The Death of Naruto Uzumaki - Story by JustObviousAnswers
Chapter 1
He coughed up blood; a large amount of red spewing out of his mouth onto the blackened ground - Naruto Uzumaki leaned back against the rock breathing heavily.
Around him bodies laid across the land thrown about randomly while small fires burned away at the little nature left; the Fourth Shinobi War was finally over - Naruto had defeated Madara Uchiha.
But at what cost? - he thought looking around at the destruction and death around him.
To his right laid Kiba Inuzuka's body torn in half: his upper torso a few meters from his lower half. His lifelong companion Akamaru dead at his feet - as master and kit rested together.
In front of Naruto his trusted adviser and Fourth Battalion Leader - Shikamaru Nara laid back looking peacefully asleep next to his wife Temari Nara. Both their chests cracked open at the middle, Temari's neck laid at an awkward angle.
Not far from them both, their brother in marriage and blood; Gaara the Godaime Kazekage leaned against a giant pillar of sand - his head facing the ground while blood ran down his neck. A large gaping hole in his forehead giving a gruesome view, but Naruto stared at it not looking away. Long ago he would of emptied the contents of his stomach at such a sight, now it was something he saw everyday.
The War had changed the blond Jinchuriki for better and for worse - four years of hard fought battles against the three powerhouse war-gods; Madara Uchiha, Obito Uchiha, and Kabuto Yakushi had made Naruto stronger but more cold and calculated, most of all unforgiving.
Gone were the days of the careless, reckless blonde troublemaker - in his steed a fearless leader set to fight against the immense power stacked against him.
A small; very small twitch of his lips played in a grin as he looked over the head of the once powerful god Madara Uchiha - his body missing all the limbs and appendages of a normal human; all that was left just a simple head and hair spiked against a Mokuton made piece of wood.
Naruto leaned his head back away from the view, his grin increasing looking at the dark night sky; he had stopped the Eye of the Moon Plan - signified by the perfect full moon night shining down letting Naruto take a relaxing deep breath.
As quick as his grin appeared it was gone as his head returned to the scene before him; but at what cost? The repetitive thought enveloped his mind, running round and round.
His thoughts went to the Villages - Kirigakure was in ruins, Iwagakure laid to nothing but ashe, Kumogakure lost half it's mountains, the other Villages burning or otherwise gone. Even his home Konohagkure; the one thing he had set out in this War to defend - gone from the Earth as nothing but burnt ashes with a half torn apart mountain as a backdrop.
None of his friends survived the War; the original Konoha 10 dead, the Kage's gone from their battle against Madara, Sasuke dead in the Valley of the End by Naruto's hand, all his comrades in arms sacrificed theirs lives in the final battle against Obito and Madara together.
Naruto was the single shinobi soul left on the Earth; staring into the night air as silence transcended around him. He knew there were other survivors: a few civilians, too few were left strewn throughout the Nations. He knew his job now would be to gather everyone and create a new Village for them to live in; but the thought of continuing on in his comrades steed was without energy. It broke his heart the thought of living without his loved ones, without ever seeing their faces again.
A tear fell down his face; crashing into his jacket - it had been three years since he had cried, the War had forced Naruto to forget his emotions: what made him human. Even when one of his best friends Neji Hyuga had died in his arms he didn't shed a tear. But now, everything was lost - every hope, dream, thoughts of the future gone because of the War.
"Are you disappointed in me?" he thought shakely to his only comrade left.
The old fox sat silently in his mind; the Great Kyubi no Yoko had no words for the only friend he'd ever had - even during his long life the demon had never seen such devastation and destruction. The entire world seemed dead around them; how could he respond to the blonde who was holding such tremendous disappointment and sadness on his shoulders.
"Of course not - I will never be disappointed in you", he said in a low voice.
"You will be" he retorted, to which the Fox gave a confused look.
Naruto closed his eyes; in his right hand a black chakra staff forming from nothing - "I'm sorry my friend."
The Fox became wide eyed - because of their shared thoughts he knew what the boy was about to do, the action formulating in his mind; he attempted to yell at the boy. To tell him to stop, that Seppuku was not the answer; but his voice caught in his throat as he knew nothing he said would change Naruto's mind. Instead his eyes closed as he accepted death, the great foxes last thought of how the honor to die with Naruto Uzumaki was the greatest he knew.
Darkness descended on the two beings - they finally laid to rest as both bodies were relieved of all the years of tension and anguish.
His eyes opened to darkness - a darkness so great it appeared nothing was around him at all, like he was floating on the black nothingness.
Is this the afterlife? Naruto thought his mind relaxing.
"I hope not, it would be some hell to be trapped in you even in death" a voice retorted in his mind, huffing a orange fox.
"What the hell?" Naruto flinched at Kurama's voice. "Some hell indeed - Kami must love irony" the fox snapped back.
"I do not care for your insignificant problems Kyubi" a voice rang behind Naruto making him jump.
Turning around he came face to face with a large floating creature wearing a white haori with intricate red lacings - covering it's purple skin. In it's left hand a short cutting knife, in it's right a red strand of beads.
As Naruto looked up to examine the face of the being, his blood ran cold - Shinigami.
The creature stared down at the startled boy seemingly evaluating him. Naruto looked at it's chest somehow seeing straight through the visage, while still making the outline of the 'body' of the Shinigami.
The death god crossed its long arms, the haori folding at the middle: Greetings Mortal.
The last Uzumaki quickly closed his eyes - the hissing sound of the Shinigami's voice sent a shiver up his spine and a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time grew in his throat: fear.
"Do not close your eyes.." the Shinigami commanded, relenting he opened them staring at the unworldly creature before him. How is this possible? Does death command all souls to the other side?
"No, I do not" the Shinigami responded to Naruto's thoughts surprising him. "I ferry select souls to the afterlife - others find their way easily, most who reach old age or die an expected death have little trouble finding their loved ones in the afterlife."
The blonde looked down at the ground thinking of his loved ones; the people he would see in the beyond because he was too weak to protect them. The world he once knew all passed on to the other side because of his failures - even with the power of the Kyubi no Yoko he was inept in saving them.
"The world as you know it is coming to an end, mortal. Almost all souls have perished in the puny war you humans started - selfishly taking along with you many other creatures lives. I estimate the remaining souls on your world is currently about three percent."
The Death God's voice trailed in a telling push of blame onto the blonde before him, Naruto looked down in shame and Kurama stayed quiet knowing he was also a helping party in this destruction.
"This is Unacceptable" - Naruto looked up in confusion. I thought souls traveling to your domain would please a shinigami.
"There is an imbalance; with so many relinquished of life - humanity no longer fears death. Nor are there any souls left for me to reap. This is unacceptable, as such your actions shall not go unpunished."
Naruto just stared at the Shinigami; "You blame me yet you know why I fought in this War, why such slaughter happened."
"Yes, I watched as the descendants of Indra and Asura battled just like their fathers before them as fate played the strings of life. Do not think we were inept or unknowing in this callous destruction. Since the day Kaguya was given the Power of Chakra left by Gods we have watched your world carefully, evaluating if interference was needed.. that day has come" he stayed silent staring at the mortal man before him.
"Your world is destroyed because of mortal problems; a role you played key in - as such I will make it your burden to fix these problems" the Shinigami commanded making Naruto's anger rise.
"How! How do you expect me to fix that which is already done! I failed once in that damn hell of a world trying to defeat the evil you gave free reign. You must of seen my goals were to eradicate the evil and save human life, yet I stood alone with only my own power to battle against those who were considered gods!" Naruto screamed at him, a tear streaking down his face. "Of course you blame me, it's easier than to accept incompetence!"
The Death God chuckled making Naruto's anger fall; "You think those mortals contained the power of a God? I can see how a mortal such as yourself might believe such things. Or wait - because you defeated them do you now think yourself a god Uzumaki? hm? No, a mortal cannot even come close to the kind of power we possess; it isn't even a question."
Naruto swallowed realizing he had yelled at a death god; "I am not Madara, I don't think myself better than others - I simply saying I was left high and dry while he possessed powers I did not."
"Oh the son of Asura complains about not having powers of his own - tell me do you think the control of Yin and Yang can be possessed by any mere mortal? How about Senjutsu? Sage Mode? Hm?" the reaper teased him, making the blonde look down seeing the truth to the words.
"Fine but I can't save the souls already dead - that job falls upon you; like you said I'm just a mortal" he snapped back.
"Ah in the present yes those souls are dead, but what about in the past? I do not fall prey to such limitations as time or physical boundaries unlike yourself - so to make this your mortal problem I will simply send you back in time where those souls still live."
The blonde was quiet now, no words formulated at the thought of traveling to the past. To travel backwards in time would mean all his friends and family would be still alive; he could save them from such careless death.. but how? He had failed in such a fight once before, what would change this time?
The Shinigami stared at him a moment, reading his thoughts "This time you shall not be alone - I shall return to you the Yin chakra of your tenant, bequeathed to me by your father."
Before Naruto could protest, the shinigami put his small blade to his chest making a slow horizontal cut. Nothing spilled out, the death god reached within the contents of it's chest feeling around.
"W-What the hell are you doing?!" he gaped as the shinigami dragged out a milky-white substance that appeared to shimmer and move without apparent force.. is that a soul? Just as the wound closed up on it's own; the death god leaned forward and quickly shoved the essence into Naruto's stomach. Forced back by the invisible force, he fell down - as the feeling of large chakra flowed through his coils and veins.
The feeling Naruto's mind could only describe as complete was felt throughout his body - like a puzzle piece of his tenants chakra had fallen back into place. Kurama purred in his mind; making the blonde smile, he looked up at the Shinigami who stared down at him still elapsed in evaluation.
After a few moments of enthralled staring the shinigami came forward locking eyes with Naruto making his body still.
"Prepare yourself."
"Prepare myself for whaaaaaaaaargh!" Naruto cried out in pain and surprise as the scalding tremors of pain flowed through his mind and body searing from his eyes. He doubled over in agony; the feeling of someone scraping into his retina with a hot rod was unbearable. Finally after a few minutes the pain subsided and Naruto could sit up to look at the Shinigami - his thoughts filled with ideas of how to kill a death god. "What was that!?"
Surprising the Uzumaki the reaper seemed to chuckle; then looked down at him with a serious expression - "Behold yourself and the blessing I have given you Uzumaki Naruto." It paused, contemplating. "Or perhaps I should call you.. Uchiha Naruto?"
The reaper held up his hand to Naruto - appearing in it a perfectly circular mirror; Naruto stared back into it; the most noticeable change spotted immediately. He shook with anger and hatred as staring back at him was two red eyes stained with a single black tomoe in each. Analyzing his face he also noticed subtle changes to his features; his chin more angular and straight, his cheekbones raised higher, his hair turned black and longer; he looked more handsome. Even his body felt different; his muscles stronger more agile, his mind even sharper.
"W-What have you done!?" he leaned away from the mirror, disapproving anger in his eyes.
The death god stared back making the boy squirm - "I gave you a gift, you are doing a deed of which we need to be accomplished; acting in my steed to right the wrongs of the past. Correct the mistakes of the older generations and the existence you once experienced will not come to be - this is our pact, our contract- "
"I look like a fucking Uchiha!" he screamed at the god, who frowned.
"That is my intent - your existence as Uzumaki Naruto will be a hindrance to the task I have assigned you; thus, you are Uchiha."
"Cut the crap! I don't want Madara's Eyes! I have seen the darkness these eyes are capable of; always bringing despair on those who wield it- "
"That was mortal decisions, not the power of the eyes themselves - do not think of chakra as a changer of emotion, rather a tool of which a person wields. The Uchiha's of the past did not become what they are because of their eyes, but rather their eyes were used to further what they had become."
Naruto silenced at this mulling it over, of which the Shinigami looked pleased.
"You will act in my stead" he continued "But on one condition: you must undo the damage that has been done. I can sense we are in agreement of this so I shall not hear you argue." he waited for a retort that did not come. "I will give you as much time as needed. But know this; if you fail your assigned task you will suffer the consequences of your actions. Should you falter, your deeds will be known to me. Should you hesitate, I will come for you. Should you perish: before your completed task, I will devour your soul and then we will start anew" Naruto shivered.
"Now Uzumaki Naruto's existence is gone; born anew you are Uchiha Naruto - in this, when you are back in time you will have the same mind and body experience as you did at your death; however shall someone dwell within your memories they will see the past life of Uchiha Naruto rather than Uzumaki. All the history of your new life will be shown, as such nobody will question your existence. However I must warn you about making others aware you of a future world; a world that will cease to exist - I suggest you strafe forward alone for now but I will allow three others to know of what was your real 'past'." Naruto simply nodded; having not thought that far forward.
"Now you have stayed in limbo for too long, your mind is starting to be affected. I will send you on your journey now, do not falter Uchiha Naruto!"
The now black haired boy snapped out of his thoughts; "Do I get any choice in this?"
"No" the reaper growled. "Goodbye for now Naruto".
The darkness descended around him as his consciousness waned.
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