Well I've gone on a rewriting spree, as such this story actually has an intro now, enjoy.
Greeting readers, this is The Four Ride Again, the story of the newest generation of the Four Horseman, we all know who one of them will be but who are the others? Only time and my writing will tell. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Darksiders or Naruto. Only saying that for the first chapter of every fic I write. This goes for every chapter after, if I owned them do you honestly think I'd need to write Fanfiction? Although I wonder if the original owners might ever read these and think 'Hmmm...there's an idea.' ?
Anyway, on with the chapter:
In the space between realms there exists an ancient entity charged with the duty of preserving the balance in all things. This entity, known only as the Charred Council, imbued four warriors with immortality and special skills that set them above all others. These warriors were known by the simple title of the Four Horsemen and they served the Council, fighting to preserve the Balance.
For centuries the Horsemen fought side by side, until one of them was framed by the forces of a creature known as the Destroyer, the rider known as War. Stripped of his powers, War was forced to prove his innocence by undoing what the Destroyer's army had done. He succeeded, but it was not long afterward that he and his fellow riders grew tired of the life they led.
When the world of man was restored to its former state and the Seals forged anew, they implored the Council to let them pass on and were granted their final wish. Centuries have passed since the demise of the Charred Council's greatest fighters and things could not be bleaker. The armies of Heaven and Hell are fighting once more and upsetting the balance from which the council draws its power. It is at the Charred Council's gathering to discuss a solution to this problem that our story begins.
"The balance is gone," a voice deep and powerful sounded. "If we do not act now then all will be lost. The Three Kingdoms will wage war and all will be destroyed. Everything we have worked to preserve will be lost."
"Then what do you propose we do," a second voice demanded. "Every day the balance grows weaker and so do we. We have not the power to even recreate the Four Horsemen."
All was silent as the council considered their extremely limited options. In the end, it was a third voice that spoke for the first time since the meeting had begun that came up with a solution. "We may not have the power to reinstate all four of the riders. This does not mean we cannot bring back at least one."
"One Horseman will not be enough to stand against the armies of the Heaven and Hell," the first voice remarked.
"Then bestow upon the mortal we choose the knowledge to name three others to aide him in battle," the third voice responded. "Leave him the responsibility of forging and leading the newest generation. Is that not how we formed the first ones?"
"Do you have a mortal in mind?" the second voice asked. In answer, an image formed before the council. When the image took form, there stood the small figure of a young boy. The boy was clad in an orange jumpsuit and had hair that was as bright as the sun. His eyes were colored the deepest of blue and upon each cheek were three whisker marks.
"A child," the first of the council demanded, voice dripping with disdain. "You would send a child to face the coming war?"
"This child has suffered more than most adults and come out still willing to fight for a people who strive to grind him into the ground. I have never seen one more deserving of the power of the Horsemen since the original four came to us to stop their brethren from taking Eden."
The Charred Council remained silent for several minutes. The two considered the third's words and finally a decision was made.
"Very well, we will summon the boy before us and test him. Should he pass the test, he will take up the mantel of War and choose who will stand beside him."
WITH NARUTO:
On a hill overlooking a small island village there stands two grave markers. One, a simple wooden cross, the other a sword taller than most men. Before the simply marked graves stands Naruto Uzumaki, a rookie genin of Konohagakure and Jinchuriki to the Kyuubi. He stood there honoring the memories of two people who had earned his respect more than any other he had ever met. They had begun as enemies, but they died as his allies and helped to save the town below from the clutches of a power hungry business tycoon named Gato.
His team was preparing to leave, with Gato gone the bridge builder they had been hired to guard finished his bridge easily and the mission was over. He had come to say goodbye to the two before meeting his team on the bridge.
Naruto was so lost in his own thoughts that he never noticed a ring of glowing blue runes appearing on the ground behind him. From the ring rose a hand composed of flame shot out of the ring and wrapped around the boy. Startled, he struggled against the hold but was soon dragged into the ring and disappeared. Only a dissipating burst of smoke and the lingering smell of brimstone were left behind.
CHARRED COUNCIL DIMENSION:
When Naruto returned to consciousness, it was not to the sound of an alarm clock or his teammate Sakura screaming in his ear. This time it was to smell of brimstone and the heat the raging fire only a few feet in front of him. With a grunt he pushed himself up into a seated position and looked around.
He found himself on a small island of rock and fire. Stretching out around the island was an abyss as empty as a black hole. On the island with him stood three faces made of stone, all with gaping mouths and flames burning where the eyes would be.
Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, the blond stood and tried to think of what had happened before. It was all a blur of fire and pain, there was nothing after he went to Zabuza's and Haku's grave. "What the hell is going on?"
"Silence mortal," a deep voice came from the head in the center. "Our time is short and my brother says you are the one who can aid is in our plight."
"We are the Charred Council, an entity as old as the universe, charged with preserving the balance of the world. Once we had four warriors who would carry out our judgment but they have passed on. Now the balance is threatened again and we do not have the power to resurrect all four of the Horsemen. We only have enough of our former strength to give a single mortal the power of our greatest warrior."
Naruto could only stare at the heads, his mind a blank. If he heard these things right, then they were, in their own demanding way, asking for his help. Deciding to play the clueless card and see if he could get some more information, the genin stared blankly at the council as if asking them to explain.
"Drop the charade Naruto Uzumaki," the face to his right said. "I have watched you since you were born. When the balance was threatened I knew we would have needed to resurrect the Horsemen. I have seen your destiny and your true self. Now do not insult us with a mask."
Naruto sighed and his whole demeanor changed. In place of the clueless gaze, a hardened glare appeared. "So you picked me? I'm guessing your standards are pretty low."
"BE SILENT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND, BOY," the first head roared. "Not just any being can receive the power of any of the Horsemen. They must be worthy and rise to the challenge. My brother has chosen you, so you had better not disappoint us."
Naruto glared at the council. "You drag me from my world into this hell-hole, tell me you need my help and then threaten me? You really suck at getting people to help. Let me guess, you're used to ordering around others without doing anything yourself?"
The blonde sighed and turned his back to them. "Find someone with more experience," he said. "I'm training to become the Hokage so I don't see how I can help you."
He began searching for a way off of the island, only for the council's next words to freeze him in his tracks.
"The war will come mortal, the three kingdoms will fight and your world will be the first to fall. All you hold dear will perish in flame while you stand watching, knowing you had a chance to stop this terror and yet passed it by to pursue your own goals."
"...What do you need me to do?"
The council was silent as they watched the boy. He had turned to look over his shoulder, eyes burning with anger yet subdued by resignation. Finally, it was the one on the left that spoke.
"There is still some time before the seals are broken again. In that time you must master the powers of War and find the ones who will take the place of the others. Death, Famine and Fury. We will give you a sealed version of your future comrades weapons. They will not be ready to handle the full power and neither will you. You must use the power and grow accustomed to the full might of a Horseman."
"So I'll have to leave the village?"
"Eventually you must travel abroad. Not all of your brethren will dwell in the same village as you."
Naruto watched them a while longer. Finally he closed his eyes and his entire body sagged as if burdened with a heavy weight. He turned and faced them and straightened his back, staring at them with eyes glowing with determination. "Fine, let's do this."
As the blond uttered the words chains erupted from the ground around him. The chains wrapped around each of his wrists and ankles while two wrapped around his torso in a x-formation. The chains pulled until the boy was forced to his knees with his arms spread out to the side. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"There are things that must happen before we can send you out on your mission," the head to the right said and Naruto looked up to see a hand of fire hovering in the air in front of him. "First, we must remove the demon that has been sealed inside of your body."
The hand plunged into Naruto's stomach, he screamed as he felt his soul be split into pieces. When the arm drew back, a fox the same size as Naruto was held in its clutches. It struggled to escape the hand, only to freeze when it saw where who had taken hold of it.
"T-the Charred Council! Why am I here?"
"You know of us demon?"
The fox nodded. "Myself and the other tailed beasts were once one creature. That creature knew of you, you were the only one it feared. I have the most of his memories but we all share the one of the day he saw you."
"ENOUGH CHATTER!" The center head roared. "Time is of the essence. We will finish our work and then decide what to do with the demon!"
The hand holding the Kyuubi moved to the side as cracks began to appear in the rock around Naruto. Magma from the pit in front of the council began to travel down the cracks toward the blond. Once he reached him the molten rock began to swirl around him. It rose from the ground and covered him. His screams from the burning sensation rang through the air until he was completely engulfed. In the end, where Naruto once knelt there sat a solid boulder chained to the ground.
"What have you done to the boy," the Kyuubi demanded.
"Calm yourself beast of rage," the stone head on the left side of the island ordered. "We did not summon him here to kill him as I am sure you have already known. He is to be given the power of War, one of our more well-known Horsemen. To do that we were forced to reform his body to be able to withstand the torrent of destruction incarnate. The process, as you can see, is quite painful but he will survive."
The fox made to say more, but a loud cracking sound distracted it. The boulder was shaking, its surface spider-webbing with cracks.
"The time has come for the Horsemen to ride once more. This mortal that lived and fell as Naruto Uzumaki will rise from the ashes of his former self and be granted a great power. He will become a force that cannot be stopped and will raise his enemies to the ground. RISE HEIR OF WAR AND CLAIM THE POWER YOUR PREDECESSOR AS YOUR OWN!"
The rock exploded and revealed the newest rider. The molten rock had burned away all of his his jumpsuit save for the last few scraps that hung around his waist and protected his dignity. The old clothing would not be able to fit the boy's newest frame, the Kyuubi thought as its eyes roamed over the reshaped body of its former container.
His blond hair, once short and spiked in every direction, now hung low. The golden locks still spiked but not as much as before, cascaded around shoulders that had grown broad and tight with muscle, and stopped near the center of his back. Two long bangs framed his face and ended at the top of his chest. He had grown in height, reaching almost six feet and his entire body rippled with muscle with every breath.
The council and imprisoned fox watched as Naruto stirred, sucking in a deep breath, the chains clinking together with every movement of his body. When the changed boy began to rise, the chains grew tight, seeking to keep their bound prisoner stationary. For a moment he paused, then with a mighty heave he wrenched the chains tied around his arms from the ground and tore the ones wrapped around his torso to pieces.
As he straightened his back and rose to his feet, his bare chest was revealed, as was the upward facing crescent with a line running through the center that now glowed there. His eyes, still as blue as the day he was born, but glowing with an ethereal light. A mirror version of the symbol on his chest glowed on his forehead. On the lower half of his face, the easily identifiable whisker marks remained but all traces of fat had vanished.
"Now you hold the power of War." the head to his left said. "You are almost prepared to begin your quest but, perhaps you should clothe yourself." To Naruto's right a shining portal opened and from the abyss within rose a bundle wrapped in a crimson cloth. Naruto thanked the head and unwrapped the cloth, which he discovered was a hooded cloak. Inside the cloak he found clothes made to fit his new body.
First to be donned was the pair of soft fur undergarments followed quickly by a pair of brown cloth pants with leather pads stitched to the front and a pair of thick leather boots. For his torso he first put on a white, short sleeved cotton shirt which was covered by a leather cuirass. Next he found a pair of steel greaves, which he quickly buckled around his legs. Finally he draped the red cloak over his shoulders and fastened it with a golden buckle in the shape of three claws near his right shoulder. Naruto pulled the hood over his head, casting the upper half of his face in shadow, only his glowing eyes, the lower half of his face and the two bangs remained visible.
"Uzumaki, this is your last chance. Will you truly give up all you desire and devote yourself to distributing justice across the realms? Will you ride forth with the Horsemen you will choose to punish the wicked, be the Kings of Men, Lords of Heaven or the Dregs of Hell?"
Without hesitation the transformed boy looked up and spoke. "I will." His voice had grown slightly deeper with a slight growl in it.
"Then it is time for the next piece of War's power. Come forward and plunge your left hand into the fire pit in front of us. Do not be frightened, this is just a final test for your resolve. Now come."
Nervously the boy inched closer and stared at the magma flowing in the trench. 'Can I really trust them?' he thought.
Memories of the pain from the first transformation still vivid in his mind. Then remembered how he had come out of that, and what was at stake if he refused. Gritting his teeth the blonde clenched his hand into a fist and plunged it into the magma up to his elbow, roaring in pain as it began to move around him.
The lava wrapped itself up to Naruto's shoulder and turned black as it quickly began to cool and harden. The boy panted at the strain from not moving as he felt whatever power the Charred Council used working on his arm. Within minutes the rock shattered and he was allowed to marvel at his newest 'gift.'
His arm looked easily doubled in size and was clad in the biggest gauntlet he had ever seen, each armored finger ending in a deadly looking claw. A skull outlined in red was embedded into the back was easily visible when he twisted his wrist to examine it.
"That is War's gauntlet. During one of his moments of rebellion he had lost his arm and his elder brother gifted him with this to replace the limb. It is indestructible and can tear through most low-level demons without much effort. Wield it with honor."
Naruto nodded and turned his gaze to the demon still trapped in the hand of fire. "What are you plans for him?"
"As soon as we are finished with you then we shall eliminate the demon. We have no use for him so his existence is not necessary."
Naruto's brow furrowed as he heard the fate planned for the Kyuubi. While he did not like the beast, it was the reason he had survived so long and it had even helped him in the fight on the bridge. "Isn't there some way you could have him work for you?"
"And what use would we have for a demon?"
Naruto paused before an idea occurred to him. "On Earth the Kyuubi is feared as the most powerful of demons. His name alone causes most to tremble in fear. Plus he has been around for a while so his experience could be pretty useful."
Both the recently freed demon and empowered mortal waited as the council considered his words. After much deliberation a decision was reached.
"Very well. The demon shall be allowed to continue living." Both sighed in relief. "And he shall remain under your charge."
"What/What?"
The hand of fire began to expand, curling around the fox and trapping him in a ball of pure flame. Then it began to compress, reducing the fox to a ball of demonic energy the size of a baseball, and surged forward.
It slammed into Naruto's stomach with enough force to knock the wind out of him. Sinking once more to his knees the boy gasped for air as he felt the Kyuubi's energy course through his veins. With the surge of energy came a change to Naruto's left gauntlet. The metal turned as bright red as metal in a forge and began to warp and change. It maintained its impressive size but when the heat faded it had become dark red with veins of black running along it. The skull was replaced by an image of the left side of Kyuubi's face, the visible eye glowing bright red and teeth bared as if ready to tear out the throat of its next victim.
"The fox is tied to your soul now and has become your responsibility. You will aide each other to ensure that you both survive. Is that understood?"
Naruto nodded and sighed. "Even now I am still the Kyuubi's keeper. We just can't seem to escape each other can we furball?"
"Shut up kit," the Kyuubi growled from inside Naruto's mind. "I can still make your life a living hell."
"Too late for that furball."
"Share banter with your pet some other time War," the middle head's voice interrupted the fox's comeback. The blonde winced at the enraged roar of said 'pet'. "You must return to the Earth. An event you humans called the Chunin Exams is about to be hosted by your own village. Go to your village, rejoin your team and enter these exams. It is possible you will meet one if not two of your future brethren there."
"Chunin Exams," Naruto muttered. "Just how long have I been here?"
His question was ignored as the council began talking again.
"You will need a weapon but, even if we have made you a Horseman your power does not match that of the original War and thus you will not be able to wield his sword, Chaoseater, with the same skill as he once did. Thus we have no choice but to do as we once did when War was punished for unintentionally aiding the forces of Hell conquer the Earth. The sword has been reduced to the same level as then, it will be your duty to learn to master it." A new portal opened to Naruto's right. From this portal rose a sword as long as he was tall. From the part of the blade that he could see Naruto was able to distinguish that the entire length was decorated with the screaming faces of the tormented and damned souls of human, demon and angel alike. "This is War's blade and the source of his ability to wield the magic of Chaos. As you grow stronger and more capable so too shall your blade."
Naruto stared at the sword a moment, studying its shape and appearance. Though he had never seen this weapon before it felt as familiar to him as if he had carried it all his life. Raising his right hand to the hilt he wrapped his fingers around the warm metal. The soft leather wrappings molded to his grip with ease and with a sharp pull he drew it from the portal.
The newborn horseman sliced the air with his new weapon, testing the feel of its weight and found himself greatly satisfied. Once finished he placed the sword against his back over his right shoulder. The moment the blade came into contact with his clothes a flame shot from the point where the blade met the hilt and wrapped diagonally around his chest and back to the blade where it wrapped itself several times before fading, a leather strap in its place. Satisfied with the newest addition to his gifts he looked to the council in a silent question to continue.
"There may come a time when you will need to seek the counsel of one with more current experience of the human world," the stone head on the right said. "After the seals were restored we allowed a few of the beings who aided the horseman in restoring order to remain in the mortal world. There is a demon by the name of Vulgrim who is one such individual. He is a merchant and he once aided the former Horsemen in their endeavors with information and even certain items."
A portal appeared at one end of the island. From this portal appeared a large amount of blue smoke figures that looked like human souls. "Vulgrim does not accept pay in the usual terms. For demons the souls of the dead act as currency. With the right amount of souls Vulgrim will tell you everything you need to know."
Naruto walked over to the portal. As he drew closer his left arm began to glow, he held it in front of him and the souls converged on the spot where Kyuubi's mouth was. They faded into the metal and disappeared, but Naruto could feel them. With a simple thought he could feel how many he had.
"So do I just jump through this portal?"
"Yes. Normally we would send you back the same way we have with the original Horsemen but considering the wariness of your people we decided it would be better to simply use the portal." He barely resisted the urge to ask what the usual method was and let them continue their little final speech. "Remember War, you are the last hope for the balance. Succeed in the quest and you will emerge victorious. Fail, and all will be lost."
"So, no pressure," the boy chuckled and turned to the portal. "Well...onward and upward."
Naruto jumped into the portal and disappeared. As the portal closed behind him an ominous silence filled the island of the Charred Council. They had made their last move, now they were left to see if this final attempt would hold true or fall under the power of pure chaos.
EARTH- ZABUZA'S HILL:
On the hill where Naruto's new path first began, a blue portal similar to one that appeared the first time opened and from this portal rose the realm's newest defender and Horseman, Naruto Uzumaki. "I'm really starting to hate those things," he growled as he rose to his feet. Portal travel left him with a terrible sensation of vertigo.
"Quit your whining," the Kyuubi's voice echoed in his head. "At least you can move around on your own desire."
"Well at least you're still breathing."
"Good point."
'Just deal with it for now,' Naruto thought he heard the fox mumble something, but his attention was caught by the sight of the two graves in front of him, and the sword being used as a grave marker. Placing his palms together he bowed one last time in prayer.
His business done, Naruto turned and walked down into the forest surrounding the hill. Heading straight for his destination would be difficult. The only way to get off the island was to either charter a boat or take the bridge. He would have to wait until nightfall to avoid detection.
"I should probably sleep," he said and started to look for suitable shelter. "Having your body broken down and refashioned can be a bit tiring."
The Kyuubi chuckled at the comment and Naruto was finally blessed with a stroke of good fortune. He found an abandoned building and went inside to find the place sparsely furnished. He found several kimonos in one chest and a roll of bandages on a dresser. Further investigation unearthed several scrolls that held several things like suiton jutsu, sword kata for a zanbato, and even a sealing scroll full of money.
'Kit, I think you just found where that Zabuza guy was hiding out.'
"Most likely," he answered before placing the scroll he'd been skimming over back in the chest it came from. "This should make a good place to bed down for a few hours. Can you wake me up once enough time has passed for the sun to go down?"
'No problem.'
"Thanks." With that, the new bearer of the name War leaned his sword against the wall and collapsed onto the bed. With a contented sigh he let exhaustion finally make its presence known and darkness quickly took him.
Well that's chapter one. Hope y'all liked it, decided to give him the original Chaoseater instead of him taking Kubikiribocho.
Also some people, my aibou Kamen Rider Arashi among them, has asked if Naruto looks exactly like War build and all so I'll clarify that here. After his current transformation Naruto is around the same height as Rock Lee but where Lee is slim Naruto is bulked similar to how Zabuza was.
In future chapters, most likely after the timeskip, Naruto will gain bulk similar to War's form but for now try to imagine War a little slimmer, his body built for more flexibility to add to his impressive strength. He's still the most physically powerful but just a little more reasonable looking considering Naruto is only 12 in canon.
Hope to see more fans in the future, Yurei King signing out.