Disclaimer: I hope you realize this is getting boring to write…that is the disclaimer…

The Archangel – New Path

"Do you know understand the situation?" inquired an angel as Naruto kept staring at the waterfall before him.

"Yes, I understand it now …" he replied weakly, it had been two days since the battle at the bridge, he never returned to Tazuna's place. It was bad enough that there were people out there now that knew, or at least had an idea of what was happening in the world; he didn't need to show himself to others.

The boy looked up at the angel; he was wearing a robe just like him with the cowl covering his head. On his chest, plate armor, his knees and arms were also covered by plate; however, he was also wearing a metal helmet. He didn't understand why though, so far he had met only three angels in total. The first one he met, from what he understood, was one of the leaders of Heaven's army, the seconds one which was present in his mindscape was dressed similar to Naruto and then this one.

The angel had a short sword tied to his waist and a shield to his arm. On his back he had a massive axe, it was twice as big as the blond, he wondered how heavy the weapon was and how could the angel before him wield it. He was certain that he wouldn't even be able to lift the damn thing.

He looked away from the weapon and back towards the waterfall, he could hear the people celebrating the completion of the bridge. He wished he could go there and have fun, but he would only draw unwanted attention towards himself. Kakashi had no idea how to recreate the genjutsu, Zabuza even less. As for Haku…he didn't really bother, Zabuza had made it clear that neither him nor Haku knew how to cast genjutsu's.

Scavenging through his pockets the blond retrieved the necklace, it was completely shattered, not a single drop of chakra was left inside. Just because he dropped his guard, just because of that he lost the item that gave him the freedom he needed to walk the streets.

"You won't need that anymore." The angel said as he saw the blond staring at the shattered item. "Its best you accept what you are now."

He nodded sadly, there was no point in running, not that he had a choice. A few weeks ago, if the opportunity to run from all this mess had risen he would have taken it without a second thought, but now … with what he had witnessed and fought, he knew he couldn't leave it like this. Besides, he couldn't let Kyuubi win, he'd die before he'd let the fox leave victoriously.

"You never told me why you are here." The blond said quietly, he was enjoying the outdoor when the angel popped out of nowhere. It freaked him out, he nearly cut the angel in half with his sword. The angel however proved to have great reflexes, using his shield he parried the sword before it got too close.

"You've made contact with the army, when they returned the news of the new Guardian spread like wildfire in the camp…" the angel relayed making the boy raise an eyebrow "…they wish to see you, the camp commander also desires to talk with you…"

He nodded as he stood up. "Then where is the camp? I'll head over there right now." He replied as the angel shook his head.

"Its location cannot be reached at this time; at least you cannot reach it physically … we've set up several protective barriers to keep people away from it…" stated the angel as it moved towards the waterfall.

"Why all the protection?" inquired the blond moving next to the angel.

"We are still gathering all our forces, the rift between Earth and Heaven is fragile in that location. If the demons find the camp and attack us in full force we'd most likely lose and they would have access to our realm." He replied making the blond understand what was at risk.

"You said physically…what does that mean?" asked the blond after a short pause, the angel chuckled before turning his head in the boy's direction and answering his question.

"Your spirit can enter the island, yet your body cannot." He answered making another question pop into the blond's head. However the angel expected it and replied before the blond could ask. "This is the reason why I am here, to take you there and watch over your body while you are there." He said as he motioned to the blond to follow him.

He did as he was told; he followed the angel who moved away from the waterfall and in a nearby clearing. They walked in silence in the middle of the clearing and then stopped; the angel turned towards the blond and beckoned him to sit on the grass. He did as he was told while the angel proceeded to draw strange markings on the ground with his finger. The grass vanished where the finger passed, leaving a small trail on the ground.

"We will have to be careful, usually we can leave our physical bodies for an undetermined amount of time…since we had no such thing to begin with…" he explained as Naruto nodded understanding what the angel was implying. "…it should be the same with you, despite the fact that you are still human, however, you house a demon we know nothing about. For all we know, it could try to break free and take over your body if you stay out too long. That is something we cannot risk." He said as he stopped drawing.

The blond thought it over, there was something else about the angels reason to be here. He looked at the way he was dressed and the weapons he was wielding. He raised an eyebrow, there was a second reason the angel was here to watch over him…but he doubted they would actually do it. From what he understood and the way the demons wanted him out of the picture so badly meant that he played a key role in this entire ordeal.

Still, maybe he could flush some answers from the angel. "You called me Guardian … and so did the necromancer and Kyuubi…" the angel looked at the blond, he knew what he had called him but was it alright for him to explain? He wasn't sure if he was the one that should reveal this secret to him.

"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to give any information regarding that matter…" he replied "…you might have better luck if you ask the commander back at camp."

The blond nodded with a sigh, best not try pressing on. "You ready?" asked the angel as the boy nodded. "Clear your mind, you are no longer bounded to the ground, you have no restrains whatsoever…" slowly the angels words started to vanish, he could only hear whispers, voices that guided him, telling him what else he needed to do.

For the first time since he graduated he felt at peace, a smile graced his lips as he drifted through the world, he wasn't sure where he was being taken, where he needed to go. The angel told him the spirits would guide him to his destination. He had no doubt regarding that, but he was unconcerned by that matter.

He slowly felt the warmth vanishing and the voices disappearing, the smile faded from his lips as he slowly opened his eyes. The smell of camp fire, plants and melted steel invaded his nostrils. As his eyes opened he found himself in front of a large stone gate, bigger then the gate and walls protecting his home village, Konoha.

In front of the gate stood fifty knights, all wearing the same plate armor and the same type of helmet, a Great Helm. Pikes were strapped to their backs; in their hands they carried swords and shields.

One of the knights took a step forward and kneeled in front of the blond, soon the rest of them kneeled down as well, their swords resting in the ground in front of them.

"Welcome honorable Guardian…welcome to our camp." The knight said in a ghostly voice that sent a shiver down the blond's spine.

The blond bowed before the knights thanking them for the warm welcome. As he stood up the knights followed suit, the gate started opening as the knight from before beckoned the blond to follow him. Naruto nodded and followed the knight as he stepped inside the camp, the gates closing behind them.

The first thing he noticed when he entered the camp was just how gigantic it was. Tents were scatted everywhere, training grounds as far as the eye could see, more then twenty blacksmiths and at least three small chapels. At the middle of the camp, or what the blond assumed, was a massive church, maybe as tall as the Hokage monument itself.

He stood rooted in place gazing at the structure in all its glory, were it not for the angel he would have never known at what he was looking exactly.

"Please follow me honorable one…" beckoned the knight shaking the blond out of his stupor. He turned towards his guide and followed him.

As they were making their way through the camp the blond realized that more and more warriors stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him. Some would kneel at him as he passed, others would give a short, courteous bow and others would just gaze in his direction.

However, there was something else, he could feel people staring at him with anger, he could feel malice coming from several directions. He didn't understand why he was hated here, he didn't understand what he had done wrong to have … the ghosts of ancient warriors, for the lack of better words, hate him.

Sensing his discomfort the knight decided to answer his unasked question. "Do not hate them honorable one…" he said drawing the blond's attention. "…they do not hate you…they hate your title…"

"Guardian…" said the blond absent mindedly as the knight nodded.

"I wish I could tell you why…but I am not allowed, it has nothing to do with you in general, but with what others had done in the past…" the knight told the blond making more questions pop in his head.

There was clearly something more with the title he received if part of his "army" hated his guts. As he looked around one more time he realized that he needed to talk with the commander about this matter, if he would actually have to lead these men and women into battle then he would need their trust completely.

"This is where I stop." The knight said as he bowed in front of the blond. He looked to see where they had stopped, they were in front of a large tent, the two guards that were guarding the entrance were angels wearing the same type of armor the one in the clearing was. They also gave a courteous bow and asked him to step inside, telling him that the commander was already waiting for his arrival.

Nodding the blond looked towards the knight and thanked him, giving a small bow as well, he then stepped inside the tent and looked around. Maps and papers were scattered all over, a weapon and armor rack on each side of the tent, in the middle of the tent a large desk. Behind the desk stood an angel…but he seemed different from all the others.

He wore no robe, his entire body was covered in a metal armor, and only his face was covered by a white cowl. His wings were also different from all the others; they resembled tendrils that floated in the air. The angel had his hands under his chin, he was staring directly at the blond who bowed before the man.

He extended his hand and pointed towards the seat in front of him; the blond nodded slowly and took a seat. He stood in silence waiting for the commander to start talking, he felt like the angel was studying him intensively.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face Guardian." The commander said in a stoic voice.

"Why does everyone call me that?" he asked starting to get pissed off, he had no idea why he was called that, no one would tell him or explain it to him.

"That is not why I called you here to discuss I'm afraid…" the angel replied passively, his hands still under his chin. "Time is limited as it is, so please, listen to what I have to say."

Sighing, the blond nodded and got closer to the desk, the angel smiled under his cowl and turned the map on the desk around. The map showed the elemental countries, several locations were circled on the map. The vast majority of them were in Wind Country, close to the sea and a few were located in Lightning Country, not far from major trading hubs.

The blond scratched his chin, most likely the circled locations were strongholds of the demons, either that or locations of recently opened portals. The ones in Wind Country posed no thread in the blond's mind; they were far enough from any important trading hub or any village for that matter. If he were to choose a location to begin with he would most likely pick Lightning Country.

The commander watched as the blond studied the map intensively, he had expected the boy to ask what the map represented and what he was supposed to look at. He was surprised that the reports were indeed as accurate as they claimed to be. The blond was maturing at an incredible rate, understanding what he was supposed to do and not complaining about it. Part of it was his fault as it is, apparently he already understood that.

The commander hoped that this time they would succeed, the boy showed many promising signs, but he was still scared. The demon he harbored, they knew nothing of it. They paid little to no attention to the Bijuu when they first appeared, maybe they should have studied them when they had the chance, now it was too late to do so, whatever purpose the Bijuu had in the world would be revealed as time passes.

"Commander." The blond said seriously drawing the angel out of his trail of thoughts. "I assume you already have a plan on how to act."

"Indeed I do…" the angel replied with a nod. "As you might have figured out, the areas circled are where portals towards Hell have appeared, we've sent scouts to patrol the areas and they confirmed them. Unfortunately we cannot send any forces there."

The blond looked up with a puzzled look on his face. "You might not know it young one, but beyond the Elemental Countries there are other civilizations, they too are being attacked by demons, in even bigger numbers then here. The spirits of the dead have already awakened and fighting their old enemies, we moved most of our troops there to support them."

"Then how many troops do I have under my command?" asked the blond curiously.

"One hundred." Replied the commander "You will have to do with them, please bare in mind that if they die in the human world it will take some time to reconstruct their physical forms."

"I see…" the blond said in deep thought. So in a way they could not be killed, that gave a plus when fighting with demons, demons could be killed.

"That doesn't mean it will be easy…" the commander then said making the blond look up at him. "There are certain demons that can kill us…" he said with a deadly tone making the blond stiffen. "What you've faced so far is nothing, those are just lowly demons that cannot even touch our spiritual form…but there are those that can destroy our spiritual form, if that happens…we disappear, for good."

His eyes were wide open at the revelation, this complicated things. "But still…why didn't you just wipe the demons as they appeared and closed the portals before they even opened?" asked the blond.

The commander stood in silence for several minutes, maybe thinking of a reasonable reply. He sighed as he closed his eyes and turned his head away. "I wish it was that simple…there are only two angels that can close portals, one you've already met…the other…is you." He said looking straight at the blond.

"Why?" he asked "Why wouldn't the others be able to?"

"Its complicated young one, the portals were never meant to exist in the first place, the gates of Hell and Heaven were supposed to only be opened in their own realms, not in the human realm…" he stopped and looked away from the blond before continuing. "You could say its our fault this happened in the first place…we were tricked…the whole war started because we let ourselves be tricked…but, that's a story for another time young one." He said as he stood up. "I want you to head over to the portals as soon as you can…close them before the entire armies of Hell march out of them." The angel ordered as the blond suddenly vanished from the tent and the island itself.

As Naruto opened his eyes he found himself back in the clearing, he looked up towards the sky wondering how long he had been gone. He slowly stood up and looked for the angel that helped him.

"I trust you talked with the commander." He heard the angel's voice and turned towards him. He gave a small nod and the angel smiled. "Did he answer your question?" he asked curiously making the blond sigh and shake his head. The smile lessened as he nodded towards the blond boy. "Don't worry, you will find out soon enough, I just hope it won't make you…" he stopped himself and shook his head. "Pardon me…it's been nice meeting you Guardian." He said as he vanished in a bright light.

The blond pondered what the angel wanted to say, make him do what? He shook his head to clear the thoughts, this was not the time to make guesses, he had a task to complete. However, he couldn't just leave without telling his team and the Hokage, plus he didn't desire to be marked as a missing-nin. Fighting with demons was hard enough, outrunning hunter-nin's would only interfere with his mission.

Taking a deep breath the blond extended his arms and his wings, for some reason it felt good, feeling the wind blow through his wings. His eyes snapped open as he felt a presence behind him, he slowly turned around and chuckled at the Uchiha's face. The boy blinked and then scowled at his teammate.

"Oh…what's this?" asked Naruto "A blush? Don't tell me you're gay!" he laughed making the Uchiha fume.

"What the hell dobe?" he shouted, his face completely red from embarrassment.

"It would explain…haha…why you never picked a girl from your fan club." He laughed as he dropped on the ground and continued laughing while holding his sides.

The raven haired boy grit his teeth in anger, it felt as if his head would explode any moment now from anger. He tried to calm down, closing his eyes he tried to focus at something else, however his true self kept thinking of the blond and how he looked a few minutes ago. Cursing, the boy picked up a small stone and hurled it at the blond hitting him in the head and silencing him.

"What was that for?" the angel demanded angrily as his teammate crossed his arms over his chest and glared.

"We're worried dobe, you haven't come back to Tazuna's place since the battle, the entire town is looking for their … hero." He said with a bit of annoyance, it didn't matter to him that the blond was being viewed as a hero, he deserved it. He knew that if he had to fight against those odds he would have died, for the first time, he was actually glad Naruto had been around.

The blond stopped glaring and looked down sadly, people were looking for him, they were worried about him. The people of the small town were calling him a hero…and yet he couldn't be there to celebrate with them. He chuckled softly, after so many years people finally acknowledged him, yet he couldn't be there with them.

"I can't come back…" said the blond silently, his teammate said nothing return, he just looked at the blond. He didn't really understand why the blond couldn't return, Tazuna and the rest of Team 7 already knew that he was … an angel.

It was then that he realized, the shock they experienced when they found out the truth about the blond, when they realized he was fighting demons on the bridge. They all panicked, he knew Sakura had been shaking and having nightmares all night, at one point she was even afraid of Naruto for some strange reason. Even if he wouldn't admit it, he was scared as well, the thought alone made him tremble.

"Sasuke…?" the blond asked as he took a step towards his teammate, the boy in question raised his head and looked at the blond. "Why…are you crying?" he asked as the Uchiha's eyes widened, he quickly brought his hand up to his eyes and wiped them, he was indeed crying.

"I…I don't know…" he replied truthfully.

"You're afraid…" the blond said making Sasuke's eyes widen. "…either of me…or of what you saw two days ago…but that's the truth."

Sasuke couldn't deny it, even now when he thought about the battle at the bridge, even now it sent chills down his spine. They never trained you for that in the academy, he was prepared to take away someone's life, but he was not prepared to fight an army from Hell.

"Sasuke." He heard Naruto as he felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked up at the angel before him, he was sure this was not Naruto, not anymore. The power radiating from him, the way he talked and walked, he had matured more then anyone could in such a short time. It puzzled him a little, how did he get this power? Was it because of it that he matured so fast? Why does he have to fight the demons of Hell? And a lot more questions.

"The world is not as you know it…not anymore…" the blond said as the Uchiha's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" he asked as Naruto sighed.

"You saw it for yourself, what I fought, what I am." He replied as he took his hand away from his teammates shoulder. "I don't like it, not one bit…and yet, I have to do it, I have to fight."

"Why are you telling me all this?" the raven haired boy asked curiously, why was Naruto telling him all of this? Was he trying to comfort him in some way? Was he trying to reassure him about something? He couldn't understand it.

The blond sighed as he took several steps back and turned around. "I don't know…I just…I think it's the right thing to do…" he said as he started walking away "Tell Kakashi-sensei I will meet you guys tomorrow at the end of the bridge, in the forest, away from everyone's eyes."

Before Sasuke could say anything the blond vanished from his sight into the forest. He didn't bother chasing after him, he knew better then to try and follow Naruto, if he was able to hide from them for the past two days it would be impossible to find him now.

The next day everyone from the village gathered at the bridge to see their saviors leave; they were saddened that they couldn't see the blond hero that saved them, the most devastated person was Inari who never got the chance to apologize to Naruto for what he had said.

As Team 7 slowly walked made their way over the bridge the people started leaving for their homes. As soon as the team reached the end of the bridge and entered the forest they found their blond teammate sitting next to a tree, waiting. He looked up at them and gave them a small nod.

He stood up and walked towards them, they looked at him carefully, entranced by the person before them; a living, breathing angel. "Let's go…" the blond said silently, not wanting to stay around anymore. Kakashi shook himself out of his stupor and nodded, he took the lead with Naruto behind him.

On their way back they ran into Zabuza and Haku once more, however this time there was no battle between them. The missing-nin thanked the blond for what he did on the bridge, he didn't understand why Zabuza was thanking him though, he only did what he was supposed to, kill the demons and close the portal, nothing more and nothing less. Still, he appreciated the thought.

When the man offered his services along with Haku he was forced to refuse however, he couldn't take help from anyone, he couldn't risk anyone's life. This was his own mission; this was what he had to do on his own. He didn't doubt the man's skill, he doubted their luck. The demons would use all sorts of tricks to kill them; he couldn't afford to have people die at demon hands.

However, Zabuza decided to follow Team 7 for a short time stating that he didn't know where exactly to go. For some time he thought that it would be best to join Konoha, but he wasn't sure if he would be accepted and he didn't want to try to escape if they decided to take him in.

As night fell, Zabuza and Haku parted ways with Team 7, heading towards Wind Country, probably to look for work there. As for Team 7, they made camp in the forest. Naruto chose to be the one on guard the whole night, despite his sensei's protests it was him that won. The boy didn't feel like sleeping, he had to think things through.

As the blond looked towards the night sky he felt something out of place. Images of demons flashed before his eyes, images of portals. He closed his eyes and brought his hand to his face, he didn't know what the images meant and at the same time didn't try to understand them. Most likely he would find out sooner or later what they meant he wouldn't like it, he was sure of it.

But, it was on that night that he saw it for the first time. The moon, it wasn't like it used to be, instead of the moon that he grew up to see in the night sky there was a red moon now. His heart stopped for a second, the angel never told him what a red moon meant, the malicious laughter he kept hearing in his head however made him worry. If Kyuubi knew what the moon meant, it was a bad sign.

He vaguely remembered that in his nightmares the moon was always red, he couldn't pay much attention to it, during those nightmares he would always try to run from Kyuubi. He was completely defenseless against him. The boy shivered involuntarily, he brought his knees close to his chest and hugged them, his wings stretched and then wrapped around him as well.

He was afraid, afraid to go back there, afraid to be tormented by the fox. He couldn't ask the angels for help, they knew nothing about the Bijuu, most likely they never had to face anything like this before.

As he looked up at the night sky once more his eyes moved towards the red moon, he couldn't stop staring at it. Suddenly he could hear whispers all around him, he couldn't understand them but he knew who they belonged to. They were taunting him, calling out for him, demanding his head, his blood. He brought his knees closer to him; he had never been this scared before, not even the villagers scared him like this.

From far away Sasuke watched as the blond shivered behind the tree, he watched as he buried his head in his arms and wrapped his wings around himself. The blond was afraid, he could see it, he could sense it and he could hear him sniffing. Yet he didn't know what to do, he didn't know how he could comfort him.

He was a mystery now; they knew absolutely nothing about him. He was no longer the blond idiot they met in the academy; he was no longer the same person they grew up knowing. The change was so sudden, it shocked them, it scared them.

As morning came Kakashi was the first the get up, the first thing he did was check on Naruto. The boy in question was sitting in a tree, looking at the road, it was like he was in some sort of trance. It bothered Kakashi a bit, since he couldn't see his eyes he couldn't read his emotions.

"Naruto." The jounin called out as the boy turned his head towards him. "Everything alright?" he asked and smiled as the blond nodded. "Come down and eat."

Naruto nodded as he jumped down from the tree and landed gracefully on the ground, he walked towards the camp and sat down next to his sensei. The two looked at the sleeping forms of Sasuke and Sakura in silence, Kakashi was wondering if he should wake them up while Naruto was wondering what the two thought about him, if they still considered him a friend.

Being awake all night made the blond think about a lot of things; he realized he never asked his teammates what they thought about him. He was happy when they started getting along, he didn't want to lose that friendship he had gained.

"Naruto…care to explain?" asked Kakashi as the blond stood in complete silence.

"What do you want me to explain?" he inquired as the jounin looked towards him.

"Anything that you can…about yourself, about the demons…about what's happening in the Elemental Countries right now…" he replied seriously.

"Not now, there might be ears listening on us…later…" he said as the jounin sighed and nodded, better late then never.

An hour later Sasuke and Sakura started stirring up, the jounin greeted them with an eye smile and Naruto by raising his hand up. They couldn't see his face at all, even though he was smiling underneath his cowl they couldn't see him.

Kakashi had asked him why he kept the cowl on, he didn't know what answer to give him. It felt like he wasn't allowed to reveal his face to anyone, it felt like he had to keep himself hidden under the cowl, to protect himself. He didn't understand where this feeling came from and strangely, it didn't bother him,

Team 7 ate their food in complete silence, from time to time Sasuke and Sakura would look at the blond as if they were expecting him to say something, but the blond remained silent during the whole ordeal.

"Kakashi…" the blond said once they were done eating. "It's best if you head with Sasuke and Sakura back to Konoha and then come back for me at night." He said as the other three looked at him in complete shock.

"Naruto, I can't leave you here alone…and why can't you come with us?" he asked not understanding the blond's request.

The only answer he gave them was by raising his wings upwards, the three looked at them, fascinated by them. Then they understood why Naruto didn't want to return with them during daylight. People would see him, he didn't want to be seen. For whatever reasons the blond had, he didn't want to be seen by anyone in this form.

"Will you be alright…by yourself?" asked Sakura with concern evident in her voice.

The blond nodded, he had defeated a large army of demons after all. He doubted a pack of bandits or a shinobi would be able to take him down.

"I'll return shortly." Replied Kakashi as he instructed the reminder of his team to pack their stuff and head out.

The blond watched as they left from atop a tree, he could see the Hokage monument in the distance, Konoha was close. He hoped that if any ninja would pass by they wouldn't notice him or if they did, they wouldn't try to get any explanation out of him.

Hours passed and nothing happened, the blond could see traders moving towards the village, he could see ninja's jumping from tree to tree, either leaving or heading back into the village. Strangely, no one noticed him. He was glad, he didn't want to start explaining who he was and what he was doing here.

However, during this whole time the feeling that he was being watched never left him. He couldn't put his finger on it, the fact that he was watched didn't scare him yet it made his brain scream to be on guard no matter what. He was expecting something to attack him, but even as the sun set and the moon rose in the sky nothing happened.

His head snapped up as he felt his sensei approach. Jumping down from the tree he landed in the clearing they made camp and waited. A few seconds later Kakashi appeared in the clearing, he smiled, relieved that the blond was alright. But slowly the smile vanished and a worried look appeared on his face.

"Naruto…did you notice anything strange last night?" he asked seriously. The blond titled his head to the side thinking what the jounin wanted to hear. "I kept hearing something about a red moon in the village today." The jounin said trying to refresh the blond's memory.

It worked, Naruto's eyes widened, people had seen the red moon. He hoped that only those involved with the demons would see it, now he was even more intrigued by the phenomenon.

"Yes…" replied the blond "There was a red moon last night…but I have no idea what it means." He replied calmly as the jounin sighed, he moved to the side and told his pupil to start moving.

The two left the clearing and started making their way towards Konoha.

"You said you would explain…" Kakashi started as the blond nodded.

"I will try and explain what I can…but please, refrain from asking any questions whatsoever…"

"Why is that?" inquired Kakashi "You don't want to answer any other questions?"

The blond shook his head. "Its not that…it's more like…I don't know if I am allowed to tell you all of this in the first place." He confessed to the jounin. "Even I answer to someone…"

Kakashi understood what the blond meant by that, he didn't refer to the Hokage, most likely he was referring to another angel, a leader of sorts. The jounin settled for the answer that the blond gave him and motioned for the blond to start telling him what he could.

With a deep sigh, the blond started. "As you know, all of this happened during graduation, when I stole the forbidden scroll. I took two jutsu's from the very first page. Not even Jijii knew what they did or if there is a way to reverse it…." He paused for a second "…but, I know what they did, I know what I have done. Without knowing I condemned the entire planet to an ancient war between two powers that no mortal can defeat."

"You saw me battling those monsters on the bridge; those are demons, believe it or not. If you haven't guessed by know, their enemy is Heaven itself and the angels…meaning me as well…"

The jounin nodded, this much he had figured out. "It was me that opened the gates of Heaven and Hell when I used those jutsu's. That's all I know about them, they didn't want to tell me anything else. All I know is that I play a very important role in all of this, demons seem to want me dead no matter what, angels want me to close all Hell gates no matter what…its like…I'm a bridge between the worlds, like a …"

"Key." finished Kakashi as he scratched his chin. The blond nodded at him, he was something like that. They told him that the gates opened when he used the scrolls, they told him that he was one of the only ones that can close the gates. He triggered all these events, he was the key that opened the gates and now he needs to be the key that closes them once more.

His eyes widened, they kept calling him Guardian, maybe that is what a Guardian is actually. A being that keeps the gates of Hell and Heaven closed, but why where they created in the first place? Were the gates opened and did demons constantly pour out of them. Did the two sides fight for millions of years until they created a Guardian to keep the gates closed?

He frowned, part of the puzzle was solved, or so he believed. But what he didn't understand was why some of the warriors seemed to hate him? If he was the one that was supposed to keep the gates closed, why hate him? The knight told him that they didn't him, but the title, and something that had happened in the past.

"Naruto?" he heard Kakashi calling out for him. "You spaced out…" he said.

"Yea…I've been thinking about some things." He reassured the jounin.

Looking up a faint smile appeared on his face as the gates of Konoha appeared in front of him. "The guards stationed are ANBU, they already know about your … true form, so there is no need to fear." He said as the blond nodded.

As soon as they reached the gates the three ANBU stationed couldn't help but stare at what they were seeing. Kakashi was walking along side a mythical creature, along side an angel. They watched as the two passed by without saying a word, they stared at his wings in trance, never have they seen anything like it, the light it radiated seemed so calming, so peaceful.

The blond looked down at the ground as they passed the ANBU, he hated when people stared at him for whatever reason. He needed to figure out a way to walk the streets without drawing attention to himself, using a genjutsu wouldn't help anymore. He had to accept what he was and hiding behind the image of his fake self wouldn't help at all.

"Ne, Kakashi, can we visit Jijii?" he asked as the jounin shook his head.

"Hokage-sama said you should rest for the night, he would visit you in the morning." The blond nodded understanding.

He looked towards the sky once more wondering what the future would hold for him now, he was at the end of his path … as a human being. A new journey started for him, even if he liked it or not.

The next morning we find Naruto in the bathroom, staring at his broken window. Pieces of glass were everywhere, in the sink, on the floor and on his gauntlet. The nightmares haunted him yet again, the angel that "resided" in his mindscape didn't come this time, Kyuubi had free reign over him. He slowly lifted his cowl up and looked at his face, a scar was present on his left cheek, he slowly touched it and then took his hand away, it hurt.

A memory from his nightmare, it seems the damage inflicted in his mindscape was now going to appear in the real world. He was sure now that if he died there, he would die out here as well, that thought scared him beyond believe. If only he had his sword with him, if only he had some sort of weapon on him then he would be able to defend himself, he would be able to stand his ground against the mighty demon. Like this…he was just an easy prey.

A knocked drew him out of his thoughts. "Its open." He shouted as he heard the door open, he looked back at the shattered mirror and lowered his cowl. Stepping out of the bathroom he smiled as he saw the Hokage closing the door. The old man turned towards the blond and smiled at him, saluting the boy.

"Good morning…" the blond replied as he invited the Hokage in his kitchen, the old man accepted the invitation and walked inside. Cups of spilled ramen were everywhere, the majority weren't even touched. The old man frowned, he knew what that meant, the angel told him about it.

He saw the blond cleaning the table of any leftovers and throwing the cups, filled with ramen, in the trash can. He then took a seat at the table, in front of the old man.

"I apologize for the mess…" the blond said bowing his head in front of the old man who was completely surprised by the new, mature Naruto.

"What happened to you?" he asked looking at the blond with sympathy. He never wanted him to end up like this, he never wanted him to have such a harsh life in the first place. It seemed fate had a wicked sense of humor, making the blond's life more and more miserable.

"I accepted the truth." He replied with a low voice. "I understand my purpose and I'm ready to fulfill it."

Sandaime understood what the blond meant, sooner or later he would have had to come to terms with what happened to him, with what was happening to him. He never expected the blond to mature this fast however, he seemed like a completely different person. Gone was the young blond kid who used to pull pranks on everyone and laugh no matter how hard life was.

"Kakashi told me what happened on the mission, I'm sorry I sent you there …"

"Don't be…" he interrupted the Hokage. "…sooner or later I would have had to fight them, I'm glad it happened when it did however." Sandaime nodded at him with a sad smile.

"There is one thing I'd like to request however." Stated the blond making the old man raise an eyebrow "I'd like permission to leave the village…I've receive a mission from higher ups."

Sandaime studied the blond carefully, he sighed knowing that he couldn't stop him. He knew that sooner or later he blond would have to leave the village and fight, with or without help. Somehow, he felt that the blond would most likely fight along side someone all the time, that thought alone calmed his old heart.

"Of course Naruto." He said with a smile. "I will sign you a pass, you can pick it up tonight."

The boy nodded. "Good, I was planning on leaving tonight." He said "Time is precious, the enemy is already on the move and expanding. I can't allow it to continue anymore."

"Then I shall meet you tonight." replied the Sandaime standing up. The blond followed suit and nodded at the old man. He walked him to the door and bid him farewell.

He slowly closed the door and then went into his room. He sat on the bed and looked around thinking on what he should take with him. He already had his wallet, his sword and headband.

Laying down on the bed his thoughts drifted to Satsuki, wondering if she had been waiting for him in the clearing while he was gone all those weeks. He wondered if she was there even now. He wanted to get up and leave, head towards the clearing and check, but, it was still broad daylight, he could waltz out of his room with his wings in plain sight.

He sighted, he would wait until the sun would slowly descend and then leave. First he'd check the clearing, see if she is there and then he'd head over to the Hokage to retrieve his pass.

As the sun slowly set a figure could be seen jumping from roof top to roof top. Most people would dismiss it thinking it was a ninja, or two. Even if they tried to pay attention to who it was it would prove almost impossible, the figure was moving faster then the human eye could see, at least the untrained eye.

It didn't take long for the blond to reach the clearing; he stopped behind a tree, covering himself with its shadow. He smiled as he saw the girl there, sitting and waiting for him. He wanted to go there and talk to her, but … he didn't want her to see him like this, she would ask questions he could not answer, she would know the truth about him and probably endanger her. He didn't know what could happen and that alone scared him.

As he tried to leave he accidently stepped on a twig. The girl's head snapped up as she heard the twig snap and looked towards the blond's direction. She could vaguely see someone behind the tree.

"Is that you?" she asked carefully "Naruto?"

"Yes…" came his reply a few minutes later, she smiled towards him as she extended her hand, beckoning him to come to her. "I can't…" he said sadly as the girl lowered her had and stood up.

"Why not?" she asked with pain evident in her voice. "I thought…you wanted me as a friend."

"It's not that…" the blond replied "I … I just can't let you see me…" he said as he girl tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Something happened…I'm…I'm not me anymore…"

The girl giggled at his response and started walking towards him. The blond however didn't flinch or try to back away, his heart told him to stay, it told him to let her see him that there would be no repercussions. "No matter what happens…you will always be Naruto." She said in a kind voice that made the blond skip a heart-beat.

As she got closer his form became visible, the blond could read the shock on her face, yet she didn't stop approaching him. When she finally reached him, she stopped a few feet away from him. She looked up at him with a kind smile and gently touched one of his wings.

"Soft." She mumbled as the blond smiled, his heart was beating faster then ever, he didn't know if he was scared or happy, it was an emotion that he couldn't understand, he had never felt it before.

"I…" he started as she looked up "Please…don't ask me what happened … I …"

"I don't want to ask you that." She stopped him "I don't want to know what happened, I told you…you will always be Naruto, no matter what."

Her words brought a bright smile to his face, tears started forming as all his emotions, bottled up, were started to take over. He dropped on his knees, silently crying in joy, joy that someone said that to him, joy that someone would always consider him the same old Naruto no matter how much he would change in appearance.

He felt a pair of arms wrap around him and then he heard her telling him it would be alright, that he can cry all he wants, that she would be there for him. That was all the blond needed, he let everything out, he cried on her shoulder and while he did he confessed how scared he was, how scared he was to close his eyes at night for fear of re-living the same nightmare over and over again.

He confessed how scared he was just thinking that his teammates would reject him now out of fear of what he had become. Hearing everything the blond was saying Satsuki realized that she must be the first person, as a friend, that he had ever opened up like this. She held him tighter to comfort him, there was no one else for him to tell him what he wanted to hear, what he needed to hear.

Several minutes later the blond had stopped crying and was slowly getting better. He hugged the girl and wrapped his wings around her; finally he closed his eyes and enjoyed her warmth. Satsuki blushed at the contact, she looked at his wings, she felt the feathers gently touching her face, it was calming, it seemed like they slowly calmed her mind.

She started thinking about the past and no matter how hard that always was, no matter how hard it was to relieve that night all the time, this time, it didn't hurt anymore. In his hands, in his embrace, she felt at peace, she felt happy. She slowly pushed herself away and looked at the blond, she could vaguely see his deep blue eyes behind the cowl, he was looking directly at her eyes.

The next few minutes neither of them knew what exactly had happened, at first they were staring at each other, it felt like they were getting closer to each other and then it happened. They kissed. Naruto's eyes were wide open at the contact, he didn't know what he had done or why he did it, but slowly, he closed his eyes and deepened the kiss.

His eyes then snapped open as images flooded his head, images of the Uchiha clan, an elderly man giving orders and hitting … him? Scowling at him? Telling him that he was nothing for the clan that he never wanted a daughter? Then he saw the massacre, he saw Itachi, the one that massacred the entire clan … he saw himself in the academy, scowling at … Satsuki?

He pushed away from her as he looked in shock, he didn't understand what it all meant. Satsuki looked at him confused and then gasped realizing she had kissed him.

"I'm sorry…" she said moving away "I didn't know what I was doing…" she raised her voice unconsciously as she stood up and ran away leaving a shocked Naruto behind.

"Where will you head now?" the Sandaime asked as he looked at the blond who was studying the pass he had handed him.

"Lightning Country." Replied the blond making the old man raise an eyebrow wondering where exactly in Lightning Country he would go.

"Do you want me to give you a paper requesting clearance to enter Kumo?" he asked as the blond shook his head.

"No, I'm not going to Kumo, only bordering towns for my mission." He replied as the Sandaime nodded. "One more thing…" the blond said "…do you know a girl named Satsuki?" he asked curiously.

"That depends, what's her family or clan name?" he asked.

"I … don't know that, she never said what it is…" he said with a sheepish chuckle making the Sandaime smile, the blond was different from this morning, he seemed happier. Probably that girl had something to do with it.

"Describe her then…" he said as he brought his hands up to his chin.

The blond then proceeded to describe her, he was excited like a little kid that received the toy he wanted for Christmas, it made the old man chuckle. He was surprised that all of a sudden he considered her the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, he really needed to find this girl and thank her.

"Alright, I will look into it, but why do you want me to find her?" he asked as the blond scratched the back of his head.

"Tell her that I left the village for a little while on a personal matter and that…I hope I didn't offend her tonight…" he said as the old man smiled and reassured him that he would do just that.

The blond grinned and walked out of the room leaving the Hokage alone.

A/N: No, no, no …. Well … I guess I could … yea I will, I apologize for not updating in such a long time. I've debated if I would drop Naruto for good but I can't as long as I keep getting ideas. I also apologize if the chapter is not up to standard, I'm a bit rusty....

During the months I haven't updated however I started writing my own original story, I will most likely upload it here on FF(dot)net and I hope you guys will like it.

Also, this is the RAW chapter, very little grammar check. I will need to look for my beta and hope he is still willing to help me.

Another thing, please look up the author Grumpywinter and read his story called Ninjas of the Dead … it's a crossover between Naruto and Highschool of the Dead. I strongly recommend you read Highschool of the Dead if you haven't already, you can find it posted up on mangafox. Also, if anyone is interested, look up a anime called 11eyes and Tower of Druaga (Shield of Uruk and Sword of Uruku, if I remember right, Shield is season 1 – also, don't mind episode 1, its mostly a parody episode)