The Blur

The shock of freezing water hit him like a thousand needles, sharp and unrelenting. He flailed, gasping for breath, every muscle burning as the waves crashed against him. 

The moon's rays reflected against the dark, moving water.

His hands shot out, fingers clawing at the water, searching for something, anything. 

Salt water filled his mouth and filled his lungs, the taste of salt and grime choked him, he thrashed harder, his hands finally reaching, something. 

Wood, old splinted wood, with strength his mind didn't know he had he effortlessly pulled himself from the water and onto solid ground. 

He bent over, coughing and spitting onto the small wooden pier below. He furiously wiped his eyes, ran his hand back through his hair and looked up.

He first noticed, the pier was absolutely tiny, the beach it was attached to wasn't very big either, it however was completely empty.

The second thing he noticed was the city, something on the scale he'd never seen before.

A gigantic city on a titanic scale stabbed through the skyline above. Its bright windows looked like stars as the city emitted sound, the hum of life.

Giant flashing lights were blinding, the beeps of odd machinery could be heard from here as even in the deep of night.

The city was alive.

He wiped his eyes again as he surveyed his surroundings, where the hell was he?

He walked along the pier, his sandals keeping him afloat atop the sand as he looked closer at the odd city.

He noticed he was wearing a heavy coat or something that he dragged off and dropped onto the wood below with a wet slap.

His eyes focused onto the cloak below, an oddly familiar cloak the fire racing up the end of it and the familiar Kanji placed down its back.

He wiped his eyes once more as he looked down at himself. He was wearing a dark green sleeveless jacket with multiple pockets running down the front of it. 

He had a bag tied to his thigh that jingled when he moved, coins?

He grabbed the bag and opened it only to find multiple three pronged kunai that seemed to be emitting some sort of energy in the air.

He blinked and closed the small bag and reattached it to his thigh, his fingers didn't fumble as he expertly tied the bag to his leg in under 2 seconds. 

He eyed the tight unfamiliar knot that held the kunai bag to his leg in confusion. 

He shook his head, his golden hair briefly passing by his sapphire blue eyes. 

He eyed the dark sky, the moon reflecting pale light onto his lithe form. 

Where the hell was he?

He eyed his tanned hands as he clenched his fist.

Who was he?

His mind flashed back trying to find memories only to find nothing, he blinked as his hands gently massaged his forehead.

He had memories, of course he had memories.

He…he…what was happening.

He was Minato Namikaze, no he wasn't.

He was…

Gods.

His heart furiously beat against his chest as his mind raced. The sand seemed to swallow him up as his wet form froze, he narrowed his eyes. 

His blue eyes shot across the small expanse of sand and froze on a pair of teenagers, both staring at him in confusion and slight fear.

The fresh sprinkling of sand on the bottom of both of their shoes and the fresh footprints behind them led him to believe they just got here.

He noticed the sweat on both of their brows, their clenched fists and furrowed brows. Their eyes were wide. One of the teenagers seemed to be reaching for something in his pocket.

Minato's eyes focused onto that hand with unerring focus as he confidently approached the two teenagers. 

"Where exactly am I?" He asked quickly, lacking his usual subtlety and tact. His voice was strained as water still felt like it was clogging up his throat.

The two teenagers blinked and looked over at each other in confusion before one cautiously spoke "Orchard Beach"

"A bit less specific, if you will?" He asked seriously, the teenagers were clearly freaked out but he needed to know where he was.

"Uhh, New York?" The teenager almost questioned as his eyes ran over the soaked form of the freaky guy.

"New York?" He asked with confusion lacing his tone.

Minato grimaced as a seeming rush of unintelligible memories assaulted his mind, he took a step back brushed his hand over his eyes.

The two teenagers took that as a sign to leave. 

The golden haired man's mind was racing, he didn't know what the hell was going on.

His eyes were drawn to the frantic city, it seemed alive as it radiated energy and life.

The glittering buildings were unnatural, the sheer vast size of them could house every member of the leaf…the leaf?

His hands gnawed at his head as he thought furiously, what the hell is the leaf?

A sudden explosion interrupted Minato's inner questioning. He straightened instinctively and eyed a large plume rising in the far distance inside the city.

His suddenly clenched fist held a three pronged kunai at the ready for…well anything. 

He quickly, carelessly threw the weapon back into the pouch and eyed the explosion curiously.

He shook his head and walked over to his cloak, he eyed the explosion in the distance. Fire rose quickly as the orange flames reflected in his bright blue eyes.

He threw the soaking wet cloak over his shoulder like a towel as he started to make his way towards the fire.

He needed more information, this could help. 

Well that was the excuse he was telling himself, really he was just curious to what was happening in such a big city. 

His fist clenched around the soaking cloak on his shoulder as he cautiously made his way through the city. 

He blinked in shock at some large metal carriages without a horse or something pulling it rushing past him, they looked dangerous. 

Though definitely interesting, his attention was pulled back to the smoke he was getting closer by the second. 

A large pink flashing billboard startled him causing his whole body to tense and then towards the bright flashing thing, it was showing off some drink?

Why?

The loud of metal screeching ran throughout the city as a beastly roar echoed through Minato's body. 

He sped up his pace as his curiosity took hold, he noticed dozens if not hundreds of people rushing past him.

He didn't, wouldn't do the same.

He was…Gods.

He was getting frustrated with these memories, always seeming to be just at the edge of his mind.

He split the crowd of people running towards him like the sea as he walked forward without pause, they simply avoided him best they could. 

He eventually got to the massive devastation. 

Dozens of buildings had been crushed and flattened, fire was rising from multiple different points, metal was flying through the air like rampant kunai. 

Burning familiar but potent energy ran through his body and clothes, evaporating all the water in them as his eyes narrowed on a hovering figure above the carnage.

A man wearing dark red, a cape flapping behind him as he spoke down at a calm looking bald man.

They were the eye of the storm, dozens of people fought between themselves as the two spoke.

A man with glinting metallic large claws clashed with a beast of a man wearing furs and snarling as they both healed from any wounds inflicted.

Fascinated he watched them heal, an incredible bloodline.

His eyes followed the carnage seeing a woman floating, lightning covering her floating form as she fought off three or four attackers with seeming ease.

Was she from Kumo-

He frowned, this was truly getting to him. 

What was Kumo?

He shook his head, he was on the edge of a battle, he needed to be focused. 

His eyes came across the form of a gigantic man with an awful looking metal helmet standing at about 12 feet tall running towards a man made of metal that seemed to be trying to avoid the charging man. 

A full blown battle was happening in the middle of this city, dozens of competent unique fighters that had amazing bloodlines. 

Where had he ended up? 

A burst of fire suddenly flew towards the golden haired man, said young man instinctively side stepping the blazing burst before he could think.

He turned his head, meeting the burning orange eyes of a teenager. The boy had a ridiculously bright red and yellow costume, a blood thirsty grin tore into the boy's face as he eyed his next target. 

The teenage mutant threw his body towards the golden haired man with fire trailing his wake, the man frantically dodged back out of a swipe of scorching fire that cracked and tore at the air. 

Minato's body acted on instinct, correcting itself just before he fell to the ground, but his mind lagged behind only increasing the confusion and panic filling Minato.

His jaw clenched as he threw himself backwards out of the way of the scorching flames.

So Minato continued dodging the attacks with choppy and stumbling moves, his body seemed to know what to do but his mind was left behind. 

He felt like a puppet that had two masters, his body wanted him to do one thing, his mind wanting a different thing.

Minato's breath quickened with each dodge, his muscles responding perfectly to every burst of fire. Yet inside a cold dread grew in him, he had no idea what his next move would be, his body was moving on its own.

What if it failed him, what if he couldn't react in time?

Pyros burning eyes locked onto the human form in confusion, the hell was wrong with this guy. Sure he looked awkward but he was dodging every damn blast.

Was he a mutant or just freakishly lucky?

He only grew more frustrated as his fire was useless against the damned blonde.

Pyro had an idea, something that would leave him vulnerable for a moment. But the guy wasn't exactly attacking.

But it was almost a guaranteed hit, he pulled his arms back. His flames died and started to build and roil at his fingertips, the air cracked and shimmered with the sudden heat building at the tips of the mutants fingers.

Minato's eyes widened, not in fear, dread or anything that Pyro would expect but with opportunity.

For the first time since he had woken Minato felt blood rush through his body, adrenaline rose to his head as he pushed his feet against the ground. 

This was it, the end of the fight.

That thought ran through Minato and Pyro's head, both confident. 

Minato felt something shift within him, his thoughts suddenly fell silent, replaced by a sharp electric focus. His body moved faster than his mind could process, a blur of speed and precision.

He didn't hesitate, his fist released and connected with Pyros' jaw sending the boy crashing into the floor with unnatural strength.

Minato backed away from the crumpled form of the teenager, his breath uneven and his heart pounding in his chest.

He didn't even remember landing the punch, his body had moved on its own again, fast…too fast. His pulse drummed in his ears, his senses buzzing like a live wire. 

He forced himself to calm down, his body quickly doing so without hesitation. Chaos swirled around him, fire, lightning and ice tearing through the air. Bodies colliding in bursts of fury. 

Yet something pulled at him, a feeling, a whisper at the edge of senses. 

Something was wrong, the air shifted a disturbance cutting through the cacophony of battle. A blur, just at the edge of his vision.

Too fast. 

Minato's eyes snapped to the side, instincts screaming. For a second he saw it, a streak of silver, a rush of wind tearing through the city, warping the very air around it.

No one moved that fast.

His mind froze, his body didn't.

He barely had time to react. One second the blue was far away, untouchable. The next it was in front of him, blue eyes seeing silver out of the corner of his vision, in a fraction of a breath.

Time slowed to a crawl, the rain in the air seemed to stop and vibrate madly at the power in the air as Minato's mind raced. 

The sound of the battle and city fell away, sound not even able to find Minato as his mind raced and eyes tried to focus on the teenager. 

How had this boy, this steak of light, closed the distance so quickly?

Pietros cocky smirk widened, his form shimmering as if he had all the time in the world. He felt invincible, a whisper, a blur among the chaos. But then-

Minatos blue eyes snapped to the right, meeting his silver ones with steely focus. 

Pietros world shattered 

In the blink of an eye his cocky expression faltered. Minato's piercing blue eyes locked onto him with unerring focus. Pietros heart skipped a beat.

The golden haired man had seen him.

He faltered mid-motion, a crack in his veneer of invincibility. For the first time, Pietro's eyes widened in shock, his mind racing. 

The realisation hit Pietro like a freight train. His breath caught in his throat, he felt like he had tripped as his world tipped upside down. 

This man was fast.