Chapter 109- The Doppelganger

Herbert took a unconscious Naruto back to Nest. Once there he brought him to his lab. Herbert looked at Naruto as he moved his hand above his his insides with what little knowledge on medical justu he knew. Naruto was still passed out and in his eldritch form. He scanned Naruto's insides, noting the changes. Chakra coils had grown into the extra limbs and tentacles, a large concentration focused on all his dojutsu, especially the Rinnegan.

He looked at Naruto's brain, and was surprized to see it had altered it's shape. An entirely new lobe formed above both hemispheres of the brain, increasing his already impressive mental capabilities. He could actually feel the psionic power in this new lobe. He had mutated further, gaining excess organs. He had an extra heart slightly below his main heart. Though unlike a human heart it only had three chambers, it seemed this heart was there to pump blood exclusively to Naruto's tentacles. His gills on his neck were fully functional from what Herbert could tell.

His muscles had become dense. His bone marrow altered greatly, and was producing way more red blood cells and all kinds of the white blood cells than normal, yet not a single blood cell was deformed from the overhaul, and this explained his amazing regenerative powers in his eldritch form. It seemed that stem cells from the bone marrow was used to create this new lobe on Naruto's brain, fibroblasts were converted into functional neurons at incredible speed for the new lobe. The bones were also much harder as well. Not as strong as reinforced steel, but still impressive.

What Herbert found interesting was white blood cells were defending his body from sickness at a rate that would was unheard of anywhere in the animal kingdom. To the point where he was literally incapable of getting sick. It was all going against everything he knew of the human body, then again Naruto was not even made of normal matter so what would he know about what was normal for Naruto's body. Then Herbert found something that turned everything he knew about human biology upside down.

Every single cell in Naruto's body was slowly mutating into something that was nothing short of a medical miracle, the greatest medical miracle in the entirety of human history. Isolated cells in Naruto's body were not limited in their ability to divide. The telomeres within the cells did not get shorter when they divided. They were slowly mutating to behave like some kind of benificial form of cancer. Once the process was complete Naruto would be biologically immortal, and incapable of aging.

Herbert scanned the bones one more time and found that the reason they were so hard was they were coated in microscopic crystals that he had not seen before, but it wasn't normal in any way, in fact the crystals felt similar to the bloodlines Naruto absorbed. How Naruto got crystal release was beyond Herbert. Actually as he scanned the crystals he noted they all had an electrical charge that Herbert recognized as Storm Release. Then Herbert remembered Naruto's talks with the Kage. The Tsuchikage was going to give Naruto two bloodline samples and Kumo gave Naruto the Storm release bloodline. He just figured Naruto got them and drank a few drops with his blood drinker tendrils. He could not find out what the other bloodline Naruto would have gotten from the Tsuchikage, so he dug deeper.

Herberts hand glowed brighter as he analyzed Naruto's very D.N.A.

"Lets see. Ice release, wood release, crystal release, Sharinngan, Byakugan, Rinnegan, whatever the hell he got from Hidan is called, Storm release, what else is there...", Herbers said before his eyes widened.

He canceled the Jutsu before grabbing one of Naruto's arms. He inspected the hands. Using his fingers he opened an almost unseen slit on Naruto's hand to reveal a fanged mouth similar to his Y'Golonac scream. He removed a bit of the saliva within the mouth and let it drip to the floor. Once it made contact with the ground and mixed with the stone a small explosion could be seen, not much stronger than a firecracker, mud or clay would most likely produce a larger and stronger explosion. Herbert checked the other hands and noted they all had this hidden mouth.

"Deidara might find this very interesting", said Herbert to himself.

"Beautiful isn't it"

Herbert looked around the empty room and saw nothing, when he turned back to Naruto he froze. Standing over Naruto was Nyarlathotep. He slowly backed away as Nyarlathotep looked over Naruto.

"It is good to know that awakening the Mi-go was not a poor choice on my part, thanks to them he is evolving faster than many would think possible", said Nyarlathotep.

"You awoke the Mi-go huh, why am I not surprized", said Herbert as he prepared for the worst. Nyarlathotep looked at him and grinned.

"If I wished you dead I would not waste my time speaking to you necromancer"

"Of course how silly of me, not trusting the physical embodiment of the mental power and souls of all Outer Gods and Great Old Ones. I can't think of anyone more trustworthy than that", said Herbert sarcastically, though Nyarlathotep could still hear fear in his voice.

"I have no reason to lie Necromancer. In fact if I wish it all I say can and will become truth, for example should I say Gravity is reversed..."

Herbert instantly fell upward toward the ceiling. He looked around before he noticed he was laying down on the ceiling as if it was the floor.

"Then it becomes so", said Nyarlathotep before Herbert fell back onto the floor in a heap.

"Ow", said Herbert weakly.

"I have no business with you, I just wish to see the progress of my future form. He has grown much but he still has far to go. Then when he is at the peak of his power. He, his eyes, and his tenant shall become one with me", said Nyarlathotep as he looked to the unconscious form of Naruto.

"His eyes? Tennant? Just what the hell are you after anyway. How can all that help you survive Azathoths awakening", asked Herbert.

"Its workings are beyond your comprehension, but put simply it is complexity my dear necromancer, that is what I seek. With it I shall exist when all else fades", said Nyarlathotep.

"What does that even mean", asked Herbert.

Herbert backed away in fear when Nyarlathotep looked at him. He stopped when he backed up against a wall. Nyarlathotep turned back to Naruto.

"I believe it's time my future form knows how I keep him sane from all he has witnessed", said Nyarlathotep.

He leaned to Naruto's ear and spoke.

"Go to the door", said Nyarlathotep.

"Yeah, sane that's the perfect word to describe him", said Herbert

"Your sarcasm and jokes do not hide your fear necromancer. I have said all I wish to say, I have come to see the boy. And seeing as I have done this I shall take my leave", said Nyarlathotep as he literally melted into darkness.

Herbert took a deep breath before turning back to Naruto. He decided to get some rest until he woke up.

Naruto walked around the familiar library of his mindscape in the direction of the arena where Kurama was held. He noted that His library behaved differently. The figure that represented his eldritch powers floated above the library with it's many spheres moving through the library acting as guards of sorts. Books would occasionally move from one shelf to another when you were not looking as they organized themselves. The dual spiraling staircases now had strange glowing crystals along the ceiling providing light for the area.

Naruto descended the stairs to move to the arena, He walked across the arena to the gate where Kurama was held. The nine tailed fox or more accurately five tailed fox laid it's head on the ground as it slept. It opened it's eyes before rasing it's head to look at Narto.

"I lost another tail", said Kurama.

"I can see that", said Naruto.

Kurama grunted before speaking.

"So, what brings you here", asked Kurama.

"Passed out, I just prevented the destruction of a village from a massive particle cannon that nearly wiped the village of Wave off the map", said Naruto.

"Somehow I am not surprized", said Kurama.

Naruto looked around the room before he sat. It was quiet for a while before Kurama spoke.

"I felt you use my powers. You successfully controled four tails of demonic chakra without succumbing to rage. I believe congratulations are in order", said Kurama.

Naruto smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, thanks to you I was able to overpower the particle beam. Have to say feeling my skin literally burn off is not pleasant", said Naruto.

"No I suppose it isn't", said Kurama with a chuckle.

Naruto took a deep breath before lying against the cage facing away from Kurama. His hands behind his head and his legs stretched out.

"So how have you been", asked Naruto.

"Considering the situation I cannot complain, nothing much to do other than sleep. I miss being able to see through your eyes, now all I do is sleep", said Kurama.

"If you want I can tell you about everything", said Naruto.

Kurama laid his head on top his paws and looked at the boy.

"I would like that", said Kurama.

Herbert watched as several dozen clones packed away the Mi-go corpses into large crates outfitted with seals to prevent decay. Once finished the crates were sealed into scrolls where clones would take them to the main base. Herbert turned around to enter his lab where he kept his own Mi-go. It was the one with the curse seal he fought. While the seal was inactive after death, the mark still remained. Already several clones were looking at the mark. Herbert walked round to see where the creatures chest had been forced open and pined so they could look inside the alien.

Not a single organ within the Mi-go could be identified other than the brain. While it's shape was different it was interesting to note that it was the same size as a human brain. He looked at a clone that was cutting into the alien.

"So what can you tell me about these things", asked Herbert.

"To be honest, these things are insane. Nearly every organ inside of it is not it's original organ. While I can't say what any of these organs are or even if all of them are supposed to be there or if they were taken from other species, it is interesting to note that the black fluid they bleed is not blood. I'm not sure what it is. These things do not need to breathe at all, their nervous system does have a min brain, but it has three secondary brains that regulate the body, the main brain is used exclusively for thought and nothing more. Their glowing heads are used as a form of communication, possibly evolved from something used to scare predators or intimidate rivals. The Mi-go are animals, but also fungi", said the Clone.

"Like the Elder Things", asked Herbert.

The clone shook it's head.

"No elder things are a perfect blend of plant and animal. To the point they transcend the definition. Mi-go are more fungi than animal, possibly evolved from them. My guess is there home planet had predators that required fungi to evolve locomotion to survive. How they evolved this way is beyond me. I can't even figure out what they are made of. Humans are carbon based life forms, but I cannot identify whatever it is that makes these things up. I hesitate to even call whatever it is atoms. It's something entirely different to whatever Naruto is made of as well", said the clone.

"How can they use human chakra coils", asked Herbert.

"I have no idea, medically speaking it should be impossible, but somehow, and don't ask me how. They can ake any organ and transplant it into themselves without having to worry about organ rejection. Simply put if they come across an alien species that has something they want, no matter what it is or what it's made of, they somehow are able to transplant it into themselves. They have not only perfected the science of surgery, they have found a way to do damn near anything they want with it. They make Dr. Shinno, the greatest surgeon alive in the world today look like a kid dissecting a frog in comparison", said the clone.

"So with surgery they can do pretty much what ever they want", asked Herbert.

"In a way, this mi-go has six sets of chakra coils, all from different humans. They can actually safely splice them together to make it better fit there non humanoid shape. Though there understanding of chakra appears limited, they only use elemental attacks, though they use them well, every jutsu they used is either B-rank or A-rank, they use their increased brain power to mild chakra without using there hands, however there heads glow a specific color depending on the jutsu, there version of speaking the Jutsu's name to actually release chakra for the attack. Red for fire, bright blue for lightning, sea green for water, light brown for earth, and white for wind. This gives us an advantage against them, allowing us to counter or dodge attacks", said the clone.

"Anything else before I have a look for myself", asked Herbert.

"Yeah, the curse mark is of a design similar to Orochimaru, if not an outright copy. It allows there chakra to become more potent, they physical transformations are a result of the seal shaping there body as it grows along there skin. With this information, combined with what we know of Orochimaru's seals, we can safely say that the Mi-go are injecting an over abundance of natural chakra into there coils. It is similar to what we know of sage mode. However because of the matter they are made of, they can safely use this amount without turning into stone", said the clone.

Herbert nodded.

"Alright, I'll take it from here", said Herbert.

The clone nodded before leaving. Herbert smiled as he literally dug his hands into the corpse.

Tsunade was doing paperwork, practically against her will. As she worked the door opened. One of her ANBU walked through the door.

"Tenzo, what can I help you with", asked Tsunade.

"I have something important to show you", said Tenzo.

He revealed his palm to Tsunade, on it was the number four. Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"He used the foxes chakra", said Tsunade.

"Not anymore, it was short, but he used it. However before he used it, some of our agents on the field said they saw something at Wave, a massive column of light that slowly faded", said Tenzo.

"Do you think the light was Naruto", asked Tsunade.

"No whatever that light was, it came down from the sky. The agents said they never seen anything like it. Moments after the light the seal showed Naruto was using the foxes chakra", said Tenzo.

Tsunade thought, and as much as she thought it was not true, if it came from the sky. Then the only thing she could guess it was were the aliens Naruto spoke of. She did not want to believe that such a thing was possible, but then again in the ninja world no one could know for sure.

"Was wave destroyed", asked Tsunade.

"No, something stopped the beam, whatever it was must have been powerful to stop that thing", said Tenzo.

Tsunade nodded.

"You are dismissed Tenzo", said Tsunade.

Tenzo nodded before disappearing in a puff of smoke and leaves.

"I need a drink", said Tsunade as she massaged her head.

"Yes, I know that feeling well"

Tsunade turned to the window to see Hiruzen jump in.

"You to, does everyone have to use the window", said Tsunade.

"I admit I never liked it as well, but I have to admit it is enjoyable. I see why Jiraiya does it. I'm an old man, let e enjoy my remaining years", said Hiruzen.

He walked to a couch in the corner of the room.

"You heard all that I take it", asked Tsunade.

"Of course, I wasn't once Hokage for nothing", said Hiruzen.

Tsunade looked at his mechanical arm. Ever since he got it she wanted to take a look at it, but no one could figure out how to open the thing, and Sarutobi was not going to risk his newest limb.

"Any idea what they could have seen", asked Hiruzen.

"Believe it or not, it was probably aliens", said Tsunade.

Hiruzen nodded.

"The Mi-go you told me of, I thought you said they were not real", said Hiruzen.

"I said I didn't believe they were real, but I guess I was wrong, unless there is an S-rank ninja somewhere in orbit raining death on the world", said Tsunade.

Hiruzen chuckled.

"If that were true you probably put him there with a super powered uppercut", said Hiruzen.

"Laugh it up old man", said Tsunade.

"In all seriousness, since it seems they are real, don't you think we should help Naruto", said Hiruzen.

"You didn't see the stuff that kid came up with, it's incredible. And I just know he wasn't showing us everything. If he can't handle these things, then we don't stand a chance in hell", said Tsunade.

"Then let us hope he can handle them", said Hiruzen.

Naruto Had just finished talking to Kurama and just let the fox rest for the moment.

"Go to the door"

Naruto looked around to try and find out where that sound was coming from but ignored it. He decided to explore his mindscape for the time being, seeing as there was nothing left to do. He walked up the stairs into the library. As he explored he noticed something off to the side. It was a metal door that was a good ways away from the library. He walked up to the door and looked at it. It was rusted and windowless. Though also sturdy.

He reached for the handle and pushed the door opened. He stared into a very long hallway that was abandoned. The lights over the hallway flickered and grime covered the walls. At the end he could see a similar metal door though this one had a small window with bars on it. He began to walk down the long hallway until he reached the door. It looked like a door that would be seen in an insane asylum. There was only one identifying mark on the door. It was the number zero. Naruto looked into the bars into the room.

Naruto froze at what he saw. The inside of the room was a padded cell, and in the corner of the room was a Doppelganger of himself wearing a straight jacket and talking to himself. However the Doppelganger had black orbs for eyes that leaked a black fluid. There were no eyes of Azathoth, only a darkness surrounding a yellow iris. The Doppelganger turned to Naruto and smiled.

"Who are you", asked Naruto.

The Doppelgangers smile widened as he giggling to himself. He walked closer to the bars and looked Naruto in the face.

"I'm you, who else would I be", said the Doppelganger.

"What is this place", asked Naruto.

"This is how he keeps you sane, he told me you would visit one day", said the Doppelganger.

Naruto understood what the Doppelganger was saying. Nyarlathotep made Naruto immune to insanity, and now he knew how. Nyarlathotep kept him sane by funneling everything that should break his mind into this Dark Naruto. Naruto felt sympathy toward this dark aspect of himself, but did not show it.

"Do you want to know something", asked the Doppelganger.

Naruto stared at the clone and simply listened.

"I want to take a happy man, with a loving family, and I want to torture his family in front him but not kill them. I want to destroy the mans perfect life, and take away his preconceptions of what a man is. Take away everything from him, then stab him, and twist the knife ever so slow. But I don't want him to die, I want him beaten and broken like a dog, until whatever is left can't be called a man. Then I want to make him hurt so much that he comes to a point where he is willing to kill whatever is left of his family just to make me stop. Then I want to kill him fast, before he has a chance to become a man again. Then I want to do it to everyone, everywhere. Until nothing remains, and when I am the last one left, atop the blood and shit of the world I'll cut into myself, making sure I die slowly and painfully, I will stain the earth red and my death will be my signature on ridding the universe of this vermin", said the Doppelganger.

Naruto stared at the thing before him with a feeling of morbid fascination. This thing was hatred and self loathing personified.

"And why do you want to do that", asked Naruto.

"I don't want to, I have to. They have no reason to live, they will gladly ignore the pain of there neighbor so they can gain power. And power makes it easy to lie. Did you know on average people lie at least six times a day. In fact lying is seen as an important developmental milestone in our life. A child takes a cookie, mommy knows but asks the child anyway, the child lies and mommy finds it adorable. We learn to lie at a very early age, and are even rewarded for it, so we do it again and again, and the lies get bigger and much worse. It's hard to tell what is real and what is forced fed shit. When you have power you become self absorbed, with a high opinion of yourself you care even less for those below you because you are to busy thinking about yourself. Then you become a risk taker, it comes with the misguided confidence of being self absorbed, that feeling can make the world bend to your will, but it works the other way to and them taking a risk can leave those below you much worse if you fail. Put us in a position of power and our perception of our abilities leaves all logic and reason behind", said the Doppelganger.

He began to laugh uncontrollably before turning to Naruto.

"The best part is you don't even have to be powerful, you only have to feel powerful. One of the powerless gets a bit of money, even a moderate amount makes them feel powerful, just enough that it makes them think highly of themselves like those who are powerful. Everyone is shit on the bottom of there foot as far as they are concerned. Once anyone gets power then they show what humanity really is under the skin. We deserve to die, and I know I have to kill them whether I want to or not, but not until they suffer so I can take away there humanity, then kill them before they have a chance to regain it", said the Doppelganger.

He looked up to the ceiling for a moment before turning back to Naruto. His facial expression was one that someone would have if they were looking at a unique curiosity.

"Humanity is a strange species, some of us think we can die with dignity or honor, it's absurd. You can't die with something you never had in life, and their is no dignity in death. I think it is a coping mechanism for us, to lessen the blow of death, or rather our strange fear of death. I want to show them the truth of how pitiful there fear of death is, If you break a man then they understand the truth, usually after that they kill themselves because they finally understand. If not then they just go right back to the way they used to be, the only way to prevent it is to kill them before they have the chance to go back to how they once were", said the clone.

"What are you exactally", asked Naruto.

"Some would call me a dark aspect of you, I say I am the real you. Lurking beneath the skin, waiting to burst out and do what must be done, whether you or I like it or not", said the clone before it stood up.

It didn't struggle against it's straight jacket, it simply walked to the door looking Naruto in the eye. Then without warning it reeled it's head back and slammed it into the bars, sending squirts of blood forward. Then it did it again and again. Not stopping even as the gash from the blunt force cracked his skull, only to heal before Naruto's eyes.

"Let me out", said the Doppelganger before hitting its head on the bars.

Naruto took a step back as the Doppelganger fell to the floor and began to sob to itself.

"Please let me out, I have to kill them. I have to kill them all. They need to die. I have to make sure they die, let me out. Please", said the Doppelganger.

Naruto began to walk away. The sobbing stopped and was replaced with laughing. Naruto turned around and listened to the thing speak.

"You want to know something funny, if old Nyarly didn't make you immune to insanity, It would be you behind these bars and me out there", said the Doppelganger before it laughed hysterically.

Naruto turned to face his Doppelganger.

"Maybe, but it is irrelevant considering the truth of the matter. Your mind is warped and twisted, you are a sociopath, and a psychopath with a vile philosophy. For some reason you believe that you have no choice but to kill others. I pity you, and even if I knew how to open the door, I would not do so for any reason", said Naruto.

Naruto turned away from the Doppelganger and walked away. The Doppelganger began to scream.

"DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME NARUTO, YOU NEED TO LET ME OUT.I HAVE TO KILL THEM NARUTO. THEY NEED TO SUFFER. THEY DESERVE IT, THEY ALL DESERVE IT, ITS THE ONLY WAY. LET ME OUT NOW", screamed the Doppelganger.

Naruto ignored the screams as he walked back into the library and slammed the door before taking a deep breath. He walked away not looking back.