"Well, this is new..." It was an offhand remark by a Scottish-accented voice belonging to a stout man wearing a casual black business suit with a jacket and matching tie. He looked about his surroundings, seeing a small blonde-haired boy wearing what – at first glance – appeared to be a prison jumpsuit. As he started a little harder, the businessman realized that it wasn't a prison outfit, no it was just a jump suit.
Naruto looked up in awe at the man and then looked back at the Forbidden Seal Scroll, reading the instructions again. "Oji-san (old man), this says I was supposed to summon super-powerful person or monster. But, you look... Kinda weak," he remarked in displeasure, his face twisted in an assortment of negative emotions.
The businessman stared askance at the boy and tilted his head slightly. "Wait, you're saying that you summoned me? Crowley, the Head of Crossroads Demons," he pondered aloud in a bit of surprise. Seeing the boy nod with a lack of enthusiasm, Crowley shook his head. "Well, I'm definitely powerful. I'm powerful enough to grant whatever wish you may ever desire," he addressed to the child, kneeling at the blonde's height.
Naruto's eyes sparkled with mirth as he looked at the man. "Really? Can you destroy whole ninja villages? Or wipe out armies like the Fourth Hokage? Or grow entire Forests as an attack like the First Hokage?" he chirruped with hope-filled eyes.
The man frowned at the boy. "Kid, you're a little young to be filing your head with such talk of death," he noted as he took in the scene surrounding the pair. There were trees densely populating the region and not a single road criss-crossing in sight. It really unnerved the man.
Naruto shook his head, ignoring the man's concerns. "I bet you can, can't you?! Train me! I wanna e super cool like that! I wanna be the strongest Hokage ever!"
Crowley looked up in the trees as a few birds fluttered away, startled at the noises that his blonde companion was making. "Well, I've been known to wipe out a city or two from time to time. Ever heard of Pompeii," he offered, hoping to wow the child. For some reason he actually liked this kid.
Naruto shook his head after a moment's thought and pumped his fist. "Alright! You're gonna train me, right?!" Seeing the man frown and open his mouth, he hastened to interrupted. "Why can't I get anyone to train me? It's not fair," he whined as he kicked a stone sending it hurling off into the dense foliage while crossing his arms.
Crowley whistled as he looked at the distance that the stone went. "Look kid. I could train you, but the results will be-" his words were interrupted as he felt a presence enter the area. He waved his hand, changing himself to only be visible to his summoner, Naruto.
"Naruto, there you are," Iruka called out in relief. The sun was just starting to peek up over the horizon. It had taken the Chuunin a few hours longer than he thought it would to track down Naruto and it had given the blonde enough time to master Kage Bunshin before moving on to a new technique, Forbidden Summoning.
Naruto grinned widely as he held up the massive scroll and displayed it proudly to Iruka. "Hey, Iruka-sensei! I mastered Shadow Cloning already and I was about to figure out the next technique just now," he admitted warmly with a bright smile on his face.
Iruka looked at Naruto like the blonde had lost his mind. "Naruto, that scroll you took. It's really dangerous and we need to return it to the Hokage," he intoned with a sharp commanding voice. "I don't know why you stole it, but Hokage-sama will forgive you if you bring it back," he stated matter-of-factually.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Mizuki-sensei told me-" Naruto started before Crowley snapped his fingers, essentially freezing time with the exception of Naruto an himself.
"Naruto," the demon remarked enjoying the feel of the name over his tongue as he drew the surprised teen's attention. When the blonde looked to him, he continued. "It seems that whomever told you grab this scroll purposefully mislead you. And seeing as I'm stuck here until you give me a wish that I can grant, I may as well look after you. Just don't think I'm some guardian angel," he snapped at the last in annoyance.
Naruto looked especially confused. "Huh, but Mizuki-sensei is one of the nicest people that I know," he commented, before spotting a shock of purple hair in the trees. "Look, he's right there," Naruto pointed out as literally aimed a finger at the man.
Crowley looked over at the purple-haired ninja and actually grinned. That was a twisted soul. Something delicious that was more common to summon himself or a demon within his domain. With naught but a thought, Naruto watched as Crowley exploded into a plume of red smoke and poured himself into the mouth, eyes and nose of Mizuki just before time re-asserted itself.
Mizuki, eyes gone completely black smirked, his face mirroring that off the businessman that consumed the host. "Sorry, Iruka. I was honestly just a harmless joke. I told Naruto that he should steal the scroll and learn a technique from it," he explained, his eyes hidden in the shadows of the trees, but his smile glowing with an other-worldly light.
Iruka frowned at his fellow teacher. "Why would you even joke with Naruto about something like that? You know that he puts his whole heart into becoming a ninja," he complained before turning to look at Naruto. "Here, give me the scroll Naruto and we'll have a talk to the Hokage," he offered warmly.
Naruto nodded and rolled the scroll up and looked into the trees at Mizuki, whose black on black on black eyes flashed crimson before turning to his natural blue shade. "So, since I still took the scroll and mastered a jutsu does that mean I'm a ninja now," he barked with a cheeky grin on his cherub face.
Iruka shook his head morosely. "Look, Naruto, that's not up to me to decide, only the Hokage can instate ninjas. Even those kids that graduated from the academy, they aren't instated until the Hokage signs them on. If he sees something in them that is not good for the village, he won't even pretend to enlist them. And some that try and dedicate themselves to being shinobi, even with no talent are hired on and placed to train in special teams that can carry them. As for you, I'm not certain what Hokage-sama will do," he offered in all seriousness.
Naruto frowned but fell in step behind Iruka as the older man took the trees, the scroll in his arms. Crowley, inhabiting Mizuki smirked as he enjoyed the lovely taste of the man's soul. So many dark emotions made up the man's psyche and acted like a sweet honey-glaze marinade. "Oh dear," he remarked as the memories began to spill from the host body into Crowley. 'Chakra? Such an interesting use of power,' he mentally considered as he allowed himself to play with the energy within Mizuki's body. The man had so much wasted potential, but now that Crowley of the substance he was devoted to playing with it. There were many power players in Hell and while Crowley was the Head of Operations in his small division, Crossroad Demons weren't exactly known for being powerful fighters, and this Chakra might just be the factor necessary to gaining a higher position.
Naruto looked at the demon, seeing his teacher's eyes change to complete black. "So, are you gonna stick around and train me?" he asked eagerly.
The smile that stretched onto Mizuki's usually placid face should have been unnerving, but in the blonde kid's eyes it was a sign of acceptance which led to him showing exuberant glee. Internally Crowley's mind was tossing back and forth with questions. From Mizuki's mind the boy was apparently some kind of massive demon fox that made even his powers pale in comparison. Mizuki wasn't exactly well-informed as the information was made illegal to discuss, but apparently the Yondaime (Fourth) had used a seal (Fuinjutsu) to change the Kyuubi (Nine-tails) into a simple boy.
The sheer volume of destruction wrought on this village by the beast in only a few hours time was staggering! And to consider that several of its attacks had been redirected to surrounding areas to prevent the village being wiped off of the map made Crowley truly intrigued.
Looking at the sunny smile on the child's face and pure innocence in his soul, the Crossroads Demon was at a complete loss as to how such a feat could be possible. As a plan began to formulate in his mind, Crowley spoke softly to Naruto, his voice heard only to the small boy. "Let's make a deal, boy. You will learn under me everything that I can teach you for the price of your future servitude," Crowley offered, hoping that the bait would entice the boy into a healthy contract, one in which Crowley could use well.
Naruto screwed his face up in consternation. "But, I don't to be the servant, I want to become the Hokage so that I can become the greatest leader ever, dattebayo," he returned in a bit of doubt, his eyes narrowed to slits.
It was seeing these that brought everything into a clear image. The boy's facial birthmarks hat looked like whiskered scars, the slitted vulpine eyes in his expression and the propensity to the same shade of orange as the Kyuubi in Mizuki's memories. This boy was certainly every bit the demon fox that the teacher had thought he was.
"Okay, how about I make you Hokage? Will that be an acceptable wish," he pondered, beginning to feel uneasy. He wasn't used to granting the wishes of innocent kids.
Naruto scratched his chin in thought. "I don't want to 'just become' Hokage, dattebayo... There's no point if I haven't gotten everyone's attention through my own actions. So that's not a good wish to make since I can do that on my own. I just want some super awesome powers and incredible jutsu that I can rub in Sasuke's face," he crowed happily, earning Iruka's attention.
Iruka looked behind himself at the speaking pair, but when he went to say something, Crowley waved a hand in his direction and the man turned back to the facing the front, all thoughts on the outburst gone from his mind.
Naruto began to practically vibrated at the display and the smile stretching over his face threatened to split his head in half. "That... was... SO COOL!"
Crowley almost gave an embittered and snarky comment before an idea struck him. "Those are the kinds of jutsu that you want to learn? The talents of a demon," he offered. Seeing the boy nod his head so vigorously that it looked like it would fall off, Crowley smirked. 'Oh, this is too easy!'
"Yeah, yeah yeah! I want those awesome kind of jutsu, dattebayo!" Naruto could see it now! A wave of his hand he could kick Sasuke's ass and make Sakura acknowledge that he was the best! 'Maybe she'll even go on a date with me,' he considered as he rubbed his nose with his index. 'This is gonna be awesome!'
Crowley nodded his head. "Okay, how about this. I'll train you to become a demon, maybe even the greatest demon ever. But when you die, /naturally/, you'll become my servant." 'Oh this is too rich. Not only will I get the power of this Kyuubi, a power near that of Lucifer himself, but I'll be the one to train him and earn his fealty,' he considered darkly.
Naruto nodded his head emphatically. "Yeah, I can do that. Natural death... Mhm!" As the blonde fell into snickers at thoughts of being super-awesome, he never noticed Mizuki approaching him. Being pulled to a halt, Naruto suddenly looked up in alarm as his teacher's eyes went black on black on black.
Naruto's world was rocked and shattered as his teacher shared a passionate, open-mouthed, tongue to tongue kiss with him. He flushed red in rage, but couldn't pull away, feeling something inside himself twisting and shifting. His eyes widened and fell into the passion of the moment, eyes drifting closed.
Crowley pulled away with a sinister smirk. "All deals are sealed with a kiss, and mine are the most powerful," he noted. Seeing the blonde boy slowly nod as he looked at his hands, Crowley in Mizuki's body snapped his right hand.
Power, unbridled and unrestrained flooded the woods. A thick black smoke poured in all directions completely obscuring and blanketing the woods for nearly the diameter of two kilometers. At the epicenter of the smoke screen that was drawing a lot of attention from the nearby ninja, Naruto fell o his knees, eyes now displaying black sclera, black iris and pupils the depths of the darkest pits would be jealous of.
To his side was a smiling Crowley. "Imagine," he considered to himself aloud, "that a boy could contain this much demonic energy... Naruto, you really are something special, you know that?," he praised proudly. Oh, the boy had the cloud of the eldest and most powerful of demons, and he was yet to even reach maturity.
Naruto gasped wildly and looked around himself, slowly pulling himself to his feet. "Wow, what's with all of this smoke, dattebayo," he pondered, waving his hand to move it out of his face. Surprisingly, when his hand moved the cloud moved with it, clearing a perfect tunnel to let him see a straight mile out. With his mouth agape, the blonde child couldn't speak.
Crowley grinned like the devil that he was and when a devil grinned it was a thing of true terror. Many in history had made a reference to demonic grins, but few had actually the displeasure of seeing it. "Naruto, this cloud of smoke as you put, is the amount of energy you're wasting, some of your power is leaking out in every direction. You must rein it in. It's your power, control it and use it at your will. become its master and I can train you," he offered.
The sound of Iruka's voice calling out for the pair drew Naruto's attention and he shouted back his location, yet the ninja didn't seem to be coming any closer. "What do I do? How do I control this," he asked of Crowley, eyes peering left and right. He couldn't see two inches in front of his face, yet he could see Crowley in his true form, super-imposed over Mizuki's body. It didn't really make sense to blonde boy, but that didn't matter to him at the moment.
Crowley sighed in consternation. He was half-hopeful, despite Mizuki's memories of Naruto sucking at control. "Naruto, just focus. Think about the smoke returning to you and staying within," he offered. It was rather difficult to put into words how a demon used its gifts. It usually came to a demon after a few hundred years of drifting as a black mist.
"Well, nothing worth having is worthwhile if you didn't earn it," the Crossroads Demon considered.
Naruto nodded his head having heard the man's words, bi the advice and the remark at the end. He closed his eyes tightly and began to concentrate, feeling the cloud itself. It was like it was an extension of himself. He could feel through it perfectly. He could sort of see where Iruka was leaping left and right, stumbling over branches in his blindness as he called out for Naruto and Mizuki.
"Concentrate. Don't get distracted, Naruto," Crowley encouraged, smiling as he felt and saw the cloud entering the boy's body. It was startling what that small bit of encouragement had done. He could see Naruto brightening, his innocence growing and his mind shifting towards Crowley himself. 'Spectacular,' he thought in glee.
After a few minutes, Naruto managed to suck his entire cloud into his body, his eyes still that unnatural black on black on black. That coupled with the beatific smile of the lad wrenched something in Crowley. For the first time in his death, the man felt a stirring, something akin to fondness. He didn't hate the boy! 'Not entirely, anyway..." he mentally edited.
Naruto looked up at Mizuki with eyes that should have been death incarnate, yet instead they were pleasant. "You... You gave me a kekkei genkai (Bloodline Limit)! This is so freaking awesome," Naruto cheered, imagining his new bloodline trait would definitely boost his standings.
"A kekkei genkai?" Crowley considered at length as he looked the boy over. "Sure, why not. It fits the traits. But naturally you can't reveal this to anyone until you've mastered, Naruto," he added as a stipulation.
Unfortunately, that was when six ANBU arrived as well as the Hokage, Hiiruzen Sarutobi. Each were arrayed around Naruto in concern. Looking upon the boy and his unholy eyes, the men nearly shat themselves.
Yet, Naruto was indifferent to the gathered reactions, bouncing up to his grandfather figure with all the exuberance that he had ever shown. "Jiji (grandfather)! Look, I have a super awesome kekkei genkai now!" he shouted as he billowed out a cloud of black smoke that obscured everything around. After a few moments Naruto pulled it back into himself, seemingly understanding how to control quite well.
"Well, there goes that plan," Crowley sighed in defeat. Turning his attention to the village's leader, a man who had earned the title "God of Ninja", he put on fake airs. "Hokage-sama, Iruka and I found Naruto. I must apologize. I was pulling a rather nasty prank of Naruto in revenge for defacing the Hokage Monument. I only meant for him to challenge you and get bashed about, I never once thought that he would actually succeed in stealing the scroll from you," he offered as he took a knee in submission to Hiruzen.
The aged Hokage looked at the form of one of his teachers and nodded. "That very well may have been case, Mizuki if not for Naruto surprising me with his S-class jutsu. By the way, Naruto..." There was a pregnant pause before the old man's face spread into a soft smile with a heavy blush. "You've hot to teach me that jutsu," the professor asked, his natural curiosity and desire to learn working in tandem with his lascivious hidden nature.
Naruto grinned ear to ear as his eyes returned to normal deep blue orbs that seemed as mesmerizing as the ocean. "Hell yeah! I made an S-class jutsu!"
Those gathered shifted back and forth as they were all out of the loop. With a soft cough, Hiruzen noted Iruka's arrival and took the scroll from him. "So, Naruto," the aged man began with interest. "You have a kekkei genkai?"
Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Mizuki-sensei taught me how to pull it in, he cried in sheer joy before frowning. "Mizuki-sensei," he mumbled as his face twisted in more confusion. "Mi-zu-ki-sensei... That's weird-ttebayo," the boy grumbled.
Mizuki shot Naruto a pointed glare before returning his eyes to the Hokage. "I know that this is not typically normal, Hokage-sama, but I want o suspend my duties as an instructor to focus on helping Naruto fix his traits," he offered, no malice in his eyes.
Hiruzen nodded, sliding a pipe into his mouth as looked the chuunin over. With a tired sigh and rubbing at his tired eyes he nodded. "You're correct that it's not normally done. But, as Naruto did fail his third time, the only chance he has to enter the ranks I'd on his own merit," he attested, voice filled with sorrow.
Naruto looked between the men blinked, not really understanding what was being said. "Hey jiji, I learned Kage Bunshin from that smelly old scroll, why can't I become a ninja now," he barked with anger in his voice.
Hiruzen smiled softly down on Naruto and knelt to be the same height, ruffling his blonde hair. "I have no doubt you'll surprise everyone with your training under Mizuki-kun. He's a really talented shinobi. Why, I would be willing to wager you'll be a shinobi in two or three months and even stronger because of it," he offered genially.
Naruto growled under his breath and huffed as he crossed his arms and turned away. "I'll show you, old man! I'll get so awesome that I'll be taking your hat next time," he b promised, his annoyance and wounded pride working in conjecture to dig a hole for the boy.
Hiruzen chuckled softly and nodded, "I look forward to it, Naruto." With his face growing serious, he looked to Mizuki, one of the two teachers to show any sign off compassion towards Naruto, the other being Iruka. "I leave him in your capable hands and I'm even willing to hire you on a C-rank mission out of my own pocket," the elder offered.
Mizuki raised his hands to protest. "That's not necessary, Hokage-sama! Naruto's a special boy and deserves to see his dreams come true."
Hiruzen nodded sternly but managed to convince Mizuki to accept payment before he and his entourage left.
Iruka looked at Mizuki with a find smile. "Take good care of Naruto, Mizuki. And hurry back to the school, I need your help with other trouble making brats," he teased before ruffling Naruto's hair and departing.
Now left alone, Mizuki allowed his eyes to turn crimson rather than black. "Listen closely, boy. I'm a demon. A real life demon that could destroy this village and everyone in it," he pointed out as he allowed his evil presence to manifest. If nin's had kill intent, then even a Jounin would be the equivalent of a mosquito bite to a crocodile's. Naruto was pinned, face white as a sheet and shivering as he felt his soul being played with by a master fiddler.
"If you ever try revealing me to someone again, I'll end our contract and consume your soul, boy," he threatened dangerously. "Understood?"
Naruto nodded his head weakly. "Y-yeah," he whispered. He had never felt so unnerved in all of his life.
"Good," Crowley insisted before his eyes changed back into Mizuki's soft blues. "Now let's get to your training," he suggested, watching as the boy regained color but still couldn't find the strength to move.
***line break***
It had been two weeks of hell.
Literally. They had come to Hell to complete the blonde's training after spending the past two months training in the village. Much to Crowley's enjoyment, Naruto's body had adjusted well to becoming half demonic and had ridden itself of the need for sleep and food. This had given Crowley all the excuse to run Naruto into the ground.
Even now his precious student was training the hard way, fighting to survive as it were..
Naruto rolled to the side and withdrew a kunai from his weapons pouch, sliding on a knee as he came face to face a growling demonic dog, a hellhound. The beast couldn't be described as it wasn't so much physical, but the strength of it was something Naruto had become accustomed to over the past two days.
A heavy growl echoed through chasms of of hell as Crowley's "puppy" opened a maw to bite down on the blonde boy. The six foot hound chomped air as the boy burst into white smoke, revealing himself as a clone.
Another Naruto appeared in a burst of black cloud and solidified on the hellhound's back, sitting upon the demonic animal as if it were a horse with a ride grin on his face. "Bahahaha, I gotcha Betty," he teased as he scratched the hellhound behind her ears.
Crowley smiled at the scene, still wearing the meat suit of Mizuki. Oh the man's soul had been so tasty! He had to stop himself from licking his lips at the enjoyable flavor. He had of course saved some of it, allowing it to grow back to its original form in a few years. That was the best way to keep a meat suit fresh, else it would begin to rot away.
"Well done Naruto. You've done exceptionally well. But, if you really want to take the hat off of that old man, you're going to need to punch through the levels of morality and be learn the true depths of becoming a demon," he announced cordially as he walked up to the boy and demonic dog.
Naruto grinned as he leaped free of his steed. "Neh, Mizuki-sensei," he called out, addressing Crowley in code to keep prying eyes from realizing whom he really was. "Are you gonna teach me how to do that hand jutsu you used on Iruka to make him not pay attention," he begged, jumping up and down in exuberance.
Crowley smirked cruelly and shook his head. "No, not yet. You've got to start at the bottom and work your way up-" Crowley suddenly paused and looked up, eyes somewhere else. "Ah, here's the perfect opportunity to take you to the next step. Forming a contract," he announced.
While there were many realms of mankind, Crowley did so enjoy enjoy one more than others. There were so many humans willing to sell their souls for such petty trivial things. None of them were even a challenge.
Naruto looked around and shrugged before Crowley rolled his eyes and vanished, Naruto following behind him.
Nashville, TN
Naruto gazed about in awe as he suddenly found himself in a very different world. It was a village unlike any he had ever heard of, steel boxes on black wheels were parked all around the hard paved road. The buildings were square and tall, seeming a bit more durable than those in his realm of birth.
Standing next to a recently dug up hole in the ground was a young woman with a mournful visage covered in a serious case of acne, a plucky body with a distinct lack of curves and lifeless, flat black hair. She was dressed in a simple white house dress and had bare feet.
Naruto took in the girl's appearance with awe. She was the first human he had ever seen outside of his home realm. With eyes glowing an ominous red, he looked to Crowley. "Is she the one that called us?"
The girl shuffled a bit, nervously. "Y-yes. I called for you," she announced feebly.
Naruto grinned up at the taller woman with mirth. "Well, what do you want?"
Strangely, the woman found the demon's smile infectious and actually returned the smile fondly. "Wow, I never thought demons would be so approachable," she remarked softly.
Crowley riled his eyes. "Well, he's a work in progress. Don't let it ruin your perception of us," he commented dryly.
Naruto only grinned wider, his eyes becoming slitted like a fox's. "What can I do for you, ma'am," he asked kindly as he folded his arms behind his head, his easy nature calming the girl's nerves immensely.
"I-... I want to be beautiful! I want to have the best of curves and hair that's full of life! I want to attract the attention if every man that I pass," she revealed, hope in her eyes.
Naruto frowned, his slitted eyes opening a fraction in surprise. "Is... Is that it," he puzzled as he scratched at his cheek. The girl nodded her head. "But-"
Naruto was cut off by Crowley. "Naruto, it's not our place to judge the dreams of others. Take yourself for example. We only ask for the wish and form a three year contract," he stated pleasantly.
Naruto shrugged. "Okay, well... I've got an idea for what to do," he announced as his eyes twinkled in mirth. "Pucker up, miss cause this is gonna be a doozy," he cheered, eager to form his first pact and move forward with his training.
The plain woman nodded and looked a little squeamish about kissing such an obvious child. But, the demon didn't much care to give her opportunity, pulling her head down to his height and kissing her with all of his passion, the image in his mind of the most beautiful ravenette he had ever seen.
The woman felt her knees going weak as she melted into the kids, falling to the ground in a heap, her lips still locked on the demon's. After a few mind-shattering moments that stretched to an infinity for the plain Jane, Naruto pulled back and looked at her.
Perfection didn't quite covert it. She was nearly the spitting image of Kurenai, still dressed in her simple house dress, the woman now had curly, wavy hair, vibrant green eyes, and swollen pouting lips, all the acne was gone leaving a pristine porcelain face behind with a natural beauty that would make one think she wore perfectly applied makeup.
Her figure had filled out considerably, curves at every avenue in a most tantalizing display that had even Crowley raising an eyebrow. Thick, muscular thighs went up to a tight, firm, rounded butt, a narrow and slender waist visible through the now filled out dress. This narrow waist flowed upwards in an hourglass fashion to large, swollen and pert breasts that pressed two excited nipples against the cloth garment.
She gasped as she looked down at herself. "Wow, I look amazing!"
Crowley nodded his head in agreement, honestly surprised by Naruto's job. He half expected to fix the boy's attempt, but he wasn't needed. And with the girl retaining her own eyes and finger prints, which he thought he may have to remind Naruto about, she had become a beauty wholly of her own.
"Well, enjoy your wish. We'll return in three years time," Crowley informed as he turned away vanishing in an instant.
Naruto grinned and waved in a friendly manner that had the awed woman returning the gesture, her eyes soft and a true smile on her face. In an instant, like his sensei, Naruto was gone.
"Jessica," called out a voice from a nearby building. The newly beautiful woman turned towards it with an annoyed huff and headed inside to start a while new life...
Hell
Naruto snickered to himself as he looked at the wholly unimpressed demon lord. Crowley was busy filling paperwork so Naruto had taken it upon himself to mess with the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse. Currently, famine was red in the face, his meat suit beginning to boil in his anger..
Naruto was busy hiding around the corner from the lord and snickering. Currently, the man's horse, a normally blue '88 Ford Mustang was now painted sea green and the emblem, a shield with a running horse had been replaced by a leaping impala.
"N-Naruto..."he growled out under his breath as this wasn't the first time that the blonde bratty student of Crowley had touched his belongings. "You're dead, brat!"
Naruto cackled wildly and took off running, Famine chasing behind him with a dagger in his hands. "Nyah! You old ghoul, you're never gonna catch me," Naruto teased as he pulled an eyelid and raced away.
Famine roared like the demon that he was and turned into a cloud of black smoke racing after the blonde boy all throughout Hell. "Stop running, brat and get your comeuppance," Famine cried as several demon lords watched the pair race by.
One particular entity, a being of resplendent white light shifted to observe the passing of one of his Generals and Hell's newest ward. Lucifer shook his nonexistent head and turned to look across his desk at one of his favorite Generals.
Everything vibrated and trembled as Lucifer spoke, demons wailed in agony at the sheer power being emitted and a young redheaded woman smiled softly, her white on white on white eyes glowing with lust and power.
As the woman, Lilith, leans forward, her presence nearing Lucifer's she spoke, her voice sounding like bells and music. "Oh, I quite enjoy the life Naruto has brought," she offered.
Hell trembled again as Lucifer said something else and Lilith smiled broadly. "I think you may be on to something. I'll have our daughter keep an eye on him," she returned sweetly, her eyes dancing in merriment.
As Lucifer fell silent Lilith stood up, dressed in a sheer white dress that prominently displayed everything beneath. The twinkle in her eyes promised as much mischief as Naruto's own eyes did. "Naruto, dear," she called out as the boy burst into smoke and avoided being skewered by Famine's dagger.
Solidifying at the feet of Lilith, Naruto looked up to the taller demoness, his eyes sparkling as he barely restrained a laugh. "Y... Yes, Lilith-neechan?"
The woman smirked at the boy, enjoying the nickname. "Our King has asked when you will be returning to your realm," she informed with a note of interest.
Famine strolled over to the pair with a sneer on his face, "not soon enough, as far as I'm concerned." Petulantly, the demon crossed his arms. "Now look, I've ruined another meat suit," he complained, gesturing at the body tinted lobster red with large boils up and down his form.
Lilith snickered in time to Naruto. "Oh, you're not losing much, Famine. At least find a good looking body this time around," she requested as the Hell Lord stewed, storming off.
Turning to face Naruto again, she allowed her eyes to shift into the soft green light of her birth form. As the first woman created, she was absolutely breathtaking and her eyes were the most stunning characteristic, mesmerizing any that looked into them.
Naruto was, of course, the exception to the rule. His purity and innocence despite being a demon allowed him to see right through the woman's charming eyes and recognize another playful soul. "I don't know really. Mizuki-sensei says I should be able to take the exams now! But, Crowley's been keeping me busy with gathering contracts. Apparently a lot of people from the human realm are requesting me," he answered with a simple smile, no signs of pride not haughtiness reflected in his voice. He was simply stating facts.
Lilith nodded her. Surprisingly, after fulfilling his first few contracts word had spread among the human world about the sweetest Crossroad demon, and the fact that they were not only getting what they asked for, but in spades. The blonde prankster was great at fulfilling dreams and gave them out with gusto, not bothering to stick to the bare minimum like most Crossroad demons.
Lilith nodded her pretty head and wrapped an arm over his shoulder. "Since you'll be going back to your realm, tell me, would you mind if we sent someone to keep an eye out for you? In not certain if the rumors of demon hunters that can actually kill us are true or not, and I don't want to lose my favorite prankster," she offered.
Naruto frowned. "I don't know. I mean, I'll already have a village full of ninja," he noted softly. He really didn't want to have anyone following him around if he could help it. Especially as Crowley had already warned him that no one in Hell had loyalty to one another.
Lilith shook her head. "Nonsense. I know the perfect person," she cheered as her eyes danced along Naruto's form.
In an instant Naruto vanished, leaving the Hell Mistress to her own devises. Lilith giggled cutely before vanishing to the sound of moving silk.
Konoha
Naruto grinned as widely as ever, his blue eyes sparkling as he stood on top of the Hokage Monument. "Alright, today's the day! Get ready jiji, cause I'm coming for your hat," he crowed loudly, nearly the entire village looking up at the boy.
"Naruto, what are you doing? You're being way too noisy," Iruka grumbled as he peered out of his bedroom window. It was a day off today and Iruka was enjoying his time off and the young lady that sat up in his bed - the one with familiar green eyes that twinkled with mischief - could attest to it.
In a burst of energy Naruto raced down the face of the monument, the Third's face to be exact, and leaped over to the nearest house rooftop. Several ninja chuckled at the boy, the whole village having heard about the challenge to take the Hokage's hat. As Naruto neared the tower centered in the village, a tall multistory column that housed the head if the village and also delegated missions to over a thousand men and women a day, the blonde crossed his hands in a 't" fashion.
"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no jutsu (Mass Shadow Clone technique)," he bellowed and a thunderous cacophony of explosions followed the call. As white smoke blanketed the sky, slowly dissipating to reveal nearly three huned new Naruto clones, Hiruzen was watching from his office window.
"Oh boy, this could get hairy," he noted glumly before stepping out of the window and onto the awning. "Well, come on then, Naruto," he challenged with a come-hither motion.
Naruto grinned, a dastardly image to come from so many of the same boy, and rushed the seventy-plus ninja.
To the surprise of many Hiruzen pulled off his white robe to show his own black ninja outfit, styled slightly after the samurai armor with much smaller plates at his hips, shoulders and chest to allow for mobility. The first grouping of clones neared him and he clapped his hands together and went into a series of handseals. "Katon: Endan (Fire Style: Fireball)," he bellowed even as he spat a plume of flames into the nearest boys' faces.
Five clones had burst in an instant in the opening gambit and as Hiruzen flashed through more Seska and slapped his palms on the roof, hundreds of earth spikes erupted across the village popping a third of the blonde army.
"Not good enough," Naruto challenged as he reached for the hat from the man's back. Hiruzen spun like a dancer and kicked out, catching the teen in his gut and popping the clone while spotting another Naruto approach from his flank. Faster than the blonde clone considered the man capable of moving, Hiruzen spun, rotating in the air while sideways before driving his elbow into the clone's face, destroying its nose painfully.
Cheers from below began to ring out as they watched the two ninja battle, even if Hiruzen and Naruto treated the challenge like a game. The village was in a frenzied high in an instant.
Ten Naruto clones screamed kiais in unison as they burst into the air, tearing a massive hole through the rooftop to engage the man from all sides. With experience gleaned and refined through three world wars, the Sarutobi lashed out with every limb like some demented monkey, his right hand grabbed a clone and shoved it headfirst through the chest of another, his left leg kicked a clone from the head down while the right went from the crouch up, bifurcating both like a hot knife through butter.
Twisting to land on his right palm, the old man spun like a top, his feet sweeping through the air, laced with chakra that hit the blonde with enough force turn bone into powder. The clones didn't last long under the assault and quickly changed tactics.
"Kuso-ttebayo," Naruto grumbled as he pulled out a kunai and charged. "Stay sharp, guys!"
Hiruzen smiled fondly at the boy as he charged, his posture and form being closer to that of a trained nin's than the wild beast he used to act like. "Oh dear. I fear that I'll die of old age as slow as you're moving, Naruto," he teased as he took his hat off and fanned himself with it.
"Grrr... Slow?! I'll show you slow jiji," Naruto ground out as he surged forward, all of his clones mirroring his actions and charging.
"Mhm, very slow," he taunted. The Hokage waited patiently for them to approach before his cheeks bulged. "It's like you're running through mud," and he vomited a river of mud at them. Sadly, every Naruto on the way was buried under the landslide and popped in rapid succession.
In the end, there was only one, covered up to his neck in solid dirt. Hiruzen smiled as he walked over to Naruto. "You've done really well, Naruto, but I'm afraid you won't be getting my hat today. Although, I will say that you have certainly earned your badge," he remarked as he pulled a hitae-ite from his bodysuit and wrapped it on the blonde's forehead.
Naruto was torn, for one he wanted to scream at the old man to let him go so he continue fighting, but more than that he wanted to scream out his joy for finally becoming a ninja! And, as Hiruzen released his attacker, the blonde boy succumbed to the latter, jumping as high as his feet could take him. "Yahoo Dattebayo! I finally did it!" The cries of the blonde headed neo-ninja thundered into the air and rang out over the village.
From a hideaway hovel near the edge of town, Mizuki smiled softly with his arms crossed over his chest. "Congratulations, brat. Now, just don't die too soon," he whispered under his breath, the slightest bit of pride leaking into his voice. "Well, now what do I do?"
A figure shimmered into place beside Mizuki. A tall man wearing standard shinobi attire, gray pants, black sandals, a gray jacket with a black flack jacket over top. But what set him apart from the many other ninja in the village had to do with his and the gear included. He had a half face-mask covering his neck, lips and nose; his headband was cocked slightly sideways covering over his left eye, leaving the right eye exposed. His expression seemed lazy and silver hair stood straight up, defying gravity.
He took in the form of Mizuki with caution and interest before speaking. "Mizuki, I thought you would have been down there with Naruto," he suggested, his eyes never leaving the man.
Mizuki gave a simple smile as he looked back over to Kakashi. "Well, that's just too predictable," he uttered with amusement. "Besides, I didn't want to be caught up in the fray."
Kakashi nodded along, but fell silent, simply watching the blonde race about the village for awhile.
"So, you're going to be taking Naruto under yourself, Kakashi?" Mizuki asked, his eyes turning a dangerous black on black on black, although it went unnoticed before returning to a more natural blue tone. "That boy is very important to the future, and I trust you won't allow anything to happen," he worded tightly, a bit of a Scottish accent slipping through before correcting itself.
Kakashi glanced lazily at the Chuunin, not in the least threatened by the man, and nodded. "Yes, Naruto's been designated Team 7 since before he failed graduation. We were going to come up with some plot to get Naruto promoted until Hokage-sama heard your offer to fix his faults. Good job, by the way, Mizuki," Kakashi remarked as he smiled through his eyes at the demon in disguise.
Crowley bristled internally, Mizuki's memories were stating just how powerful a ninja Kakashi truly was; an Elite Jounin, listed as S-Class and known to have copied and mastered more than a thousand Jutsu. The man was capable of using no less that four elements, held a powerful summoning contract with ninja tracking dogs, could slice lightning bolts in half with his bare hands and was on-par with the Hokage in overall skill. Crowley, himself was quite impressed with the man's long resume and was even considering recruiting the ninja.
As the pair sat in companionable silence, Mizuki eventually looked up towards where Kakashi had been standing, only to catch the wisps of leaves falling as the man vanished. Not for the first time, Crowley wondered what happened to the souls of the people in this realm. He'd never come across the ninja in Hell, and it sent a shiver through his spine at the mystery.
Seeing as things were settling down, Crowley took his meat suit and vanished into thin air, leaving nothing of himself behind.
(With Naruto)
Naruto Uzumaki, proud ninja of Konoha, and super-excited blonde bundle of energy was standing in the office of the Hokage. To his immediate front was Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated behind a desk with a stack of paperwork looming over his head. "Jiji, when do I meet my team-ttebayo?"
he sight of the thirteen year old ninja was enough to bring a small chuckle to the elder. "Well, they should be arriving any time now," he noted warmly even as a soft rapping was made against the room's door. "Enter."
As the door parted Kakashi stepped through, followed by two young ninja that Naruto recognized from his class. The first was the girl that he had a massive crush on, a girl his own age with vibrant bubblegum pink hair that fell to her lower back, wearing a red battle dress that ended midthigh, a pair of dark biker shorts and blue sandals. Her headband was fastened at her hairline, as if being a hairband. Her name was Sakura Haruno; Naruto's first love.
You can imagine his very pleased smile at seeing her, although the feeling of joy died quickly as he took in the second student to enter. There was a teenaged boy with black hair fashioned after a cockatoo's, coal black eyes that held a promise for death, a look that Naruto know recognized after his stay in Hell. The boy was dressed in khaki shorts and blue shirt with a red on white hand fan embroidered on the back. He wore a pair of sleeves from the wrists to the upper arms a shade lighter than his shorts and his headband was worn much in the same as Naruto's own. This boy was Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto's rival, although only Naruto acknowledged such a fact, and was this year's valedictorian or Rookie of The Year as the ninja referred to it.
Naruto looked like he had swallowed a lemon whole and expected an apple. "S-Sasuke," he growled out in annoyance. "Jiji, isn't there some other team for me?"
Kakashi offered a soft eye-smile to the boy and a genial wave of the hand. "Unfortunately," the Elite Jounin addressed, "my team is the only team short a member. So, unless you want to wait for another year, then we're all that you have left."
The disappointment in the air was tangible as Naruto stared at the team before him. Finally, the blonde boy released a sigh and squared his shoulders before grinning brightly. "It's enough," he announced calmly. Looking over to Sasuke, he grinned like a fox with eyes squinted to slits before speaking in a jovial tone. "Sasuke's the best of our year, and a loyal ninja to the village. I'd be proud to call him teammate," he announced.
All eyes stared at Naruto in a bit of awe. Was this really the same boastful, pride-filled Naruto from two months ago?
"But, don't think I'll just roll over! I'm gonna kick Sasuke's ass and prove that I'm better than him once and for all," he challenged loudly with a giant grin and a loud laugh.
As Sasuke and Sakura deadpanned, Kakashi gave a curt remark. "Oh my. He's so spirited..." Perhaps it may have been humor, but since Kakashi rarely used emotions while speaking it was hard to tell.
"W-Well then," Hiruzen commented a bit stiffly at the outburst. Pulling a special scroll from his desk, he flung it out to Kakashi. "Since Naruto's going to be joining your team, I have this very special C-Rank assignment for you. I need you to deliver this scroll to The Fire Lord in the capital in three days time and return with his written reply. Make sure no one opens this letter along your way, both directions. It's of utmost importance."
Naruto grinned and crossed his arms over his chest proudly. "Alright, first day as a ninja and we get a real mission! I always knew I was super awesome!"
Kakashi shook his head as he pulled a book from his hip pouch and opened it up. "Actually, you'll be the team's liability, Naruto," he cut in flatly, although the reaction of the blonde would make one think he had spoken scathingly. "We've never had the opportunity to train with you or work together. So, I hope that you can keep up with us."
Sakura smirked at the boy as he looked crestfallen. Within her there was an inner voice that looked like the girl, only in black and white with the kanji for "Inner" on her forehead. This inner voice was pumping her fist and shouting in glee. "Sha! That's right, Naruto! You're the weak on the team now!" Externally the girl only closed her eyes in a brilliant smile as she slid up next to Sasuke.
Naruto grumbled under his breath and looked around the room. "Humph, I'm tougher than everyone in this room, dattebayo," he insisted to himself, arms folded like a petulant child.
Kakashi nodded. "That remains to be seen. Well, you have the rest of the afternoon off. We'll meet up at the gates tomorrow morning at five," Kakashi commanded as he dismissed his children. As the three wandered off he looked to Hiruzen. "That Naruto... He's a lot like his mother," he noted.
Hiruzen smiled and puled a pipe from his desk before stuffing it and lighting the bowl. "Yes, he truly is. Kakashi, I'll warn you now. Don't take Naruto lightly. I think he may already have the raw talent of a Jounin," the village's leader insisted as he took a few puffs before leaning back in his seat.
Kakashi watched as the old man pulled off his hat and placed it on the desk, pointing out three sets of finger prints. "I made that mistake earlier today..."
(With Team 7)
With a Cheshire's grin plastered on his mischievous face, Naruto looked to Sakura. "Neh, Sakura-chan. Since I'm a ninja now, do you wanna go on a date?"
Sakura huffed and crossed her arms under her bosom in annoyance. "Honestly, Naruto. Why do you want to go on a date with me? I'm totally in love in Sasuke," she pointed out as she continued on her path, ignoring the fact that she had just indirectly confessed to Sasuke. Said Uchiha ignored the remark with a practiced ease, hands in his pockets and eyes looking side to side.
Naruto frowned, his falling falling for all of a few minutes before he brightened. "You're the cutest girl in the village, Sakura-chan," he pointed out as he ticked off on his fingers. "And, I've liked you since that day I met you."
Sakura flushed at the first compliment, a light pink shade on her cheeks. She knew it wasn't true, but the fact that the blonde only saw her and thought she was the cutest was flattering, even if it wouldn't change her opinion.
"That day," Sasuke asked, actually paying attention to the conversation.
Naruto grinned and nodded his head in excitement. "Yeah! It was a long time ago. Sakura-chan was all by herself, playing the sandpit. I went up to her and asked if she would be my friend," he noted with a distant look in his eyes, thinking up the day in particular.
Sakura sighed as she recalled the day as well. "Yeah, we played together for a few hours, then my mother came and took me away. Odd, we never went back to that park after that," she noted a bit confused.
Naruto nodded his head. "Yeah, Sakura-chan was so much fun," he added in his usual exuberance.
Sakura looked away, her mind racing through history to figure out why she never followed up with being Naruto's friend so many years ago. After a few moments, she shrugged and let it drop. "Anyway, I don't want to date you Naruto. I want someone super cool and hot like Sasuke," she cheered a bit too loudly, earning a few glances from passing pedestrians.
Sasuke turned away from the girl and looked at the buildings surrounding them again. "That's like the time I first met you, Naruto," he pointed out.
Naruto grinned and nodded his head. "Totally! I remember you were out on the piers at the lake, practicing your Fire techniques. Did you ever manage to master that Gokakyu (Grand Fireball)?"
Sasuke smirked and nodded. "Yeah, I even used it against Kakashi-sensei," he acknowledged proudly. Naruto, surprisingly seemed impressed rather than retorting about himself being better. "Of course, he managed to get of the way and beat me black and blue," he added in the end a bit morose.
Sakura sighed and nodded her own head. "Tell me about it, I was black and blue for a week after that damned Bell Test," she pointed out in annoyance.
Naruto gave a bit of a puzzled look between the pair. "What's a bell test and why did Kakashi-sensei beat you guys up? Isn't that a bit... Too much?"
Sakura hung her head and Sasuke grunted a noncommittal noise. "We're not allowed to talk about it. It's a secret that's passed down from Hokage to student, so the fact that we were even allowed to take part means not only that Kakashi is line for Hokage, but one of us holds that same potential," Sakura allowed, her mind still racing at the implications.
Naruto frowned. "No way. I'll become the Hokage and have everyone saying how great and amazing I am," Naruto boasted as he puffed up his chest. The blonde boy looked all around himself and then at his teammates with a bit a pensive look in his eyes. "Crap," he moaned, clutching his belly.
Sasuke looked over in confusion. "What's wrong dobe?"
Naruto glared but started bouncing left and right on his toes. "I... I gotta run," he shouted, racing off and screaming at people to get out of his way. The duo that comprised Team 7 shook his and her head before leaping to the nearest rooftop and heading towards home to pack.
Pflugerville, TX
Naruto, dressed in his favorite orange jumpsuit suddenly appeared in the center of two intersecting dirt roads and looked for the source of who summoned him. He spotted two young men dressed in all black. Saggy black pants with chains hanging from them, loose black t-shirts and white facepaint with piercings all along the two male faces.
"Geez, I don't think I can grant you a fashion sense," Naruto remarked as he took in the scene.
The two males frowned and looked at the blonde boy. "We thought we were summoning the most powerful Crossroads Demon," remarked the first boy, his voice deep and warbling, really at odds with his wiry appearance.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders casually. "Well, I'm not the strongest, but I am his student. He must have been busy to send me here after you guys," he commented. "Besides, he doesn't like having to leave his desk. You wouldn't believe the amount of paperwork involved," Naruto joked jovially.
The two men found themselves laughing alongside the boy and relaxed. "Man, I never thought demons were so comical," remarked the second boy, only his voice coming out feminine and sultry. The voice was so at odds with the physical appearance that Naruto actually had to allow his eyes to turn red on red on red to see through the surface. Even to his eyes, it was a boy...
Shaking his head, Naruto waved the two off. "Normally I get to spend a lot of time with those that summon me, but I'm a little pressed for time right now. So what can I do for you two?"
The first to speak stepped forward, introducing himself. "My name's Marco, but I like to be called Cain, like the older brother than killed Able," he offered.
Naruto smiled warmly and nodded. "Got it. Nice ta meet ya, Cain. I'm Naruto, now what's your wish?"
Cain smirked and looked to his friend, each with a growing smile. "We want to be gods, bro!"
Naruto blinked rather slowly, confusion playing in his eyes. "Gods? Huh, you're gonna have to elaborate a bit for me," Naruto asked as he slowly paced the pair. Such a vague wish was not something he would fulfill at any stretch of the imagination. There were so many different sets of beings portrayed as gods and not all of them mortal. Even then, Naruto was limited in granting certain physiological changes as he would be unable to reap their souls upon completion of the contract.
The second young man, Lucas, spoke up in the stead of his friend, his falsetto voice causing unusual stirrings in Naruto's head. "You know like Zeus and Poseidon? We want to become super powered deities that people will have to worship!"
"Hell yeah, we want those cock-suckers at school to bow and scrape at our feet," Cain added in excitedly.
Naruto shrugged a bit. "So, you just want to have super abilities and control some element or another," Naruto asked, trying to get to the basis of the wish. 'Well, this will certainly turn out badly,' he thought with a bit of merriment, actually wishful that he could watch this play out over the next few years.
Lucas nodded and slapped a hand over his heart. "Fuck yeah! I want to be the god of the oceans! I want to be Poseidon himself," he chanted out proudly.
Naruto shook his head at the boy's outburst. While he himself could relate to wanting to be something amazing and above the lot life gave you, he couldn't change a person into someone else. "Well, there's a teensy-weensy problem in that wish. You can't become Poseidon, as Poseidon already exists. But, I can make you into the same race as the man you speak. I can even give you control over any localized source of water near you," he offered kindly, his red eyes lessening in their glow and fading to his normal cerulean orbs.
Lucas quickly nodded and started flailing his arms about as he pretended to create a tsunami. "Holy fuck, just wait! I'm gonna tear Edward's asshole out!"
Cain looked even more eager than before. "So, I can't become Zeus, but like can I become a super cool vampire? Something like Dracula or Blade?"
Naruto scratched at his forehead protector, idly realizing that he still had the plate on his forehead before speaking. "I don't know either of those guys..." he drawled in a bit of confusion.
"No fucking way! Dracula is like the coolest vampire in movie history! He can turn into a horde of bats and has the strength of a hundred men! He sucks blood and has a fucking harem of hot bitches," Cain praised enthusiastically as he looked around the empty dirt road. Fuck, he can even fly and ain't scared of the sun or nobody!"
Naruto nodded, somewhat intrigued by this character. The only vampires he had heard of were nowhere near that strong, couldn't transform and harems didn't so much as exist as much as clutches of bloodsuckers engaging in mass feeding orgies. "Well, I mean if I can pick your brain a bit, I might be able to change you into a vampire. It certainly sounds intriguing," he admitted.
Cain happily agreed and shoved his head towards Naruto, who stepped back a bit. "What are you doing, Cain?"
"Giving you my brain to pick," he offered proudly.
Naruto snickered. "I didn't mean literally, I can see your thoughts from the other side of the planet if you give me access to it. Now, just hold still a moment," he informed as he pulled the knowledge of both this kid's fantasy of Dracula and his hero worship of a comic book character made into a movie. "Got it. Well, if that's it, then I'll go ahead and seal our deal," Naruto offered.
Both boys nodded their heads. "Yeah, anything! I just can't wait to kick some asses and be a fucking god!" Lucas crowed.
Naruto smirked and grabbed the boy at the back of his head, moving his face up to wisher's. "Well, enjoy the next three years, Lucas." With that, he pressed his lips into the teen's and began to change the kid.
Off to the side, Cain was eagerly awaiting his chance and practically vibrating in eagerness. What he failed to notice was the fact that the sun was still out, much less that Naruto had a clone right behind him. The clone spun the ten around and locked lips with him as the original had to Lucas.
In only a few moments both teen's were changed from normal humans, the silly makeup and piercings now gone. In the case of Lucas he stood a little taller than before and his eyes were no longer normal, instead that appeared to reflect a rolling sea in them and a scar burned into his neck of a trident before glowing blue. All of this happened while Cain had a very different reaction...
The light of the overhead sun beamed down on the neo-vampire and set his skin ablaze like a wildfire. "Ow! Oh fuck, it burns!" Without consciously bringing about the change, the boy burst into a flock of bats and flew away into the sky, each creature screaming out its song as wisps of flame fell to the earth.
Naruto shrugged and waved to Lucas. "Tell Cain I hope he enjoys his new powers," Naruto offered before vanishing, there one moment and gone before the next.