For the want of hope, dreams were lost
Naruto no longer knew how long he had been locked up. The days had long since blended into each other and the teenager sunk into him more than he ever did before. Blank and emotionless blue eyes stared out toward nothing as he recalled what led him to this low point for the hundredth time.
The war was won and everything was going better than he thought it would. People were looking up to him and praising him. No one had any signs of fearing or hating his existence. He was being noticed in a positive light!
It was quiet at first, the dissent and worry, but it spread so swiftly like a starving wildfire that it took even Kurama by surprise.
"Both of the boys are two strong to run loose!"
"Sasuke must pay for his crimes against the nations."
"The fox brat might loose control and kill us."
"It's not our fault."
For want of dreams, innocence was lost
A whisper here, a rumor there, well spoken lies and half-truths in the right influential ear added gasoline to the flame. Other countries civilians echoed similar sentiments while their leader's hands were tied to do anything but watch.
It was reaching the point where the teen was just about to let Kurama free since he resigned himself to death, when he heard two sets of footsteps nearing his cell. One had the heavy step and limp of his main guard but the other one was light and swift, with ruthless determination to the owner's step that was so unusual it made Naruto pause.
Then the heavenly scent of ramen reached his nose and he didn't care what was going on anymore.
"You are being a idiot," Kurama grumbled to his host. "It could be a trap."
Why bother with a trap if we are already caged, Naruto pointed out to the fox who fell silent at that surprising bit of logic coming from the hyperactive brat.
"Open the cell for me," commanded an annoyed voice that belonged to a dark and harsh male.
Naruto looked up to the entrance from his position against the furthest wall and saw a rather short male enter the cell carrying bottled water and several steaming carry-out bowls of ramen in a bag. The man's body was covered by a long dark green cloak and it's hood was up hiding his face from view.
"Remember your orders. Dismissed."
The scarred man nodded slowly then left the room.
"Be wary, Naruto. I can't feel anything from this figure. Positive or negative."
I know Kurama.
Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man as she handed over the ramen and helped him up into a sitting position with great reluctance. He watched as the man easily broke the shackles on his legs and remaining arm in slight confusion. No skin was seen thanks to the long white gloves and darkness from the cloak obscured whatever it was he was wearing from view.
The man leaned against the wall closest to the younger male but even then annoyance and disgust was obvious in the way he crossed his arms. An uneasy silence grew between them and Naruto instinctively froze when he spoke up at long last.
"You and your friend will be executed tomorrow at noon." When he didn't respond right away, the man took that as an opening to continue. "If they don't execute him for his crimes than not only does that present biased relations toward clans over clanless, which while always present does not need to be pointed out now, but reveal how shaky Konoha's inner politics is to the rest of the world. I wouldn't be surprised if another war broke out against the weakened village after your deaths."
The man tapped his fingers on on his crossed arms in thought. "I would like to offer you a deal, a chance for both of you to survive this and help someone else with a nearly impossible goal."
Naruto put aside his last bowl of ramen and hesitantly asked, "Who is this someone else?"
For want of innocence a mask was formed
"She told me about you, about your entire world," the man said in place of a name. He chuckled then, a dark twisted thing that had some fondness to it. "Then again she was completely blitzed so I didn't take anything she said seriously for a long time."
The man shook his head and went straight to the point. "I need all three of you to help her in the task that was forced upon her."
Kurama narrowed his eyes in thought. "What task?"
Naruto opened his mouth to ask the Fox's question when he closed his mouth in shock at hearing the man respond to the fox.
"She must eliminate or neutralize her kind wherever they roam, and whatever form they take. Failure to do so is condemning that universe to become someone's chew toy and plaything. Or worse." The man chuckled as if remembering something that was funny to him. "She never did care for sharing or playing nice with others."
Naruto blinked at this revelation. The man wasn't an jinchuriki and yet he felt older and more powerful than the tailed beasts he personally encountered. How did he hear Kurama's question?
"Don't fry your last remaining braincell trying to figure out what I am," the man warned in the most rude and sarcastic manner possible.
Anger burned within the blond boy but relaxed when Kurama took the forefront of negotiations.
"What can we do to assist you and this girl?"
The man straightened his slight slouch at the phrasing but dismissed it as pointless to correct. "I have limited capabilities to help any of you at this point but I can send you back, memories and all, to the night of Kurama being sealed again. I have a plan in place to ensure you won't be sealed." He shrugged as he added, "There's also the option of Naruto not retaining his skills or knowledge in place of some type of normal family life and being acknowledged far eariler by his father's status."
"What did Sasuke say?"
The man grunted at being reminded of the idiot. "His terms were different but he agreed without much prompting."
"Once again, what is our side of the deal?"
"Guide, train, and assist her in any task she asks you for. She needs people she can trust, and as much as she dislikes Sasuke, his power and knowledge will be very beneficial when she needs to force others to work with her."
Naruto sighed. "How do we know we found the right person?"
For want of a mask the savior never arrived
The figure chuckled again, this time it was mixed with dark humor, odd affection and slight insanity. It continued for several minutes and the hair on the back of Naruto's neck rose as a strange fear grew within him. Once he was calm enough to speak again, no evidence of his mad laughter remained.
"Trust me brat, you will know who she is. Just follow the chaos and mischief."
Neither Kurama or Naruto knew what to say to that but the man nodded his head as if they already accepted. The figure vanished before their eyes as if he never existed.
"Just go to sleep, Naruto," Kurama mumbled as he followed his own suggestion.
Naruto simply stated at the empty bowls and bottles until he succumbed to slumber.
For want of a Savior an army was never formed
The crowd for the execution was mostly citizens from Konoha but a quick look around revealed that there were people from other countries in attendance as well.
Naruto spotted the lone figure of the green cloaked man standing atop a nearby building watching the proceedings and a great unease hit him. He glanced at Sasuke who nodded just the slightest bit in confirmation of seeing the being. Or maybe of the deal he made.
Both boys tuned out the reading of their crimes and focused on the man who seemed interested in the crowd for some reason. It didn't take long for the two youths to realize why.
For want of an army, the future was lost
Like the whispers, the massacre started slow and built up until no one knew how it started or how to stop it. Local ninja slaughtered each other in a trance as civilians were caught in the crossfire.
As the blood hit the ground and chakra electrified the air, strange sigils appeared and spread over the surroundings.
Deep in their hearts, they accepted the second chance even if it ended up costing them everything.
For want of a future sacrifices were offered
Their deaths were swift and virtually painless. The last image burned into their minds was of a small smile, twisted and cruel as everything vanished.
For want of a sacrifice the world fell
Four pairs of eyes opened at the same time in different places. Each one either coming to terms with events, or choosing to cover their eyes to the truth.
Kushina Uzumaki cradled her newborn son with some difficulty. Tears ran down her face as she recalled all that she lost and gained that evening.
The sound of a lighter clicking on and off brought her attention to Chisuke who appeared beside her. From the moment Kushina learned that she was pregnant, he stood beside her as an messenger and bodyguard sent by Yugen.
When she first saw him, she wondered if he was a member of her clan that survived as well. He had a far darker shade of red hair than was normal, not to mention the dull red and gray eye. After the first few months of him around, she asked and the young teen denied possible kinship. He admitted that there were members of different clans and survivors of distant lands living quite well in Yugen's truce lands.
Suddenly, a pure white light brightened up the late night sky, pushing back the darkness and shadows even this far away from it's origin point. The first light was immediately followed by a pearl white and red light before dying away completely.
"What was that," Kushina whispered to herself.
Distantly she recalled how similar flares were seen mere hours before the long neutral Yugen bared their fangs and claws as they attacked every other nation, forcing the last great war to a brutal end and making the leaders of countries and villages sign a peace treaty under the subtle threat of oblivion.
Kushina stiffened when her head was patted like one would do to calm a scared child.
"Relax, it's not a declaration of war or whatever you were thinking," Chisuke calmly said. "We only broke our neutral stance when one of our sanctuary towns was caught in a crossfire between three major villages. It was wiped out down to the last man, woman and child."
Kushina looked down at her sleeping baby boy.
Chisuke sighed at the woman's odd silence and explained what they were. "It's a variation of smoke signals. The powders are mixed with intention and chakra which fuel the fire or tool to have the best range possible. The pure white light was an order for all citizens and allies of Yugen to drop their assigned tasks outside the territories and to return to the Capital immediately."
Kushina looked up at the young child who was smiling with excitement and glee. It was the most emotions she ever saw from the doll-like boy but it was off to her. "What does the other two mean?"
Chisuke frowned as he solemnly asked the Uzumaki woman for a favor.
Itachi looked up at the night sky, his darling baby brother in his arms as the toddler tried to reach the lights in the sky even after they had vanished.
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he suspected what they meant. As he turned to reenter the house and try to get some more sleep, he saw someone stop and look at him out of the corner of his eye. The figure had a finger across his lips then vanished.
Itachi shook his head at his relative's antics and decided to ask where he went off to so suddenly.
Kurama blinked repeatedly at his surroundings. He was in a grove that was surrounded by huge trees and decided to just go back to sleep. He tucked his sensitive nose beneath his fluffy tails and passed out in an unknown land.
Bright golden eyes looked up at the high wooden ceiling as her gaze traveled as far as they could manage from her current position on some sort of pillar or altar. The stone felt unnaturally cool against her back, though that could have been because her body felt like it was on fire, especially over her heart and upper right arm, and she was naked. Incense and sage burned, the cleansing scent wafting over to her and tickling her nose until she sneezed.
What happened? I remember the sigil appearing but nothing past that, the girl thought and truly believed that she was missing something important.
Then... She started to remember things that never happened to her.
One segment after another of strange yet familiar scenes were flooding in her mind now. Those memories that did not belong to her came like a wave, threatening to drown her as time went by. If she did not forcefully resist the urge of nausea, she probably would have vomited on the snake.
The memories that belonged to several different people ranged from the age of babies mimicking adult cries till a thousand years or more of observations and personal experiences. One scene after another of disarrayed moments had not only formed into the record of the growth of three young beings to seventeen years old and a thousand years old upon their 'death' but also revealed her to a completely unfamiliar world that only had the bare bones of what she remembered about that universe.
This universe was different from the modern era society she was used to, for this entire world was in the midst of a fusion of the Yugen civilization and the rest of the world, where it was flooded with fantastic physical techniques and dazzling jutsu or magic as the Yugen prefer calling it. A world where magic, jutsu, and the physical force of humans unknowingly or knowingly coexisted with monsters, spirits and demons, was unheard of to her.
No, it wasn't unheard of. In fact her kind specialized with fucking over others any way they possibly can. She would bet her massive fortune she made as a thief and mercenary that at least one of those little shits was behind this chaos.
Hell, she would bet Kakuzu's money that she was correct in some way. The girl was that sure of their involvement.
Her only solace was that she wasn't reborn into a clan setting. She knew from watching and reading the series that clans, while useful, were almost as bad as her family was.
Her tune swiftly changed when she finally realized that she wasn't alone in the chamber. Whispers, prayers, chants and happy tears echoed all around her and managed to frighten her as much as it confused her.
For the most part the language was Japanese but every now and then other languages like Latin, German, Russian, French, Italian and others were mixed in flawlessly into this hybrid of language. Whether it was a word choice, accent or turn of phrase, the blended language bothered her.
She was picked up and cradled gently like one would do for a baby sending a shiver of fear crawling down her spine. Last she checked, she was a fully grown adult!
She looked up at the person holding her and all she saw was a Oni mask staring down at her, the wearer's pale green eyes shining with unbridled enthusiasm and joy.
"After all these long years of vigilance and ensuring the world continued in her stead, our Lady has finally deemed us worthy enough to bask once more in her glory!"
The girl stared up at the speaker with the most unamused expression she could make right then. He reminded her too much about those doomsayers and evangelist bastards. They always made her work much harder than it needed to be.
The child took this moment to accept the fact that she was not only involved with a cult that believed she was their leader or Messiah or whatever the fuck they thought she was but was trapped in a newborn's defenseless flesh.
"As our Lady decided so very long ago, her next incarnation would be known as Kiyora Mutsuki."
The newly dubbed Kiyora seriously wanted to choke a bitch.
'This situation is nothing but assuring.'
This was simply screwed up in so many ways that she doubted things could be fixed. At least not anytime soon.
'However, it has been yet to be counted as disastrous.' An exceedingly magnetic voice all of a sudden emerged at the edge of Kiyora's hearing. It was dark and menacing, cold yet there was still a faint fondness she picked up in the tone.
Kiyora at once rashly and hurriedly looked around as much as her tiny body allowed. People were prattling on about lighting the smokefires or something like that, but she tuned them out easily.
Although it may be said that this body currently did not have any whatsoever strength, in her previous life, Kiyora was nevertheless still a thief and mercenary whose names and aliases had shaken the entire Earth to it's foundations. Whoever was speaking to her would have been sensed immediately, their intentions and true feelings laid bare from the scent of their scent of the subtle twitches of their body. However, she had couldn't detect the slightest amount of anyone talking to her.
In that case, just where did this voice come from?
'Since you dare to utter, why is it that you aren't daring to show yourself?' Kiyora squinted her eyes as she looked around.
"Show myself?" That voice had once again sounded while carrying a hint of coldness. "Little one, there is no need for you to look around for me since I am within your body."
Within her body?
Kiyora stopped staring blankly.
Was she a fucking jinchuriki?!
"You are not a jinchuriki." Kiyora distinctly heard an exhale of breath as if it was sighing. "The things of the worlds do toy with humans." The voice that was amused and knowing had once again emerged at the sides of Kiyora's ears. However, this time, she could distinctly perceive that this voice really didn't come from the physical world but rather from her mind.
Telepathy wasn't uncommon where she came from but she had a feeling it wasn't the same for this world.
"Just what kind of a human are you?" Kiyora was able to accept the matter regarding her rebirth and cult status pretty easily but this sudden arrival of this voice made it too hard for her to be able to just smile and nod.
The voice seemed somewhat sad as he replied, like he didn't want to tell her or wanted to keep it to himself. In the end he told the defenseless child who she was dealing with. "Human? For the past one thousand years, there is no one in this world who addresses me as such for they are more willing to know me as a dark or evil god and a necessary but cruel truth."
Dark God? Cruel Truth?
Kiyora knitted her eyebrows and her eyes widening as she realized who it had to be given the world she was in.
"Jashin...?"
The possible Jashin being ignored the fear from the girl to bring up an offer even though he automatically corrected himself when he mentioned began to mention a different name, "Kiyora how about we discuss a business deal?"
'What transaction?" Although Kiyora was unable to confirm the being's identity, she was already clear that this bastard who was calling himself a evil god was truly residing within her body.
"You will assist me in reappearing into the human world and I will help you in untying the seals which will allow you to obtain the power that is rightfully yours."
"Seal?" The more Kiyora listened, the more muddle headed she became.
"You aren't capable of seeing the seals on your flesh at present, but rest assured that they are real."
Damn it! Just what kind of secrets did this little bastard body have?
"The one on your upper right arm is known as the Seven Stars Locking Moon. Naturally, there are seven layers of increasing power and strength which has reduced from your fearsome status to nothing more than a weak brat doomed to cannon fodder. The other one is unknown to me but I know it will weaken over time. If you are willing to assist me, I will help you in undoing the seals."
As she pondered over the reliability of the Evil God's words, the corner of her mouth curved into a devilish smile. She wondered if these cultists noticed how her smiles were always more serial killer like than something cute. At least that was what most people described her grins, smiles and smirks.
"Before proceeding with the discussion of details, shouldn't you put out a hint of sincerity to let me know what my future alliance's circumstances are? Also, why is it that you are able to appear within my body?"
Within the whole world, it was very likely that there were very few people who would be daring or foolish enough to bargain with the Evil Deity of this universe!
After a moment of quietness, the chilly sound had once again echoed. Faint amusement tainted the harsh words.
"As much as I would love to hear you call my original name, it would only bring harm to you at the moment. For now you can call me Jashin like the rest of these shitty bastards do. As for why I am within your body and why you were chosen for your forced mission, you will have to wait until you have at least undone the third seal. Only then, will I inform you, for as of now you are too unwilling to understand and knowing too much will only incur huge calamity upon yourself." Jashin paused and quietly added as more to himself, "Why do you always have to make everything so fucking complicated?"
Ignoring the insinuation that there was some sort of familiarity between the two of them at some point, Kiyora was displeased at how Jashin was hiding things from her. Important things she needed to survive.
"That is not how two parties negotiate properly. How do I know that after I have assisted you in returning into the human world, or wherever you want, you will not get rid of me later? For that matter, how can I trust you to help me survive in this world?
Power was a very good thing, especially for her current situation. However, before she makes any pacts or deals with anything, she would like to make sure they won't backstab her once she no longer had a use.
In all of her past professions, any potential danger would also be calculated within. Only after settling all of the dangers, will and weighed the profit to cost ratio, would she ever do something so risky.
After being silent for a moment, Jashin admitted, "Killing you is equivalent to killing me myself. Not to mention it defeats the entire point of doing this kind of thing in the first place."
Kiyora let him continue to explain, a dark grin spreading across her face.
"As of now, I am attaching myself and existing within your body. In case that you are somehow rendered permanently dead, my essence will also subsequently fly away and scatter." Growls of frustration and annoyance echoed in her skull. The growls suddenly came to an halt when a strange realization came to the deity. "Which means you have to let me help you."
Shivers ran down Kiyora's spine at hearing that quiet whisper. Something changed in the being's thought process and she didn't like where this was going. Especially, when she caught quick flashes of green and someone dying. A brief glimpse of his past perhaps?
Still, Jashin was answering her inquires and that was enough. For now.
'So, after you have obtain your freedom, will it mean that you can kill me or have others do it?"
"I will never kill you nor will I let you die for this shitty world."
A part of her, small as it was, silently added, "Or any world," to the above statement. That part was the hopeless romantic. Or was it the naivety she has yet to fully exorcise from her being?
"Oh? Why?" Kiyora smiled happily while inquiring. However, there was a stark contrast between the sudden naive smiles that belong to children and the sharpness in her eyes.
"Many reasons. The most obvious is that during the time I coexist within your body, we have already agreed to a covenant where I will lose the entirety of my being to you if I was to kill you or bring you permanent harm in any way, shape or form. This includes to a point those who follow me." Jashin's voice was rather calm for admitting to such a thing.
Kiyora seriously wanted to cheer at her lucky break. Although it was still unclear on why Jashin was able to attach and exist within her body, she could now be certain that Jashin absolutely would not make any move against her, regardless of any situation because everything was like he had said.
"Now, I shall undo the first layer of your seal and you will once more receive the power to learn skills and harness energy or chakra like you once were able to. This shall be the first gift of me to you as the proof of the alliance I have with you." Accompanying the ice-cold voice of Jashin echoing within Kiyora's brain, Kiyora suddenly felt a burst of sharp pain arrive on her right arm and her heart.
Luckily, the pain was too intense for a newborn and made her pass out before she could truly feel it.
Kiyora mentally examined the conditions of her body the moment she awoke. In her mind, she clearly remembered before she lost her consciousness, Jashin had already helped her in undoing the first layer of the seal and also told her that she had already obtained the qualifications to practice and access different skills over time.
"Any more questions, brat?" Jashin bit out the moment he realized that the girl was awake.
"Let me get this straight: I can cultivate and specialize in different areas and skills?" Although she was completely ignorant in regards to this version of Jashin's origin, Kiyora had nevertheless keenly perceived how formidable that 'God' was.
'If you are fond of it, cultivating any and all techniques you desire is acceptable." The cold, almost clinical voice that belonged to Jashin had once again emerged inside Kiyora's brain.
Kiyora frowned as she pondered on the meaning behind Jashin's sentence.
Was it possible that….
Jashin's previous words was not really indicating that she could cultivate only one specialty like taijutsu or genjutsu but rather that she could learn as many techinques, skills and abilities as she had the time or energy to devote them to?
This…. How is this not blissful?
No, it was more like she was walking down that dreaded overpowered insanity her kind were suspectable to. She would have to be careful, since the girl had a feeling there would be a price to be paid for this ability.
Through the collection of odd memories she inherited about the Yugen fighting system, Kiyora vaguely knew that there was two subdivisions of circumstances for the people in this world. Well, more if you include the shinobi arts. The one kind of the people who were the normal candidates in cultivating physical techniques and abilities were those who had a sturdy physique, tenacious tendons and veins, and also the ability in successfully condensing internal force and energy to power their skills. As for the other type of people who studied chakra but called it magic or energy instead, their body's condition were normally ordinary but had formidable spiritual force and also capable in manipulation of the spiritual force driving all kinds of elements in the world. Basically magicians or mages who used energy and chakra without handseals or much fuss.
The world was oddly fair since if it had given you a sturdy physique, it would not give you a formidable spiritual force. Therefore, viewing it broadly from the entire Yugen territories, since a thousand or more years ago, there has never been anyone who could obtain a situation in learning both those particular martial arts and magic schools. Not only that, no matter whether it was techniques or magic, if one wanted to reach a certain level, one needed to diligently cultivate. If one desired an improvement, then one had to invest a great amount of time and energy into it. Not to mention about how reality breaking the existence of these people who possessed both the internal energy as well as spiritual force. Just imagining wanting to cultivate on both of them at the same time was already a lunatic's ravings.
Everyone who was allied or a citizen of Yugen was taught their preferred school up to the equivalent of genin to low Chunin in other countries from childhood. Even civilians were taught how to defend themselves. Upon reaching that level, those who stick to the army (or other combat related posts) learn techniques from other nations that was researched and reverse engineered and the shinobi arts.
Still, it took many years of training to become a master in anything, but there was a damn good reason why the Yugen were neutral and considered pacifists until recent events.
"Did you mean that I can cultivate on both martial arts and magic of Yugen along with the shinobi arts? That should be impossible and I can't allow myself to be lead by false promises at this point." Kiyora was very depressed because a huge part of her craved the power hinted at but she wanted to enjoy her life as much as she could before everything went FUBAR again.
"It is possible for you. I would not have offered the deal if I felt you were unable to achieve such things." Jashin's voice sounded both ice-cold as well as firm. Despite his rude words, Kiyora felt at ease by his reassurance. "The physique of yours is completely different from anyone else and with my help, every issue that arises will no longer exist."
"You will be teaching me all of these skills, right?" Kiyora was grinning widely as she asked.
"So long as you have the capability, I will then teach you everything that I have learned, seen, and experienced in my entire existence and this will be the second gift of me to you." Jashin's voice was full of unlimited possibility but the chilly voice of the words that Jashin had spoken could have made anyone to burn up at his wording.
Kiyora was used to such banter and personalities, so she didn't take it as something negative.
"In that way, I wish that we will have a long and happy partnership." Kiyora's smile resembled a cheating cat. In having the aid from the mysterious Jashin, the fucking god of death, evil, murder and destruction, she could not be convinced that she had anything left to fear.
Then she remembered that fucking rabbit and the plant with a mother complex. She had to ask if they were still kicking around. Jashin's response did nothing to reassure her.
"One of them is, just not in a way you would remember."
The cheeky bastard had the balls not to clarify which one which only bothered the young child until she returned to slumber.
and all for want of a hope.