[A/N] A bit of a longer chapter this time. This is going to be one of those chapters where things from Ico and Last Guardian tie in, so let me know if I do well adding it in.

Also, I was considering changing the title. Let me know your thoughts, but I was thinking of perhaps going with 'The Collector'.

"Long ago, we protected quiet lands to the South. But, our power was split, out lands left in turmoil. We were betrayed." Domin said, their face looking solemn. "Milenia passed and we were freed, arisen anew. It was not to last. The boy who brought about our resurrection was pursued. Our bodies and souls were merged into one. When he died, we awoke in our home, with one known by many names. The God of Death. Thus we were given a task, to give our power to a successor. He gave us this scroll, saying he was unsure, but believed we may need it. Thou have called on us, pulling on our power hidden deep within thee. Our successor."

Naruto looked up at the figure in confusion. "I'm not sure I understood most of that," he said, scratching the back of his head.

Dormin approached him. "You shall, young one. You shall."

He woke to the sound of people clamoring around him, people shouting orders. His eyes opened, looking up he saw the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing there.

Seeing him awake, the Hokage held up a double edged sword, the blade thinner in the middle than the rest. "What happened out in those woods, Naruto? Who attacked you? Where did this sword come from?"

Clearing the haze from his mind, Naruto sat up. "I wasn't attacked. It was…" He paused, memories returning to him. "My summon."

Hiruzen looked down at him. "What summon?" he asked. "Naruto, what did you summon out there?"

Looking confused, Naruto shook his head. He looked around for a moment, bringing a finger up and tearing it open with his teeth. Forming the proper sign, a small cloud of smoke and two toads appeared at the foot of his bed.

"Shima?" Hiruzen asked. "And Fukasaku? You two are Naruto's summons? Would you be able to tell me what happened in the forest? Where this sword came from?"

The toads shared a look as Fukasaku held up his hand. "I'm afraid we cannot answer those questions. We are not at liberty to discuss anything involving the boy's other summons."

Dumbfounded by the answer, Hiruzen looked back and forth between the two. "He has more than one? How did that happen?"

"We can't tell you much about it at all," Shima replied. "The most we are able to tell you is that his parents had him put on our contract before their death, and when he tried to summon, we were not the only ones to answer the call. Also, that sword belongs to Naruto."

Opening his mouth to speak, he paused, looking stern. "I see. And his wounds?"

"The stress of summoning two contracts unprepared," Fukasaku answered.

"You won't answer any other questions?"

"Not if they pertain to his other contract. It's forbidden by laws older than we are."

"I want more," Naruto said suddenly. Each of them turned to him. "I want more," he said again, starting to grin. "Not one but two. I've already proven them wrong." He sat up, his shoulders shaking with giggling. "I don't want to stop at two. I want more, so they won't ever mock me again. I'll be the greatest summoner ever!" His eyes seemed to dull after his announcement as he collapsed, falling again into unconsciousness.

Opening his eyes, Naruto found himself again in the bright emptiness. "Dormin?" he called out.

"We art here."

He turned around, seeing the figure standing there. Grinning ear to ear, he waved. "I think I'm ready to learn from you. Even if I don't understand it all, tell me everything. Tell me about who betrayed you."

Dormin nodded. The world took shape, a bright valley with a large temple at the center and small ruins that dotted the landscape.

"It's beautiful," Naruto said.

"Once, it thrived. People lived here. And together, we could sometimes raise the dead, on certain occasions. There were two, we and another. We were of darkness, and she of light."

"She? Weren't they like you? Two people?"

"There was a time when they were. But they chose to ignore our dual natures. She sought greater power, showing a shaman how to imprison us, to tear our body apart and seal away our soul, taking what she could of our power for herself and convincing him we were the evil one."

Naruto looked down. "She was your friend? And she just betrayed you like that."

"We should have seen the signs. In lands to the west of our home, she had created a construct, the Master of the Valley, as she called it. It built up magical energy through sacrifices brought by enslaved creatures. We know not it's true purpose, or how it fell, but during our imprisonment, we could feel its corruption die."

"But what happened to her?"

"We know not. After the death of the boy, the one whom our soul was bound to, we were once again trapped in our shrine, limited in our sight of the outside world."

Naruto paused, yelling out in frustration as he tried to wrap his head around it all. "So that's when the Shinigami told you to find someone to succeed you?"

"Someone to claim our power, for us merge with again. Tis our only path to freedom, as we can no longer take physical form on our own."

"What-" Naruto paused, afraid of sounding selfish at being offered this power. "What else do I get from all this? Your power? Do I still stay…" He trailed off.

"Thine will remains. We shalt be a...passenger, not unlike…" Dormin gave pause, considering his words. "Our presence shall not affect your personality or mind, unless you change it willingly. That is, until we merge, then, our very beings shall become one."

"What happens then? What would I become?"

There was another pause. "We know not. But thou would be something new."

Turning away from the figure, Naruto sighed. He looked over to a series of waterfalls, finding a sense of peace in them. "What about the summoning contract. What exactly would I call upon?"

"Thou would summon the fragments of that which we no longer need. Our body." Twenty-four pillars of light began appearing across the land. "Parts of our body were given form, some fell before our resurrection, those who were left of our people trying valiantly to free us. As they died, we kept their spirits within us, allowing them to live on. But the fragments were great creatures, ones thou shalt find may assist thee."

Naruto gave a smirk. "Then let's get started, shall we!"

Hiruzen sighed as he sat down before the council, setting his hat down on the table. "I will start," he said slowly, "by putting your fears to rest. It was neither an attack, nor the Kyuubi being released."

"I thought not," Tsume Inuzuka said. "It didn't feel anything like the Kyuubi did."

Danzo nodded. "That being said, what was it? Did the boy tell you anything useful?"

"That's the problem," Hiruzen replied. "I don't know what it really was other than Naruto's summon."

"So the boy tried a summoning jutsu?" Hiashi Hyuga asked. "What exactly did he summon?"

"And why didn't it reverse summon him to its home?" Shikaku Nara said. "Unless he was already on a contract, shouldn't he have disappeared temporarily?"

"He's on the toad's summoning contract," Hiruzen answered. "Apparently Minato and Kushina had him added to the contract before their death. But according to Shima and Fukasaku, the toad elders, he unintentionally summoned something else. And they couldn't tell me what that was."

"Couldn't? Or wouldn't?" Danzo asked.

"Couldn't. Their own words were that they were bound by ancient laws, laws that forbid them answering any questions I had."

"Why didn't Naruto answer those questions?" Tsume asked.

His face turned grim. "He told me that he could tell me what I wanted to know, but that his summon, whatever it is, asked him not to say. And he has taken that request to heart. That being said, I am ordering several ANBU and special Jounin to keep an eye on the boy, even more so than before."

Stone grated against stone as statues seemed to move on their own, parting to reveal a doorway. Men in robes entered the chamber, a large throne room with stairs leading to the stone chair.

On the throne sate the statue of a woman with a sword pulsing with energy protruding from its chest. The forehead was cracked, small, blue horns wedged into the cracks.

Each of the men knelt before the statue. "My queen," one of them said. "We believe Dormin has finally returned."

The horns gave off a dull glow, the queen's eyes glowing with the same blue color. "Is that so?" a woman's voice radiated from the statue in an amused tone. "Then perhaps we do not need to wait, not as long as I believed. And the new Masters?"

The men shared a nervous look. "We are in the process of building them, but they are still years away from completion. Completing so many constructs is a slow and arduous task. Not to mention finding children that can fuel them."

"Do not be nervous now. I built the first, the Master of the Valley. I remember how long it took to create the first, and for it to become self sustaining. Take your time. You'll find that I'm not going anywhere."

He bowed deeper. "Yes, my Queen."