The blade swung in an arc, biting deep into the wood and gouging out chunks as it carved a furrow. It left the wood, spraying splinters. The blade hung in the air, turning for another strike. It descended and-
"Naruto! What are you still doing here? Everyone else has left and-" Iruka paused and stared and the scene in front of him. Naruto sheepishly looked away as Iruka stared at the swirling patterns sprawled across Naruto's desk, carved with a small chunk of metal he carried around. Iruka sighed. "I know you don't entirely want to be here but while you are a student at the Academy it is forbidden to deface Academy property."
Naruto cleared his stuff into a small rucksack he had. He made no move to reply as he left the room. Iruka just shook his head silently. Several weeks ago the Hokage had shown up with Naruto in tow. He had explained how Naruto had 'a spur of the moment decision to become a shinobi.' As if. Iruka was well aware that Naruto was a jinchuriki and they couldn't afford to have an untrained jinchuriki. Naruto had most likely been 'persuaded' to join the Academy. He shook his head. There was no point dwelling on it. Besides, he groaned, he had a new class next.
Naruto slowly strolled through Konoha. His apartment was almost on the opposite side of Konoha to the Academy. Not that he cared. He enjoyed the walk and it occasionally gave him inspiration. Unlike the majority of his classmates Naruto's interests lay outside being a shinobi. He usually spent his time painting. That was how he had met Sai.
Most of the building Naruto lived in was empty, leaving Naruto the sole tenant of his apartment building. The biggest social event of his week was buying food and/or materials, if he was running low. He knew the names of approximately five people in the village. Then, one day, Sai had moved into one of the vacant apartments downstairs. They had bonded over their shared love of painting. It had been enjoyable, for a while.
Naruto received occasional visits from the Hokage, usually about a stipend Naruto received for food and such. The one point that was almost always brought up was becoming a shinobi. It had become a point of tension between, almost always signalling the end of the visits. However, when Sai had moved in the discussions about shinobi training had dwindled. And then Sai had begun to make subtle suggestions about how he was training to be a shinobi.
And their plan had worked. Naruto realised too late that Sai's intentions were in no way benevolent. After Naruto started the Academy he began to suspect something. He confronted Sai. The next day Sai had moved out. That was the last he had seen of him. He was unsure of why he continued to train as a shinobi but he felt as if he couldn't quit now or he would be the one who lost. And thus his education had continued into the 'noble' arts of the shinobi.
Naruto was shaken out of his thoughts as he realised he had reached his destination. It was a small grove near Konoha's wall, secluded from the everyday rush of village life. Naruto sat down and removed a pad and brush from his bag. They were quickly followed by a supply of ink and he began to sketch his surroundings.
Painting had always been so much simpler than dealing with other people. There was no chance of misunderstandings, which happened to be so commonplace between humans. Soon the page was filled and he subconsciously retrieved another. Page followed page and, before he knew it, the sun was dipping low in the sky, signalling the end of the day. He slowly tidied his things back into his rucksack. He turned to leave only to find himself face to face with a white wolf.
He blinked slowly as he took in the scene in front of him. The wolf was decorated with crimson markings spanning her entire body. Her mere presence was making Naruto feel comfortable. But before he could anything the wolf started to glow. It stood up as facial features flattened, body grew and the white fur he had been admiring seemed to vanish. He was left with a woman slightly taller than himself, with long white hair interspersed with crimson. She was clothed in a pale yukata of unblemished white. Naruto found himself dumbstruck at her beauty.
"Greetings." Her voice was melodious, with a musical quality to it that seemed to hang in the air long after she had stopped speaking. "It is... nice?" She nodded as if convincing herself. "Yes, nice to meet my sister's successor."
Naruto continued to stare as his ears attempted to savour each word before they disappeared into the ether. The last syllable faded before he grasped the actual content of her words. "Wait, what? Successor to who?"
She seemed confused for a moment. "Did I make a mistake? No, it definitely feels like her." She seemed to convince herself before she looked at him again. "Yes, you ate my sister."
Naruto stared in shock. "I'm sorry but it sounded like you just suggested I ate your sister!"
"Well, if not you, then the demon you appear to contain."
Naruto stared at her as his brain slowly shuddered to a halt, unable to keep up with the woman's continuous revelations. He was still trying to deal with the fact she had originally been a wolf. He shook his head to clear it. He looked up only to find the woman standing right in front of him. Oddly enough she was pouting.
"You don't believe me." Despite her speech remaining collected, as if she was carefully selecting each word, there was an undertone of sadness. Almost as if she was upset he didn't believe her.
However, this didn't last. She suddenly perked up. "Nee-sama will convince you!"
Naruto opened his mouth to ask what she meant before his vision started swimming. His last image before darkness being her beaming face.
Naruto slowly awoke, rubbing his head as he sat up. He looked around before moaning. "This day can't get worse."
Instead of the lush forested landscape he was used to he was treated to the sight of a warring landscape. On his left was a golden sky, dotted with clouds whereas on his right was a dark sky that seemed to try and consume the light that went near it. Where the two met they seemed to be battling for domination.
Naruto was sitting on the divide of the two, both seemingly tugging at his clothes. He slowly stood up. He turned around and stopped. Sitting at his feet was a white rabbit, its fur containing the same crimson streaks as the woman from earlier. 'I really don't want to deal with this' he complained internally.
Naruto slowly started to step back. He was about to turn and leave when the rabbit suddenly launched itself at him, swinging a mallet he hadn't seen earlier. He threw himself to the ground to avoid the rabbit's wild swing. He rolled over and was about to get up when the rabbit hopped onto his chest.
"That was quite rude. Brats like you should have more respect, especially for your betters." The rabbit glared down at him, slowly tapping its foot on his chest as it spoke. "Honestly, how could this arrangement get any worse?"
Naruto opened his mouth to reply before he was cut off. "I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Yumigami, the Celestial Spirit of the Moon." Naruto sat there in silence. "Well boy? Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
"Please.."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Please get off my stomach.."
"Ah, sorry." The rabbit hopped backwards as Naruto sat up. He took a breath before addressing the rabbit. "Just..who..what is going on?" he settled for.
"Hmm, that's very vague. You should be more direct with your questions. However, I shall explain what I believe you are asking. This landscape," stated Yumigami, "Is your mind. This bright section is the indication of the presence of a Celestial Spirit, namely me. That dreary place, on the other hand, is the evidence of a much less appealing creature. In this case it happens to be one of what you humans call Bijuu."
Naruto flopped onto his back. "Strangely, I'm not as surprised as I think I should be. Isn't this the point where I start believing this is a dream?"
"That is unsurprising. Despite realizing it you have known for quite some time that I, and to a lesser extent the Bijuu, have existed. The proof is in your paintings." Naruto was unsurprised at this. When he painted he normally just picked objects at random. But there were days when he couldn't remove his thoughts from rabbits. Rabbits and foxes.
"The Kyuubi." he murmured.
"Quite right." declared Yumigami. "I should hasten to add though, that normally you would never have discovered I was here. I was forced to, shall we say, make contact with you subconsciously. And that happens to be the main reason we are here."
Naruto slowly dragged himself into a seated position to look Yumigami in the eye. "So why am I here?"
"Because I cannot maintain my position as a Celestial Spirit anymore."
For the first time since he had arrived in his mind Naruto felt surprised. Yumigami continued, "Sixteen years ago I happened to be slumbering near Konoha. Suddenly, your so-called Kyuubi appeared and unknowingly swallowed me in its rampage. Then it was sealed into you." Yumigami's stare seemed to burn holes through Naruto's face, as if blaming him for their current situation.
"Not that I was hampered in performing my duties. I merely persuaded you subconsciously into performing actions which would ensure that the moon rose and fell as it should. The easiest medium being painting." Yumigami paused here as Naruto slowly soaked in the information. One fact in particular stood out.
"So you're the only reason I started painting?" The moment the words left his mouth he wished he could take them back, make them sound less accusatory, less like he was blaming her for painting, for everything.
But Yumigami didn't react. At least not openly. "To be blunt," she replied, "Yes. I am the main reason you started to paint. It allowed me to perform my duties whilst being stuck here. However, this method will no longer work. When you encountered Sai you began associating him with painting. Thus, when your 'friendship' ended, you began to dislike painting."
Naruto grimaced. He had let down his guard and the Hokage had made his move. Thus, in a couple of days he would officially be a Konoha shinobi. He looked at Yumigami. "So what are you going to do now?"
"Nothing." She remained impassive as if she hadn't just declared she would stop ensuring the moon existed. Naruto gaped.
"Can you even do that? I mean, what about-"
"I didn't mean it wouldn't be done." she interrupted. "I said I won't be doing it. You will. From now on you will perform all my duties until such a time as I can resume them."
Naruto opened his mouth to reply. Then he closed it. Opened it.
"I have nothing else to say and it seems you have no questions so I shall go speak to my sister. I suggest you head that way," she gestured. "There is someone who no doubt wants to speak to you." With that she left, heading into the brighter of the two surrounding landscapes. Naruto turned to where she had gestured. It was the heart of the inky blackness that formed the other half of his mind. He could vaguely make out the shape of two elaborate gates. He sighed before standing up.
"This definitely won't be any better."
And right he was. The sound of his feet on the strange, solid surface he was walking on soon changed to the splashing of water. It quickly rose up his ankles as he walked forwards. The far off gates he had been walking towards soon became closer and closer until he was close enough to touch them.
They were large decrepit gates, everything about them screaming stay away. As he peered into the darkness through the bars he could hear the sounds of a large creature breathing. He momentarily relaxed. Then a massive claw slammed down if front of him.
Naruto jumped back, the claw yearning forwards but held back by the bars. Then it slowly withdrew. As it withdrew the owner of the claw slowly made its way forwards until Naruto was left staring at a gargantuan fox.
"What a pitiful little creature." it growled, disdain evident in its voice. "You should have done yourself a favour and let me kill you."
"..." Naruto slowly blinked as he stared up at the Kyuubi. "Everyone made you out to be a lot scarier. You seem-" He was cut off by a deafening roar, the Kyuubi lunging at him, only to repelled by the bars once more.
"You ignorant wretch! I'll kill you first, then finish off that Spirit!"
Naruto made an effort to look uninterested. "From what I hear you're the reason we're all in this predicament."
The Kyuubi moved back into the darkness of the cage. "Believe what you like. Just know that if the chance comes I will escape." Then he chuckled. "I'll be sure to leave you as a nice corpse."
Naruto turned around. There was nothing else he was going to get out of the fox. The only question that remained was how to wake up. He slowly blinked and when he opened his eyes he was once more looking at the face of the woman who had first started this entire ordeal.
'She's amazing.' He blushed upon realizing that she had somehow moved closer to him while he had been unconscious. He quickly realized that anyone who happened to pass may misunderstand their closeness and moved backwards. Luckily for him as she began blinking as she awoke.
"Nee-sama said I should introduce myself." Oddly enough she sounded composed yet cheerful. "I am Amaterasu, Spirit of the Sun! Oh, and this is for you." She procured a wrapped object Naruto had happened to miss during the time he had been staring at her face.
She handed him the object. He slowly unwrapped it to reveal a dark blue katana, with a yellow ring along the edge ot the tsuba. Amaterasu beamed as Naruto slowly rotated the blade, examining it as if making sure he still he remembered it. "It's name is-"
"Tsumugari." Naruto stopped. "How did I know that?"
"Because the sword is yours!" As their conversation progressed Amaterasu's tone grew chirpier and less controlled, as if she was unlearning a role she didn't like.
"And why doesn't it have a sheath?" He was quickly handed a plain, dark wooden sheath.
He turned to Amaterasu, once more remarking to himself about her beauty. She seemed to hesitate before asking: "Is that everything? You know what you have to do?"
She turned as if to leave, looking almost disappointed, as if she had been enjoying herself until now. Naruto wanted to tell her to stop, stay, anything to ensure she wouldn't leave. He wracked his brain for a solution, something, anything. It couldn't end like this! Not now!
"Please go out with me!"