CHAPTER 1: Ghosts of the Past
Change. One decision can make all the difference. Like dropping a stone into a pond, ripples of change can spread out and affect many lives and seemingly unrelated events.
Such is the case with our story. The story of Naruto as you know it will not be the same. Like the stone being dropped into the pond, one simple decision in early ninja history will affect the lives of Naruto, Sasuke, and other characters we have come to know and love. Ripples of change will give rise to a new evil, whose planning and schemes will catch the ninja world unprepared.
This pivotal decision began many years ago…..
Asura continued walking through the cave. His torch flickered, giving life to the shadows around him as he stepped over bodies. If he had to guess there were roughly over three hundred bodies strewn out in this room. He could tell by the puncture wounds to the hearts that most of the bodies had been hostages used as human sacrifices for blood seals. The other dead giveaway was that the bodies were also bound with rope.
Asura sighed as he surveyed the room. Unfortunately, this was not the first time he had seen this scene. On his journey through the cave he had stumbled across several other rooms which contained piles of bodies of people whom were captured and used for sacrifice.
These sacrifices were different though. Asura leaned down to examine the wound on a young man that couldn't have been older than 14. There was bruising around the puncture wound, which indicated that the young man had been stabbed hastily and forcefully. Usually the monsters holding the knife would take their sweet time performing a slow, precise cut which penetrated to the heart.
These "monsters" were in truth actually members of unholy cult which had been terrorizing the world for several years. Though they weren't great in number, their impact had been substantial. They would strike in the night, silently kidnapping families from their homes. Both civilians and ninja alike were targeted. Ninja were especially valuable to them for performing more complex blood seals that required blood from a more powerful sacrifice.
It wasn't till about a year ago that the feuding clans had struck a temporary alliance to deal with the cult. Even with the increased cooperation to purge this group, it hadn't been easy. The cult had kept well-hidden hideouts and held onto their secrets with an iron fist. Even captured members couldn't be interrogated. Every single member was bound to secrecy with a blood seal. Once they started to talk the blood seal imprinted on their chest would activate and kill the prisoner.
Needless to say, given the obstacles, progress had been slow in destroying the cult. The efforts of the clan alliance had not been in vain though. One by one they had found and destroyed hideout after hideout, till only one remained: the cave. As the most powerful member of the alliance, Asura had requested that he himself go in and apprehend the leader and the rest of his followers.
It was obvious that the cult knew this was the end. The hasty puncture wounds to the hearts of these latest sacrifices signified that they were trying cover up loose ends before the alliance could liberate the hostages.
Asura stepped out of the room and continued down the tunnel. He had destroyed enough of these hideouts to know that he was nearing the end. Finally, he would meet the monster that had plagued the land for too long.
As he walked, Asura started to see a faint light at the end of the tunnel. As he got closer, he could finally see that the light was escaping through a partially open door. Asura's heart started to beat quicker as he slowed his steps so that his feet were inaudible against the cave floor. He reached his hand up and snuffed out his torch, wincing as the flames licked his palm while dying.
Upon reaching the door, Asura hovered outside, listening for anything inside. After a few moments of silence, he was startled when a low, deep voice called out to him from inside "Otsutsuki… I should have known the alliance would send you. I would have rather avoided conflict with the last son of Hagoromo, but I guess it can't be helped. You can come in; I've been rather bored waiting for you."
Asura hesitated, but then reached forward to push door open slowly, keeping his senses on high alert for any traps. Once the door was open, Asura stepped inside and was temporarily blinded by the light in the room.
Slowly his eyes came into focus. The first thing he noticed was a man sitting on what appeared to be a throne made out of stone. The man looked pale and skinny. Asura could see the outline of his bones in his forearms and blood vessels were visible beneath the skin.
Despite his sickly appearance, the man looked rather young, maybe around his mid-twenties. He wore a white silk robe with a black trim outline. The wide sleeves of the robe extended to just below the elbows. His long dark hair was pulled back into a single braid.
The man was gazing at a glass of amber liquid in his right hand. "You know… I've always respected and hated your family". The man lifted his gaze to Asura, "I respected Hagoromo because he was an example of God. He was a being so powerful that people of their own free will and choice would bow down and worship him." The man raised his glass with a grin, "he showed each of us worms our potential and will undoubtedly go down in history as being a God of ninja."
The man then frowned and lowered his glass, "but then he had to go throw it all away by passing his mantle onto you, some boy who thinks he can save the world by helping old grannies across the street with their groceries. At least Indra would have retained some semblance of respect for the role as the successor of Ninshu".
"Enough!" Asura cut in. "I assume you're the leader of this glorious kingdom?" Asura mocked motioning to the empty room. "Where's the rest of your followers?"
The man smiled "oh them? I've sent them away to carry on my work should I lose here today."
Asura stared blankly at the man "do you really think you have a chance against me?"
The man smiled again "No, I suppose not… But I wouldn't be considered the only master of blood seals if I didn't at least try to kill you right?". With that the man quickly stood up and slammed his hands together in front of him, dropping his drink. "Blood art- Seal of Hell's Fire."
Asura reacted too late as red kanji symbols appeared glowing on the ground around him and ran up his legs all over his body. The first thing he noticed was that each kanji burned on his skin like a hot iron. The second thing he noticed was that he was unable to control his movements, as the seal was causing all of his muscles to spasm leaving him convulsing on the ground.
It was as if Asura had never experienced pain before. No amount of training or pain tolerance could have prepared him for what he was going through. His body was hellfire. His soul was hellfire. His emotions were hellfire. His mind couldn't even function enough to tell his body to scream. He laid there in hellish silence.
The man grunted as he poured every ounce of his chakra into the blood seal technique. This would be his one and only chance to kill Asura. "HOW DOES MY POWER FEEL? THIS BLOOD SEAL WAS MADE WITH THE BLOOD OF THOSE BODIES YOU PASTED IN THE CAVE. MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN YOU FAILED TO SAVE!" he screamed. "I WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOD IF NOT FOR YOU INSECTS!"
The man smiled as he exerted his will onto the silent hero. Veins were visible on his head as he struggled to hold the seal in place on the Otsutsuki.
Suddenly, he saw Asura's hands start to lift and shakily come together. "NO! YOU WILL DIE HERE AND NOW!" He pushed himself further, pouring his will and chakra into the seal he had created. The effect was notable as the red kanji burned brighter.
This time, Asura did scream.
Asura did everything he could to focus on a single thought. One small goal to keep his hands clasped together in a hand sign. If he let them come apart, he knew he would not be able to get them back together again and he would surely die. He would have to endure this struggle of wills with the man who had slaughtered children for his cursed blood seals. Pain was all Asura knew as he continued to focus on keeping his hands together.
"Shit!" the man cursed inwardly as he felt his chakra waiver for the briefest of seconds. This was the opportunity Asura needed. Alleviated from the pain for that brief moment, Asura performed the only ninjutsu that could save him.
The man backed away as 6 wooden poles erupted from the ground surrounding Asura. Each pole had kanji symbols carved into the wood. The red glowing kanji on Asura's skin started to move back down through his legs, across the ground, and onto the wooden poles. Each kanji found a spot on the pole where its symbol was carved and inserted itself into that spot. Soon, Asura was completely freed of the seal having transferred it onto the wood release technique.
Asura slowly got to his feet as he locked eyes with the man. Both men stood there in silence, save for their heavy breathing. Abruptly, the man threw back his head and started to laugh.
"Damn, I almost had you!" chuckled the man. "If I had had a few more months to perfect that seal you have died for sure. Probably would have only took another 50 or 60 sacrifices." The man sat back down in his chair "oh well, I gave it my best shot. Go ahead and do what you're going to do then."
Asura looked dumbfounded. "Is… Is this a game to you or something? You killed thousands of people to develop your cursed fuinjutsu." Asura's fists clenched and started to shake. "WHY?! Surely you know you're the bad guy right? No matter what you say, you can't have an excuse for what you've done to these families."
The man's eyes closed and his face took on a neutral expression. "You have no idea the potential power behind my blood seals. I was going to become a God of Gods."
"A God of Gods?"
"Yes parrot, a God of Gods." The man waved his hand. "Enough of this, do what you're going to do. No matter what happens my vision will live on with my followers whom have escaped."
Asura scowled. "We're going to track down the rest of your followers and-"
"No" the man cut in. "You won't ever find them. They have their mission to carry on my legacy. Once you kill me here, the clans will consider the matter settled and the alliance will crumble. One day my vision will be realized, long after you are dead in the ground."
Asura shook his head. "You're wrong. Those followers of yours are only pawns. Without their king they will fail." Asura took a step forward "no one will remember you after we are dead".
The man's eyes shot open "You're right Asura, no one will remember me because they will be all dead! My vision is the death of every man, woman, and child! Not just in a city or in a land, but in the entire world! EVERY MAN! EVERY WOMAN! EVERY CHILD! ONLY THEN WILL I OBTAIN MY THRONE AS A GOD of GODS!" The man laughed again as he lowered his voice. "Can I tell you a secret Asura? It is true that I need those sacrifices to obtain my goals… but I also enjoy it". A monstrous look came into his eyes "I enjoy making families watch as I kill their loved ones in front of them. I order my men to remove their gags when I perform sacrifices so that I can hear their cries of sorrow and pain. You should have seen the time when I-"
"SHUT UP!" Screamed Asura.
This is the moment when our story deviates from the original story of Naruto. In the original story Asura composes himself places a seal on the man to cut off all his access to chakra. The man is taken into custody where he never talks. The man eventually dies of old age where his final moments are rantings of insanity inside a jail cell.
That is not this story. In this story, Asura lets his anger get the best of him and he decides to execute the man.
Asura's chakra flared as he stuck his hand out, palm up. A black sphere manifested itself above his hand floating in the air.
"Ahh the infamous truth seeking orb", the man said staring at the little black ball. He then locked eyes with Asura, "don't you even want to know my name?"
"Who fucking cares" said Asura as he launched the orb at the man. The orb slammed through the man's heart and came out through the other side of the stone throne. The man continued to smile as life faded from his eyes. He slumped forward still seated on the throne.
Asura sighed, and made the orb disappear with a wave of his hand. He turned and walked out of the cave to report to the alliance leaders.
The cult leader was dead.
The terror was over.
Or was it?
Author Notes:
Hello friends! Unfortunately I do not understand Japanese grammar that well. I will not be using -Sama -kun and -chan. The best you'll see from me is some of the Jutsu in Japanese with a few -Sensei, Teme, and Dobe in there.
First question:
Would you rather get punched in the balls (sorry ladies) by Tsunade or listen to Killer Bee rap on repeat for 24 hours?