Naruto was wandering around for what seemed to be hours. He passed familiar landmarks and some places that were dear to his heart. He had broken down and cried more than he liked to admit as a ninja. He told himself that he had come to terms with what happened and that he wasn't haunted by the millions of memories he built in the past but wandering through such familiar settings forced him to come face to face with how false that actually was. Every emotion felt like it had been building pressure waiting to burst and when they did it felt like they burst all at once. What he thought he was over came back even more potent. He was mad at himself for not being able to protect everyone, he was sad that his whole village was destroyed in front of him, and he was scared that he wouldn't be able to protect anyone.
Naruto finally gave up hope. He dropped to his knees, broken by all the memories rushing back to him. He took stifled breaths as he held back tears. He couldn't take it anymore. He just wanted out, he didn't care if it meant having to go back and die fighting for the friends he made, in fact he would be content if it did end that way.
"Giving up already? Looks like I got the wrong impression from you." The voice echoed from every direction.
"What would you know?" Naruto yelled back furiously.
"Oh nothing, just everything about you. I care about you more than anyone else could. After all I've been with you since you first came to the soul society."
"You plague me with nightmares and then you bring me here to the one place that would bring me nothing but terrible memories and you expect me to believe that you care about me?" Naruto's fury only grew as the conversation continued.
"So you figured out that the dreams were my doing; yes I did do all of that exactly because of the effect I knew it would have. But you are wrong about one thing, I only told you to find me, I never told you to stay in the village. Now find me and speak to me face to face, and look everywhere."
Naruto realized that the voice was right, he had been forcing the bad memories on himself by assuming that the voice was somewhere in the village. He ran as fast as he could to the entrance of the village and looked at the area outside of the gate. Just before he reached the gate all the happy memories he had accumulated ran through his head. He saw the day he graduated the academy and all the friends he made. He saw his and Hinata's first date and his and Sakura's as well. He saw the day that Kakashi told him he had been chosen to be his successor as the next hokage and finally he saw the smiling faces of all the people waiting to hear him speak at his hokage inauguration.
"Can you really leave this place?" The voice returned once again.
"I almost forgot the good memories that were buried by the feelings I was experiencing. I can't just walk away from this place."
"Well you'll have to if you want to find me."
Naruto walked out of the village to see a women sitting on a rock not too far from the entrance. She had long red hair and wore a red robe. On the robe there were flowers printed on the sleeves. Her arms were crossed on her chest, which he couldn't help but notice were fairly large. She was nowhere near as large as Tsunade but she was definitely larger than average.
Naruto jumped back as his face contorted into a snarl. "Fox!" Naruto called out in surprise and anger.
The woman laughed and answered abruptly. "Wrong."
"Don't lie to me you stupid Fox. I figure since we're both dead you've come to take your revenge" Naruto scanned the area seemingly looking for something.
"Once again I have to say you're wrong. Apparently you're looking for your sword; I should tell you that you're not going to find that here, at least not for a while anyway." The woman placed her hand under her chin as she sighed out from boredom.
"I know the fox when I see him and you're going down with or without my sword." Naruto ran at the woman. As he made it close enough for him to throw a punch the woman disappeared from sight.
"First off, the fox is MALE, er technically he's genderless since he's just a mass of chakra but you know what I mean. Second, you and the fox made peace long before your hokage inauguration ceremony. " The woman appeared next to Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"So, then who are you?" Naruto shrugged her hand off his body.
She smiled and spoke loudly. "My name is"
Naruto saw her lips move but didn't hear anything when she went to reveal her name. "Um, I'm sorry but I didn't catch your name"
She smiled and turned away from him. "Well then that's something we have to work on"
As she turned away Naruto noticed that her long hair actually formed into a long red fox tail with a small yellow flame on the end.
"Hey, quit staring and start moving" She looked back at him and winked as she disappeared off into the surrounding forest.
Before she could get too far Naruto started jogging in her direction. He finally made it to her side when he started to speak.
"Hey so where am I exactly?"
"You'll find out pretty soon" She said with a soft tone causing Naruto to flinch slightly.
"Well can you at least tell me how I got here, I mean it's impossible for this to be Konoha since… well you know." Naruto trailed off. "So um… where are you taking me?"
The woman giggled. "Who said I was taking you anywhere. The only one who knows where we're going Is you, but it's not strange that you think otherwise" It seemed to Naruto that every word she said was a riddle to be deciphered, she just refused to give a straight answer.
"If that's the case then we're stopping right here and you're going to tell me everything." Naruto looked at her with fiery blue eyes that pierced deeper than any sword ever could.
"Well if you say so, well where should I start…" As she finished speaking Naruto felt as if the world was moving. He closed his eyes and held his head to stabilize himself before he passed out before a strange woman. Within a few seconds he opened his eyes and found his surroundings had changed from that of trees and shrubbery to an empty chasm filled with nothing but debris and dust.
"Where are we, what happened to all the trees, and more importantly what's going on?" Naruto looked around and only became more frazzled by his lack of knowledge.
"I can answer your question with a simple gesture." She walked towards Naruto and held out her extended index and middle fingers. Half of the seal, you know the rest correct? Naruto nodded and mimicked her gesture and linked his and her fingers forming the seal of harmony.
Naruto looked into her eyes and started to speak. "How did you…" At that moment Naruto looked behind the woman and saw a large piece of debris that looked eerily familiar. As he slowly looked upwards he saw it, the shattered remains of the Great Hokage monument. Naruto gasped and stumbled back hysterically. "But how, there's no way. I was just in the village, there's no way we could be… No impossible" Naruto turned around to run to the village he just left but was met with the sight of a pristine and untouched Konoha village.
"Do you get it now?" The woman started "This is what you've been carrying with you since that day. This is what's been keeping you going and what's been holding you back."
"That's not possible." Naruto stopped and took in his surroundings completely. He was standing in the village that he grew up in but it was only half there, the other half was the completely eradicated village he was plagued with experiencing before he died. "Where am I? Tell me" Naruto yelled as he grabbed the woman by the shoulders. Tears flowed from his eyes and his voice broke as he started to plead for information. "Please, why do I have to see this, what is this place?"
The woman pulled him in close in a soothing embrace as rain started to cascade over the area. She spoke softly as she stroked his hair. "It's ok, I'm here and I've always been here. I've lived in this place for my whole existence. I am no stranger to its mysteries and tricks. But this is the first time since my youngest days that I've seen it this whole." She squeezed him closer as she continued. "I've wanted to meet you for so long, I've dreamed about it and imagined what you'd be like. I can say that I'm surprised. It's even rarer for it to rain in here."
"Where are we?" Naruto spoke into her chest in broken gasps and sobs.
She looked him in the eyes and smiled. "In your soul's mindscape. This is what your mind looks like. This is where I reside and where I've been watching you grow and train. I've watched you carry and hide all the guilt and I've wished I could take some of that burden away. Now my chance has finally come and I can share in your pain, guide you to happiness and be by your side fully." As she finished the rain slowed to a drizzle.
"So who are you?" Naruto asked as he wiped tears from his eyes.
The woman glowed and faded into innumerable shining balls. "I'm the tool that's meant to help you gain what you most desire. You may use me as you wish and I will help you in any way I can." The balls all collected in Naruto's hand and formed his zanpaktou. "And Naruto-kun, I hate the rain, more than you can imagine, so please never get down on yourself because I'll be there at your beck and call. Whenever you need me, no matter what"
Naruto's eyes jolted open to the sight of the hollow still playing with his comrades. "No!" Naruto screamed as he brandished his sword at the Hollow.
"Oh back for more punishment? I love this; I was right when I decided to leave you for dessert." The hollow lunged at Naruto with his spines brandished.
Naruto stood his ground and glared at the Hollow racing toward him. "Sway" Naruto started as he was surrounded by a red aura.
The Hollow felt the change and made a mental note. This feeling, it's…
Naruto's mind flashed back to the final words he traded with the spirit of his Zanpaktou.
"What is it you want first Naruto?" The spirit asked
Naruto placed his free hand on the butt of the sword and continued to speak.
Naruto only replied one word. "Redemption"
The spirit chuckled and replied "That's funny because my name is"
"Nine tails of redemption" At that moment the sword compressed into the hilt of sword. 8 spikes protruded from the side of the guard on the hilt and one pointed out where the blade used to be, each spike had a yellow tip with a red aura. Immediately the spike that rested where the blade once rested shot out and pierced the Hollow. The spike was attached to a chain made of kido that seemed to burn the Hollow on contact.
The hollow struggled to get free and lost a leg but succeeded in that regard. As he escaped he started to speak. "Just as I thought, that feeling. It was just like his."
When the hollow was out of sight Naruto ran over and freed his friends who all fell to the ground exhausted and still slightly paralyzed from the hollow. Through gasps they each started to speak.
"So that's your release? It definitely got the job done" Shuuhei said.
"Yeah Naru-kun It's really great how you saved us. I don't know what we would have done without you"
"Well we actually wouldn't have had to deal with it but it's still great that Naruto can handle himself against a hollow" Kira said as Momo glared at him for his response.
"I'm glad everything's ok but what that Hollow said before it left, it's really bugging me"
"Don't think anything of it Naruto, it probably wasn't anything at all." Momo said as she regained her strength and stood up followed by the other two.
"Yeah I bet you're right" Naruto said as he stared at the half yin yang sign on his sword. As the four walked back to the Seretei Twilight descended onto Naruto's mindscape causing his spirit to look out into the distance with nostalgic worry.