out of a towering cliffside.
High above them, perched on the black volcanic rock like a vulture, was Shang Tsung’s palace. The architecture was a grotesque fusion of ancient Chinese fortresses and something entirely alien, sprawling stone battlements decorated with gargoyles that looked too real to be statues, their eyes glowing with faint, green sorcery.
Thousands of torches lined the stone steps that led from the water up into the mountain, their flames burning with a sickening, emerald hue instead of natural orange fire.
The other champions had returned to the deck. Sonya Blade looked pale but determined, her hands resting on her utility belt. Johnny Cage was unusually quiet, his eyes darting to the massive, armored guards standing at the base of the steps. These weren't human soldiers; they were Masked Guards of Outworld, eight feet tall, their bare shoulders massive, holding heavy, broad-bladed halberds that gleamed in the green torchlight.
"This is it," Liu Kang said, his voice dropping to a solemn whisper as the gangplank lowered itself with a heavy thud onto the stone dock. "The threshold of Earthrealm's fate. Remember your training. Do not let their illusions cloud your mind."
"Illusions are easy," Kung Lao murmured, adjusting his razor-rimmed hat. "It is the steel that kills."
As they stepped off the ship, the heavy fog closed in behind them, completely swallowing the ancient vessel as if it had never existed. There was no going back.
The climb up the thousands of stone steps was silent. The only sound was the rhythmic clanging of distant, massive bronze drums hidden deep within the mountain. The beat was slow, matching the heavy, deliberate pulse of a dying heart.
At the summit, the steps opened into a massive, open-air amphitheater. The floor was made of polished white marble, stained with dark, circular patches that Naruto instantly recognized, old, dried blood that had soaked into the stone over centuries of slaughter.
Surrounding the courtyard were tiers of stone seats filled with hundreds of creatures. There were monks in tattered red robes, their faces hidden; mercenary leaders from various Earthrealm syndicates; and bizarre, multi-limbed denizens of Outworld whose very shapes defied natural anatomy.
At the far end of the courtyard, sitting upon a massive, carved throne of black obsidian, was the master of the house.
Shang Tsung.
He looked ancient, his long grey hair and beard flowing over robes of exquisite green silk embroidered with golden dragons. His skin was pale and translucent, like old parchment, but his eyes were alive, sharp, calculating, and filled with a terrifying, infinite hunger. He held a long, ornate staff topped with a glowing green gem that hummed with the stolen life force of ten thousand souls.
Naruto stepped into the courtyard alongside Chun-Li.
The moment his boots touched the marble, his sensory perception exploded. The natural energy of this place was putrid, twisted by centuries of black magic and soul manipulation. It felt like walking into a swamp filled with dead things.
“He’s looking at us,” Chun-Li murmured, her hand resting lightly near her hip.
Shang Tsung’s gaze swept over the Earthrealm champions. It lingered briefly on Liu Kang with a mixture of hatred and anticipation. It passed over Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade with open amusement.
But then, the sorcerer's eyes locked onto Naruto.
The old man’s brow furrowed slightly. He leaned forward on his throne, his long, skeletal fingers tightening around his staff. Shang Tsung’s sorcery allowed him to see the weight of a mortal's soul, to taste their lifespan and judge their power before the fight even began.
When he looked at Naruto, he didn't see a young man with a broken arm.
He saw a bizarre, terrifying vortex. A soul that had been torn apart and reconstructed, carrying the faint, burning ash of an entirely different reality, surrounded by a dense, unyielding shield of natural energy that his green magic couldn't penetrate.
"Welcome," Shang Tsung’s voice carried across the amphitheater, smooth, melodic, and chillingly clear. "Defenders of Earthrealm. You have traveled far to witness the glory of Mortal Kombat."
The sorcerer stood up from his throne, his green robes trailing behind him as he walked to the edge of the dais. He raised his staff, and the green flames lining the courtyard flared high into the dark sky.
"For nine generations, Outworld has claimed victory," Shang Tsung smiled, his teeth sharp and white. "One more tournament, and the portal between our realms will open forever. Your lives, your world, your very souls... belong to the Emperor."
He pointed his staff directly at the group of champions, his eyes locking onto Naruto’s golden-flecked gaze.
"Let the tournament begin."
Chapter End
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
A/N: The Mortal Kombat tournament has commenced! Who will emerge victorious and who will fall, losing their souls? Stay tuned for the upcoming chapter updates to find out. Until next time!