Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider or Naruto…but that's obvious.

Shinobi Rider Hopper

Chapter 4: Saying Goodbye/The Riders are Chosen!

Konoha Hospital's intensive care unit

Zaku and Lee lay in hospital beds at the Konoha hospital after their recent fight. Lee's injuries were more severe than Zaku's because Lee had no armor protecting him. The both of them had been in comas for the past 2 days. Lee had been silent but Zaku had been thrashing the entire time. He seemed to be having a nightmare, uttering things about his family.

"Father…no…you bastard…" he muttered in his sleep. The thing that made the least sense was that after these outbursts he would calm down and say "…home"

Two weeks later

Lee and Zaku awoke two weeks later, fully healed and energetic as ever. Lee was already applying his self rule philosophy to his physical therapy, and somehow convinced Zaku to go along with it.

"Amazing as always, aren't they?" Sakura asked Naruto

"I'm just surprised Lee pulled Zaku into his traditions." Naruto replied

"Says the one who owns one of those jumpsuits?" Sakura scoffed

Naruto was about to reply when Zaku walked up to them

"Yo." Zaku said simply.

Soon after he was met with a punch to the face from Sakura

"IDIOT! DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!" She yelled. She would have beaten the crap out of Zaku, but Naruto held her back.

"Ow…You're going to put me back in a coma, Sakura." Zaku groaned as he sat up.

That afternoon

Zaku cracked his knuckles as he punched straight through the training post. He smirked and continued his training session, regaining the strength he had lost in his weeks of incapacitation. At the end of the day he walked back to Naruto's, where he was staying for the time being. He plopped down on the couch and whistled, and the Hopper Zecter jumped up beside him. He scratched its head and it chirped, almost purring. He smirked tiredly as he drifted off to sleep.

Elsewhere

Sai, Yamato, Neji, Shino, Kiba, Hinata, Sakura, and Shikamaru all sat in front of Kakashi. He nodded and the Zecters flew around him. He had a purple sword slung across his back and a scorpion like Zecter perched on his shoulder.

"Now…" he said. "Let's get down to business" he said. He took out one of Zaku's silver briefcases that revealed rider equipment to be paired with the Zecters.

The next day…

Naruto awoke to find Zaku frantically packing his things.

"What's wrong dude?" asked Naruto

"They're coming! I have to leave…to save everybody!" Zaku shouted

"What? Who's coming?" Naruto asked

"The ones who drove me to this constantly warring world in the first place! M-SHOCKER!" Zaku yelled. After finishing his statement Zaku covered his mouth.

"M-Shocker? This world? What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, not able to comprehend what he just heard.

Zaku sighed, "Sit down Naruto. I have some explaining to do. You see Naruto; I am not from this world. I am from a parallel dimension where the riders are heroes of the people. They were much more numerous and number, but still just as powerful. The reason my clan wasn't heard of until years ago, and why you had such a hard time finding me, was because we did not originate from this dimension. The world we came from was far more technologically advanced than this world. Thus we used the engineering expertise we had gained there to blend in with this world, claiming it was a kekkei genkai. We have been world travelers for the past 3 generations. My grandfather, his parents, and his parents teammates of the research board they were on were fled our world to escape the rulers of our world, M-Shocker. They wandered from world to world, until they reached this one. They met the sannin you know as Orochimaru, who promised to help us return home. But instead, Orochimaru used my grandfather to gain medical secrets that prolonged life in our world. He also had him make the first Zecters… but years later, when my father was about 15…my family and the children of the other scientists fled Orochimaru. They learned about this world and formed the Kusakabe clan in order to shield themselves. The reason my family disappeared was Orochimaru turned them into hideous beasts he called 'Worm' that he sent to another world. Some of our family had strong enough will, and were able to manipulate the rift in order to protect the people of the world. They hid me, so I was able to survive. The fears of my ancestors have been realized; however…M-Shocker has found our sanctuary. They will come after me, and they will kill you all. You guys don't have the power or the technology to defeat them…so I must go, in order to protect you all" Zaku whistled and the Hopper Zecter hopped into his hand. He removed the belt and handed the set to Naruto. "Use the Zecters to protect your world from its threats. And give my rider gear to Lee. He should fill my shoes quite well." Zaku took a white fedora out from his suitcase and placed it on his head.

"But where will you go? Aren't you going to say goodbye to anyone else?" Naruto asked sadly and somewhat angrily

Zaku handed Naruto a letter. The envelope simply said "farewell".

"Will you ever come back?" Naruto asked.

"I might. If you need me." Zaku said. He handed Naruto a mysterious USB Flash drive-like device with a B symbol on it. When Naruto pressed the button a loud voice announced "BEACON!" and a noise rang from Zaku's suitcase. Zaku smirked and placed a hand up in the air. Naruto high-fived him and grasped his hand. The two smirked and silently promised they'd see each other again. Zaku then took out another Flash drive like device and pressed the button.

"PORTAL!"

Zaku threw the drive at the wall and a spiraling portal opened up. He walked towards it, then turned and waved at Naruto. He then turned back to the portal and walked through. After he disappeared through the portal, the portal imploded, and a strange eagle-shaped mark was etched in the wall. Naruto looked at his hand and gripped the gear. He knew he and the other riders who were to be chosen were now the protectors of this world. And he knew that something was coming.

Somewhere in the mountains…

Sasuke sat as he rested and looked at the full moon. He thought to himself 'soon…!' A black robotic rhinocerous beetle with a red horn perched on his shoulder. He smirked and petted it. 'revenge shall be mine!'

Authors Note: This, unfortunately is the last chapter of Shinobi Rider Hopper. Some of you are probably thinking "WHAT? WHY?" Well the answer is simple. Terra Firma, the soon-to-be published Kamen Rider Saisho, and Zaku, as Kamen Rider Skull, will be starring in a double-and-decade style movie fic at the end of their runs. But, as slowly as Hopper is progressing, I wouldn't have been able to finish it and write the sequel following Zaku's adventures into the next world in a timely fashion. So I am ending this fic and will be writing two sequel fics for it. Geass Rider Skull, which follows Zaku's adventures into the world of Code Geass as Kamen Rider Skull, and Shinobi Rider Kabuto, which will be a continuation of this fics run in the Naruto world. The first chapters of Geass Rider Skull and Kamen Rider Saisho will be up soon. Until then, I'm sorry to keep you waiting but please, bear with me!