"Naruto! Stay still so I can heal that wound!", Sakura ordered as she tried to concentrate her chakra on her work. "You're lucky you still have that arm!"
"But…"
"Naruto, don't complain. We're strangers in a strange land here, worse we're in a prison cell.", Kakashi explained exhausted. His were clothes slightly torn from a previous battle. "We sent Sai back to the village to let Tsunade know what kind of world we found. We'll need you at top health Naruto."
"Yes Kakashi-sensei.", Naruto sighed as he gave up his childish protesting. He watched Sakura heal his sleeveless arm, it was a lot better from when he was first wounded by that thing they fought. When the creature first sliced Naruto with that blade it had in its arm he was sure he had lost it. The only thing Naruto could think of was the demon fox sealed in him helped.
"There done.", Sakura announced as she finally relaxed.
"Fine parlor trick you got there Sheila.", an accented voice called from the shadows as a burly man cautiously made his way to the group. A portion of his face was covered in a metal plate, his red eye also covered in the plating emitted a red glow. He had a necklace with a lock of blond hair and wore a long, open vest, brown pant with kneepads, black boots and gloves. He raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture. "Calm down mates no need to pull out yer knives. I ain't gonna hurt ya."
"Why should we trust you?", Naruto blurted out.
"Wise question boy, honestly I won't lie to ya. If we met outside this cage you'd need more than them knives, but as luck would have it we're both in bad with Shao Kahn. So I'd like to propose a partnership of sorts so we can get out of this hellhole in one piece. Name's Kano."
"My name is Hatake Kakashi. These are my students…"
"Haruno Sakura.", the kunoichi said relaxing the grip on her kunai.
"Uzumaki Naruto and what kind of name is 'Kano' anyways!?", Naruto blurted out.
"I could ask the same of your three.", Kano snapped back. "I can already tell you ain't from Outworld. Why did the old emperor lock you up anyways?"
Kakashi started explaining their situation. Team 7 were sent to find a lucky bandit who had stole from the Konoha treasury. They tracked him to a stone relic that acted as a portal. Once on the other side Sai was sent back to the Hokage to let her know the situation as Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi continued to track the bandit. They found most of him in a strange forest with faces on the trees. To their surprise the trees were living, so they believed the poor bandit was caught in one of the tree's wooden jaws.
The shinobi team had overheard a fight and had intervened saving a woman named Mileena in the process. She said she was part of a small rebellious movement to overthrow the ruling tyrant. Upon taking them to the 'weak' tyrant, Mileena betrayed them.
Kano laughed, "That explains it, don't feel too bad mates, she'll use anyone for her own gain."
"What a bitch…", Sakura mumbled to herself.
"Baraka musta gave the boy a sharp surprise I guess by the way that wound looked.", Kano said looking at Knarred's right arm. "Hell you're lucky to still have that thing boy."
"Baraka? Is that his name? What the hell is he?", Naruto asked each question without pause succession.
"Yeah, he's a mutant we call Tarkata, a crossbreed of some Outworld race and a race from the Netherrealm. They're nomadic and tend to follow those stronger than them. She might not look it but that Mileena is half-Tarkatan.", Kano explained as he sat with his back against the cell bars.
Naruto, barely understanding any of what Kano told him, just sat there and nodded as if he knew it from the start. "So why are you in here?", Sakura inquired.
"Well Sheila I used to be a general for ol' Kahn, though when he found out I switched over to the Deadly Alliance so quickly he locked me up the second I came back to his palace.", Kano explained. "Beat me somethin' harsh too mates. Guess he's still sore about losing to that Edenian half-god for that prize."
"Get back from the cage traitor!", a guard in very little armor and a skull helmet ordered as he hit Kano in the back of the head with a spear end through the cage bars. "The Emperor is hosting entertainment for the people and demands one of the new prisoners participate. Make your choice now."
"Naruto, you go. I'm still tired from using my Mangekyo Sharingan and we need Sakura at her best if one of us gets hurt. Understand?", Kakashi told Naruto wearily.
Naruto nodded as he got up and made his way to the cage door. "Don't do anything to get yourself hurt Naruto.", Sakura said sternly to mask her concern.
Naruto just flashed his trademark grin. "No worries.", he told her.
The young shinobi pasted Kano, the gruff man looked up at him said, "Well mate my only advice is to stay on Kahn's good side. He's got a mean swing and a mean hammer to match.", he laughed.
Kano received another spear end to his head. "Quiet! Are you ready?", Naruto just nodded. "Try not to die too quickly boy.", the guard spat as he roughly ushered Naruto away.
"They're making a mistake underestimating him.", Sakura said stubbornly.
Kano laughed. "I'll take your word for it Sheila, but you better hope he doesn't have to face a shokan. If Baraka scared him, Kintaro might give the poor boy a heart attack."
"Kano, enlighten me, what exactly is a shokan?", Kakashi asked after a moment of silence.
"Eh? A half-human half-dragon race, brutal lot. Kintaro's from a pedigree know for it's brutality. Mind telling me something?"
"Sure.", Kakashi said a smile behind his mask.
"Wot the hell's a mangecko sharkingang?", Kano asked awkwardly.
Kakashi visibly started to sweat. "Well I guess I'll have to start from bloodline limits..."
'Ah that smell, how long has it been since it was this strong?'
'What the hell are you talking about you stupid fox!?' Naruto echoed in his own mind as he waited on a wooden platform.
'Blood, the scent is almost over-whelming here, just concentrate boy. You can just feel Death in the air.' the demon fox let out a deep chuckle in Narrate's mind. I hope you have no qualms in killing a gladiator boy.
As long as he attacks me first. Naruto thought as the platform raised. Naruto shielded from the depressed waves of the lack-luster sun in the sky. Naruto breathed deep and almost coughed. The fox was wrong, you didn't just feel death around you, you could smell it saturating the air enough to choke you. Naruto looked around the large octagon he was in. There were four pits, each with a different method of death. A vat of acid, some molten material, jutting spikes, and a kind of lateral grinder. All seemed to have been used daily, Naruto started to make out the rest of the stadium as eager fans cheered. A throne was set at one end of the arena between two of the death traps.
"How kind of you to join us boy, what is your name?", the regal figure asked in a deep voice. Like the guards he wore little armor and a skull mask with a large 'V' like pair of blades on the forehead.
"Uzumaki Naruto and you must be Shao Kahn right skull face!", Naruto roared as he charged right for the emperor, but stopped short at a gap between the throne and arena, blades protruded from the ground daring any to jump.
"Eager to fight, I like that.", Shao Kahn laughed. "I would suspect a young boy like you to be scared from being so far from home."
"Not a chance! A ninja like me won't be scared so easily by some freak with a skull on his face or any land for that matter!", Naruto shouted. Faint laughter could be heard by the guards.
Shao Kahn raised a single hand lazily, "Admirable Naruto, I have met men twice your age with less than half your courage.", the emperor was silent in thought as the crowd started to grumble. The longer Shao Kahn waited, the louder then grumbling began. Shao Kahn stood up, Naruto finally realized the height of the emperor before him. "Naruto you are now representing your entire realm! Show me you are a people of strength and I'll let you and your friends go to return to your homes..."
"Really!?", Naruto asked in disbelief of this act of kindness.
"...fail and you will die here and your companions will be executed in front of my people!"
"Fine bring it on skull-face!", Naruto yelled.
Shao Kahn sat down and laughed. "Not so quick boy, you'll need to warm up first right?" Naruto had a blank expression on his face, not thinking of that before. "No bother my men will bring you some opponents to warm up against."
Naruto just nodded as he got back down into the arena pit. He's actually letting me train like a gladiator? Maybe Kano was wrong about him being all that bad.
Think again boy...
Naruto looked up from his feet to the platform he had been on previously. He was shocked and disgusted at what he saw, shackled and chained slaves were pushed into the ring. Some seemed too old to work, while others seemed too sick. As the chains and shackles were undo Naruto turned to Shao Kahn. "What's the meaning of this!? You said I was going to warm up against opponents!", he roared, the demon fox eyes beginning to surface.
"I am, the rule of Mortal Kombat is to kill your opponent. So you get weaklings to practice killing understand Naruto?", Shao Kahn sternly. "To close the handicap gap they will be given weapons. Have fun."
The group of slaves were handed weapons and looked to Shao Kahn confused. "Kill the boy and you'll have a chance for freedom.", he said. An excited clamor began around the slaves as the slowly crept towards Naruto as he stood there.
What are you doing boy!? Kill them!
I can't...
What does it matter to you if they live or not? They won't hesitate to kill you for a moment.
Naruto stood, rooted where he was clenching his fist. Damn it boy! If you can't make this choice you'll never be a Hokage!
What?
Do you honestly think Shao Kahn will actually give them freedom? You have a real chance, you're just condemning them to a worse fate.
One of the stronger slaves came closer to Naruto, weapon ready.
Here's your ultimatum, kill these men or you and everything you ever cared about dies.
Hope you liked it, constructive pointers would be nice since I'm worried about keeping everyone in character. Please review.