A/N: I regret saying this, but I've canceled any possible update of 'Blades of the Underworld'. Now now, don't you dare start bawling your eyes out. I wasn't quite happy with the way it was going. It was terribly hard to get inspiration for the way the story was heading. So instead, I'm rewriting it in a different direction as this fanfic. You will see a lot of content from the previous fic, because it makes writing this one easier.

Another note, is that flashbacks will always be in 3rd person.

Pairings: You'll find out...

This is the first chapter of the rewrite. Enjoy!

Act I

[Naruto's PoV, a month prior to present day]

Bolting upright in bed, I found myself clutching my right shoulder and expelling an angered shout. Sweat dripped from my shirtless torso and back. My breathing was ragged and it was as if an invisible vice had clamped around my chest. My eyes were clenched shut in an attempt to block out the excruciating pain creeping up my arm. I wanted to curl up into the fetal position and cry, but I willed myself to not fall into such a pathetic form. I would endure it as long as I had to, to stay strong. As quickly as it had come, the agony dulled to an uncomfortable prickle.

"It happened again... didn't it?"

Nodding as I caught my breath, I answered as I blearily rubbed my eyes, "Yeah. 'Nother night woken up by this damn thing. Just want a month t' go by without being disturbed while sleeping." I quickly checked to verify that the cloth bandages were securely wrapped around the lower half of my right appendage. Under my breath, I uttered two words, "Damn fox!"

For the last couple of years now, my right arm has been quite a bother. Back when I had freshly become a genin. It was my first real mission since becoming a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf...

[Flashback!]

"Just me and you now Leaf brat!" grinned Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist as he stood in the center of the lake's foggy surface. His shark like teeth gleamed in the hazy light of their surroundings."Haku may have become a useless tool, but he ha rendered your fellow genin unconscious. Kakashi, passed out from exhaustion and the drunk is running for his life like a lamb about to be slaughtered. I have control of the situation and your odds are looking quite grim."

Naruto clenched his kunai, hands shaking in fear. His ocean blue eyes were wrought with terror. He gulped, "This was supposed t-to be a C-Rank mission. If I make this out of this alive, Tazuna is so dead!"

Laughing in amusement, the ex-Swordsmen of the Mist told the kid in the orange jumpsuit, "Kid, you don't seem to realize there is no levity here. You are going to die. You are barely a fledgling of a shinobi, but you do not even deserve the title, ninja. When I was your age, my hands were already soaked in blood..." This gave him a wild grin as he snarled, spittle flying from his mouth. "When you've hovered between life and death so many times that it doesn't even faze you, you may be called ninja. When you've become so deadly that your profile has entered my bingo book, then you have earned the title, ninja!"

Something inside the roguish genin shattered. A vital piece that became useless. Outwardly, this came apparent as red chakra began pouring out of Naruto's pores. The more that came out, it seemed to begin solidifying into muscle and soon bone. Four tails crashed into the cement floor as the beast that was once Naruto roared.

The missing ninja gazed fearfully at the monster posed before him. "It seems that I am not the only demon here. The tables have been flipped and now it is my life that is forfeit. But don't think I'll make this easy for you!"

The rest was blank to the young genin.

[End Flashback]

"Naruto!"

I snapped back into reality as Sakura's concerned voice brought me out of my reverie, "Wha? Sorry, still waking up here. I'm fine now. Go back to sleep. Still dark out."

Sakura appeared to have had something to say, but her mouth closed. A sigh left her lips before she turned heel and left me alone in the darkness. Now wide awake, I knew sleep would not come to me. With nothing better to do, I decided on meditation... and perhaps a chat.

Upon closing my eyes, I focused my chakra down to the Dead Demon Consuming seal on my lower torso. A gentle tugging from my subconscious pulled me into my mindscape. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the familiar sewer that made up my mindscape.

It had taken a couple years, ever since before the last round of the chunin exam, to memorize where the identical halls lead to. After traversing the the twisting and turning corridors for what seemed like an hour, I found myself standing before a door-less shrine. As I walked forward, the braziers along the wall ignited, bathing the long chamber in an eerie blue glow.

"You've been redecorating in here," I stated.

As I walked further into the elegant structure, the braziers lining the walls flickered into existence. Incense was burning, the aroma almost pungent. At the very back of the shrine was a fox-like figure sprawled upon a myriad of cushions, a very womanly figure. The torches around her ignited, revealing her identity. She was nude except for the fur she was born with. A faint blush burned on my cheeks. Beautiful was a word far too tame to describe her. Sitting beside the vixen was a pair of vulpine maids attending to her like a goddess or a demon queen.

Her voice rumbled as she spoke, "Oh how nice of you to finally drop in, Naruto-sama." Her slitted crimson eyes were trained on me. "I was wondering if you cared to visit me at all." Her tone was light and teasing.

"W-what happened to your big and scary form?"

Smiling at me softly, Kyuubi beckoned me towards her with a simple nod of her head. My body seemed to move on its own accord. Soon, I was sitting cross-legged beside the nine-tails and the Ichibi. Then in an angelic voice, she spoke, "Because this is my true form, Naruto-kun." I blushed wildly as she graced my name with that suffix. But mostly because the the person who had always been with me was naked. It'd been different when she was a fifty-foot tall demon fox. Now, she seemed more...less scary. "I only show my true form to one person."

"And for what reason are you showing it to me?"

Cupping my cheeks, Kyuubi kissed me on nose, "Because I love you. But we can chat later. It has been far too long since you last came to visit me." She paused, her eyes flashing then seemed to have a flashback as her eyes went opaque before returning to their normal crimson red.

I narrowed my eyes, replying, "I have been...busy lately as you very well know. It was an unexpected turn. I am supposed to leave in the morning to begin my sage training with the toads and this will be the last time I can talk to you in my head. The training will keep me busy and I won't be able to get a break long enough. So we talk now. About what you just said."

"Of course. I was hoping to converse for awhile, but it seems that we don't have the luxury of time. I wasn't lying when I said I'm in love with you Naruto," began the woman in front of me, swaying each of her nine tails behind her. A dark blush could barely be seen beneath her fur. "I am hopelessly in love with my host, the human who I've spent nearly seventeen years with. I didn't even really start caring for you until you went off with that sage. Now, I want to be your life mate."

I growled, "You think that just because you say you're in love with me, I would believe you? That you'd think I'd forget everything you've done?" I rose to my feet, curling my hand into a fist. "I have never forgotten! You attacked my village! You killed many innocent people in Konohagakure!"

"I..."

"Urusei!" I snarled, my eyes colder than the abyss. I raised my hand and launched a punch at the Kyuubi's solar plexus. "You dare interrupt me bitch? When I'm still talking?" I spat. "It's all because of you! It's because of you that I was treated as a demon. Because of you, I was forced to be an outcast and a pariah!" Not looking at the pain I was causing her, I said coldly, "Because of you I was nearly killed every year of the anniversary of my birth!" I backhanded her. She just sat there, taking my punishments willingly.

"I...I deserve all of that and more," whimpered the fox woman before me. She was crying. Her cheek were stained with tears. "I wish I could have stopped all of that. I wanted to help you all this time. I hated seeing you get beat up. A-at first, I just hated having to heal you over and over again like some pathetic wretch. But...somewhere along the lines of the years, I fell in love with you. Even I...a kitsune who reached nine tails, a status rare among foxes..." She couldn't seem to finish her sentence. "Naruto, I won't lie to you. I have never lied to you. When I attacked the village, I was not in my right mind. A masked man. The one the red-haired man told you; he manipulated me with that accursed Sharingan!" The Kyuubi sniffed and looked at me longingly. "I love you more than either of us can comprehend. I want, nay, I need you as my mate!"

My facial features softened as the scowl vanished. I pitied her only a little bit. "How can I trust you Kyuubi?" I asked cautiously. "How do I know you're not making a ploy to escape the seal?"

Pulling herself up against my legs, she cried, "I will do anything to be yours Naruto-sama. My body and my mind belongs to you. You can do anything you want to me. I just ask that I be your eternal mate. I sound so pathetic, don't I?"

"You kinda do." I replied, my voice emotionless. "Have you a name besides Kyuubi?"

Bowing, the nine-tailed vixen replied, "My name master, is Yuuko. I am the eldest and most honored summon of the fox contract. Please Naruto-sama, make me yours. I would be honored to have your kits."

"Hold on Yuuko," I began, rolling her real name off the tip of my tongue. All this time, I just knew her as the nine-tails. "I haven't agreed to anything yet. But I will think about your offers and your submission to me. For now, I must rest. This training will not be easy."

"Yes master. I look forward to our next meeting," said Yuuko as she flashed a loving smile in my direction. It seemed that between her sobbing words and my uncontrolled rage, the words she spoke rang true. I had known her much of my life and she had never lied to me except the one time. Perhaps... there is room for trust.

[Flash Forward to Present Day]

As I appear near the bottom of a large crater, I mumbled, "I don't get it. Where is this supposed to be?" Then it occurred to me. We were standing at the village gates where I had been once reverse summoned to Mount Myōboku for training in Senjutsu. But what I see instead of the village I grew up in and cherished was now nothing but rubble. Every building... gone.

"Really... I was gone for such a short time, and Pain come and destroys my home? It is now time to reclaim my land," I muttered to no one in particular. The two toads sitting on my shoulder were bickering about some monotonous thing or another.

Once the smoke from the summoning cleared, I could see the Akatsuki's leader Pain clearly from atop of Gama Bunta's head. My brow creased as my anger grew.

As he strode towards me casually, he said, his voice carried, "Good, now I don't have to hunt you down."

In the sky, something caught my eye. Immediately, I recognized it as one of the Akatsuki thanks to my Sage enhanced vision. With an explosion of smoke, I saw that it was the rest of Pain's bodies. The elderly male frog mumbled, "Now all six of them have assembled. This- Tsunade?"

Standing in between me and the Akatsuki, was the Hokage,looking completely exhausted and limping. Breathing heavily, she spoke, "I... am the fifth Hokage." She paused in attempts to catch her breath. "How dare you trample upon the jewel, the dreams of my predecessors?! I won't forgive you! I'll settle this now, as Hokage!"

"It appears that you understand little about pain," came the Akatsuki leader's grave voice, "however, I have no need of you right now. The one I seek-"

Intercepting the body that had launched itself at granny, I smashed the mechanical Pain as I completed my opponent's sentence, "IS ME!"

Feeling Tsunade's stunned gaze at my back, I said, "There's no need for the Hidden Leaf's Hokage to bother herself with the likes of them. So you just sit back and sip some tea, granny." I was grinning. I had confidence here.

"Naruto..."

Not waiting for me to answer, Pain said, "So, you are Naruto Uzumaki?"

Just the way he said my name, utterly pissed me off. I spat, "That's it! Let's settle this!"

The only female of Pain' bodies stepped forwards and began summoning a giant rhino that charged me. I easily knocked it aside with the nature energy I had gathered beforehand imbued in my fist. More and more monstrous summons began appearing. With the growing number, I had my own summons begin to deal with them.

Now with the summons out of the way, I began sprinting towards the nearest Pain, the one Katsuya called the Tendo Path that could absorb any and all ninjutsu. "Frog Kumite it is." As I sent out a flurry of sweeping punches and a roundhouse kick, I found none of my strike met their target. It was very frustrating. That's when the slug informed me that all the bodies of Pain had connected vision and there are essentially no blind spots. That would have helped a second ago! "Then I'll have to make a move that they can't predict." In a forward right hook, I aimed at the Tendo' head. As it barely dodged the strike, I let out a burst of nature energy and knocked it out cold. I stood, grinning victorious of the small skirmish.

"I see you've mastered Senjutsu and have become a Sage like Jiraiya sensei," spoke Pain, emotionless.

Eyes widening, I uttered, "Jiraiya... You called him sensei?"

"That's right," he replied. "I also learned jutsu from him. He once was my master as well. And that makes us sibling students, sharing the same sensei meaning we ought to be able to understand each other. And that we know our Sensei desired peace."

"Just shut the hell up already!" I snarled as my latest addition to my jutsu arsenal ready. With taunt muscles, I then unleashed the product of all my secret training. It landed near the center of the group. While the main Path and two others jumped to safety one pushed the female body out of the way and was shredded to nothingness.

A giant bird was summoned and aimed for me, which I dodged and then engaged the Summoning Path. It was easy to beat her down and out cold using the cover of the dust that Ma toad provided and a Rasengan barrage!

"You've exhausted your Sage Mode," observed Pain.

He was right. I was devoid of any nature energy and now wasn't the time to gather more. Throwing the scroll to the elderly toads, I had them reverse summon a shadow clone stored of with nature energy and released it. Renewed with Sage mode, I was ready to fight again.

As we traded blows, I could tell we were almost on par with each other, but I knew he had the advantage, even with my Senjutsu. As the battle wore on, I was tiring quickly and now I had no more clones to gather nature energy. One Rasen-shurikan was absorbed by the Tendo Path and the other missed.

*You all know how the entire Naruto vs Pain fight goes and it's hard for me to write, so yeah)

Eventually, I finally defeated him and to find the original body of who Pain really was.

"...see?" Removing the worn gauntlet from my right hand, I pulled the sleeve back, revealing the curse I'd been dealt by Kami. What should have effectively been a normal appendage was a clawed hand. Long reddish-orange fur covered where there should have been plain, tanned skin. It somewhat resembled a limb from a creature belonging to the demons whom resided inside of me.

"I know what pain is. You see Nagato, there is no reason to use power to attain peace. I have no doubt that you have the power to rule the world. However, to achieve peace, one must not misuse power for it is but a dangerous tool for those who wield it. Look at my arm. Though I never asked for this, the cosmos-nay, the gods have given this to me. I know not why; it is akin to being the Kyuubi and the Ichibi or so the villagers believe. It made me into a pariah for something that was not in my power to control. I have felt your pain. I could make you feel mine!" I flared my eyes will malice before I calmed. "But I shan't. I will continue to follow my master's teaching and I'll never give up!"

"This cannot be!" Nagato's eyes narrowed as he mustered the physical strength to inspect the nature my malevolent looking appendage. The brittle hand of the Rinnegan wielder fell to his side. It seemed that the aliased 'Pain' had seen something frightening. Something almost terrifying.

"I see now, Naruto. I have heard your story. You are burdened by the very essence of the Kyuubi itself; you know pain like none other. Kurama has wrapped his tainted tendrils to your very body. They could take-over your body and your mind if nothing is done quickly." He paused, looking down at me. "I now realize I was never meant to become a god. The bijou are more fit to be called gods. Kami...Shinigami-sama...they must despise me. My destiny lies in reviving the people of Konohagakure, all of the previous hosts of the bijuu and your parents. I brutally slaughtered the people of your village. I aim to rectify my misdeeds. When Yahiko had died, I took on his dream to create a world unburdened by war, but I became lost in the darkness. Darkness with the blood-stained eyes of evil. I will revive all of Konoha." Coughing violently, Nagato answered with a weak smile, "It is possible through the Sage of the Six Paths. However doing so, I am going to die. You will succeed me as the next Rikudo Sennin. I was not worthy of the title."

He coughed up a globule of blood and said as Konan gave a horrified gasp, "You have opened my eyes. I now realize my misdoings and I am willing to sacrifice myself to correct what I have wronged. For the greater good. I only hope you can resist the darkness and fight off the same misguidance I fell into. I'd been fooled by a vision without any pain. O-only you can bring peace back to the world once you have slain Madara. You know his fake persona as Tobi. That bastard manipulated me into seeking the bijou for his nefarious plot: Tsuki no Mai. Yahiko and Jiraiya had a dream, a dream of a world of peace, unmarred by war and violence. I give you my blessing to end the world's pain that is war. The only downside, it the souls chosen to return are completely random. But most will be the shinobi sacrificed to protect your precious village. I cannot teach you the secrets of the Rinnegan or the jutsu I learned. You must discover it on your own."

"NO!" blurted the Angel of Amegakure. "I cannot allow you to die, Nagato. You deserve a second chance. You deserve to achieve world peace." The blue haired beauty paused before saying in a calmer voice, "I will be the sacrifice. Let my life force and my chakra fuel your Yin Yang Release." Her eyes were pleading as they burgeoned with virgin tears. I knew she couldn't bear to lose Nagato. I was about to make a deal when the redhead interrupted.

Laughing grimly, Nagato said, "No Konan, I will do this alone. Nay, I have to. You cannot use this jutsu. This body of mine will soon perish. I brought this upon myself and-" The dark bout of laughter had caused another coughing fit to red-haired man. "I am close to death and I know what I must do." Turning back to me, Nagato finished, "I know something that may help, but you must trust me with this. I shall attempt to give you the Deva Path before I pass on into the next world. I do not know if it is feasible. I will not know what will happen to the other paths in combination with resurrecting Konoha. I suggest you find them before something goes awry. Do you trust me?"

I nodded, stunned at Nagato's selfless generosity when we had been enemies moments ago. Aloud, I said, "If I am to protect all that is dear to me, then I need all the power I can get, even if it comes with a price. I am honored, brother pupil of Jiraiya."

Looking at the blue-haired woman, he said, "I loved you all my life. I'm sorry I never confessed my feelings for you. I always knew Yahiko had a thing for you. Good bye Konan." The sole female member of the Akatsuki gasped. I could see her holding back an ocean of tears.

"Do it."

At my verbal command, Nagato of Amegakure wove a long series of hand-seals in quite a frenzy. He did not make any mistakes. As he came to slower pace, I knew he was nearing the end of weaving the hand-seals. As the man whom was connected to many tubes, his hair was drained of all color and had thinned drastically. "Naruto, please take care of Konan..." Coming to the final seal, Nagato wheezed, "Gedō: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu!"

A menacing gargantuan white figure erupted out out from the ground. The King of Hell stretched it's maw wide, thousands of green bolts of energy soaring out of it's white clad body. I could only fathom that they were the souls of everyone who had given their life during the Akatsuki's invasion. A single blazing red arrow overshot the village towards the Hokage monument. I looked back at the lifeless body of the Rinnegan user. I was about to walk over to Konan to comfort her when an all light-encompassing sphere of darkness slammed into the epicenter of my being. It felt like I was dying instantaneously. I screamed in agony until a glowing white sphere gently floated into my soul. I felt fuzzy before I drifted off into unconsciousness. Before I blacked out, a series of images flashed before me. But I hadn't been able to make any sense of them before I 'died'.

My consciousness floated in a black ether. It seemed like the energies of the endless void would swirl around me for an eternity... until I found myself in what appeared to be a vision of my first apartment. The one in the poorest district of Konohagakure. It was sort of nostalgic really.

A figure swathed in shadows rounded the corner, taking their time. Tall, dark and intimidating were words that hardly described the being in question. It's cloak seemed to be made of the blackest shadows, yet alive. Tendrils of darkness writhed at the edges of the garment. It's mere presence was the cause of my skin crawling. His gaze seemed to pierce my soul, but appeared calm and collected despite my inner fear. He wore a demon's visage, akin to the ghouls said to wander the afterlife.

The shadowy figure remained taciturn for several more moments. It seems that over the years, I became aware of people's intent from mere non-verbal cues. This creature was no exception; but still quite puzzling to myself. From what I could glean, the oni-faced being was in deep thought, carefully deciding their words. I would assume he never made a mistake, but took great care and time in his decisions. To ask whom he was would be a farce, for whom the bell tolls, it was the Death God. It answered the unspoken question. A haunting feminine voice boomed, "I am know by many names; Anubis, Osiris, Hades, the Grim or the Shinigami. You Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, are marked."

I grimaced, preparing myself for damnation.

A hollow chuckle filled my ears. The omniscient presence of Death spoke, "No, your soul cannot be claimed...yet. It is not your time, mortal. Nay, I have other plans for thee." A gout of silver flames rushed before my face, only to have a scroll appear before me. She drawled in an almost bored tone, "You will become my fledgling apprentice, doing what work I cannot in the realm of living. I cannot rise to the human world unless someone dies or I am summoned. There are those who defy mortality. You are to send their souls to me by terminating their forfeited lives. Simple enough?"

"What do I gain for becoming 'Lil Death?' I inquired, almost condescendingly. I had appeared to have grown a cynical and aloof side to myself. Perhaps Jiraiya rubbed off on me. It wouldn't be a bad thing, would it? "I fought for my village, yet you demand me to wander the world to kill random people? Am I just a slave to do your bidding? I am not the naïve brat I was years ago."

Death shook her head, "Oh no, I would not be so cruel as to coerce you to work for me for nothing. No, I will give you a new weapon and temporary immortality while you carry out my will. I will also grant you abilities no mortal could imagine. I could not see why you would turn down a gift like this."

"What's the catch?"

"Humans, always asking about the catch." The death reaper shook her head in disbelief. Likely not the first time she'd offered unbelievable power to someone. She sighed and replied, " Unfortunately, it does require a sacrifice on your part. You are required to leave everyone you knew behind to train in a new fighting style no mortal has ever known. There is a terrible war coming and you are the only one who can end it. You and your demon fox alone aren't able to stop it. But if you are trained by the gods, perhaps you can change the fate of the human realm. Will you lose yourself, and become the savior of your world? Or stay and suffer?"

Remaining taciturn for a full minute, I was deciding the cons and pros within my head. Refusing could have an effect upon the world, possibly thus ending it. Agreeing and going through with the training would mean losing every relationship I had since I became a genin. But it would also mean I would receive the power to protect my friends. I sighed. I had to do what was right: I had to break all bonds with them. Finally, I looked up at him and said, "I'll do it, Hades."

"Excellent. Come with me at once. The good thing about this, is that time is relative in the underworld," she twittered as she lead me away from the vision of my old apartment. "Technically, you aren't really sacrificing much, but once you awaken in Yahiko's body, people will see you as the enemy and it will be terribly hard to mend the distrust your greed for power."

"How did you-"

Rolling her eyes, the Shinigami replied, "I was there when you accepted Nagato's offer. He has been dying for several years now. It's taken so long for him to die! Thankfully, your inspiring speech forced him to finally die, doing his last good deed in the world. Now, your training begins!"

A/N: And here, the first chapter comes to an end, perhaps to be continued? Maybe reviews will encourage me to write some more!

Also, forgive me for the poor quality of the Naruto vs Pain fight. I'm not very good at writing those kinds of scenes.