Yo...
That was a good start for this sequel. Now, I want to make some things clear as there are some misconceptions in the mind of my readers.
While this story is a continuation of Namikaze Legend, it is on a totally different platform. 4 years have passed, and the whole world has been turned upside down.
The teenage characters (Naruto's group) are now in their 20's and 21.
All I'm saying that it is not possible for the characters to be the same after these events. Most of you will generally like the changes which I'm bringing, from a teenage drama fic series, it will turn into something more mature.
As far as Madara is concerned, it is not "right" to compare him with Cannon Madara. This is an AU story, and while he is the same man with the same personality...there will be a change in his persona, as he is an EMPEROR. We will definitely see his true wild nature during this story, but I am also trying to show another side of him.
Enjoy the chapter...
Chapter 2
The Men of Miracles
The very first thing he felt was cold.
Extreme cold.
His blurry vision started to get more clear with each passing second, and he saw shades of white everywhere. Instinctively, he rubbed his eyes with the help of his fingers and looked again, only to be presented with the same results.
He touched the soft yet cold surface on which he was currently sitting, and in a flash he identified it due to the familiar feeling it provided.
Snow
As his vision cleared he saw he was actually sitting on snow, he was bare chested making him shiver a little as the cold winds of winter hit his body. Although he was glad for having a dark black colored jeans covering his lower half of body. It would have been fairly unpleasant, if he had to feel the cold winds brush against a sensitive organ.
A very sensitive one...
A dry chuckle escaped from his lips on thinking about that scenario, but he regretted the action as his throat was extremely dry. Goddammit, he needed some water...
Wait, what?
Since when did he need water? He was supposed to be-
And then it hit him like a solid punch to his gut, his veteran eyes hastily scanned the surrounding areas and he immediately recognized the buildings of Konoha. He had lived for so many years in this village, that he was practically familiar with its entire layout.
And this was definitely Konoha.
"What the hell?"
It was the only coherent sentence he could form on seeing the condition of his village- his home. It looked deserted and there were traces of large scale destruction everywhere judging from the broken structures of several houses, and the shattering Hokage faces on top of the mountain.
This was really Konoha.
But he was supposed to be dead, and trapped in the worst place of the entire world. And yet, here he was...
Kenshin Shimura was stunned, the scenario before him was just not possible. Not even in his wildest dream, and yet his fingers that were grasping the snow beneath him, and the cold air hitting his chest as well his sharp eyes that were showing him his beloved village, was making him believe that it was really true.
He tried to shake his head, hoping this dream would end. Maybe the Death God had finally decided to torture him...
No, it was not possible. He was not even touched by the monsters of hell, or had to undergo different types of tortures and nightmares, and all other worse kinds of suffering. It was something he wouldn't even wish on his staunch enemies...
It was horrible, no it was terrifying.
Even for him, that place had been nothing but a devastating nightmare. Although fortunate enough for not being tortured (The Death God really had a strange sense of justice, the only reason he was not being tortured was because he had not killed innocents and was being kept in hell due to the contract) if he could he wished he had never used the Shiki Fujin Jutsu.
Not that he didn't love this village anymore, but the things he had seen had definitely made him question the route he had taken to protect this place. If there was a chance to die for Konoha again, he would probably blow himself up but never again was he going to use that forbidden jutsu.
Then his eyes widened in panic, his heartbeat increasing to extreme levels as he remembered something.
Rather he remembered someone.
Naruto
His desperate eyes searched for any trace of the boy whom he loved as much he was his own son. If this was not a dream, and if he was really back then he had to be with him.
No, he couldn't think of coming back here without him.
He quickly moved his hands and legs in order to prepare himself to move, as his eyes continued to search his surroundings. On further observation, he found himself sitting inside a cemetery. There were several broken gravestones, and uprooted grass...
Turning around he froze when he saw the name written on the grave behind him...
Commander Fox
So, it was not a dream and neither was he in hell. A series of questions started floating in his mind, his memories of the last few moments in hell were extremely hazy...although he was sure, that Naruto had been somewhere near him.
How the hell did he manage to escape from hell? More importantly, how did he manage to get his soul back inside his body?
He was not even supposed to have a body to return to.
As far as he could remember, Blacklight members had their bodies burnt and not buried when they died. And he had been a fucking commander, then why was his body preserved?
There was only one possible answer for this...
"Han..." thought Kenshin bitterly, this was no doubt the doing of his father.
Han Shimura or what the man was infamously remembered as "Baku" had always been a strict father. That man had practically total control over Kenshin's entire life, he even disregarded the name "Kenshin" given to him by his beloved mother, and instead named him "Han" as if he was trying to mold his son into a spitting image of himself.
And he did it anyway.
Kenshin had always been the black sheep of the Shimura Clan, at least until he joined Blacklight on his father's orders and achieved the position of commander through his skills. According to his father, he was too soft hearted and emotional and Blacklight would straighten him out.
Except it got him killed and sealed in hell for years...
And he had a feeling his father had something to do with the preservation of his body, that man had been the supreme Blacklight commander. And considering his inflated ego, Kenshin doubted his father would let his body be destroyed.
He would rather have his body buried in a cemetery, as a symbol of sacrifice that his family had made for Konoha.
No doubt for his personal ambitions, and not because he cared about his son in the slightest.
If only his father had seen above his own ambitions, if he only he had not been so selfish, then maybe things wouldn't have gone this way...
Maybe they could have been...
"I can't think about it right now..." thought Kenshin seriously,
Right now none of those things were as important to him, than the fact that Naruto was missing. He didn't leave the boy in that hell-hole, did he?
No, he couldn't.
Not after everything that place had done to the boy, not after the 300 years of suffering the death God had put the boy's soul through.
He wouldn't leave that boy, not even if he had to stay in that hell for all eternity.
Kenshin didn't know how much time had passed in this world, the sense of time was certainly different in hell. Not that he could do anything about it now.
For all he knew, months could have passed in this world while at the same time an entire century could have passed in the Shinigami's realm.
But rather than thinking about the sense of time of the world, he decided to focus on much bigger concerns.
Kenshin used every ounce of his strength and shakily got back on his feet, his body was still weak but in this case he would take whatever support he could muster, for a person who had been dead for years...his body was mysteriously intact and even stronger than before. He could clearly feel the chakra inside his body, and the strengthening of his muscles with every passing moment.
It was a miracle...
He heard a few cracks from his body, no doubt his muscles were trying to adjust with the newly found weight. He just wished this unpleasant feeling would be over soon...
Only if he knew how unlucky he was...
Before he could move in order to search for the boy the entire atmosphere went deadly silent, and if the air had been cold before...then now it had turned extremely chilling.
"You treacherous human!"
Oh, Kami- he knew that voice very well. He slowly turned around only to find a pissed off Death God (Shinigami) emerging from a dark portal, and his best guess was the god was out for his soul.
He actually flinched beneath the fiery gaze of the entity, but regardless mustered whatever courage he had left.
"I-"
"SILENCE! You have broken every divine rule of my realm...I will-"
The Death God was not allowed to finish his sentence as two people landed in front of Kenshin, and one of them had Naruto in his arms.
"So, it was you who did this." growled the Death God angrily, and moved to strike the two men that had intervened.
Thousands of lightning sparks occurred all over Konoha, and the amount of KI released by these 3 monsters made Kenshin fall down on the ground, his hands desperately clutching his chest to breathe in some air. Who the fuck were these guys?
And he got his answer when the two new arrivals released giant wings from their backs, and their bodies got covered in different colors of chakra.
The one with the blonde hair was carefully holding Naruto in his arms, while the one with darker black hair was intensely staring into a furious Shinigami's eyes.
"Back off..." commanded the one with dark hair, his entire body shrouded in divine red colored chakra.
"You dare to defy me, Indra?" asked the Death God incredulously, his ghostly eyes boring into the angel looking man's very soul.
"This doesn't concern you anymore. Now, get back to your kingdom..." ordered the man named Indra, his voice devoid of any form of fear, hesitation.
Kenshin was left speechless with Indra's words, did the man/angel (whatever) knew who the fuck he was pissing off? Nobody ever messed with the Death God, and this guy had not only infuriated the ghostly entity but also insulted him in the worst possible way.
"You stole 2 souls from my realm. You have violated the treaty between our realms...I hereby cast you to hell-" announced the Death God furiously, but before things could escalate further the blonde one stepped forward with Naruto in his arms.
"Shinigami-sama, we have not broken any terms of our treaty. I request you to grant me an opportunity to explain our actions..." requested the blonde man/angel in a polite and respectful manner,
"Ashura!"
Kenshin watched as the man named Indra glared at his partner, but Ashura had made up his mind.
"Please, brother...have faith in me" requested Ashura,
"Brother?" thought Kenshin in surprise, were these two really related to each other? And if they were the ones who rescued his and Naruto's soul from hell...then what did they want from them?
"You have 1 minute, Ashura. If he doesn't consent, I'm taking this matter in my own hands..." declared Indra seriously, completely ignoring the murderous glare the Death God was casting upon him.
The dark haired man/angel certainly knew how to piss people off, or God's in this case...
But it seemed the other brother was a peace loving person, as he placed Naruto's body on the snowy ground and gave a short apologetic bow to the Death God.
Surprisingly, the gesture did seem to reduce the frown on the Death God's face...albeit a little.
"My apologies for this mess, Shinigami-sama. But as I've said before, we didn't break any terms of the treaty shared between our realms..." stated Ashura diplomatically,
"Explain yourself"
"This boy here is Indra-nii-san's successor. Keeping his soul in your realm, prevents it from being passed on the next generation. He also has a part of me within him, and I'm sure you are aware about the circumstances in the living realm. If the situation in this world, continues to escalate in this manner...then the balance between all our realms would be broken." explained Ashura patiently,
Kenshin didn't understand what this man/angel had just said, but it worked. As the pressure which was being released by the Death God vanished, and so did the chakra which the brothers were releasing allowing him to breathe properly.
"But this boy and I have a contract. I have fulfilled his wish, by all means his soul is my property now" replied the Death God stubbornly, and this time Indra glared at him.
"300 years of torture was not enough for you? You have already caused enough damage..." cursed Indra angrily, earning a disgruntled scoff from the death god.
"The boy was simply paying for his sins, he did murder 300 innocent humans. My rules are the same for everyone, I don't play favorites like you..." insulted the Death God, and Indra activated his chakra again.
"He is my protege, and Shinigami or not...I won't let his soul be further destroyed for your twisted sense of justice. And certainly not when the human world is about to fall apart..."
"And whose mistake was it that led this world to this state? I remember it was your and your brother's mistakes..." retorted the Death God, sarcasm evident in his voice.
"Which we are trying to rectify. We don't like meddling in your affairs, but this was unavoidable. This world needs him...and for once I agree with Nii-san. If you can't see reason, then we would be forced to fight you...and that is something which none of us want at this point of time." explained Ashura calmly,
"And you committed this treason on your own? Or did you do it on his orders?" asked the Death God seriously,
For the first time in his entire mortal and spiritual life, Kenshin felt outclassed. He had never believed in the concept of Kami, hell, far less an angel. Only to be proven wrong, there were indeed some powers above them after all.
"Our own, you know he respects you and would never allow such actions. Even if it means complete destruction of the human world..." reassured Ashura respectfully,
"You do know the consequences, right?" asked the Death God, trying to confirm the real motive behind their actions.
"Crystal clear. For once during these thousand years, we see a chance for a real change. A solution to end all wars that were started due to our mistakes, but we need this boy for that. And if it means, we have to fight you then we accept it. It is our responsibility to stop the violence unleashed on this world..." said Ashura confidently,
"And if we go down, there will be war. A fight far worse than the crisis of this world, and I assure you I will not be so easy to destroy" warned Indra in a menacing voice,
A deadly silence prevailed between the three divine entities, Ashura was patiently waiting for the Shinigami to understand while Indra was ready to attack the God if he continued to get in his way.
"I see your point, besides I've had enough fun with his soul. But that one goes with me..." commanded the Death God, and pointed one of his fingers at Kenshin.
"Fuck" thought Kenshin nervously, was he really going back to hell now?
The two brothers looked at him for just a second, before Indra turned towards the King of Hell...
"That won't be possible, either. We have plans for him..." replied Indra seriously,
"Unacceptable..."
"Then undo the damage which you have done on this boy's soul, heal him to the state he was before you started torturing his soul for 300 years.." requested Ashura smartly,
"Am I fucking bargaining chip?" thought Kenshin in shock, but then again there was nothing he could do.
He only hoped everything ended well for him, he didn't want to go back after coming this far.
"I won't do that either, as far as this boy's soul is concerned. He deserved the punishment I gave him..." stated the Death God without any hint of remorse in his voice,
"Then I'm afraid we are at an impasse. If you could reconsider and do this as a favor-" said Ashura but was cut off, when his older brother walked forward and was now looking the Death God straight in the eye, mere inches away from his face.
"We are taking them, you have a problem? Then take it upstairs, or fight with me right here. And the war that would follow between the Pure World and Hell would be on your head. So, what shall it be?" asked Indra coldly,
A staring contest started between the Older angel and the God of Death, but it seemed Indra was far more determined as the Death God sighed after a few moments.
"Do what you want. Any such transgression again-" warned the Death God, but Ashura had already arrived to salvage the situation.
"It won't happen again, you have our word" promised Ashura, and even Indra gave a nod begrudgingly.
"Very well..."
Kenshin sighed in relief when the Death God disappeared inside his dark portal from where he had arrived a few minutes ago, however his relief was short lived when Indra turned towards him while Ashura was looking after Naruto.
"The Damage is quite extensive, brother. He is practically a vegetable right now..." explained Ashura disappointedly, while his hands were placed on Naruto's head.
"Can you do something about it, Ashura? You are the greatest healer in all 3 realms..." suggested Indra, but only gained an apologetic smile from his younger brother.
"I can heal any wounds to the body, but not to the soul. But I can do one thing..." said Ashura hopefully, and Kenshin watched as the man performed a set of unknown hand seals before slamming his hands on Naruto's forehead.
A strange set of seals spread across the boy's forehead, the sigils glowed brightly for a few seconds before mysteriously disappearing inside the skin.
Indra could only sigh tiredly as he realized what his brother had to do, but as he looked at Kenshin he was a little relieved. It seemed they had to rely on Plan B, after all...
"Kenshin..." commanded Indra, and smirked when the nervous Blacklight commander immediately bowed in front of him.
The older angel was satisfied that the man at least had the common sense to understand when he was outclassed, but then again any human would be frightened of him if he could make the Death God bow to his demand, even once.
"You're his teacher, aren't you?" questioned Ashura patiently, trying to ease the nervous man.
"Yes, I am his teacher and former commander..." clarified Kenshin truthfully, and even in this chilling atmosphere he felt a bead of sweat rolling from his forehead.
"And you're the only one who knows what happened down there with Naruto?" asked Indra sharply, his dark eyes boring into Kenshin's very soul.
"Yes" answered Kenshin wryly, extremely uncertain about the repercussions his answer would bring on him.
"The only reason we saved your soul from hell is because we need your help in protecting this boy. The way things are in this world, he might very well be my last successor..." explained Indra worriedly, and for the first time Kenshin saw some nervousness in the man's eyes.
"And after everything that happened down there, Naruto would never leave without you..." reassured Ashura with a small smile on his face, and was satisfied when the explanation seemed to ease all of Kenshin's fears.
Kenshin's gaze shifted towards the unconscious boy lying on the snowy ground. He looked so different now...
In place of a 16 year old boy, there stood a 20 year old man.
He was nearly 6ft 4 inches tall and had quite the muscular body (No doubt, due to Ashura's help), his chest and arms were more broader and lengthier respectively. But the most important thing was his face...
He was extremely fair skinned, his silky blonde hair were now longer and one bang had almost covered one of his eyes. He also had certain portion of his hair highlighted in black color (No doubt, due to his Uchiha heritage), surprisingly there was a small black colored beard on his chin.
"He's handsome, isn't it?" joked Ashura, making Indra smirk while bringing a smile on Kenshin's face.
"Indra-sama, can I ask you something?" asked Kenshin respectfully, as Indra raised one of his eyebrows on being referred as "Sama", but then again this man was a human while he was something much more. The title was certainly befitting...
"Speak"
"Why didn't you rescue him from hell before?" asked Kenshin pointedly, for his part Indra never flinched on that accusation.
"We are not allowed to interfere with the living realm and Hell as well, even then this is the second time we have interfered on this boy and someone else's behalf. We have broken every single rule for their sake, and would have to face the punishment for it" said Indra honestly,
"And also due to my insistence. I had faith that my successor would be somehow able to counter the apocalypse that has arrived on this world, but I was wrong..." said Ashura shamefully,
"You were a fool, Ashura. Your successor is a leader who would flourish in times of peace, not in time of war. He no doubt has your fighting prowess, but he lacks the ruthlessness that is required to defeat the darkness of this world. In order to defeat evil, you sometimes have to become evil itself. And that is something your successor can never do..." scolded Indra harshly,
"I understand, it was my mistake" said Ashura apologetically, and Kenshin wanted to know who the other successor was, but refrained from asking the question.
"Don't be so down, what's done is done. Besides there was no way we could have rescued Naruto's soul, before the Shinigami had finished punishing him for his sins..." reassured Indra, trying to save his younger brother from feeling more guilty.
And he was saved from the situation, when Kenshin glared at him...
"You purposefully let him suffer?" asked Kenshin incredulously, eyes burning with pure rage.
"There are limits to even our powers. And every person has to pay for their actions, and Naruto is no exception. He slaughtered an entire village of innocent people. He butchered innocent men, women, children...he didn't even spare infants. Can you give me an explanation that can justify his actions?" asked Indra sharply,
And the older angel was satisfied when Kenshin averted his eyes, no doubt the man had no answer for the question.
"If you think he is so evil, then why did you even bother saving him?" asked Kenshin bitterly, and Ashura was pleased on seeing the affection which the teacher had for his student.
It only proved that their choice of saving this man was right, because even after knowing the boy's sins he was still willing to fight for him.
"Because he overcame the darkness, the hatred, the evil that burned in his heart. Even in the face of death, he chose sacrifice instead of revenge. Put forward the future of others before the pain in his heart. Naruto chose to give the ninja world a chance at the cost of his own life, despite hating this world and its system...
...he's a hero and a villain at the same time. A person who understands the light and dark sides, and has been through both of them. In order to establish balance in this world, and counter the darkness that has risen...this world needs his help once again. He has sinned, but he has also saved and protected. And for these reasons, we are willing to risk everything for him" explained Indra proudly, while giving a hesitant glance towards his unconscious successor.
Out of all his transmigrants, it was fair to say that he cared for Naruto the most.
"I see..." said Kenshin happily,
"Right now, the boy has no allies, no friends, no family. He's all alone in this world, that's why we want you to become his shield and sword. There are certain circumstances that has turned some of the people to hate Naruto and they may even try to kill him again. We can't protect him anymore, nor can we interfere if something happens to him. It will take some time for him to regain himself, will you protect him? Will you be his knight?" asked Ashura seriously,
"Even the savior of the world needs a protector, not only are you strong but also the only one who knows everything about him. I understand you just got a new chance to live again, and may want to live it on your own terms-"
Indra was cut short when Kenshin closed his eyes and walked towards his unconscious student.
Ashura carefully observed as the teacher nostalgically looked at his fragile student, while gently ruffling his hair...
"He looks like his mother..." said Kenshin with a small smile on his face,
"I'll never let my comrades die!"
"Arigatou...Tou-san!"
Memories of their past came flooding back to his mind, he was the first person to witness and understand the darkness inside the boy's heart. But even then, he was the first one to believe in him...
And his student had made him proud, he did exactly what Kenshin expected from him.
"Instead of drowning yourself in hatred...change this world with your power"
"Even in the end, you remembered my words and overcame the pain in your heart. You never wavered against any obstacles that came in your way and shouldered every burden that was entrusted on your young shoulders. I can't save the current world...but the only thing I can do is protect the current you, Naruto" thought Kenshin proudly,
Ashura was surprised when Kenshin opened his eyes, and looked at him.
''I accept it, I will protect this boy with my life" promised Kenshin,
Indra was relieved after hearing the promise made by the man, he tried his best to hide the tiny smile that came on his face as he looked at the determination in the teacher's eyes.
"So, my successor finally gets his protector. Ashura, you win this match..." thought Indra bemusedly, as he remembered his brother's successor had an equally worthy and strong protector.
It was times like these that made him understand that it was not just a person who can change the world, rather there are several others that help him make the change.
He had failed to understand this truth during his mortal life, and always relied on himself only. And the same mistakes were made by all his successors except for this boy...
And looking at the love and faith which Kenshin had in Naruto made him proud.
"I believe in you, Kenshin"
Ashura could not believe what he just heard. Did his brother really say those words?
In the thousand years that he had known his brother, never once had the man believed in anyone other than himself. Indra never cared for his successors and had no faith in them, but now...
"You have changed, Nii-san" thought Ashura happily, and deep down in his heart he knew their father would be proud of his sons.
Kenshin gave a firm nod, as Indra spread his wings before rising quickly in the sky. And just like that, the man was gone...
The former Blacklight commander was surprised when Ashura placed his hand on his shoulder, and he felt a strange sense of power returning in his body. It was as if his weak body was regaining its strength.
"This world still has a chance..." said Ashura calmly, as he finished his work on Kenshin's shoulder and casted one last glance at the unconscious Naruto.
Kenshin gave a small smile, as Ashura spread his wings and disappeared in the sky...
"This will be the last time...
...we're counting on you"
Author's Notes: End of chapter.
Hope you guys liked it. As you can see, in contrast to Namikaze Legend the chapters of this story are also longer. (Another good change, I guess)
Again, be patient as I will answer all of your questions as the story progresses.
I'm searching for character photos of this story, and will upload them when I find some good ones. Right now Naruto looks like the man in the profile picture of this story (With Black highlights in his hair).
PLEASE LEAVE LOTS OF REVIEWS XD!
