Embracing Darkness

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any form or fashion.

Prologue

Tsunade was standing above the gates of Konoha looking down the main path waiting and hoping. Ever since the team had left to retrieve Sasuke she had been watching that gate and now was the time they had planned to return if they were successful. Tsunade watched as a small spot on the horizon grew steadily larger till the team was visible. She yelled for the medics to move out and assist them inside as she herself moved passed the gates and welcomed them back. She was surprised to see a grim looking Kakashi and Sasuke. Tsunade began to glance about expecting to have an energetic loud mouth blonde Shinobi bragging about his work.

"Where's Naruto?"

Kakashi was about to answer when a high pitched scream was heard. Looking back behind Tsunade everybody saw Sakura and Ino along with the rest of the Sasuke fan club starring at the injured gennin. Sakura and Ino moved past everybody else and stood next to the Uchia.

"What happened Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked while Ino only nodded also wanting to know.

"I got in a fight with Naruto and lost." Sasuke admitted softly.

Sakura and Ino hesitated for just a second before the started yelling and screaming about the many ways they were going to kill Naruto for hurting their precious Sasuke-kun. When they started to look around they noticed that he wasn't there. They looked at Tsunade who in turn nodded to Kakashi. Kakashi raised his right arm as did Sasuke.

Their arms were coated in crimson like substance.

Tsunade felt all her fears return to her as she recognized the fluid.

Blood.

Naruto's Blood if she was understanding what it was they were trying to tell her. Sakura and Ino just stared at them until Sasuke realized they weren't getting it. "We killed him."

Sakura and Ino just stared at them then Sakura looked surprised. Ino turned to Sakura and spoke. "Why would Naruto try and take on Sasuke-kun he was no match for him." Kakashi and Sasuke just stared at the pink haired girl. There jaws hit the floor when the rest of the Sasuke fan club nodded their heads in agreement.

While this was happening an ANBU was maintaining a watch just in case the sound village tried once more to capture Sasuke when he saw something approaching. He felt fear well up in him when the figure came into view. Quickly forming the hand signs he vanished in a swirl of leaves. He reappeared behind Tsunade. "Hokage-sama there is something approaching from the same direction the Uchia and his rescuers came."

Tsunade turned to the still open gate and gestured for the ANBU members to prepare in case of an attack. However when the figure came into view Tsunade felt her heart seize. Stumbling towards them was a hunched figure wearing an orange and red suit.

She paused and tears began to course down her cheeks. Naruto was slowly walking towards them the ANBU who were guarding the gate stepped aside as Tsunade ran past them and grabbed a hold of the injured gennin careful to avoid the two holes that were placed clean through him. The rest of the village gathered at the gate but not walking any further out Sasuke and Kakshi stared at the young boy who was being held by the Hokage.

Tsunade couldn't do anything but hold him close as she cried over him. She couldn't understand how he was able to move let alone walk with the two massive holes in his body. The smaller of the two holes had been run through were his heart would have been and the largest of the two was she paused and began to get worried the second one had destroyed the seal that contained Kyuubi. A soft voice interrupted her thoughts. "kaa-san is that you?'

Tsunade felt her heart break. "Yes my little Naruto, I'm here."

Naruto smiled and she could tell that the last of his life was leaving him his body shook one lat time before becoming still once more. She reached up and placed a hand over his eyes and with a sob closed his now lifeless eyes before placing him gently back down. As she stood one of the villagers cried out. "is the demon dead?"

However before she could reprimand him someone else did and it was the one person no one expected. Everyone stepped back as the villager gave a soft gurgle as the sword was removed from his chest. Iruka stepped forward. "Anyone else want to call Naruto a demon?"

Tsunade smiled until she felt a large amount of chakra being emitted from behind her leaping towards the gates she spun in midair and landed in a battle stance prepared for an assault. However the sight that greeted her was not what she was expecting. Naruto's body was glowing as two figures made entirely of chakra emerged. The smaller of the two was made entirely out of a light blue chakra while the other was made out of a crimson chakra. As she watched the blue chakra began to solidify into the form of Naruto Tsunade began to worry if the blue was Naruto that meant that the red was. The red began to solidify as well but not in the form of a fox but that of a young woman. Her blood red Kimono fit her like a glove and the nine red tails like that of a fox could be seen along with her fox like ears. She turned and looked down at the form of Naruto before smiling at him.

Tsunade could only watch as the two embraced and began to laugh. Their laughter was cut off by a strong bone chilling wind blowing through the clearing. Tsunade had never felt this cold before in her life and a quick glance back told her that she wasn't the only one affected by this wind. When she looked back towards the two chakra personas before her she saw a figure appearing behind them. When the figure came into sight Tsunade felt her heart seize.

The Shingami was here.

The Shingami held out its hands to the two figures however when Kyuubi took it Naruto did not. The Shingami looked directly at Naruto who beckoned him to lean down. The Shingami may be the god of death but he was here to collect a pure soul so of course he could listen to a last request as long as it was reasonable.

Leaning down the Shingami listened to Naruto's request before pulling back a little shocked by the request. This was something that had never been requested of him before but it was a reasonable request. Looking once more at Naruto as if to ask if he was sure Naruto nodded and smiled to wards Kyuubi who was looking really nervous. Before she could react the Shingami ran its hand into her and began to pull. Kyuubi convulsed and collapsed as the hand was withdrawn holding what looked like a ball of red chakra. Kyuubi looked up and began to shack her head as the Shingami ran the ball of red chakra into Naruto.

The blue chakra form of Naruto reappeared and began to waver as the red energy began to infuse with the blue chakra. The blue chakra turned into a pitch black color that seemed to absorb the light around him before the black chakra seeped back into the body of Naruto which was then grabbed by the Shingami who vanished in a swirl of darkness.

Tsunade turned to the only figure left in the clearing. Standing up she walked over to the young woman and heard her crying. She gentle placed a hand on the young womans back and felt the jolt of surprise race through the figure at her feet. The crying stopped and the woman stumbled slightly to her feet. Tsunade stared at the person in front of her. She looked just like the Kyuubi figure made of red chakra did except her hair, ears, and tails were white and she was wearing a pure white Kimono. "What just happened?" Tsunade asked.

The person choked a bit the blurted it out. "Naruto made a deal with Shingami if I was given a new life free of my sins he would take my place in hell as the bearer of my sins." With that Kyuubi began to cry again. Tsunade could not do anything but try and comfort the distraught woman.