I had to redo this in readiness for the next chapter. Fixed. Not MY part is separated from the original.

Spectral Ninja

Narudevilfan (Original) FireIdar (Rewrite)

"Standard" Talking

"Italics" Thinking

"Bold" Kyuubi speaking

"Bold Underline" Kyuubi thinking

Bold Italics" Raziel speaking

Bold Italics Underline" Raziel thinking

Long ago during the reign of the Scion of Balance the world was at peace. Kain ruled with kindness after his son Raziel purified him of the madness that plagued him and, with the Purified Soul Reaver in hand, defeated the Elder God and the Hylden that followed. Sadly it was not to be, as after just a thousand years of peace the Vampires once again began subjugating humanity. Kain had no choice but to exterminate the vampires once again.

In the end Kain decided that his time in the world was coming to an end and decided to sleep until such time as he was needed again. Resting the Soul Reaver in the relief upon his coffin, he drifts off to sleep not to awaken for eons to come.

-Time Skip 100'000 years—

The world was a very different place, the age of ninja had begun and all kinds of techniques existed to do many wonderful and not so wonderful things. This is the world that Naruto Uzumaki was born into, unfortunately, the Kyuubi no Kitsune was sealed into him at birth and the village would be remarkably cruel to him in the beginnings of his life.

This is where the story begins. (Naruto is five)

Naruto was in tears. He was running as fast as he could go to try and get out of the village. He was always doing this when it just became too much to ignore the cold stares and the cruel words the villagers would throw at him everyday. He would leave and find a place to calm down and relax. As he ran through the trees surrounding the village a thought crossed his mind, "Maybe I'll head north this time, I've never been that way before," thought Naruto. As he ran he came across a small ravine, "Hmm…I wonder what's down there?" thought Naruto as he scrabbled down into the ravine. "There's a crack in the wall. I bet I can slip into it!" thought Naruto as he did just that. All was well…until the ground suddenly gave way beneath his feet. Screaming as the darkness consumed him, Naruto briefly wondered if he would survive the fall.

"Oww, that really hurt!" whined Naruto as he rubbed his sore head. "It seems I've been out for a few hours at least," thought Naruto. Just as that thought finished he noticed a small passageway ahead of him "Might as well see where this leads as I'm not getting out the way I came in." he said with a small chuckle. As he walked he began to notice that, instead of a cave, he was in what looked like an old tomb of some kind, "Just where the heck am I anyways," he said as he rounded a corner and entered a new room. This room was much more elaborate, even if it was cracked and crumbled with age and covered with cobwebs.

In the center of the room was what looked like a stone coffin with a carving of a knight on it holding a rather chipped, cracked, and an all-together decrepit looking sword. It looked like it was rather impressive in its prime, with it's curvy edge and skull hand guard. "I wonder if that sword is still usable", said Naruto as he walked closer to the coffin. When he picked up the sword however, everything went black.

He awoke inside what appeared to be a sewer of some kind, "What the hell…how did I get in a sewer of all places", he pouted. "I brought you here my child." said a voice right behind him. Naruto screamed and tried to back away from the strange looking creature behind him. It had blue skin and was wearing a cowl that was wrapped around its face, bright white eyes under matted black hair, and cloven hands and feet. All in all it looked like a man with no stomach or lower chest as well as no groin area (ouch). Two strips of long thick skin hung from the shoulder under the cowl, but what for, Naruto had no idea.

"Do not fear me young one, I will not harm you or be cruel to you as those horrible villagers do." Said the strange being. Naruto could hear the sincerity in its voice. "Who are you and where are we?," asked Naruto. "I am Raziel and we are in your mind young one." Said Raziel with a hint of humor in his, now identified as a male, voice. Suddenly he turned serious, "Come, there is much we must discuss."

"I am a Wraith, a being of the Spectral Realm that the souls of the dead roam." Raziel began. "The sword you picked up is known as the "Soul Reaver" and was my prison for many eons. When you touched it, you allowed me to view your soul and I am amazed at the purity of your soul given the circumstances of your life." Raziel continued, "In light of this I have decided to try and help you, but the sword is no longer usable. It has deteriorated to the point of breaking and no one is left who maybe able to repair it."

"How are you going to help me then" Naruto asked with a tilt of his head that showed his confusion. "I am going to leave the sword and merge with your-" At this point they came across a very large room with an equally large cage. From within, the sounds of a girl crying could be heard. Naruto, curious and not wishing for the girl to cry, rushed forward through the bars of the cage to see what was wrong. Within the cage he found a girl lying on the floor crying her heart out. Naruto was amazed by her beauty and kimono; it was very form fitting, red with black designs ending in a picture of a Nine-Tailed Fox on the back.

"What's wrong, why are you crying?" Naruto asked the girl. "Who's there?" she asked. When she turned around and saw him her tear's increased twofold. She jerk forward and hugged him, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" she cried over and over. Naruto was confused, but tried his best to comfort the girl. "What are you apologizing for?" Naruto asked. "It's all my fault for the villagers cruel treatment of you. If I hadn't let myself be controlled by that miserable Uchiha, you wouldn't have suffered so much!" Naruto was confused further, just who was this girl?

"Excuse me miss, but who are you?" The girl looked at him with sadness. "I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune" she answered. Naruto was shocked, this was the demon that attacked the village, but she seemed so kind and lonely. Naruto made up his mind and simply smiled and said, "I forgive you, I won't let you be lonely anymore Kyuubi neechan."

Kyuubi was completely flabbergasted, not only did he forgive her he even called her sister. She could only hug tighter and say, "Thank you so much little brother."

"Beautiful…I have not seen such beauty and grace in eons" Raziel thought. It was at this point that Raziel decided to try to explain his own presence to the beautiful demoness. Coughing to get their attention, Raziel was shocked to see Kyuubi's eyes turn hard and she positioned Naruto behind her in a protective stance. "Wait Kyuubi, I have not come to harm the boy! I have seen his life through his memories and I want to help him." He said, trying to prevent a fight.

"Who or what are you?" Kyuubi asked not moving away from in front of Naruto. Raziel proceeded to explain the events of his life leading up to now. To say Kyuubi and Naruto were shocked beyond belief was like saying Shikamaru was only a little lazy. Big understatement. "I have decided to help Naruto, but as the sword is broken we would have to merge souls for me to offer any help at all." Naruto looked at Kyuubi and then Raziel and asked, "What would this do to me?" "It would grant you immortality for a start and in time you would gain all my many abilities including my sword." At this Naruto was confused, "What sword?" he asked. Raziel's response was simply to summon the Spectral Reaver. He chuckled at their dumbfounded faces. "This is the Spectral Reaver, it is a blade made up of my soul and devours the souls of those it kills. Each strike not fatal will weaken your foes soul, slowly sapping their strength until eventually you will be able to pull their soul right out of them to devour yourself."

"Why would I need to devour their souls?" Naruto asked. "If you merge with me, you will become a devourer of souls like myself." Raziel explained. "I don't want to devour peoples souls!" Naruto exclaimed, scared of how that would make people hate and fear him even more. "Calm yourself Naruto, you would only need to devour souls if you wanted to heal injuries to your body during combat, you could simply go to the Spectral Realm and absorb the excess soul energy that the Realm produces, before returning to your body." "Oh ok, um…what do you think neechan?" "I think you should do it Naruto, it could give you the power to protect the ones you love, like the Hokage and the nice people who own that ramen stand. Also Raziel, I believe if we combine my demonic physical energy with your unique spirit energy we could grant Naruto a whole new kind of chakra." Raziel pondered this for a moment. "Yes it could be very powerful, but the fact remains, will you do it Naruto?" "I'll do it, to protect all those precious to me!" Naruto exclaimed. "Then let the process begin." Said Raziel.

With those words the real Naruto's body was enveloped in a red/blue aura, as the sword disintegrated, which slowly turned to black with a red outline. (Think Ichigo's aura from Bleach, which I also don't own). When it died down a few changes had occurred to Naruto's body. His hair was now black, though it still stuck up in its normal fashion. His body had gained some height, he was now 4'5 instead of the measly 3'2 he had been before, and some muscle, and his eyes had turned pure white like Raziels.

When the energy had begun to envelope him, the coffin had started to open and out came the once king of the Vampires and the Scion of Balance.

Kain was awake at last.

Kain stared in wonder at the familiar energy he sensed from the child before him. "Raziel…is it really you?" he wondered. Naruto, having just opened his eyes and seeing the strange being before him was preparing to run when Raziel spoke to him.

"Easy Naruto that's…my father" Raziel explained by sharing a few memories of his life with Kain, which calmed Naruto somewhat. At this point Kain decided to figure out the child before him.

"Raziel is that you?" Kain asked. "Umm…not exactly, my name is Naruto sir, but Raziel is in my mind…he says he can talk to you if I let him." Naruto relinquished control to do just that. "Father…it's been a long time hasn't it." Kain could not believe it, his favored son was free, and had apparently forgiven him. He had not believed that Raziel could ever truly forgive him for his actions. For the first time since one thousand years before his slumber he felt free of his guilt.

"Yes it has…my son" Kain answered. "Raziel" smiled for a moment, then "his" face turned serious, "Father there is something we must discuss." With that "Raziel" proceeded to explain what had happened to him, to Naruto, and what Naruto's life had been like for the last five years. Kain was furious, he could not believe that humanity had fallen so far as to treat a child the way they did. (I know this doesn't sound like Kain, but think of it this way, Raziel purified the insanity in Kain and then Kain had a thousand years to change his ways, so my Kain is much kinder and compassionate then normal Kain.)

"Raziel, I intend to take Naruto as my newest son, with your perfect immortality, he will need a guardian, and a companion to spend the rest of eternity with, and I will not stand by and let such a pure soul suffer for the actions of another."

Raziel nodded "his" head, "I agree father, me and Kyuubi will be training Naruto in how to use my many abilities as they manifest, along with figuring out the benefits of his new chakra, and with me and you training him in swordsmanship he will be undefeatable when the Soul Reaver manifests."

"Very well son, please let me speak with Naruto, I want to ask his opinion on all this." said Kain. Raziel released control back to Naruto so that Kain could do so. "Naruto, how would you feel about letting me adopt you?" asked Kain. Naruto couldn't believe it, here was someone asking to be his family, he began to cry before he jumped into Kain's arms. "Yes…yes, please I…don't want to be alone any more." Naruto cried. Kain simply stood there holding the crying child speaking what soothing words he could.

"Naruto, can you show me the way to your home?" asked Kain after Naruto had calmed down some. "Ok…father" said Naruto with only a hint of shyness in his voice. Kain smiled; in his head he was planning ways of making life better for his new charge, once they returned to his home.

As the newly paired father and son walked back to the village, Naruto was happily chatting away with his new father when suddenly he collapsed. "Naruto!" Kain cried as he rushed over, but before he could reach down to pick Naruto up and ask what was wrong; once again a cocoon of the red and black chakra covered his form.

Kain could do nothing but wait for it to dissipate. He didn't have to wait long, but the changes shocked him to his core.

Naruto had gained nine black with red tipped tails and similarly colored ears perched on top of his head, his incisors just hanging down over his bottom lip, but what really threw Kain for a loop was the two different wings on his back. Off the right shoulder was a raven's wing, jet-black with red tips. Off the left shoulder was a bat's wing, also jet-black with the entire bottom splashed with red, it looked like the wing had been dipped in blood. Kain thought that was it until Naruto opened his eyes. The whites had turned jet-black as well, with the iris turning red. What was really strange was the slit white pupil in each eye. All together he looked like some kind of feral fallen angel.

"Naruto…how do you feel?" asked Kain. Naruto twisted his head around to get a better look at himself. "W-what h-happened to m-me?" he said in a very quiet and shaky voice. "I don't know Naruto, try asking Raziel and Kyuubi and see if they know." Kain replied.

"Aniki, neechan, do you know what happened to me?" asked Naruto. "I can only guess that it's a side effect of merging mine and Kyuubi's energy into your body, you seem to have acquired traits from the both of us, such as my wings and Kyuubi's ears and tails.

Although…I have no idea as to why one of the wings is a raven's wing, as both of mine where bat wings." replied Raziel. "Also it seems your eyes have changed as well, I don't know what your eyes can now do, but I'm certain they will have some form of ability." Kyuubi added in. "You'd better tell Father what's going on Naruto, I think he's getting worried." said Raziel.

Naruto looked up at Kain and smiled, "There's nothing to worry about Father, I'm ok." Naruto said before he proceeded to tell Kain what Raziel and Kyuubi had believed happened. "Hmmm…that's just the way it is then, isn't it?" said Kain. "Let's continue back to your village Naruto, the explanation to your grandpa just got more complicated." said Kain.