In the underworld, screams echoed through the eternal hell. In a dark room the Shinigami was watching a man with blond hair and a woman with red hair. Both were standing over a baby with blond hair who was sleeping not knowing the two figures above him were being impaled by a giant claw. It was then that the Shinigami felt a presence enter the room.
"It sure didn't take you long to notice me." A voice said behind the Shinigami. The Shinigami snapped his fingers, pausing the screen, essentially the world itself, and turned around. In front of him stood a man a little under 6 feet tall and had tanned skin, his mint green eyes were hidden behind black framed glasses and he wore a black shirt and dark jeans; His hands were in his pockets.
"What do you want?" The Shinigami asked
"What, I can't come have a conversation with a God of death?" The figures question was answered it the form of him dodging ten spikes of black energy.
"No you can't."
"Now that's not nice do you even know who I am?"
"Yes, Kurai, but you are not from this world and should not be meddling around in it." The Shinigami said looking at the figure closely looking for an opening to strike the unknown man.
"It won't work looking for an opening I won't give you any-" Before Kurai could say more, 50 spikes of black energy lunged at him, at least half of the spikes hit Kurai. Only thing that freaked the Shinigami out a little was Kurai sliding through all the spikes like they were liquid.
"Like I was saying I'm not giving you any openings." Kurai smirked "Now will you stop trying to kill me and listen?" The Shinigami growled and turned back to the screen.
"No I will not now leave my presence I have two souls to reap." The screen started playing again, only to have it stopped again without the Shinigami doing anything. He turned around to see Kurai with his right hand pointed palm flat at the screen, his hand was glowing a faint white.
"Oh but you see those two souls are the reason I'm here."
"What do you mean?" Kurai smirked again.
"I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse." For a split second it looked like Kurai's eyes changed from a mint green to a blood red.
XXXX
A white room stretched for miles, nothing to see or hear.
On the floor two figures laid, one was a male with blond spiky hair and wore a robe that had flames rippling the edge. The kanji for Yondaime Hokage was written it red on the back. The man's eyes shut tighter before they slowly opened revealing his cerulean blue eyes. He slowly sat up and looked around to see nothing, nothing except the red headed person a few feet from him.
"Kushina!" The blond hair man exclaimed and crawled over to the red head.
"Minato?" Kushina said as she came out of her unconscious state. She slowly sat up and opened her eyes.
"Minato, I thought I would never see you again." Kushina said hugging the man.
"As did I Kushina, but now we're together in this place." Minato said holding the women close.
"Where are we exactly?" Kushina asked when they finally released each other.
"I don't really know." Minato said looking around.
"I think I might be able to answer that." A voice rang out from nowhere and a few seconds later a figure materialized in front of the two.
The figure was a little less than 6 feet tall, wore a black shirt and dark blue jeans. He had tanned skin that contrasted with his mint green eyes that were hidden behind his black framed glasses.
"Who are you?" Minato asked reaching for his kunai pocket only to feel it's not there.
"That won't work just be glad I managed to get you here. As for my name you can just call me Kurai."
"Where are we?" Kushina asked looking around.
"This is the plane between life and death." Kushina and Minato looked at Kurai with a scared expression.
"So that means we really are dead." Minato said holding Kushina tighter. Kushina put her head against his chest.
"Not necessarily." Kurai said his eye avoided their embrace. The two lovers looked at him.
"What do you mean?" Kushina asked.
"You two aren't dead just yet, thanks to me you have another chance at life."
"But how did you manage that with the Reapers death seal, the Shinigami should have our souls." Minato said in disbelieve.
"And that's where I stepped in; you see I made a deal with the Shinigami that in exchange for another head he wouldn't take your souls." Kurai explained and pulled out a notebook, opened up to a page and began writing. "Mental note, kill Hidan at some point soon." He wrote down in the book while saying it out loud.
"Is that the person you traded to take our places?" Minato asked as Kurai put the notebook in his pocket.
"That is not of your concern at this point. Right now you've been given your life back. Isn't that great?" Kurai said with a smile on his face.
"Wait we've been given life again, what about the seal I put on my son?" Minato was terrified that the seal didn't work.
"Oh don't worry I had the Shinigami put the seal. So your boy should be safe." Kurai said waving his hand.
Kushina who was quiet all throughout this conversation finally let out a sob which got both Minato and Kurai's attentions.
"Isn't this great Minato we get to see our child actually grow up." Kushina said with tears rolling down her eyes and a smile on her face.
"Um about that..." Kurai's voice was heard which wiped the smile of Kushina's face. "You see, I can't have you seeing Naruto for a little bit." There was an eerie silence in the white room, suddenly there was a huge killer intent released into the air that made Kurai and Minato shiver.
"What do you mean we can't see him?" Kushina asked her hair looked liked it was on fire and her eyes glowed a deep burning red.
"You see in order for my plan to work you can't see him for 12 years." Kurai said shaking his hands in front of him hoping to calm the angry red head.
"And why should we listen to your plan?" Minato asked quizzically.
"Because if you don't I'll just let the Shinigami have both of you again. And then you'll never get to see Naruto." Minato looked at Kurai with curiosity.
"How do you know our son's name?" Kurai froze for a second at his slip up, and then he sighed.
"Because I know more than you think." Kurai said pushing his glasses up his face. "Now will you heed my warning to not see your son for 12 Years or not?"
Kushina and Minato looked at each other for a while before both looked back at Kurai.
"Fine you win we'll stay away from naruto."
"Good when you get back; go meet with Sarutobi I'll see you there, oh and make sure no one but Sarutobi finds out about you." Kurai said and he started disappearing.
Minato and Kushina started glowing white and they woke up.
Minato found himself looking at his beautiful wife's face and vice Versa for Kushina. They both sit up and look around; they were in the forest where the nine tails was just rampaging through a while ago, the place of their death just a while ago. The sun was rising, the earth was burnt, smoke bellowed from the village close by, the smell of burning rumble filled the air.
"This isn't a dream right? We really are alive, right?" Kushina asked her husband.
"It seems so." Minato stood up, held up two fingers in front of his face forming a one hand seal, and summoned two cloaks; he then tossed one at Kushina. "Come on we don't have much time." He said tossing a cloak over himself.
"What do you mean?"
"It won't be long till they send out search parties for the dead bodies. These cloaks should hide our scent from the Inuzuka and Aburame. We need to get to the Hokage building now."
"But I want to see our son first." Kushina pleaded with him.
"I do too but we need to do this step first." Kushina finished putting the cloak on and both out them threw their hood up.
"Fine let's just hurry up and go." They jumped away towards the village.
Hokage monument: temporary base
Thanks to the Kyuubi destroying the village the Hokage work place was placed on top of the monument while the village was repaired. Hiruzen was signing some boring ass paperwork when the doors to the office opened and in stepped two cloaked figures, their faces could not be seen. Everyone's attention was immediately focused on them.
"Yes can I help you?" Sarutobi asked in a nice tone but was since ready for anything.
"We wish to speak with you, privately." One figure said in a deep voice, one ANBU that was hiding by a pile of books moved to grab a kunai but Sarutobi eyed him down.
"Alright I don't see why not." Sarutobi waved for everyone else to leave and they complied.
When everyone else left the taller figure made a hand sign and a slight hissing sound was heard. Sarutobi readied himself for anything.
"There that barrier should keep this conversation between just us." The taller figure said and both figures pulled their hood off. Yes Sarutobi was indeed ready for anything, anything accept this. In front of him stood a male with bright yellow hair and light blue eye. The other was female with dark red hair and violet eyes.
"No...This can't be."
"Sorry to break it to ya, but it is." Kushina said
"But... How?" Sarutobi was shocked beyond all belief.
"Let's just say we were given another chance at life."
"This... This... This is amazing! Do you know how hard it was on everyone to hear that you were both dead? We have to let everyone know. I'm sure you like to see your child-"
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop you right there." A familiar voice said and everyone turned to the dark corner of the room. A figure slowly appeared out of the darkness.
"I was starting to wonder if you weren't going to show." Minato said
"Oh please I was here since you put the barrier up. By the way I had to make it stronger because you didn't put enough Chakra in it." Kurai said walking into the middle of the room.
"Um Kushina, Minato? Who is this person?" Kurai turned to Sarutobi now.
"Sorry I haven't introduced myself yet. Kurai is the name, helping you out is my game."
"Your Game?" Minato asked hoping to slip Kurai up.
"I can't say much other than I'm the reason you're alive right now and I can take you all out if I needed to." Kurai began scribbling in his notebook. Minato laughed.
"Ha take me out? The entire Iwagakure army couldn't that how could I expect one kid to do what took a demon sealing to do?" All Kurai did was dot something in his notebook.
The air in the room immediately felt heavier and the three shinobi found it hard to keep standing. Kushina fell to her knees from the pressure and started talking slow deep breathes.
"What is happening?" Minato struggled to breathe. Then it went as it came, spontaneously, and the three shinobi took deep breaths.
"Now so you see the extent on my power?" Kurai said closing the notebook and pushing him glasses up. "Don't test my patience, Minato."
"Fine, do you want to let us in on this almighty game of yours?" Minato asked.
"No."
"What?" All three of them asked.
"In order for everything to go as I want, nobody can know what I'm planning and you three must follow my instructions to the letter."
"And why should I listen to you?" Hiruzen asked.
"Do we need a repeat of a minute ago?" Sarutobi said nothing and lit the pipe he had hid under his desk.
"Good, now I can't tell you everything but I can give you instructions on what to do." Kurai turned to him. "You have one simple job and that is over the next 12 Years you mustn't let the village kill Naruto, I'll be back in a little bit too discuss what I mean further."
"Do you realize how tough that is going to be?"
"I do and I'll help you for when you can't. Other than that you should be fine." Kurai turned back to Minato and Kushina who had her arms wrapped around Minato. "As for you two for the next 12 Years you will be living in Swamp country with these aliases." Kurai tossed them a piece of paper; Minato caught and opened it up. Both looked over the photos of the people they were impersonating.
"I must also let you know that if any of you the try to mess with my plan I will kill all three of you." Minato just gave Kurai a stern look, but it didn't seem to faze him. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Hai." All three responded.
"Good now hold on you two because I'm taking you to your son. Be good third Hokage." Kurai said waving his hand and he, Minato, and Kushina all disappeared. Hiruzen sat back in his chair and puffed his pipe.
"They don't pay me enough for this job." He said as he continued to take a puff of his pipe.
XXXX
Deep in the underground building of the ANBU headquarters there was a door covered in sealing tags. It seems as if to keep something in or maybe it's to keep things out. The inside was dimly lit by nine candles in the middle; the grey walls were also covered in sealing tags. a small space in the room started to distort and three figures appeared in the room; one had blond hair, another had red, and the final one had black hair.
"We're here Minato, Kushina; the place they're keeping your son." The man with black hair said, the red headed women slowly walked over to the cradle surrounded by the nine candles that lit up the room.
Inside was a baby boy that had nothing to cover his skin. He had bright blond hair and three whiskers on each cheek of his, the blond hair man joined her.
"He looks beautiful doesn't he Kushina?" The blond asked the red head.
"Yes he does. Minato he has your hair and probably your eyes too. He going to end up a ladies' man like his father was." A sweat drop appeared on Minato.
"And what's that supposed to mean Ahaha." Minato let out a small chuckle. The baby in the cradle started to let out a small cry, Kushina slowly picked him up out of the cradle and held him.
"Oh sweet Naruto please don't cry I'll make sure to beat up whoever is trying to hurt you." Kushina whispered as she rocked Naruto in her arms.
"You know I think I can make an exception and allow you to leave something of yours in his possession." The two parents looked back at Kurai, he was scratching a part of his face and averted eye sight with them. "What do you say?"
"Can we both give him something?" Minato asked.
"Sure I don't see why not. I'll let you go get it just makes sure you don't get caught plus hurry because we're almost out of time." Minato looked at Kushina they both nodded.
"Bring my scarf." Minato nodded and disappeared in a streak of yellow. A few seconds past and Minato appeared again this time he was holding a red scarf and a three point kunai.
The scarf was made of red silk with black curved line stitched around the edges. The silk was smooth to the touch that it almost felt like water in your fingers. Minato wrapped the scarf around the three point kunai and handed it to Kushina.
Kushina placed Naruto back in the makeshift cradle, places the kunai wrapped in the scarf next to him. She looked at him one last time before walking over to Minato. They then in turned walked over to Kurai, Kurai placed a hand on Minato's shoulder and the three disappeared.
Konohagakure gates
Three figures suddenly appeared at the gates entrance, two carried knapsacks slung on their shoulders.
"The house I have for you in the land of Swamp should be finished by the time you get there.
"And what am I supposed to do?" Minato asked.
"You, Askaki Yoshikawa, will be a simple carpenter making a living in land of swamps. And you, Hikari Yoshikawa, will be a housewife." Kurai said looking at Kushina as he said the last part.
"I have one question, why can't we bring naruto with us?" Kushina asked in one final stand from leaving their son behind.
"Let me answer your question with my own. Let's say you do take naruto with you, what will the shinobi and civilian councils think happened?" Both stared intently.
"They'll think someone kidnapped him." Kurai said answering his own question. "And when that happens they'll start searching the village for him."
"And when they don't find him they'll look at the other major villages which could lead to an all out war." Minato said finishing Kurai's explanation.
"Correct, I see your Hokage deduction skills won't lose their touch. No then before you depart I want to have a look at your alias." Both runaways looked at each other and nodded; they each held two fingers parallel to their face and channeled Chakra into them.
There was a puff of smoke and two new people emerged from it.
One was a male with jet black hair that was slightly longer than the old version. Instead of cerulean blue eyes they were now a deep green. The other one was a female with light blond hair and dark chocolate eyes instead of her violet ones. Kurai eyed the two up and down.
"As long as you two don't do something stupid and mess this up, we might be able to pull this off." He said to the two.
"Can we go now I don't want to stay here unless I can have my son with me." Kushina said as she wanted to run back to Naruto and steal him.
"Yeah go ahead." Kurai said as he pulled out his notebook and started scribbling in it. Minato almost wanted to steal the book to see want he's was writing but was stopped when Kushina tugged at his shirt. He wrapped his fingers in hers and they set off towards the land of swamps. When their figures finally disappeared over the horizon Kurai pocketed his book, reached into his other pocket, and pulled out a scroll. He unraveled the scroll, bit his finger, and let a little blood drop onto the seal. There was an audible pop and smoke appeared from the seal, two items now laid into of the seal scroll which Kurai had placed on the ground while removing his glasses.
Contained in the seal was a mask with the left part starting from the top middle curving down underneath where the left eye would be and stop half way down the left side on the mask. The right eye hole was non existing. The other item was a contact lens case, Kurai opened the lens case and picking up the lens slipped it over his left eye then placing the mask over his face. He closed the scroll up and placed it back in his pocket.
"Now then I have some work to do." Kurai said lifting his head to reveal the contact lens he just put in.
It was a pure black lens with a white skull for its pupil. Kurai then proceeded to disappear in a streak of black.
Oct 10- 6 years later
The night was like any other Oct 10 the leaf village celebrated its anniversary of defeating the nine tailed fox 6 years ago. People were out celebrating and drinking, late in the night a group of drunk villagers decided to go take reenact the fox's defeat except with a little kid this time.
Said kid was now currently running for his life, his blond hair shined in the moon light. He wore a white T-shirt with and orange circle in the middle along with black shorts. Whisker marks could be seen on each cheek and a look of pure terror could also be seen. Behind him was an angry drunk mob of villagers. The boy made a sharp right hoping to lose them in an already, but proved his luck had ran out when he hit the dead end and saw there was no place to hide.
"Final cornered you demon brat." The little boy turned around to see the angry mob had caught up to him.
"What do you want from me, I haven't done anything to you!" The blond kid screamed, tears rolled down his face.
"Not yet you haven't but we're going to make sure it doesn't!" One mobster said and rushed the boy. The boy closed his eyes and awaited the fate that he went through every year on this day, his birthday.
Only this time it didn't come.
"Hey what's the big idea?" The little blond boy opened his eyes to see a man about 6 ft tall grabbing the hand that was about to hit the boy.
"Those who do bad things are scum, but those who do bad thing to innocent people are worse than scum." The tall man said his tan arms gripping the man's hands tighter. He was wearing a mask like the ANBU but it had no markings and the upper right corner was cut, showing only his left eye which was close. The place where his right eye hole should be was nonexistent.
His black hair was sticking out above the mask and all he wore was a black t-shirt and black jeans.
"What kind of bullshit are you sprouting and I thought we told you ANBU to not interfere with our work?" The man that had his hand being held back yelled at the newcomer, struggling to get free, to no avail. The now quiet mob watched half scared at said newcomer.
"Whoever said I was with ANBU?" The masked man calmly asked which brought the struggling man to a halt.
"You mean you're not?" The masked man chuckled
"No for you see I'm something much, much worse than an ANBU, I'm what you people would call" the masked man opened his shown eye and a few people gasped, his pupil was black with a white skull in the middle. "A Shinigami." The captive man now struggled even harder to get free, this time in fear. The 'Shinigami' released the man's hands and he fell in his ass. Soon after he crawled back to the mob that was now too scared to move, why is a Shinigami here?
"I'm here, since I'm sure that's what you'll all thinking, because the gods have not taken kindly to you torturing an innocent child."
"But Shinigami-sama that... thing is no-"
"SILENCE!" The 'Shinigami's' voiced boomed over the man, scaring the blond a bit. "Who are you to judge somebody by his cover? This is a human being just like you." Some of The mob looked at the ground.
"Now, any act of violence against this innocent child will be deemed an act against the gods; do I make myself clear?" The mob was quite but the Shinigami knew he had mad his point.
"Good now, BEGONE!" The mob didn't think twice about the order, scrambled to leave, and/or run home. The ally was soon emptied except for the masked man and the blond boy, the man now paid attention to the boy who liked like he was about to soil himself in fear.
"Hey don't cry now I just got the mean people to stop attacking you cheer up." The man kneeled down in front of the blond.
"But I don't want you to hurt me to mister Shinigami." The boy said through tears streaming down his face.
"Shini- what no I'm not really a Shinigami kid." The boy looked at the man with the skull eye.
"You're not?"
"No that was just something I made up in the spot to avoid fighting them."
"Them what about your eye?" The blond boy said rubbing tears out of his own.
"It's only a contact lens, it's a fake." The man reached up and removed his mask revealing a tanned face and a mint green pupil in his right eye. "See this is my real eye color." The blond looked into his right eye and felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"What's your name kid?" The tanned skin man said as he helped the boy to his own feet.
"Naruto." The blond boy smiled his cerulean blue eye bow filled with joy from the man not attempting to hit him. "Naruto Uzumaki."
The man chuckled too himself, little did naruto know the man already knew his name, not because the town spoke so badly of them, but because this was the same child that Minato and Kushina wanted to take with them we he sent them to the land of Swamp.
"The name's Kurai Kokoro." Kurai pulled out a notebook from his Pocket and looked through the pages. "Hey Naruto how old are you?"
"Today I turned six." Naruto said looking at the ground.
"Hey don't get all sad about your birthday, tell you what go home and get some sleep and tomorrow I'll take you to Ichiraku for lunch." Naruto's eyes lit up at the sound of Ramen.
"Okay!" Naruto said as he quickly dashed for home hoping to not see any more potential mobs.
Kurai on the hand had taken to the roofs heading for the Hokage tower; a lot of things were running through his head, his eye still glued to his notebook, reading it through at a quick pace.
'I still have a year to stop the massacre but maybe I'll drop by later to warn him about it.' Kurai thought as he landed at the Hokage tower; only one room was lit up in the whole tower.
The Hokage glanced at the clock, 1:30 in the morning and he was still doing paper work. Sometimes he wished that he'd just kneel over now but he didn't have anyone to take his place. "Naruto was too young, Jariya will refuse immediately, Orochimaru is now a S-rank criminal, Tsunade is who knows where, and Minato was force to leave the leaf for 12 year because of that prick!" Sarutobi screamed to no one in particular.
"That prick is standing right here you know." Sarutobi almost jumped from his seat by the sudden voice and he looked at the middle of the room. The space started to fluctuate and Kurai materialized from the space. He was wearing his mask and skull lens on his left eye.
"So what now you can use time and space Justus?" It had been a few years since Minato and Kushina had left for the land of swamps, Kurai talked Sarutobi into letting him be a "Tokubetsu-ANBU" as Kurai put it. Essential he'd take on ANBU mission but he wouldn't be an official ANBU there by disregarding the rule the civilian council had placed for ANBU not to get involved with civilian cases incoming a certain blond haired boy, unless of course the boy attempted kill them.
'Damn council just wants a reason to torture the boy.'
"You know I could just kill them all nobody would know." Kurai said removing his mask to show his mint green right eye and the rest of his tanned brown face. "And I thought we discussed this already no I can't do time space Justus in order to explain how I do it if have to reveal exactly who I am and I don't need to do that... yet."
"And when will that be?" Sarutobi asked but instead of an answer he got Kurai waving his finger at him.
"A magician never reveals his secrets."
"Oh? So you're a magician now?" Sarutobi asked amused at the change of pace from paperwork. Kurai signed.
"We don't really have that much time for this did you get the Intel I asked for or not?" Sarutobi sighed now that his game was over; he reached over for a single envelope and tossed it at Kurai. Kurai simply caught it and opened it looking at the papers inside.
Inside was a picture of man, he sported the standard outfit of a shinobi, complete with a flak jacket and a forehead protector. The protector instead of having a leaf on it had a symbol for the mist village on it. The man himself is what made him almost terrifying.
The man's skin was a blue -gray color and his hair was shaped like a fin, gill like marks could be seen in his face.
"Kisame Hoshigaki: Chunin of the village hidden in the mist, underling to Fuguki Suikanzan, one of the legendary swordsmen of the mist and current wielder of the Samehada, other than that not much is known about him."
'That's because you don't know what he's capable of.' "Thank you for the information, Sarutobi." Kurai said and closed the envelope.
"May I ask what you're planning to do with that info?" Sarutobi asked pulling his pipe out from underneath his desk.
"Nothing yet really." 'Just got to know your enemy Sarutobi.' "Anyway I think it's time I make my leave I have one more stop to make before going to sleep." Kurai said and before Sarutobi could say anything Kurai disappeared like he came.
Uchiha district
The Uchiha district was quiet as everyone had decided to take some shut eye, all except one. Fugaku Uchiha sat in his studies looking over the paper he had gather pertaining to the coup d'etat he was planning against the village. Paying too much attention to the plans Fugaku didn't hear the sounds of his door slightly opening or the masked figure entering. He did heard the sound creak of the floor beneath the man's feet.
Fugaku quickly grabbed the kunai he kept in his robe and tossed it behind him. It sank into the sliding door and Fugaku looked around the room, nobody in sight.
"It seems your detection skill are close to the Yondaime, eh Fugaku?" A voice behind the Uchiha said he quickly came face to face with a white mask and a skull shaped pupil.
"Who are you?" Fugaku had half a mind to punch the masked person in, well, his mask. Fugaku blinked and the mask was gone, he turned back and found the masked man standing in between him and the door.
"Me? Well I'm nobody special, you can call me Shinigami." Fugaku eyes opened wide.
"You're in ANBU aren't you?" Shinigami simply shrugged.
"I might be, or I might not."
"What do you want Mr. Shinigami?"
"Please, Shinigami is fine." Fugaku nodded but still kept his guard of this strange person calling himself a Shinigami. He was dressed in nothing but a black T-shirt and black jeans; along with the mask he wore revealing his left eye with the skull pupil in it.
"As for why I'm here, I guess you could say I'm here to warn you."
"Warn me?"
"About your little coup your clan is planning." Fugakus' eyes opened widely. Nobody outside the clan was supposed to know about that, there was a mole in his clan and he'd make sure to find it.
"Now before you go investing your clan for moles I'll let you know that people like me know more than most of you know." Fugaku caught that he referred to him as 'people like me' but didn't say anything of it.
"So why are you warning me?"
"Because I want to stop this from happening." Before Fugaku could ask the room started to melt away instead it was replaced with a black and white version of his and his wife's room, the place where his wife should be currently sleeping. Instead he saw the room covered in blood and two bodies lying in a pool of their own blood, him and his wife. The scene changed again to show every Uchiha residents showing the same view he saw in his own room. Fugaku Uchiha for the first time since the nine tailed attack 6 year ago was showing fear on his face.
"Make it stop." He said falling to his knees clutching his head trying to drown out the horrid sites.
"Okay." Was all Shinigami calmly said, Fugaku slow looked around to see he was back in his study
"What... was that..." Fugaku hesitating in fear of the answer.
"The future." The Uchiha feared he would say that. "That is unless you change it."
"I... can change it?"
"Yes that's the whole reason I came here to night, you must not go through with your coup or that will be the future for you."
"But why help me?" Shinigami took two fingers and placed them to his forehead.
"Consider a favor; you may need to stop me some day." With that Shinigami disappeared as the air around him shifted. Fugaku slowly stood up from his kneeling position and fell back into his chair. He had a lot to think about over the next few months.
Outside the compound
The air by the door to the compound shifted and Shinigami appeared. As he appeared he grabbed the wall and fell to his knees clutching the middle of his chest.
'Damn this stupid tattoo, it's feeding off my tainted arts, I'm guessing by the pain it's using the Chakra to speed up its course. I'm going to have to watch how much I use them.' Kurai huffed underneath his mask as he dragged himself to his feet.
"Are you alright, sir?" A new voice rang out. Kurai looked up to see an ANBU in the standard ANBU gear, he knew exactly who this ANBU was though, and Kurai stood up right.
"Never better, but before I go, are you Itachi Uchiha by any chance?" The ANBU eyed the man's left eye with his skull for a pupil before reaching up and removing his mask revealing a slender face and onyx eyes.
"Yes I am." Itachi said in a monotone voice.
"Say Itachi, you love everyone in your family right?" 13 year old Itachi was slightly taken aback by the sudden question but nodded his answer.
"Make sure to teach Sasuke well and keep him safe." Before Itachi had time to question the masked man he raised two fingers to his head and disappeared. Itachi was confused at the man saying weird things and went into the compound.
The next day: Ichiraku.
The Ramen shop was bustling today as their number one and favorite customer was here for lunch.
Teuchi and Ayame watched as naruto dug into his third bowl of Ramen, The dark skinned man sitting next to the blond watch with a bead of sweat appearing on his face.
"Naruto have you ever taught about cutting down on the amount you eat?" Kurai said, both of his eyes now a mint green color.
Naruto slurped up the Ramen in his mouth. "I would but gramps said that I should eat lots to get ready for the rigorous academy training that I start next year.
"I don't think your gramps meant you should eat lots of the same thing." Naruto looked at his almost empty bowl.
"But Teuchi and Ayame-San are the only people who would sell food to me." Naruto's eyes showed all the years of sadness and depression he's been through. Ayame was about to hit Kurai with a frying pan when Kurai came up with an idea.
"Hey Teuchi-san couldn't you serve little naruto here a little more appropriate meals, other than just Ramen?"
"I might be able to whip something up; do you have something in mind mister?"
"I was thinking a traditional Japanese meal." Now Naruto interjected seeing as how his favorite food was about to leave him.
"Hey I've been doing fine on my own; I don't need you helping Kurai-San." Naruto gave off a distant look and Kurai ducked the frying pan that went whizzing past his face.
"Naruto don't get me wrong, what was your day again?"
"To be Hokage!" Naruto said in a light scream.
"And to be Hokage you have to be strong and smart, right?" Kurai grabbed the frying pan from Ayame's hand and handed it to Teuchi, Who secretly slid it back to Ayame.
"Right?" Naruto said in confusion. 'Does the Hokage have to be smart?' Naruto contemplated in his brain till it started to hurt.
"So you're going to have to become strong like the Yondaime Hokage, right?" Naruto didn't say anything as his brain was on a slight meltdown from the large intake of information. Kurai ducked under Ayame's swipe and cursed under his breath at Teuchi for letting her have the frying pan back.
"I will become Hokage, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed thrusting his hand in the air.
"Well then how about I give you a little training so you're not learning everything for the first time when you enter the academy?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah just make sure when you become Hokage that you give me missions that challenge me." Kurai said getting up from his seat and placing his payment for his food on the counter, before be half dragged away by the over excited Naruto.
Forest: outskirts of Konoha
Kurai leaned against the tree in a small clearing, naruto had parted with naruto because he wanted get something from his house so he told naruto to meet him out in the clearing he was currently standing in.
"I need to have that old man give me a training ground to use." Kurai said to himself, he heard the sound of running footsteps and turned to the sound. Into the clearing stepped a blond boy with Whisker marks. Everything about him was the same except now he wore a red scarf with black threads lacing the edges. He bent over trying to catch his breath, Kurai chuckled.
"Are you that winded from a little run? How do you expect to survive in the ninja world?" Kurai said pushing himself off the tree. Naruto finally caught his breath and stood up straight.
"Cut me some slack, I'm only 6 ya know." Naruto said crossing his arms, Kurai responded by laughing.
"Yeah, yeah I forgot." Kurai now stood a few feet from naruto. "Now if I'm going to do this I need to lay down some ground rules." Kurai's face turned serious, naruto dared not say anything and listened.
"Firstly, unless I say otherwise or it's an emergency, are you to use say or use anything I teach you. After I have deemed you ready or you have used it thus this rule becomes null." Kurai picked his mask off his hip and placed it on his face. "Secondly, you are to not reveal that that you know me or are being trained by someone me." Naruto's curiosity got the better of him here.
"But why not?"
"Naruto do you know what an ANBU is?" Naruto thought about this for a second and shook his head.
"That will be in your studies, which you shall do." Naruto groaned but was quickly silenced by Kurai's one eyed glare. The glare was so cold that naruto thought his souls was being frozen.
"As I was saying you will study and like it. Next is whenever you do see me with this mask you will address me as Shinigami, got it?"
"Yes kur- err Shinigami." Naruto corrected himself.
"Good." Kurai removed his mask. "Now since I can't really teach you anything till you start the academy we'll focus on studies and I'll make a curriculum from there." Naruto almost groaned again but stopped when he saw Kurai's glare, if one eye wasn't enough to freeze your soul both eyes were plenty.
"Good now that I see we're in agreement, how does the term Kage Bushin sound?"
3 hours later
Three hours passed quickly for Kurai and Naruto. They spent the time going over what being a shinobi was all about. Kurai had let Naruto go so that he didn't overload the young boy's brain, Kurai now stood in the middle of the clearing with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.
"How long are you going to keep watching me?" Kurai asked suddenly to no one. The forest was quite for a moment.
"How long have you known I was here?" A mysterious voice rang out.
"About three years ago, but I decided not to say anything to see if you'd go away. Now is there something you want," Kurai opened his eyes and turned around putting his hands in his pocket. "Kami?" Kurai stared at the blue light that appeared.
"Well I've only been watching you to see if you'd try anything to destroy this world but so far you haven't. I want to know what your goal is exactly."
"I'll tell you whatever I want, but only if you give me a body and face to look at." Kami giggled, that's right giggled, and the blue light started to resonate. Light filled the clearing, blinding Kurai for a few second. When the light subsided Kurai looked at the person in front of him.
The almighty Kami had opted to take on the form of a girl about half Kurai's height. She sat on a broom stick with a witch's hat covering her hair and she wore a pure white robe.
"Out of all the forms you could choose, you choose that one?" Kurai asked slightly dumbfounded. Kami giggled again.
"What I like this form thank you very much, now are you going to answer my question or not?" Kurai just stared at her; At least he hoped it was a her.
"My goal for this world?" Kurai sighed before continuing. "My goal is to change everything, just like every other person like me."
"I see, but usual there would be complete changes. Why opt for small changes."
"So you're saying keeping Naruto's parents alive and stopping the Uchiha massacre are small things?" Kami giggled again.
"Of course not silly. Usually you people make changes that involve Naruto himself but only thing you're doing is teaching him to survive in this village, what's your goal?" Kurai looked at Kami for a few moments, then raised an eyebrow.
"My goal?" Kami almost smacked him, she really wanted too, but the smirk on Kurai's face told her he was just messing with her.
Kurai rubbed his chin thinking for a bit. "My goals I guess you can say are to change the way things are, just like everyone else, only at a different degree." Kami stared at him with a blank expression before laughing.
"So you are just like the rest of them, you're just doing it in a different way. You're just trying to be a god." Kurai smirked.
"I'm not trying to be a god, more like a Shinigami, with a few extra moves." Kami laughed more at this.
"It seems you'll be just as entertaining to watch crash and burn as the others, fine I'll let you stay here for as long as you need, but so help me," Kami instantly disappeared and reappeared in Kurai's face. "If you do anything to upset the balance of this world I will personally send you to Shinigami himself." Kurai showed no emotions but the point was so there. The cold time Kami had told him she wasn't lying.
"Fine, but could you do one favor for me." Kami looked at him for a second.
"You want me to slow down the spread the tattoo is spreading, don't you?" Kurai simply nodded and Kami sighed.
"Fine but I can only slow it down for another decade or so."
"That will be fine; it will be enough to see this to the end." Kurai said and Kami placed her hand on his chest. The hand emitted a white glow for a few second before dimming.
"There that should help you for a decade before the tattoo completely takes control of you." Kurai nodded and softly patted the spot Kami just touched.
"I guess I should be going now, just remember that Shini-san and I are always watching." Kami said before fading away till she was gone.
"Will I hope I put on a good show for you two." Kurai said as the air around him shimmered and he disappeared.
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Hey everyone I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The story title for this is not set in stone and if you come up with a better name then by all means let me know and ill see if it will work anyway have an awesome day!
~Kurai Prince of Darkness