Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the Divine Comedy. Masashi Kishimoto and Dante Aligheri do. So don't yell at me for using the same characters and settings.

Naruto: Journey through the Land of Darkness

Chapter 1

Death

It was the first time in his life that he had ever heard those words. "I love him." said Hinata, heir to the Hyuuga clan. She loved him, him the jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, the village's pariah. And before he knew it, she was dead. Stabbed through her heart; her chakra no longer giving out any signal. And before he knew what happened, he was in the sewer confronting the Fox.

He didn't remember much of the conversation with it, all he knew was that he released the seal and that the remaining members of Akatsuki were dead after the failed attempt to seal the Nine Tails before being the last. He journeyed, for what felt like years, back to the place of Hinata's death. The people never noticed him as he made his way to the image of a glowing white Hyuuga girl. "Hinata?" Naruto asked. "Naruto, you're here. Now we can finally move on and rest forever." She replied. "You mean we're-" "Yes." She interrupted. "We're dead. We need to move on."

Naruto never thought much of his death other then that he never wanted it to happen before he became Hokage. But it seems Kami had other plans in store for him. And he was right as the Reaper Death Seal shinigami appeared before them. He touched Hinata's forehead and he ascended into a bright light. However, when it turned to Naruto he simply pointed behind him. When he turned, he saw them. The Gates of Hell. "What? But why? I've always fought for the village, why am I going to Hell?" The shinigami did not reply, the doors opened and he pushed Naruto in.

XXXXXXXXXX

When he awoke all he heard were screams aboard a large boat, a giant skeleton rowing the boat across a swamp-like river. "Where am I?" Naruto asked a shadowy figure next to him. "From what the ferryman said, this is the river Acheron. He's taking us to someone who's going to judge what we did in life." "That's a relief. I thought I was going to be stuck here." Naruto replied. "Wrong." Said the ferryman. "Through me is the way to the city of woe. Through me is the way to everlasting torment. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." "What do you mean?" Naruto shouted to the rowing skeleton. "Those who enter the inferno do no escape. You entered because you must pay for the wrongs in your life that you attempted to justify. Minos will judge your punishment for your crimes."

No sooner did the ferryman finish speaking did they come across a peer. The shades shuffled their way off the boat and towards a large tower. Naruto however, escaped from them to a collection of shades in front of a large door. He looked around and saw someone familiar. Blue hair, grey eyes and a blue paper flower in her hair. Now he remembered, she was that Akatsuki member that invaded with Pain. "You! What are you doing here?" he asked her. "I'm stuck here in this circle of Hell." She said to him, remorse dripping from every word. Naruto stared at her, confused.

"Allow me to explain, Naruto." Said a sad voice. Naruto turned to see a replica of an older self. "Ah, I remember you!" Naruto said to him. "Dad, I remember meeting you in the seal!" "I see it did no good." He said somberly, broken hearted to see his son not only dead but in Hell as well. "I'm sorry, Naruto." He said as he began to cry. "I couldn't help you when you needed me most!" He hugged his son closely, trying to repent for the years of suffering he unintentionally put his son through. "It's ok, dad." Naruto said, uncomfortable seeing his father like this. "No, it isn't!" he yelled "It's my fault this happened…" "You were protecting the village! You saved countless people! You did more for me then anyone else ever did."

Minato looked up to his son, tears of pride in his eyes. Proud of the son that he sacrificed his life for. "Anyway, where are we now?" Naruto asked his father. "We're in the first circle of Hell." He began. "What do you mean 'first'?" Naruto asked. "Hell is split up into nine circles, each with different sinners, with different punishments. We are in the first circle, Limbo. Here are the people who weren't bad but they weren't good people either. They aren't punished but they are denied going to heaven, like Hinata did." He explained. "Hey, dad, about Hinata… is there anyway I can see her again?" Naruto asked.

Minato smiled at his son. "My boy, that's why I'm here. She came to me and told me that you where going to be here, she told me the way for you to go see her. And I can lead you there." Naruto's eyes suddenly got bright and hopeful. "There's a way out? But the skeleton guy said-" "I know what he said, he said the same thing to me. But he's not the boss down here. I know a loop-hole to get out." Minato said. "But, we need to make our way to the ninth circle, to the absolute bottom. "Deal! Together, we'll be unstoppable!" Naruto said.

"There's a catch, Naruto. I can only be your guide, I can't help you fight. If I do, they'll take me away." Minato said to Naruto. "Fine, I'm the son of the greatest Hokage the Leaf Village has ever seen! I'll make it no problem, believe it!" Naruto boasted. Minato couldn't help but laugh at his son's familiar personality. "Alright then let's get going!" Minato said. "Wait, there's still one thing I want to know." Naruto said as he turned back to Konan. "What is it?" she asked. "Why did you and Pain form Akatsuki in the first place?" he asked.

Naruto sat and listened to Konan's story of their meeting with Jiraiya, their training, Yahiko's determination and untimely death, Nagato's rage and Madara's leadership. "I can't believe it…" Naruto said in sadness. "We were exactly the same, and yet we drove off in different paths… I only wish we had met sooner. Maybe then we could have changed the world together, for the better." "I know. I am bonded to this circle because I wanted to change the world, but I couldn't do anything but stand by Nagato's side. I know that Yahiko is in a better place then this, but I'm afraid that Nagato's somewhere down below."

"Come with us!" Naruto said. "What? After everything we did to you? Your going to help us escape from here?" she said a mix of remorse and hope in her voice. "Your damn right I am! You guys deserve a better afterlife after what you guys already suffered through!" Konan fell to her knees and began to cry. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for not stopping Nagato from killing you…" "It's alright, I've already come to terms with the fact that I'm dead. If I can get to see Hinata again, then I'm going to fight my way through Hell and do one last good deed to redeem myself from punishment here. Let's go to Hell, Konan!" Konan stood up and wiped away her tears and they entered the large side doors to the tower following Minato to their redemption…

XXXXXXXXXX

AN: What can I say other then I have Dante's Inferno plot bunnies in my head. I'm going to continue Night of the Scarecrow but I need to fix some plot holes first. As always, don't expect me to write new chapters quickly. I have a social life you know.