And Let the Chaos Come
Prologue to the Spirit Trilogy
o-o-o-o-o-o
The universe is filled with wonders. Glittering stars fill the cosmos, painting a broad picture of beauty across the sky. Black holes reside in the centers of galaxies, sitting quietly while drawing things nearest them into their infinite, blackened void. And, supernovae explode cataclysmically, huge and wild, flinging their remains into the furthest reaches of space, glowing like hot coals and releasing huge amounts of power into space.
In a small, corner of the universe, devoid of any stars or planets, billions of thousands of light-years from where two spiral galaxies met, there was a small disturbance in the space-time continuum. It was nothing large, merely an infinitesimally small rip, far from any glimmer of life or warmth. A entranceway, so black so as to be nearly invisible, lay there, at the edge of space itself- and a black shadow darted in, gone as quickly as it had appeared, blending nearly perfectly with the milky blackness of the region.
And then there was light.
That rip, that small tear in reality itself, led to a room; a chamber in which lived the most powerful of all the beings of the cosmos. The walls, shining like gold, reflected their flickering light onto the one sitting upon the throne in the center of the hall. From his seat, Kami watched the universe, and pondered.
The room itself was no simplicity. Lying outside of reality itself, it yet appeared in three dimensions, ignoring the fourth, as the laws of dimensions were putty in the hands of the one who lived here. Glinting instruments filled the walls, unknowable in their purpose, and simple yet graciously elegant tiling covered the ground, filling the space with the images coiling vines and shining stars. On the floor, in a corner of the room, lay three tatami mats, lying flat on the ground, each on its own side of a small table. And, like a path, a beautiful carpet, stained with glorious red and gold and silver, paved the way from the door to the throne.
Doors lined the walls as well, appearing and disappearing, flickering eternally from shape to shape, size to size, and form to form. At times, a shadowy figure or limb would extend from behind the door- only to be thrust back inside as the door slammed shut once again. And in the midst of all this, Kami, Creator of the Universe, Guardian of Light, and, King of the Gods, sat quietly in his chair, sipping tea, and calmly brushing imaginary dust off of his pure white suit. Had he been a mortal, he would have looked for a clock, but there were none nearby; Time had neither hold nor meaning here. However, he was still waiting. There was a visitor coming, and certain rites had to be observed and upheld. A shadow flew into the room in a flash, darkening the room in blackness for an instant, before resolving into the large figure of a tall-framed man, dressed in a black business suit, dark hair slicked back neatly.
"My Lord," began the Shinigami, Lord of Death, "You have summoned me?"
"Yes, indeed, I have brought you here, God of the Underworld." Kami suddenly smiled warmly and closed his eyes for a moment. "However, there is no need for such trivialities at the moment." He stood up from his seat and opened his arms in welcome. "Brother, I welcome you to my home. It has been too long."
Shinigami nodded curtly. "Indeed. Now, perhaps you would tell me the reason for our meeting?"
"But one moment brother. For I believe we have an addition guest tonight." The Death God's face wavered in confusion for a time before setting back in determination and a fair bit of irritation. Kami almost laughed, but first, a loud knocking sound came from the side of the room, sounding from a door near the middle of the wall.
"Augh, dammit. How the hell do I open this thing? Ah! Right!" With a click, the door opened, its now bloody crimson color folding in towards the side of the room, and a tall man walked into the room, blond hair rustling messily as he strode confidently into the room, hands in the pockets of his bright red suit. Shinigami groaned quietly.
"Kami-bro! How's it going? Been like hell back at home!" Inari jerked his thumb back toward the closing door, clear skies and open fields visible through the opening before it closed, awaiting its master to open it again. The nature god raked his head and he chuckled. "The organizing for all those foxes- geez! You'd think that animals wouldn't be as bureaucratic as some others, but hey!" Turning his attention to Shinigami, a mischievous grin erupted on the Fox Lord's face, and the god of death moaned to himself, putting his head in his hands.
"Speak of the devil! Hey, little brother! How's the underworld? Seen any good dead people lately? How about-" and Inari was silenced by a raised hand from Kami. He shut his mouth and nodded respectfully, grin still present on his face, and moved to seat himself next to Shinigami, sitting on one of the tatami mats by the table. Kami swept off the dais, striding toward the table and sat down, his brothers and subordinates inclining their heads as he descended to the floor.
"Tell me, Shinigami-otouto, how are matters in the realm of the Underworld?" Kami asked, turning his attention to the younger of his brothers. The Death God took a sip of the tea before replying.
"Things are… calm, Kami-sama. For the most part, at least. The judges are upholding their work well, and I have even found myself with moments to spend freely at times." Kami smiled at his brother; the other god needed time to unwind, especially after the stressful task of keeping the spirits of the dead in order. He waved his hand, motioning for his brother to continue.
"Things have calmed for the spirits of Earth, as of late. I realize that there are many other worlds, but that world seems to hold a certain… attraction, even to me. Humankind is such an interesting species, even if they are prone to destroying themselves on a whim." He snorted quietly. "They have just finished their "Third Great Shinobi World War," I think several years ago. The sheer number of new souls kept the paperwork around for ages. I have only gotten the last of it done in the past year." He put his head in his hands again, muttering darkly about the evils of paperwork.
"And you, Inari-otouto?"
The nature god grinned foxily. "I've been doing great, Kami-aniki. The foxes are in order, and with those wars gone, the forests are having time to grow back from the ruins of those battlefields." He winked at Shinigami, which went unnoticed, the latter still groaning to himself.
"Of course, that doesn't mean that things are perfect. I've felt something… odd, these past months, and it unnerves me. And Kyuubi-gaki has been acting strangely lately, so, I'm not really sure…"
He trailed off, chin leaning on his knuckles as he looked at his brothers, strangely contemplative.
"It is good to hear of your respective fiefs, brothers, but it is now time to come to the matter at hand." Kami's expression turned solemn and Shinigami nodded sagely in his brother's direction. "I have indeed invited you both here for a reason, and as pleasurable as it would be to use the time to reminisce," he said, sighing before continuing, "…The point remains that there is a grave situation." Inari's face focused and he looked at the Creator god with intent eyes.
"Yomi is stirring."
With that, that simple sentence, a dark cloud seemed to drop onto the room as the two brothers' eyes widened in fear. Inari froze in place, stricken and fearful as Shinigami dropped his teacup, arm locked in place in fingers hanging loosely. "I-it can't be…" he murmured, shocked.
"W-what? But that's impossible!" Inari protested.
Kami took a deep breath. "I am afraid not, Inari, Shinigami."
"But Kami-sama!" exclaimed Shinigami. "For all these eons, it has been still, and now of all times it has awoken?"
"Will awaken, it has not already taken a breath." Kami took in his brothers' faces and continued. "The thing itself is yet asleep, but its servants are rising from their slumber."
"There's no way!" Inari snarled, palm slamming on the table. "We kicked those guys' assess already! There's no way that they could have-"
"Izanami walks upon the stars yet." Kami said softly, Inari's shocked expression dropping even further. "She has not yet truly awoken; however, she still retains a small measure of her former power." He ran his hand through his hair. "Her brother, Izanagi, has long since passed from this reality, though, and we are left alone to deal with any conflicts that may arise."
"Damn it…" Shinigami muttered, before looking up surprised, as if not realizing that he'd spoken. "I've been feeling some… strange things stirring as of late, but I never would have suspected- well, this!" he spat, unusually panicked. His gaze grew even more troubled, if such a thing was even possible. He put hid head in his hands before looking at Kami again. "…What can we possibly do?"
"And that," Kami replied, "Is exactly why I called you here." The two other gods stared at him, expressionless, before Kami smiled warmly. "Yomi is strong; that is by no means deniable. And, of course, we are forbidden from directly intervening in the universe; but so is Izanami, the Dark One herself." Inari looked startled, comprehension crossing his face in a flash. "Therefore, the first target of Yomi's rage shall be humankind- which will also be our weapon." He looked at Shinigami who nodded, knowing what would come next.
"We must create a conduit of our power to mankind, together. It is the only chance we have of stopping Yomi before it is truly free. I have already chosen a suitable candidate. I assume you know what I am speaking of?"
"An avatar. Yes, but… Wait!" Shingami's voice rang out, suddenly confused. "You mentioned all our power."
"Yes. And?"
"T-that's impossible! All of our combined energies would be far too much for any mortal to handle! As it is, any tool that we could care to use would be unable to access the full measure of our power! For all three of us to- it-it just wouldn't work!" he spluttered, as Inari suddenly burst out a chuckle, lightening the dark mood of the room by just a bit.
"Heh; so Kami-aniki- that's your game."
"Indeed," responded the Creator sagely, and Inari cracked a small grin. Mirth would not be easy to come by in the future after hearing such grim news, and damn it, he would get as much of it as he could! Besides, it was worth it to see Shinigami get so confused.
"I-I don't-" began Shinigami, but then he stopped, comprehension dawning across his features. "Oh. I see now," he finished sharply, trying a vain attempt at regaining his dignity. (Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful).
"Ah, I'm happy to see that you have read my meaning, Shinigami-otouto," Kami said, his eyes twinkling. "After all, I am the only one with access to the Jigen Kado (Dimensional Gate). The multiverse is, I believe, a startlingly large place," he ended dryly, a small tug upwards at the corner of his mouth.
Shinigami raised an eyebrow. "And you have found a mortal who is worthy of such gifts, Kami-sama? It has been millennia since we last gifted humankind with our favor."
Kami looked tired, suddenly. "I know it as well as you do, brother." His expression lightened a bit. "However, I have indeed seen him through the eyes of hateshi (fate), and he proves to be worthy as any other. More so, in fact. He is truly a pure soul. He was to be destined for great things, great things indeed…"
His voice trailed off, a hint of sadness present. "But we must all do things that we would rather not. Truly, I feel pain on putting so much responsibility on the shoulders of such a young boy, as well as his reflections." A small grin appeared on his face and he looked straight at his brothers. "Besides, I have seen the kind of person he is and will be, and he will, while not welcoming it, at least be proud of his new fate."
"I have arranged for his birth shortly. When you leave here, the temporal effects will release you to the correct time. I myself will be obliged to leave as well. However…"
"This will have a greater impact on you both, as you already had a great investment in this child's future." Inari froze and Shinigami stiffened, shock and confusion written across their faces. Kami waved a hand, almost lazily, and the two disappeared, already on the way to their mutual destination before they could even open their mouths.
"I hope for your safety and your future, Uzumaki Naruto," were the last words Kami spoke before he bowed in front of the great statue of Izanagi-sama to pay his respects before he too disappeared in a flash, swept into the gaping vortex of the Jigen Kado himself, carried away in the turbulent waters of time and space.
And the chamber lay empty.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
In three universes, a battle raged. Countless men threw themselves against the rising tide that was the Kyuubi, impossible to contain as a tsunami or a volcano. A natural disaster in and of itself, the Kitsune roared its defiance at the feeble shinobi before it, the fools attempting to take it down. It narrowed its eyes: it would have fun destroying these maggots.
In the back of his mind, unnoticed by himself, three swirling tomoe spun, along with a sinking feeling of wrongness, and of blindness.
From the shadows, Uchiha Madara watched.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Namikaze Minato watched, eyes empty and haunted as he watched the sight of his shinobi being slaughtered. His men, the ninja who looked up to him as a guardian, as a protector- his eyes clouded and he shook his head to curse the tears away. Kushina was gone and the only reminder he had of her was the small infant, crying by his side. The Hokage opened his eyes: he knew the truth, and in some corner of his thoughts, he already had known the facts from the moment he had heard of the Kyuubi's approach: he would have to use that jutsu.
The Shiki Fuujin.
Taking a deep breath, he began the technique, forming the hand seals slowly and deliberately as the blood ran down as face from where the demon had swept him way, ignoring the burning pains of his multitude of injuries.
No matter what happened, Namikaze Minato would not survive the night. So he made his choice.
Why die protecting your village when you can save it?
He took another breath and started to call out the name of the technique-
And the universe split in three.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
In three universes, in three entirely separate realities that had been brought into being as a result of the Jigen Kado, fate had split as well, giving new meanings and destinies to the inhabitants.
The mother universe stayed, though, and Uzumaki Naruto grew, lived, and died.
From dobe to Hokage.
From pariah to leader.
And from enemy to friend.
The Rokudaime truly made his mark upon history-
But this is not his story.
This is the just the beginning of three more.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The night became tainted and shadowed with a presence, as the Kyuubi glanced up in fear and defiance. A figure lifted a hand and thrust it through the abdomen of a mortal, eliciting a scream of pain yet a shout of joy.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The shinobi's vision and senses erupted in a multitude of colors and feelings as the fox itself suddenly seemed to freeze before thrashing about on the ground, small earthquakes created and vanquished in instants. Its cries of hatred and pleas for help were lost on the mortals, who heard no more than a great snarl before a figure appeared before them, flashing as if in rage.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The earth calmed and the Kyuubi calmed with it as time seemed to freeze, leaving the Yondaime to watch in amazement. A light from the heavens descended, and a single figure steeped forward, a smile playing on its face. Seeing Namikaze Minato before him, the figure stopped and looked right at the man.
Kami smiled sadly.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
TBC…
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
LS NOTE: Izanami and Izanagi are the original Shinto gods that created everything. Yes, they are siblings, but also incestually married. Izanami died after giving birth to the god of fire. Of course Izanagi, enraged, killed the child and that gave birth to many deities. Izanami was the goddess of creation and death. She is sometimes known as Izanami-no-Mikuto (she who invites) or Izanami-no-kami (obvious translation. Izanagi is most famous for his spear. After dipping it into the oceans, the drops that fell from the blade made the Japanese archipelago. More on Izanami's death: Izanagi-no-Mikoto lamented the death of Izanami-no-Mikoto and undertook a journey to Yomi ("the shadowy land of the dead"). Quickly, he searched for Izanami-no-Mikoto and found her. At first, Izanagi-no-Mikoto could not see her at all for the shadows hid her appearance well. Nevertheless, he asked her to return with him. Izanami-no-Mikoto spat out at him, informing Izanagi-no-Mikoto that he was too late. She had already eaten the food of the underworld and was now one with the land of the dead. She could no longer return to the living. Izanagi-no-Mikoto was shocked at this news but he refused to give in to her wishes of being left to the dark embrace of Yomi. While Izanami-no-Mikoto was sleeping, he took the comb that bound his long hair and set it alight as a torch. Under the sudden burst of light, he saw the horrid form of the once beautiful and graceful Izanami-no-Mikoto. She was now a rotting form of flesh with maggots and foul creatures running over her ravaged body. Crying out loud, Izanagi-no-Mikoto could no longer control his fear and started to run, intending to return to the living and abandon his death-ridden wife. Izanami-no-Mikoto woke up shrieking and indignant and chased after him. Wild shikome (foul women) also hunted for the frightened Izanagi-no-Mikoto, instructed by Izanami-no-Mikoto to bring him back. Izanagi-no-Mikoto burst out of the entrance and quickly pushed a boulder in the mouth of the Yomotsuhirasaka (黄泉津平坂; cavern that was the entrance of Yomi). Izanami-no-Mikoto screamed from behind this impenetrable barricade and told Izanagi-no-Mikoto that if he left her she would destroy 1,000 residents of the living every day. He furiously replied he would give life to 1,500.
AN: And thank you to LS, my ever-present freakishly awesome beta. As Mr. Exposition has cleared some of that up, I'm gonna move along a little…
Basically, I've always loved the idea of Kami/Shinigami!Naruto stories. So, I decided to try my hand at one. BUT! I wanted something original. After all, not only did I want to write fics about one, I wanted to write a fic about both (plus Inari-more on him later).
This "prologue" is simply the beginning of my much larger Naruto: Spirit Trilogy. Expect it to be epic length, quite simply because it'll be five separate stories.
Yup, you heard me. Five.
Prologue: And Let the Chaos Come
Book 1: Shinigami's Warrior
Book 2: Inari's Guardian
Book 3: Kami's Messenger
Final Book: A Meeting of Gods (Finale)
Prologue, as you have seen, is setting the stage. Kami, Inari, Shinigami, Yomi, etc. That's the base info.
Book 1 is about the growth of the Naruto, which will be influenced by the Shinigami.
Book 2, likewise, is about Inari!Naruto.
Book 3, is about Kami + Naruto (duh).
Finally, Book 5 is the final battle, where all 3 Narutos come together to kick ass!
Oh, and I'll be putting out little blurbs about each of the gods in their respective prologues.
Finally, I'll be releasing about 1 chapter for each book every 2 weeks. So, I'll try to keep them all fairly even.
Last thing: there will be an added twist, so I'll leave you with this: each story starts at a different time in Naruto's life (and only one will be in canon…). So! Can you guess when, and which?
Have fun!
- SoS