AN: Yes I'm alive and no I still haven't worked on any of my other fics. With the way my life's been going lately I didn't have the time nor the desire to actually write. But now im back and I'd like to apologize to any fans I may have dissappointed while I was away. Updates should be coming faster now that my laptop works so smile people!
Chapter 1: Prologue: Birth in Darkness
Long ago demons roamed the land and laid waste to everything in sight. They slaughtered millions, annihilated civilizations, and were a plague on humanity. Eventually one man stood up and fought back against the monsters from hell. He harnessed a power no other human had ever seen before. With it he could control the elements, perform feats that were considered humanly impossible, and with strange symbols he called seals he could do just about anything. Using this power he banished demon after demon back to the pits of hell. He was a mighty warrior and eventually was praised as a god. He traveled the world teaching his followers how to harness the source of this power, which he called chakra, so they too could defend themselves against hell's abominations. Many warriors used their new strength to rid the world of the evil beasts alongside the Sage, but were no match against the Demon Lord, The Ten Tailed Dragon. A behemoth causing death and destruction wherever it would go. The dragon was so powerful you could feel its demonic aura from halfway around the world. Seeing his people dying around him the Sage fought with the Demon Lord. The battle was intense and would decide the fate of world depending on its victor. For days the two battled, neither side gaining an advantage long enough to land a finishing blow. On the final day of the battle the Sage used his mastery of the sealing arts to seal the soul and power of the Demon Lord into himself, while using his control over gravity to encase the body of the beast in a sphere of earth and launching it into space creating the moon. With their lord gone the lesser demons were slowly driven to extinction, ushering in the Shinobi Era.
But all was not well in this new world. Pride, envy, and greed began to corrupt the Sage's followers. The demonic aura left behind by the demons changed the landscapes, animals, and even some people on the molecular level. They soon discovered they had strange new abilities that no other had, called kekkei genkai or bloodlines. They banded together forming the very first clans and soon waged war with each other over land, money, and power. The Sage seeing this went into self exile along with his wife and three children. As the years went by the Sage began to notice his body failing due to all of the demonic energy coursing through him. No mortal, no matter how strong, was ever meant to hold so much power. So on his death bed he asked each of his children what they would do with the power. The Eldest son said he would use his power to bring all people together to live in peace and harmony. The Sage nodded and passed on to him the power to control nature itself. This son would later on lead a powerful clan and take the surname Senju. Next came the Sage's second eldest son. When asked the same question he answered by saying that he would use his power to crush any foe that dared oppose him. The Sage nodded and granted him the ability to predict and copy his enemies movements with a mere glance. This son would later on lead a clan rivaling his brother's and taking the surname Uchiha. When it was the youngest and final sons turn to answer he simply said that he would use his power to do what needs to be done, whether it meant protecting the world and his loved ones or becoming the harbringer of death and destruction. At this the Sage smiled and blessed his son with his knowledge of seals and a small fraction of the Juubi's chakra. This allowed the son to manipulate shadows and even the darkness from the Abyss, the supposed birth place of the Juubi. This son would later lead a small clan called the Kurayami. While it was not as large as his two elder brothers' clans it was not to be underestimated. To many they were considered angels of the dark, while to others they were the bane of humanity. With the death of the Sage the power of the Juubi was split into nine different parts, each one stronger then the last.
Soon the clans of the two eldest brothers, the Senju and the Uchiha, grew to resent each other over their different beliefs and began a blood feud. The youngest brother and his clan kept to themselves mostly helping those they deemed worthy or slaying those that wronged them. As time passed the Kurayami clan seemed to all but vanish, while the Senju and Uchiha grew in infamy. But that is all in the past and history became legend, legend became myth, and for centuries the knowledge of the past faded from the history books. Until one day an event started a chainreaction that would decide that fate of the world and all who reside in it.
-Konoha October 10th-
The people of Konoha are a proud people, but even they knew when a situation was too much for them to handle, and this was one of them. The Village of Konoha was under the assault of a shard from the fabled Juubi. These shards were known as the Biju, or Tailed Beast. Unfortunetly for Konoha the shard attacking them was the strongest known as the Kyūbi noYōko, or the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Why the Kyūbi was attacking Konoha was a mystery to shinobi and civilian alike. They had never angered the beast so why was it attacking them. All those thoughts however, were pushed aside, as they were trying their best to keep the beast at bay. Though Konoha's ninja were putting up a great fight, they were no match for the power of the Kyubi. They were nothing more than bothersome flies to the great beast. Bodies of men and women, ninja and civilian, were scattered everywhere in its wake. Some were dead by being crushed by the beast mighty paws or tails, while others were ripped apart, eaten, or burned beyond recognition. Others were slowly dying while the lucky ones were rendered unconscious. Though many knew that their chances of defeating the great fox was dangerously low, they were only stalling for time so that their beloved Yondaime could arrive.
-Hokage Tower-
In the Hokage's office there was a panicking Minato along with his sensei, Jiraiya and his predecessor, Sarutobi Hiruzen the Sandaime, both looking the same as the young man. "Fuck, everything we throw at that damn thing and it just keeps coming. It's probably not even using all of its power. The damn things just toying with us!" said an angry Jiraiya, who along with his sensei and student used every powerful technique they could on the beast. "I know, Jiraiya-sensei. It was a good try but like I said, the only way to defeat it is to seal the damn creature!" spoke Minato gaining his breath and the attention of the two older men.
"Minato, are you crazy! Even if you were somehow able to perform the sealing ritual, there's nothing that could handle that kind of power. This isn't the damn One Tail we're talking about. No object could hold the Kyubi and sealing it in a human would only cause their chakra network to overload releasing it, starting the whole damn thing over again!" yelled an infuriated Sarutobi.
"Actually there is a way of sealing the beast." said an unknown voice from the corner of the room. All three man tensed when they heard the voice, none of them sensing the figure even now. Stepping out of a shadow from the corner of the room was a black robed man. His hair was midnight black and flowed down to the middle of his back. His eyes were so dark that besides the whites of his eyes all you saw was a pitch black void, a deep contrast to his pale white skin. He had no fat on his face giving him a very noble and elegant look. What surprised the three most powerful shinobi Konoha had ever seen the most was that the man had a bundle in his hands. In the bundle was a baby boy with matching hair and eyes as the man holding him. The only difference between the two was that the boy had a much healthier shade of skin. "I am Hikage Kurayami and if you wish to live through the night along with this village than you will need to us my son to seal the beast away."
"How did you get in here and why should we believe you?" said Minato with a kunai in each hand. "It does not matter how I arrived here and it seems you have no other way stopping that Shard from destroying your village. So either you do as I say or cause the death of the villagers you are trying so desperately to protect." Hikage saide glaring at the current Hokage. Jiraiya stepped forward and narrowed his eyes at robed man. "So you're telling me that you're willing to sacrifice your own son for the sake of a village that doesn't even know who you are? What do you get out this hmm?"
Hikage sighed before pulling out a scroll and handing it to Jiraiya. "Give this to the head of the Nara clan and all will be explained. As for why I am so 'willing to sacrifice my own son' as you put it, it is because I will not live to see the end of this night and I want him to grow up with the oppurtunities that he rightly deserves." Sarutobi finally done studying the man and his words nodded to the man. "Trust him Jiraiya. Even if he were up to something we don't really have the time to stand around questioning things."
Jiraiya looked shocked at what his sensei said but realized he was right. Hikage walked over to Minato, who had been eyeing him carefully the whole time, and handed the bundle over to him. "Please take care of my son, my dear Naruto." And with that Hikage's body faded out of existence. The whole time he was staring down at his son, his legacy.
All three men were shocked by Hikage's dissappearance but that quickly wore off when they heard the mighty roar of the Kyubi. Sharing a look all three men jumped out the window each with a different task in mind. Jiraiya summoned the boss toad, Gamabunta, who needed no instructions upon seeing the Kyubi. Minato was running through dozens of different hand signs preparing for the sealing, while Sarutobi did everything he could to keep Naruto safe.
Upon seeing their Yondaime, Sandaime, and Jiraiya enter the battle, it gave the fighting shinobi a sign of hope. "It's the Yondaime we're saved," shouted a random Jōnin who like many had a look of hope on his face and couldn't help but stare in awe as the strongest and youngest Hokage Konoha had ever produced, was facing such a terrible creature.
"SHINOBI OF KONOHA! KNOWTHAT YOU HAVE DONE WELL BUT NOW I ASK YOU TO FALL BACK AND LET US HANDLE THIS!" Minato shouted as hard as he could and was heard by every shinobi who slowly but surely left the battle leaving only two gigantic beasts and three of their most powerful shinobi.
Minato could only stare at the Kyūbi with a mixture of awe and fear. Awe due to the fact that it's not every day one sees a Tailed Beast much less the strongest one of them all. And fear due to the killing intent that was rolling off the beast, which made it a little hard for Jiraiya, Sarutobi, Minato, and Gamabunta to breath but duty and the task at hand helped them forget about being scared. Surprisingly Naruto had remained silent this whole time.
"Well, this is it Gamabunta you ready?" asked Minato. "Not really tadpole, but I wouldn't be much of a boss if I didn't help out two of my subordinates. So I'll do my best to hold it off so you can finish your technique… and Minato it's been nice knowing you," replied Gamabunta, who when he saw the Kyūbi lunge at him drew his sword and jumped side ways and slashed at the fox. Seeing the Kyūbi attack Gamabunta, Minato finished doing the necessary hand seals to use the sealing justu technique and just hoped that the giant toad would last long enough for him to finish the sealing.
As Gamabunta was distracting the Kyūbi, Minato slammed his hands together and shouted out his technique, "SHIKI FUIIN!" Mere moments after he performed the technique the very air seemed to freeze, making everyone including the battling beasts have stop what they were doing. Suddenly an explosion of earth and dust appeared behind the Minato, and rising from it was a massive demonic looking gate. On top of it was the head of a massive demon statue with four horns, and its arms were crossed on the massive door. From the gate's sides were walls that screamed terror and despair. The three shinobi were both awed and fearful of the justu they were witnessing. Suddenly the demonic statue on the massive gate opened its eyes, showing unholy black flaming pupils. It moved its arms and grabbed the massive handles of the gate, opening it and showing a hellish nightmare to frightening to describe. As soon as it did, many massive chains that had dark purplish and green runic symbols etched into them came out of the gate and wrapped themselves around the Kyūbi. Next the ghostly and terrifying image of the Shinigami, Lord of Death, appeared holding the chains in his right hand and a demonic dagger in his left.
The Kyūbi struggled against the chains of hell, as it was slowly being dragged towards the one being it truly feared. Many of the shinobi watching from a distance cheered as they were moments from ridding themselves of the fox, and their victory over the beast was assured. Unfortunately, the Kyūbi wasn't going to be defeated so easily and their celebration became short lived. Lifting its front legs, the onlookers saw the Kyūbi's paws turning into demonic furred claws and the shinobi soon had to shield themselves and dodge from the flying bits of nature as the beast dug its massive claws into the earth, creating a thunderous boom and a giant dust cloud in the process. As the cloud of earth and dust cleared up, the onlookers saw that half of the Kyūbi's body was in the dimensional gate, before the spectral blade of the Shinigami swiped at its neck, severing its soul from its body. The body of the giant fox was sucked into the gate, while the Shinigami placed its soul and demonic chakra into the body of the newborn infant.
In a matter of moments the red chakra was completely sealed into the baby boy, thus completing the sealing technique. Surprisingly, the baby made no sound of discomfort. As Hiruzen looked over the baby, the man saw the seal on the boy's stomach glow a bloody crimson red and saw the infant's black hair gain red streaks and his eyes turn slightly red making them a horrorific crimson.
With the justu finished the Shinigami retreated back into the gates of hell, but not before plunging its dagger into Minato and snatching away his soul. Jiraiya could only weep over the body of his prized student and Hiruzen bowed his head at the loss of Konoha's greatest Hokage.
-Two Days Later, Council Room-
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the now reinstated Hokage was staring at the council. Beside him stood a solemn Jiraiya. Many of the council members were anxiously waiting to hear what news the Sandaime had for them, while some of the more observent ones were curious about the bundle in his arms. Hiruzen looked around the council wondering what their reaction would be when he told them what was sealed inside the newborn infant.
"Esteemed council of Konoha. I thank you for coming here at this time even when our village is not in its greatest of moments. Regardless I have summoned you all to inform you the fate of the Kyūbi and the Yondaime Hokage," spoke the elderly man who immediately gained the attention of everyone in the room.
"It is with great sadness, that I must inform you that the head of the Yondaime died in sealing the Kyūbi," continued Hiruzen, who looked at the council seeing different reactions as he picked up Naruto.
"Hokage-sama, where is the Kyūbi sealed?" spoke Fugaku. "Originally, Minato intended to seal the Kyūbi inside hisself so that before the beast could escape we would have enough time to evacuate the village," announced Hiruzen, much to the council's shock and respect to the man's willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of the village, "However, before that could happen we were visited by a man who called himself Hikage Kurayami." he finished. Shikaku, head of the Nara clan, perked up when he heard the name Kurayami. All traces of fatigue leaving his body as, for the first time, he sat up straight and paid full attention to the Hokage.
Ignoring the questioning looks from the council members Sarutobi continued, "Said man offered us a way to seal the beast away permenantly by giving us his son to use. The only stipulation that he requested was for this scroll to be delivered to the head of the Nara clan. Jiraiya if you will." said Sarutobi glancing at Jiraiya. Jiraiya handed the scroll over to Shikaku who snatched it out of his hands and began to read it with an unusual urgency. While this was going on the council members were whispering amongst themselves.
After a moment Hiruzen continued where he left off. "Shortly after handing the boy, Naruto, over to the Yondaime the man vanished stating that he would not live through the night. As many of you saw the Yondaime was able to seal the beast away into the baby boy you see here before you." said the Sandaime showing Naruto to the rest of the council. "Now I would like to discuss what should be done from here on."
Before anyone could say a thing Shikaku stood and gained everyones attention. Many were surprised the man wasn't sleeping away like he always did at council meetings, finding them to be to "troublesome". "Hokage-sama I demand to be the one to care the child!" Holding up the scroll he continued, "Not only is it one of the demands written within the scroll but that boy his the last surviving member and heir to the Kurayami clan. Very few know this but the Nara clan is actually a branch of the Kurayami clan. While we are only able to use our own shadows as the basis for our clan justu, the Kurayami clan were able to manipulate all shadows for their techniques. It was rumored that the strongest of the clan were able to wield the darkness from the fabled Abyss."
Once again the council chambers were filled with the whispers of those wanting to use the boy for the power that he would eventually wield. Thinking it over the Sandaime finally came to a decision. Clearing his throat to gather the attention of the Council once more the Sandaime spoke. "By order of the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, I hereby grant Shikaku Nara parental rights over the child known as Naruto Kurayami. Furthermore I decree everything spoken here today to be considered a SS class village secret, punishable by an immediate execution." Looking down at the bundle in his hands he couldn't help but wonder what this boy would mean for the future of not only Konoha but the world as a whole. Shikaku carefully took Naruto from Sarutobi and rushed home to his wife and newborn son, not knowing that the coming years would either give birth to the shining savior of all humanity or the birth of a being that would make even the gods bow before him and bring death to all of existence.
AN: As I stated in my other fics press the button and review. Love it, hate it, I don't care. Just give me some feed back!