Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Dante's Inferno, or anything else I use in this story.

Hello again, dear readers, and welcome back!

Before we begin, I'd like to answer a couple of reviews.

setokayba2n: I'm going to be totally honest with you: I completely forgot about the Holy/Unholy experience thing from Dante's Inferno. Thank you for reminding me, I now have more moves to work with in the future.

AnimeA55Kicker: Yes, I've seen it and it was part of the influence I used for the Necromancy scene. I got the strained speech from Star Wars: The Old Republic Sith Warrior Storyline, when Darth Baras uses a device called the Ravager on a captured Republic spy. The spy can only say one word at a time while being interrogated and I thought that would be a perfect way for a reanimated corpse to speak.

Anyway, here we go, the last chapter of the Wave Mission Arc.

Enjoy!

"Regular speech"

'Thoughts'

"Death/Demon/Angel/Summon/Other speech"

Special Weapon/Armor/Artifact

Jutsu/Spell/Other

Chapter 8: The Battle On The Bridge (Part 2)

The sounds of multiple loud bangs flooded the air around the unfinished bridge.

"You're getting weaker" the demon that emerged from Gato, Xuthar, pointed out, "You can't keep that barrier up forever!"

He then fired several more shots.

Naruto cringed as he struggled to block the bullets that struck his water barrier.

"He's right" Naruto told the others behind him, "I need something more solid to block these shots" he turned his head, "Anyone got a barrier jutsu more solid than this?"

"I've got one" Kakashi told him, standing beside him before forming handsigns, "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A large wall of stone rose from the ground in front of them, blocking their view.

"Good enough" Naruto said, then formed more handsigns, "Water Release: Gunshot!"

The water wall in front of the barrier of stone shot out several balls of water at high speeds at the demon, before falling apart.

Xuthar saw the spheres of water approaching him and acrobatically dodged each one, ducking, weaving, and leaping over them.

"Missed!" he taunted.

Naruto cursed.

Several more shots rang out, striking the stone wall, but thankfully not piercing it.

"What the hell is he attacking us with?" Zabuza asked, intrigued by the strange and noisy weapons.

"Firearms" Naruto answered, "Weapons that fire small projectiles called bullets at lightning speed towards whatever they are aimed out" he explained, "They can cut through flesh like paper."

"Damn" the swordsman muttered, impressed.

"Yeah, great, how about we talk about the demon that's trying to kill us!" Sakura demanded.

"I don't see why you're so surprised" Naruto pointed out, "Five of them did try to kill the two of us yesterday, remember?"

"What?!" Kakashi asked, with himself, Haku, Tazuna, and Zabuza giving them shocked looks.

"Five demons tried to kill Sakura and I yesterday" Naruto told him, "We handled it, it was no big deal" he assured him.

"'No big deal'?!" Kakashi repeated, "The two of you were in danger and you didn't tell-!"

Several more shots being fired and striking the stone wall in front of them.

"Perhaps we should discuss this later" Naruto told his sensei.

Kakashi nodded reluctantly.

"Come out and face me cowards!" Xuthar yelled before firing more shots.

"Why is he just standing there?" Zabuza asked, "He has us pinned down, why isn't he pressing his advantage?"

"Firearms are most effective at long range" Naruto explained, "He clearly prefers to fight from a distance. If he gets too close to us, he loses the majority of his advantage."

"Then we should rush him! Close the gap and gut the bastard!"

Naruto shook his head, "He'd gun us down before we got close."

"Then what do we do?" Sakura asked.

Naruto thought for a moment, all while multiple shots struck the wall.

'Those firearms are most likely supernatural in origin' he thought, 'So they'll likely never run out of ammo. I don't have any barrier jutsu that I can sustain while moving and if he sees us coming…'

He then got an idea.

"I've got it!" the blonde said, then turned to Zabuza, "Can you blanket the area in fog again?"

The swordsman nodded and made the required handsign.

As this was happening, Xuthar was growing impatient.

He hated waiting for his prey to act. Waiting gave foes time to come up with a plan. He had hoped at least some of the fleshlings would try to charge him, but the Reaper ensured they knew what he could do with his weapons.

He was tempted to leap over the wall and finish them off, but that would place him in range of their weapons. He was fast and agile, but never took unnecessary risks. He was a hunter and an assassin, not a simple brute like most of his kind.

So, he did the only thing he could do: he waited.

Suddenly, the fog around him became thicker, obscuring his view.

Xuthar knew what was happening.

He heard something fly through the air and fired two shots, knocking both of the thrown shuriken out of the air.

"Clever insects" he said, "But I don't need to see you in order to destroy you!"

"Well, that didn't work" Kakashi pointed out.

Naruto grinned at him, "I figured, but I'm just getting started. Can you put up a few more walls near him?" he asked.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, but did so.

In various places near Xuthar, more stone walls popped up.

None of them blocked his view or prevented him from moving.

'What are they doing?' the demon gunslinger wondered.

"You put up those walls to provide more cover for when you attack" Haku said, realizing what was happening.

Naruto nodded.

"Smart" Zabuza said, "But how are you going to move close enough to strike without him hearing you?" he asked.

Naruto grinned, "I'll play off the weaknesses all demons have."

"Which is?"

"Vanity and a short temper" Naruto answered, then spoke loud enough for Xuthar to hear.

"I have to say" the blonde Reaper began, "The amount of hardships you've placed on waves inhabitants seems a bit…lax by demon standards. Don't tell me you guys have grown soft!"

Xuthar gave off an evil chuckle, "Oh, the true suffering of this insignificant speck of land has yet to begin" he explained, "I wanted them to suffer more, but that would have drawn the attention of the rest of your order."

"So you are afraid of us" Naruto pointed out, then laughed, "Finally, a demon with sense!"

Said demon growled, "Afraid? Of your pathetic kind?" he scoffed, "Of course not! But my master wanted to ensure that your ridiculous little band didn't interfere!"

Naruto's interest was piqued.

"And who would your master be?"

Xuthar gave off a wicked grin, though none could see it, "The mightiest of Hell's Lords" he told him, "Azazel."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Azazel? The Demon Lord of Violence and Destruction? What interest does he have in Wave?"

"Conflict" Xuthar told him, "You see, this worthless land is a major trade center. You humans rely so much on material things and you become restless when you don't get them."

"And how exactly does an occupation cause conflict?"

"Simple, I slowly reduce the amount of goods that can leave from this desolate country" Xuthar explained, "The more I do so, the more anxious and desperate your kind becomes. Then, when all trade has stopped, humanity will become so desperate to acquire the food and whatnot they need, that they will lash out at each other and chaos will ensue!"

"Pretty convoluted plan" Naruto said, "Are you sure Azazel is the one behind it?" he mocked, though he knew better.

Just because Azazel thrived on chaos and war, didn't mean he was simple-minded in how he went about causing it.

Xuthar snarled, "Lord Azazel is more cunning than any human that has or ever will exist!" he yelled, "And when I deliver unto him the war he so craves, my rewards will be endless!"

"And how long have you possessed Gato's soul?"

The demon chuckled darkly, "Most of his pathetic life" he answered, "He was born into poverty, always wanting more but never able to acquire it. All I had to do was offer him money and he leapt at the opportunity! I've let him retain control for all these years, simply pushing his darkest desires to the surface and manipulating him from the shadows. He didn't even remember ever meeting me or selling his soul!"

He then twirled his weapons, "Now, enough talk!" he shouted, "Once you're out of the way, the plan can continue unhindered!"

"Your plan ends here, Hellspawn."

Xuthar barely had time to turn and dodge as the blonde Reaper appeared behind him and swung down with his scythe.

The gunslinging demon turn and fired a shot, piercing through Naruto's chest…only for the Reaper's body to vanish in a puff of smoke!

Xuthar was struck from behind by a blast of holy energy, causing him to cry out in agony and fly forward a few feet. Getting to his knees, he rolled quickly to prevent himself from being speared from above. Naruto's weapon had speared into the ground, becoming imbedded there. He had no time to remove it, however, as he quickly moved behind a stone wall to prevent several bullets from perforating him.

"That relic" the demon growled, "That accursed symbol of light! How do you have it?!" he demanded, referring to the Crucifix.

"You're not the only one with connections" Naruto answered cryptically.

Xuthar was distracted enough for another Shadow Clone to attack him from behind. The demon avoided the attack and fired a shot, destroying the clone.

Three more clones emerged from behind cover and attacked from three different directions. Surrounded, Xuthar leapt into the air and fired downward, destroying the three clones.

While the demon was still in the air, the real Naruto grabbed Harvest and leapt upwards, managing to sever the arm on Xuthar's back.

The demon cried out in pain as one of his arms fell to the ground, the weapon in it clattering on the ground. He fell to the ground and fought through his pain. He was able to dodge a slash from his foe's scythe and fired several wild shots, managing to hit the blonde…only for him to vanish in a puff of smoke, a log in his place.

"One down" Naruto said, "Nine to go."

Xuthar growled, managing to get to his feet.

"You will pay for that!" he vowed, "All of you will!"

"We'll see."

Xuthar dodged a blast of holy energy and fired several more shots in the direction it came from, but hit nothing.

Nearby, Xuthar's severed arm lay on the ground, still.

Then the hand twitched. It began to shake violently…before several claw-like appendages burst from between the fingers. The claws then turned and began cutting into the arm they were attached to.

After a few minutes, the claws severed the hand from the arm and it began to scuttle around like a deformed spider. It then turned and moved as quickly as it could towards the first stone wall.

"Sounds like your boy managed to hurt him" Zabuza said, as they all heard Xuthar's scream of pain.

Kakashi nodded, "Sounds like it, but that thing is still going" he told him, hearing more gunshots.

"Why are we just standing here?" Haku asked, sitting and leaning against the wall, "We should be helping Naruto-kun!"

"'Naruto-kun'?" Zabuza asked, raising an eyebrow.

Haku blushed and looked away.

"She's right, though" Sakura said, "Why aren't we helping?"

"Naruto told us what those weapons are capable of" Kakashi told her, "We'd have to get close in order to strike him, giving him plenty of time to take us all down. Since most of us are wounded and low on chakra, it's best not to risk it."

"My attacks are fast and can hit him from a distance" Haku said. She then tried to stand, "I can help!"

She gasped in pain and fell back into a sitting position, clutching her healed wound.

She was in no danger of dying from that wound, but it still hurt.

"You're not going anywhere" Zabuza told her, "You're still hurt."

"I can fight!" she argued, trying to get to her feet, only for her mentor to push her back down.

"No, you can't" he said, "You need to rest. Blondie's got this" he assured her.

Haku was about to argue, when she sensed something. She looked up just in time to see something fall from the top of the wall, onto her master's back.

Zabuza cried out in pain as whatever it was began clawing at his back.

Kakashi quickly stood up and tried to help him.

"Hold still!" he shouted.

"Get this fucking thing off me!"

After a few seconds of struggling, Kakashi managed to grab the creature and pull it off. The clawed…thing tried to tear at Kakashi, but the jonin held it back.

After a few seconds of struggling with it, he threw it away from him.

The group was now able to see it clearly. It looked like a cross between a hand and a spider.

The bizarre creature then ran towards them again, eager to claw them again.

Before it got to close, it was pinned to the ground by senbon thrown by Haku.

As the creature tried to free itself, Zabuza moved towards it and stomped on it repeatedly.

"Die! You! Piece! Of! Shit!" he said, each word added to each stomp.

After a few more stomps, the creature was only twitching. After a few more futile twitches, it became still, and dissolved into dust and smoke that reeked of sulfur.

"What the hell was that thing?!" Tazuna nearly yelled, "It looked like some kind of deformed hand!"

"Like a demon's hand…" Kakashi noted, thinking.

"You think it was one of that monsters hands?" Sakura asked.

"It might be" Kakashi told her, "Which means Naruto was able to sever it!"

"So the bastard's missing an arm" Zabuza said, "Good."

"Yeah, but it still has a lot more" the silver-haired told him.

Zabuza nodded and then winced.

"Gah!" he gasped out, "Little shit scratched me up pretty good!"

"Are you okay Zabuza-sama?" Haku asked, worried.

"I'm fine" he assured her, "I can take worse than that in my sleep!"

"Sakura" Kakashi said, "Help Zabuza."

The pinkette nodded and began healing him once he sat down.

The irony of her healing a man that tried to kill them until only a short while ago was not lost on her.

Meanwhile, back with Naruto, the blonde cursed as he moved behind another stone wall.

He hissed in pain and looked at his right arm. One of the shots from Xuthar had managed graze him there. The bullet didn't imbed itself in his flesh, but it still stung quite a bit.

"You can't keep this up forever" Xuthar told him, "Your second death approaches!"

"I'm not dying to a scrawny bootlicker like you!"

The gunslinger growled, "Hold your tongue fleshling!"

"Scale the wall and make me, Hellborn trash!" Naruto dared him, "Stop fighting like a coward and finish this!"

Xuthar snarled and leapt up to the top of the fall his foe was hiding behind. He aimed down…and his eyes widened when he saw the numerous explosive tags attached to the wall.

The demonic gunslinger attempted to move, but it was too late.

BOOM!

The entire, unfinished bridge shook as the tags went off. Xuthar went flying while the section of the bridge the explosion happened on collapsed and fell.

Tazuna would be unhappy, but the damage was confined to a small area and was repairable.

Naruto then moved in the direction his foe was launched in, eager to finish this. He arrived at the location…only to find it empty.

Before Naruto could investigate further another loud bang rang out.

The blonde cried out in pain as he felt something pierce his side and he fell to the ground.

He rolled over onto his back and saw his foe, badly burned, the arm on his chest dangling uselessly. His cape had been burned away and his shoulder guards had fallen off, but he was still alive.

"I'll give you this" Xuthar began, "Even I thought I was dead that time."

He then raised his remaining arms, aiming his weapons at the helpless Reaper, who was trying to pull himself to his feet with the bridges railing.

"But now" he said, "I get to add another Reaper to the list of useless creatures I've slain!"

A Few Minutes Earlier:

The group was waiting, unsure as to what to do, listening to the battle occurring just beyond the stone wall they were taking cover behind.

Suddenly, they all heard a groan and saw Sasuke finally awaken.

"What…what happened?" he muttered.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out in joy, before embracing him, "You're okay!"

The Uchiha Clan Heir cried out in pain, still sore from his defeat by Haku.

"Sorry!" Sakura said, releasing him.

Sasuke looked around and saw, to his shock, Zabuza and a girl he had never seen before.

He didn't recognize her face, but he saw her clothes were familiar and quickly put the pieces together.

He tried to stand and prepare to fight, but was unable to do so.

"Why are they here?!" Sasuke demanded.

"Calm down, Sasuke" Kakashi told him, "We've made peace with Zabuza and his apprentice, Haku" he explained, "We're no longer enemies."

The black-haired teen was surprised by this.

After taking a few moments to process this, he noticed his male teammate was missing.

"Where's the dobe?" he asked.

"He's…busy" Kakashi told him, after searching for the right word.

"And he's not a dobe" Haku told him, "He's strong. Strong enough to defeat me."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

Naruto defeated Zabuza's partner?

But…how?

He had unlocked his Sharingan, the ultimate bloodline, and was still easily defeated!

But the dead-last managed to beat her?

Sasuke began to shake with fury. Once again, Naruto had proven himself the stronger of the two of them!

He then snapped out of it when he heard several loud bangs.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Naruto's off fighting another foe" Kakashi explained, "We'd help, but his weapons have us at a disadvantage."

"'Disadvantage'?" Sasuke repeated.

"The weapons he uses fire some kind of small projectiles at lightning speeds" the silver-haired jonin explained, "Naruto is familiar with them, while we are not. So he's fighting while we protect Tazuna."

Sasuke was intrigued and angered by this. These weapons sounded useful, which interested him and Naruto was facing off against a foe his sensei was reluctant to face, proving himself to be brave as well as powerful, which angered him.

Before he could speak again, they heard a large explosion.

"What was that?" Tazuna asked, "Is someone using bombs on my bridge?!" he demanded, worried.

"I didn't see any explosives on Xuthar" Zabuza said, then grinned behind his mask, "Must've been blondie."

"Does…does that mean it's over?" Haku asked.

Her answer came in the form of another loud bang, followed by a cry of pain from Naruto Uzumaki.

"Did you hear that?" Sakura asked the others, back behind the wall, "Naruto's hurt!"

"We have to do something!" Haku said, trying to stand once again.

As the others wondered what to do, Zabuza was thinking.

Over a week ago, he had tried to kill these people.

Then, the blonde had stopped him.

Not since he attempted to assassinate the Mad Mizukage had he been overpowered so easily.

So, for the following week, he spent time with Haku coming up with a plan to get rid of him. But that failed when Haku was defeated.

He still remembered the horror he felt when Haku had leapt out in front of him, ready to take the brunt of Kakashi's Raikiri. Luckily, Kakashi had managed to avoid delivering a lethal strike, but Haku had still nearly died from shock.

That was when the blonde surprised him a third time by saving Haku's life.

Zabuza was the type of person who avoided personal connections. People around him tended to die in a tremendously bloody fashion quite often.

But Haku was different.

When he found her, she was so weak, helpless, and broken. He had seen people like her before, of course. Refugees fleeing from the Yagura's purge, people who had lost everything. He paid them no mind, but something about Haku was different. Something made him ignore is instincts about surviving alone and seeing helpless kids like her as weak. After he spoke to her and learned of her bloodline, he had offered to give her a purpose, as his weapon and tool.

Haku was so desperate, she agreed.

In all the years sense, the swordsman told himself that he only kept Haku around because she was useful. He did all he could to avoid smiling when she smiled after completing a milestone in her training or when he complimented her. He suppressed his pride when she performed a mission flawlessly. He tried to ignore her when she told him how happy she was to serve him.

He once thought such things were for weaklings.

But now?

Seeing Haku almost die allowed him to finally accept the truth.

She was family, the daughter he'd never had.

He knew that if the blon-no, if Naruto, failed, then Haku would likely die as well.

For years, he had been known as a monster, a demon, a ruthless killer.

But, somewhere deep down, he was still Zabuza Momochi, the man.

And that hidden piece of humanity, had finally been freed.

He steeled himself, he knew what he had to do.

He moved over to Haku and gave her a look she had never seen on him before.

Pride.

"Zabuza-sama?" she said, wondering what was happening.

He then moved forward and embraced her, surprising her greatly.

"I love you Haku" he told her, "You were the daughter I never knew I wanted."

Before she could respond, he let her go and stood up before looking at Kakashi.

"Don't let her follow me" he said simply.

The jonin understood what he was about to do and nodded.

The swordsman then gave Haku one last sad glance.

"Good-bye."

He then rushed forward, moving to help his unexpected ally.

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried, "Come back!"

She tried to go after him, but her wounds and Kakashi stopped her.

"You can't go!" Kakashi told her, "You'll be killed!"

She ignored him and kept calling after her master/father figure.

Sakura watched, meanwhile, wondering what was happening.

She then noticed something that troubled her.

"Wait, where's Sasuke?"

Kakashi heard her and his eyes widened.

'Oh no!'

The Present:

Xuthar limped towards his helpless foe, who was desperately trying to stand.

"You have failed, Reaper" the demon told him, "I have won. Lord Azazel's wishes will soon be completed. You were only a minor inconvenience."

"The Corps will…stop you" Naruto told him, grunting in pain.

"They will fail as well" he said, before grinning wickedly, "After all, they are human, and what is more human than failure?"

He then raised one of his remaining arms and aimed it the human, cocking the weapon in it.

He was about to fire when he sensed something behind him. He moved to the side, attempting to dodge a mortal blow.

This action allowed him to survive…but it still cost him.

Xuthar screamed in absolute agony as all of the arms on his right side were severed by a massive blade.

The demon turned and fired wildly, trying to hit his attacker, one Zabuza Momochi. The pain disoriented Xuthar, however, allowing the swordsman to leave a large gash on the monster's torso before severing another arm on the left side.

Xuthar cried out in pain as yet another limb was severed. He fired even more wildly.

This time, unfortunately, he hit his mark.

Naruto could only stare in horror as Zabuza was struck by several bullets in his chest and stomach.

"NO!" he shouted and lunged at the demon.

Xuthar had managed to gain his bearings, firing another shot at the blonde Reaper, hitting him in the left shoulder and knocking him over the side of the bridge, where he plummeted to the water below.

Xuthar panted, trying to suppress his pain.

That had been to close.

If he hadn't moved to the side…

He freed his mind from such thoughts. He won. The only human that could challenge him was dead and the others would soon be as well.

The gunslinger then heard something moving towards him in the fog. He turned and aimed his three remaining weapons.

Only to find a dark haired human male emerging from the fog, limping towards him. The human's eyes widened when he saw the inhuman creature in front of him.

Xuthar stared for a moment…and then started laughing.

"This is it?" he asked incredulously, "This is my next challenge? This pitiful creature can barely stand!"

"What the hell are you?" Sasuke asked, his fear and curiosity overpowering his wounded pride at being called a "pitiful creature".

Xuthar grinned, showing his teeth, "I am a demon. The most powerful species in Creation!" he declared.

"Where's Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

He had entered the fray in order to prove himself his male teammate's superior…only to find himself face to face with a demon and the blonde nowhere to be seen.

"Who?" the demon asked, then realized what he was talking about, "Oh, you mean the blonde Reaper! He's dead."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"…What?"

"You heard me" Xuthar said, "Knocked him right off the side of the bridge and into the river" he explained. He then pointed his weapons at the Uchiha, "But don't worry, you'll be joining him soon enough!"

Sasuke was afraid. He was too weak to fight now, this thing would slaughter him!

Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea after all…

'No!' he thought, 'I can't die now! I won't! I will kill Itachi and restore my clan!' he vowed, then closed his eyes, 'I will win!'

He opened his eyes, revealing his Sharingan.

Xuthar saw the eyes, and his own red, pupiless ones widened in surprise.

"That's…unexpected" he said quietly, before grinning again, "But not unwelcome."

He lowered his weapons.

"A possessor of Indra's eyes!" he said in surprise, "You're kind is quite a rarity these days!"

Sasuke was confused, "Who's Indra?" he asked.

"You don't know?" Xuthar asked, "Indra was your ancestor, the one whose eyes you've inherited" he explained, "Tell me, are you a pure bred Uchiha?"

"'Pure bred'?"

"Were both of your parents born into the clan?"

Sasuke wondered where this was going, but nodded.

Xuthar's grin widened, "Oh this is kismet!" he said, "I had heard that some had managed to survive the purge of your clan, but to encounter a pure bred member of Indra's bloodline? Such fortune I have!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, becoming equal parts creeped out and annoyed.

"My dear boy, you don't realize how valuable you are" the demon answered, "You think you're worth a lot up here? Where I come from, you're soul would be priceless!"

Sasuke was becoming nervous, but didn't show it, "My soul?"

Xuthar nodded, "Oh yes" he said, "In my realm, human souls are a valuable commodity and the soul of a member of a clan that is almost extinct is even more valuable" his grin widened even more, "I think we could do business."

Sasuke tensed and entered a fighting stance.

"You won't take my soul!" he vowed.

Xuthar laughed and shook his head, "'Take'?" he asked, "Of course I can't take your soul, child! I couldn't take your soul no matter how hard I tried. No, I'm talking about striking a bargain."

"You have nothing I want" Sasuke told him.

"Are you so certain?" the wounded demon asked, "Is there truly nothing you wouldn't give up anything for?"

Sasuke was still in a stance, but he was pondering what the demon said.

Xuthar noticed this and knew he had the human's interest, "Tell me" he began, "What is it you want most in all of Creation? What is it you would give anything and everything to have?" he asked.

Sasuke stared at the demon. He suddenly felt as if he could tell it anything.

"…I want power so that I can kill my brother" he answered, "To avenge my clan."

"Ahhh" Xuthar said, "Revenge. Truly the strongest of motivations" he then continued, "But I don't think that's what you truly want more than anything else" as Sasuke was about to argue, Xuthar stopped him, "Don't mistake my meaning" he said, "I believe you want revenge, but not that you want it more than anything else."

He then moved forward, closer to the human.

"No" he continued, "I sense there is a deeper desire within you. Something you want even more than revenge" he grinned knowingly, "What you want most in all of Creation…is what your brother stole from you. You want your family back."

The Uchiha Heir's eyes widened.

"Oh yes" Xuthar continued, seeing the shocked look in his eyes, "You desperately want what was taken from you returned. You replaced this desire with revenge because you believe the return of your clan is impossible and, by human standards, it is" he then smirked, "But I'm not human."

Sasuke's eyes widened even more.

"You…you can bring them back?" he asked, hope and disbelief mixed into his tone. He stood up as straight as he could, getting out of his stance.

The demon grinned, "But of course" he told the teen, "Anything is possible for me and my kind. All I need is something to, as you humans might say, 'get the magic going'."

"My soul" Sasuke realized.

"Indeed" Xuthar said. He then saw Sasuke's reluctance, "I know what you're thinking, that you don't want to give up your soul. That it's a part of you. But let me ask you this, is one soul really worth more than an entire clan?" he asked, "Is this one small sacrifice not worth the chance to be with your family again?"

Sasuke was conflicted.

Did he want this? Yes, he did. More than anything else. More than Itachi's life. But was it worth losing his soul?

Xuthar, meanwhile, knew the boy was close to breaking. His own desires mixed with a little charm magic would ensure he would give in.

"…Can you really restore them?" Sasuke asked, after a few moments of thought.

"I can" Xuthar assured him, "All you have to do is say: 'of my own free will, do I offer you my soul' and when you return home, you will find your mother, father, and all the others that died that night, waiting for you, arms eager to embrace you and aid you in avenging their unfortunate and untimely deaths" he explained.

Sasuke thought on this more for several more minutes.

Finally he decided.

"All I have to do…is say the words?" he asked.

Xuthar nodded.

Sasuke took a deep breath.

He needed to do this, it was for his clan.

"…Of my own free will…"

Xuthar grinned. This was it! Soon, he'd not only complete his masters plan, but he'd soon have the soul of one of the last wielders of Indra's bloodline, and a new, stronger body to inhabit.

"…Do I offer you…my s-"

Bang!

A loud shot rang out, interrupting the Uchiha.

Xuthar froze for a moment, then gasped and spat up a bit of blood, a sharp pain in his back.

He slowly turned…and saw Naruto Uzumaki standing behind him, holding one of his firearms in his hand, which was smoking from just being fired.

Before the demon could raise his remaining weapons in defense, Naruto fired again, the bullet hitting him between the eyes.

Xuthar twitched, dropped is weapons, and then fell onto his back.

Sasuke saw the look of shock on the demons face, and then watched as he dissolved into ash along with his severed limbs.

'No!' Sasuke thought.

He moved over to where Xuthar had been, desperately trying to find a way to bring back his only hope of restoring his family.

The Uchiha suddenly felt woozy.

'No…' he thought again, before falling into unconsciousness.

Xuthar's magic had been keeping him conscious so that he could make a deal. With him gone, Sasuke's wounds forced him to pass out once more.

Naruto sighed in relief.

"It's over!" he shouted, "You can come out now!"

A few moments later, the rest of the group arrived.

"Is…is he dead?" Sakura asked, nervous yet hopeful.

Naruto nodded, "He's dead."

He then grunted in pain.

Sakura saw the wounds on his side and shoulder.

"You're hurt!" she pointed out.

"Bastard got me a couple of times" he told her, "My wounds aren't fatal, I'll be fine."

Sakura was about to protest when they heard a cough.

They turned and saw Zabuza, still alive, lying on his back.

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried out, rushing to his side.

Naruto limped over as quickly as he could, also kneeling down beside the wounded missing-nin.

Said nin looked up at Haku and smiled behind his bandages.

"Hey…Haku" he said weakly.

"Don't talk, Zabuza-sama!" Haku told him, trying to use her medical jutsu to heal him.

"Don't…call me that" he told her, "I'm not…your master…anymore."

Haku ignored him and kept trying, but she couldn't heal him, no matter how hard she tried.

"It's no use" Naruto said sadly, "His wounds are mortal…he's dying."

Haku's eyes began to tear up and she shook her head rapidly, "No" she denied, "No! He's going to be fine! He always survives!"

"Haku" Zabuza said, interrupting her, "It's okay."

Tears now poured from the raven-haired girl's eyes.

"It's not okay!" she told him, "I can't lose you! I need you!"

"No" he told her, "You don't…need me...not anymore."

Tears began to form in his eyes.

"Thank you…Haku" he told her.

"For what?" she asked, still crying.

"For being here" he said, "For making my life…worth living" the dying swordsman smiled, "I always…tried to deny…how important you are…to me. But I can't…anymore. You…were the light…in the blood-soaked darkness…of my life."

He reached up with one of his hands and caressed one of her tear-stained cheeks.

"Can you do me…one last favor?" he asked.

Haku nodded.

"Call me…dad…or father…please?"

Haku's eyes widened and her tears increased.

"…Father" she said, "Please don't go" she whispered/begged.

"I wish…I didn't have to" Zabuza said, "But…it's too late…for me."

He wiped away some of her tears.

"Promise me" he began, "Promise me…that you'll find happiness. Promise me…you'll live a full and…happy life" he told her, "Promise me…"

Haku nodded, unable to speak.

"Thank you" he told his adopted daughter, "I love you."

Haku then started sobbing, "I love you too, father!" she told him.

Zabuza's smile grew wider, before he then turned to Naruto.

"Look out…for her" he told the blonde, "Keep…her safe."

Naruto nodded, "I will" he vowed.

Zabuza coughed up a bit of blood, which was obstructed by his bandages. Naruto removed the cloth, allowing him to breathe easier.

"Thanks" he said. He then thought of something.

"Hey" he began, "Was that thing…really…a demon?" he asked.

Naruto nodded.

"Does that mean…Hell is…real?"

He nodded again.

"For what I've done…will I…?" he let the question go unfinished.

Naruto nodded sadly, "I'm afraid so" he told him, "Your last act was a noble one…but it can't undo a life of wickedness."

Zabuza nodded, "I thought so" he said, "Oh well" he then grinned, showing his shark-like teeth, "Bring it on then!" he said, "I'll show them…what a real demon…looks like!"

Naruto smiled slightly at Zabuza's attitude, but still dreaded Zabuza having to spend eternity in that horrible realm.

He deserved better…

His eyes widened.

Of course! How could he have forgotten!

"You won't have to" Naruto told the mortally wounded man.

Zabuza was confused, "But…you said…"

The blonde Reaper ignored him and pulled out the Crucifix.

"Zabuza Momochi, I absolve you of all your sins."

The relic enveloped Zabuza in a holy light.

His eyes became filled with wonder.

"There is…a light…"

The light then faded…and Zabuza became still.

His eyes were lifeless, yet his expression was peaceful.

Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, was dead.

"…Father?" Haku whispered, "Father…please…"

"…He's gone Haku" Naruto said sadly, though he knew and was grateful his absolving of the man's soul had worked.

The girl wept, embracing her adopted fathers body.

Naruto moved to her side and held her.

Tears were flowing down Sakura's cheeks.

Tazuna simply watched, sadness clear in his features.

Kakashi lowered his head in sadness.

He then felt something land softly on his head. Brushing it off, he was surprised by what he saw.

Snow.

The group (aside from Haku) then looked around and saw that it had started snowing.

"Snow?" Kakashi said in wonder, "This time of year?"

Naruto held out a hand, allowing a few snowflakes to land there.

"It seems the heavens themselves weep this day" he said.

He then held Haku tighter, allowing the young woman to mourn while the others looked on...

The Next Morning:

"There, all done" Naruto said.

He, Team Seven (minus Sasuke, who was still unconscious), Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari were standing on a hill not far Tazuna's home, under a lone tree.

There, underneath that tree, Naruto and Haku had just finished burying Zabuza's body.

The blonde had been more than willing to do all the work, but Haku had insisted on helping him.

The young woman nodded, "It just needs one last thing."

Naruto nodded and walked over to the tree, where Kubikiribōchō was leaning against it.

Grabbing the blade, he planted the blade into the ground in front of the grave. It served as a fine headstone.

"Perfect."

Everyone present then began to pay their respects, including Tsunami and Inari.

Even though they had not been there to witness his sacrifice, they were still grateful for what he had done for them and their home.

After half-an-hour of silence, everyone began to depart, until only Naruto and Haku remained.

Several minutes of silence passed, before Naruto spoke.

"I was right."

Haku looked at her friend, confused, "About what?"

"When we fought, I told Zabuza wasn't a demon" he smiled slightly, "I was right. Demons have no goodness in them and they can't be redeemed…but he was."

Haku nodded, agreeing.

"…I'm sorry" Naruto told her, after another few minutes of silence.

The young woman turned to him, an eyebrow raised, "For what?" she asked.

"He died because of me" he told her, "If I hadn't been so careless and gotten shot, he wouldn't have tried to save me…I'm sorry" he repeated.

Haku shook her head, "No, he died because he wanted to protect me" she told him, "It's my fault."

It was Naruto's turn to shake his head.

"It wasn't your fault."

"Of course it was!" Haku said, beginning to tear up, "He died because of me!"

The blonde quickly moved and embraced her, soothing her.

After several minutes, Haku calmed down and they separated.

"Thank you" she told him, sniffing, "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about."

"It's just…what am I going to do without him?" she asked, "Serving him was the reason I existed for so long."

"Honor his wishes" he told her, "He wanted you to live a full and happy life" he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "It will be difficult…but I'll help you anyway I can."

Haku gave him a soft smile.

"Thank you" she told him.

After over an hour of standing at Zabuza's grave, the two then decided to head back to the house.

They were walking side by side when Haku surprised her blonde friend by leaning into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Overcoming his surprise, Naruto responded by wrapping his arm around her waist.

'A happy and full life' Haku thought, 'Maybe I can…with him' she blushed at the thought.

Oh yes, Haku was developing feelings for the blonde and soon, those feelings would evolve into something more.

Two Days Later:

In a spare room of Tazuna's house, one Sasuke Uchiha awoke with a groan.

'Where…where am I?' he thought groggily.

He slowly sat up, groaning in slight pain.

Looking around, he saw he was in Tazuna's house.

'Wait' he thought, 'What happened?'

He thought back. He remembered heading to the bridge with his team (minus Naruto) and finding Zabuza and his partner waiting for them. He remembered fighting against the masked girl, awakening his Sharingan, but ultimately being defeated and passing out.

He then remembered waking up and learning that Naruto had beaten the girl who beat him. He remembered hearing about Naruto fighting another foe and entering the fray himself, eager to prove himself the stronger of the two.

He then remembered the demon…

His eyes widened, remembering what had happened when the two spoke.

The demon had noticed his bloodline and had offered him the return of his clan, of the people who died at his brothers hands, in exchange for his soul. He was going to agree…

But the dead-last had ruined it!

He managed to stand up and make his way to the door.

In The Nearby Forest:

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

These sounds perforated the quiet early afternoon air.

The conscious members of Team Seven were training in a clearing near Tazuna's house. Haku was with Tazuna, acting as a guard even though the danger had passed, while the team trained.

Well…Naruto was training, the loud sounds of the firearm he was using on a makeshift practice range made it difficult for Kakashi to train Sakura.

So they simply decided to watch.

Naruto aimed at a wooden target board and fired again, narrowly missing the bull's-eye.

He sighed and looked down at his new weapon.

Unlike the rest of Xuthar's firearms, which were flintlock, this one was a wheellock pistol. It was beautifully crafted, with ornate carvings and a skull symbol on either side of it and an onyx pommel stone at the bottom of the grip.

It was far to elaborately constructed to be a weapon forged by demons…and that's because it wasn't.

It was a Reaper weapon.

Naruto thought back to the conversation he had with Hephaestus yesterday.

Flashback:

For the first time since returning to Earth, Naruto was back at The Palace of Decay.

He needed to speak with a certain former smith god. He could have contacted him on Earth, but he needed to see the large blacksmith in person for this.

As he made his way to the Smith's Forge, the Attendants he passed bowed in respect before resuming their duties while the other members of the Corps nodded in greeting. According to Death, who he had checked in with before arriving, the members of the Corps the blonde was closest to were out on assignment.

He would have liked to have seen them, but he was here on business.

After side-stepping Vulgrim, Naruto found himself in the Forge, blasted by the intense heat of it.

He made his way through the forges and foundries until he found Hephaestus, who was giving out orders to another member of the Smiths.

The giant former god saw him approach and grinned, before waving off the smith he was speaking to.

"Hey blondie!" he called out, "Welcome home!"

Naruto smiled, "It's good to be back, old man."

"Gives me a chance to thank yah in person fer those Shrike Daggers" he told him, "Gave me some new material to work with. Plus, the blades had some new kind of poison on 'em. Gave it to the lads and lasses in the Makers. Io's already found a way to replicate it fer ourselves and made an antidote fer it."

Naruto grinned, "Old man might be off his rocker, but Creator is he brilliant!"

The Forgemaster nodded in agreement.

"I take it yah didn't come down here just to talk" he pointed out.

Naruto nodded, becoming serious, "You're right, I didn't."

Hephaestus nodded, "Let's talk at my forge" he told the blonde Reaper.

Naruto nodded again and followed the former god.

After a few moments of navigating the massive room, they arrived at the center of the room, where Hephaestus's personal forge was.

The giant sat down.

"So lad" he began, "What can I do fer yah?"

"You can tell me what this is" he said, pulling out the wheellock pistol and laying out down on the table in front of him.

Hephaestus's eyes widened as he picked up the weapon and held it in his palm.

"I'll be buggered" he said quietly, "Never thought I'd see this again!"

"I had it figured for a Reaper weapon" Naruto told him, "And since you remember every weapon that's ever come out of this foundry, I figured you would know it. Judging from your reaction, I was right."

"You were" the Forgemaster told him, "This weapon here, is called Eternal Rest. I made this li'l thing over a century ago" he explained.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "I thought you hated making firearms" he said, knowing the Forgemaster thought of them as "dainty".

"I do" the former god told him, "But the Reaper who had this wanted a gun, so I made 'im a gun."

He then looked up at the Reaper, "The Reaper who carried this died on a mission…but we never recovered it or found out what killed 'im. Where'd yah find this?" he asked.

"I took it off a demon, probably the one who killed its previous owner, since he said he'd killed a Reaper before" the blonde answered, before pulling out a scroll, "He also had these."

Naruto unsealed the contents of the scroll and saw the giant's eyes widen at the nine other firearms that emerged from it.

"Bloody fuck" he gasped, "I've heard of keeping a spare, but this…"

"They weren't spares" Naruto told him, "He had ten arms and had one weapon in each hand."

"Ten arms?" Hephaestus repeated, "Never heard of demon species like that before."

"I don't think he was a member of a particular species" the blonde told him, "At least, I hope not" he then focused, "Anyway, I just thought you'd like this back, plus a few more for material" he then bowed, "It was good to see you again, but I have to get back to Earth."

As he turned to leave, he sensed something.

He turned just in time to catch Eternal Rest in his hand. He gave Hephaestus a look.

"Don't look a' me!" he said, "Bloody thing moved on its own" he grinned, "Looks like it's chosen yeh as its new master."

"It's sentient?" the blonde asked.

The Forgemaster shook his head, "No, but it can choose its master and bond with 'em."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "And it's chosen me?" he asked, skeptical.

The former god nodded.

"But…but I can't use it" he said, "I already have Harvest!"

"A Reaper can use more than one weapon" Hephaestus reminded him, "After all, yer using the Crucifix, ain't yah?"

"That's different" Naruto said.

"How?" the Forgemaster asked, before continuing, "Look lad, that li'l bugger has chosen you. Like it or not, yer stuck with it."

Naruto considered this for a moment.

The weapon was powerful and useful, without a doubt. It would also be useful in taking foes by surprise, as few knew what a firearm was, or what they could do.

But could he use it?

He looked over his shoulder at his scythe.

"Well, buddy" he said to it, "What do you think?"

The weapon was silent for a moment before sending a wave of reassurance through its master, letting him know it was okay.

Naruto smiled, "Okay then, I'll take it."

Hephaestus nodded, "Good" he said, "Now, Eternal Rest ain't no ordinary pistol" he began, "As yah probably know, it never needs to be loaded, can fire endlessly, and can grow a bayonet for close quarters. It also has a variety of different ammo types it can use: regular, o' course, incendiary, salt, to deal with spirits, silver, for werewolves, and, 'cause overkill is underrated, explosive."

Naruto's eyes widened, "How do I switch between them?" he asked.

"Just think o' the ammo type yah want and the gun'll do the rest" he answered, before continuing, "Oh, an' it can do this."

He waved his hand and the wheellock pistol suddenly became a rifle in his hands, having exerted his control over the weapon, as he could with all the others he has made.

"Whoa!" the blonde said, examining the transformed weapon.

"The rifle form has a lower rate o' fire, but it has a longer range."

A scope appeared on the weapon and Naruto peered through it, impressed by the clarity and range it had.

He willed his new weapon to return to its pistol form.

"Thanks old man" he told the former god.

Hephaestus nodded, "Yer welcome, lad" he then stood up, "Now, I think I've got a holster here somewhere…"

After a few moments, he found one and gave it the blonde Reaper, who strapped to his side, beneath his coat in order to hide it from view, before he placed Eternal Rest in it.

"Well, I've got more work ta do" the Forgemaster told his friend, "Good luck to yah blondie."

Naruto bowed and bid him farewell before he left.

He still needed to discuss a certain Demon Lords involvement in the occupation of Wave Country with his master.

Flashback End:

Naruto had spoken with Death and notified him of Azazel's plot in Wave. The Lord of Bones had been troubled by this and assured him that the Corps would keep a close eye on the country, though they both knew the Demon Lord wouldn't try anything else there for a least a few generations.

He was evil, not stupid.

Unfortunately, because there was no proof that Azazel was behind the occupation of Wave Country, they couldn't confront Lucifer about it.

The blonde Reaper was upset, but understood.

After this, Naruto had returned to Earth and had been practicing using Eternal Rest. He was proving to be quite the marksman when he held it with both hands, but the blonde wanted to be able to use it in one hand while wielding Harvest or the Crucifix in the other.

He was progressing well, but still had a little ways to go.

He aimed once more and fired, hitting the bulls-eye this time. He grinned.

"A powerful weapon" Kakashi said, pulling the blonde out of his thoughts, "But not very subtle."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, it's not meant for stealth or assassination…unless you're at a great distance."

He aimed once more and fired several more shots in rapid succession.

"Why is it so loud?" Sakura asked, after she stopped covering her eyes.

"A typical bullet consists of three main parts: the primer, propellant , and the actual projectile that is launched when fired" her blonde teammate explained, "When I pull the trigger, a spring mechanism causes a metal firing pin to hit the back end of the bullet, which in turn ignites a small explosive charge in the primer. This ignites the propellant and the chemicals in it burn, rapidly producing a lot of gas. This gas drastically increases the pressure behind the bullet, causing the bullet to leave the barrel, the tube looking part, at incredibly high speeds to hit the target."

"But where does the 'bang' come from?" the pinkette asked.

"Like I said before, a bullet is powered by a tremendous amount of pressure at its back, which propels it forward. After the bullet exits, that pressure is suddenly released, which creates the loud noise you hear when it fires. It's kind of like what happens when you uncork a bottle of champagne" Naruto explained.

"So, it's basically a small explosion" Kakashi pointed out.

Naruto nodded, "Basically."

"Sounds dangerous" Sakura said.

The blonde nodded, "Oh yes. It took several generations to perfect the process and stop the whole weapon from exploding in the users hands."

Before more questions could be asked, the team was surprised when one Sasuke Uchiha entered the clearing.

"Sasuke-kun! You're awake!" Sakura said, elated at seeing her crush conscious once more.

She had been taking care of him since the battle at the bridge. A few weeks ago, the pinkette would rather have died than leave the Uchiha's side, but Sakura, knowing she could do nothing more for him, had decided to resume training with the rest of her team.

Sasuke, meanwhile, ignored her and focused on Naruto.

He narrowed his eyes and something in him snapped.

He rushed (well, stumbled, given his condition) at the blonde and threw a punch aimed at his jaw.

Reacting quickly, Naruto deflected the blow. Growling, Sasuke tried again, only for his blonde teammate to catch the blow. Before he knew it, Sasuke was pinned to the ground, his arm twisted behind his back.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Naruto demanded.

"Do you have any idea what you did?!" Sasuke yelled, "You ruined everything!"

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked, confused as to why Sasuke was angry.

"He killed him!" the Uchiha growled, "He was going to bring back my clan and the dobe killed him!"

Naruto quickly realized what was happening, "I heard what he offered you."

"Then why did you kill him?!"

"To stop you from making a foolish mistake!"

"What's going on?" Kakashi demanded to know.

"Xuthar tried to make a deal with Sasuke" Naruto explained, "He told him he would resurrect the Uchiha Clan…in exchange for his soul. I killed him to stop Sasuke from making a mistake."

"A mistake?!" Sasuke cried out in anger, "How is getting my family back a mistake?!"

"Because he was lying to you, dumbass!"

"Stop it!" Sakura pleaded, "Stop fighting!"

"Enough!"

Kakashi's shout silenced all three of them.

"Naruto, let Sasuke up" Kakashi ordered, "Sasuke, if you attack Naruto again, I'll be the one who knocks you down, got it?"

After a moment's hesitation, Naruto released Sasuke and stood up. The Uchiha was about to try and attack his male teammate again, when Kakashi gripped his shoulder painfully, causing him to think twice.

"Now" Kakashi began, "Naruto, explain why you said you were stopping Sasuke from making a mistake."

Naruto leaned against a tree and explained, "Giving your soul to a demon is a one way ticket to Hell, no matter how good a person is."

"I would've gotten my clan back!" Sasuke argued, "It would have been worth it!"

"And what makes you think he would have honored his end of the bargain?" the blonde asked, "What makes you think that he wouldn't have just taken your soul and left you with nothing?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue, then closed it.

The demon never promised him anything. He only said he could do it, not that he would.

"I know his kind" Naruto told him, "And I know what they are capable of."

"How?" Kakashi asked, "He only seemed to regard you as a threat while he ignored the rest of us. What made him single you out?"

Naruto looked at his team, seeing their curious eyes.

Could he tell them?

He wasn't supposed to…but if they never told a soul what they had seen…

He had already erased Tazuna's memory of Xuthar and his involvement with Wave's suffering and replaced it with a false one. In it, a nameless ninja hired by Gato had been the one who killed Zabuza.

Sakura already knew about demonkind before the battle on the bridge.

Would it really be so harmful for Kakashi and Sasuke to know, too?

Well, Sasuke maybe, but the Corps could and would silence him if he tried to tell anyone.

Naruto decided, sighed, and began to tell them what had happened to him four years ago. He told them about his death, his slaying of Omen, his recruitment into the Reaper Corps, what the Corps was and what it did, his training, and, finally, his return to Konoha.

Needless to say, they were left speechless.

"I…that's…wow!" Kakashi said, stunned.

Sakura nodded dumbly in agreement.

Sasuke surprised the others by scoffing.

"What a load of bullshit" he said, "What makes you think you can fool me with a fairy tale?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "You were about to sell your soul to a demon, a being that, until that moment, you thought only existed in stories and you think my story is bullshit?" he asked.

Sasuke frowned.

"If you don't believe me, ask Sakura" the blonde said, "She and I encountered five demons the day before we fought Zabuza and Haku."

The pinkette nodded, "It's true" she told them.

"So when you said you liked your job during the introductions, you meant fighting demons for a living?" Kakashi asked, incredulously.

"Among other supernatural beings, yes."

"Like what?" Sakura asked.

"Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies" Naruto explained nonchalantly, "Pretty much everything we were told as children wasn't real."

"Wait a minute" Sakura said, "If all those things are real, why hasn't anyone ever seen them?"

"People see them all the time" Naruto answered her, "We just wipe their memories of the whole event so they won't tell anyone."

Sakura remembered when Naruto was going to wipe her memory after they fought those five lizard-looking demons and how his eyes glowed white for a moment.

"If you're an expert on demons, maybe you can explain how one got inside Gato" Kakashi said, eager to learn more, but intent on not showing it.

"Demons are the dominant force in Hell" Naruto explained, "But they are also prisoners there. The only surefire hope of escape for them is to possess a human host. In order to possess someone, the demon needs to have ownership over that persons soul."

"So, demons steal souls then" Kakashi said, troubled by this information.

Naruto shook his head, "They can't steal souls. No one can. They can only take a person's soul if it is given to them willingly."

"Why would someone give their soul away?" Sakura asked, horrified.

"Because demons promise people power and wealth, among other things, in exchange for them" he replied, "I'm sure you heard Xuthar when he said he gave Gato money?"

"So Gato got his wealth from that demon?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto nodded, "And then was manipulated into establishing a force large enough to hold Wave hostage."

"So the demon did give him what he was promised" Sasuke said, before narrowing his eyes, "Like he would've done for me!"

"He might have" Naruto said, "But with demons, they always ensure that every bargain ends badly. So maybe he would have restored your clan…but he would have screwed you over."

"How?"

Naruto stood up and walked over to him, speaking as he went.

"Off the top of my head?" he asked, rhetorically, "Maybe he would have resurrected them…inside their coffins, six feet underground, where they would have suffocated to death while desperately trying to claw their way out."

Sasuke paled at this scenario.

The blonde Reaper continued, "Or maybe he would've brought them back as mindless, flesh-eating undead that would've tried to devour you the moment they saw you. Or perhaps they would've been restored alive and well…only for them to die in an 'unforeseen accident' a few days later" he then gave the Uchiha a look, "Shall I continue? Because I have plenty more ideas of what would have happened."

Sasuke gulped and shook his head.

"Good" Naruto said, before turning to the others, "Anymore questions?"

After a moment of thought, Kakashi spoke.

"He said he was serving someone" he said, "Someone called-"

"Azazel" Naruto interrupted.

"You know him?" Kakashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I know of him" Naruto corrected, "He's a Demon Lord. One of the worst and definitely the most powerful. He's also the Corps biggest pain in the ass."

"Demon Lord?" Sakura asked, "What's that?"

"The most powerful beings in Hell" the jinchuriki answered, "They rule over that infernal realm and answer only to Lucifer himself. Each one has a specific sphere of influence and Azazel's is violence and destruction."

"Meaning…?" Sasuke said.

"He likes to cause wars and mass slaughters" Naruto said simply.

"Like my clan" The Uchiha whispered.

The blonde heard him, "I don't know" he said, "Maybe he manipulated your brother into doing it, but I doubt it. Seems a bit low key for him."

Sasuke looked up at him and growled, "'Low key'?!" he snarled.

"Azazel likes to cause conflicts that result in the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, not dozens" Naruto said, trying to calm him, "I know for a fact that he caused the First Shinobi World War."

The eyes of all of Team Seven widened in shock at these words.

"What?!" Kakashi said.

"You heard me" Naruto told him.

"What about the Second…or the Third?" he asked, horrified of the possibility that so many people he knew died because of a demon's machinations.

People like Obito or Rin.

"I don't know" Naruto answered him, "Maybe. He's surprisingly subtle in causing chaos, like so many other Demon Lords. I'm sure he enjoyed the war and exploited it, but I have no idea whether he caused it or not."

"Why would he do this?" Sakura asked.

"For the same reason Xuthar oppressed the people of this country: he hates humanity" Naruto explained, "All demons do."

"Why?"

"Because they're told to" the blonde answered, "Because their creator and master, Lucifer, hates us more than anything else, including the Creator himself. He ensures that all demons are born with a burning hatred of humankind."

"Why does he hate us?" Kakashi asked.

"That's…a long story" Naruto told his sensei, "I'd rather not share it right now" he then began to move back towards the practice range, "Now, can I get back to training or did you have something else to ask me?"

"I have one more question" the silver-haired jonin said, "Why did Xuthar's body disappear?"

"Demons and angels aren't made of solid mass like we are" Naruto explained, "They're made of a type of energy called Soul Energy, which condenses into a solid shape and form. When demons or angels die, that energy is released and the body dissolves. It's why they call us things like 'fleshling' or 'meat sack'" he then turned back towards the practice range, pulling out Eternal Rest, "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

The blonde Reaper began firing his weapon again, giving the others time to process what they had heard.

Weeks Later:

It was time.

After over a month in Wave Country, Tazuna's Bridge was finally complete.

During the battle at the bridge, the majority of Gato's army of thugs abandoned him and fled Wave. The few that didn't accompany their boss and been chased out by the citizens of the country they had oppressed.

Surprisingly, it was Inari who rallied the people against the mercenaries. Thanks to Naruto, the boy had recovered his courage and, after he heard what had happened on the bridge, he had spread the word about how Gato's army had abandoned him and the tyrant was dead. After this, the few remaining mercs had fled before the mob of angry citizens could lynch them.

With the threat gone, Tazuna and his crew had been freed to finish the bridge at their own pace.

Now that the bridge was complete, Team Seven's mission was over and it was time to return home.

But they weren't going alone. They were going to be joined by one Haku Momochi (who took her adopted fathers name after his death.)

After speaking with Naruto, Haku had agreed to come with them to Konoha and become a citizen and, possibly, a kunoichi as well.

She had told him she had decided to join because she wanted a safe place to settle down in and knew Konoha had the opposite opinion of bloodlines that Kiri did.

While that was a reason, it wasn't the reason she agreed.

The truth was, Haku had fallen in love with her blonde friend and wanted to be with him, even if it meant joining a hidden village. At first, she was worried this was happening to fast, but she soon calmed down. This felt too right to be wrong.

The whole town had come to see the group off.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done for us" Tazuna told them, "I promise, as soon as we're back on our feet, we'll pay you for an A-Rank mission."

Kakashi nodded, "Thank you. It was no problem."

Naruto looked at Inari and saw that the boy was desperately trying not to cry.

The blonde smiled kindly and kneeled down.

"It's okay to cry, Inari" he assured him.

Inari shook his head rapidly, "H-heroes don't cry" he argued.

"Everyone cries sometimes" Naruto told him, "Sometimes, it takes strength to not hold in our feelings. Sometimes, it takes strength to cry."

At these words, Inari broke down and embraced his hero, sobbing. Naruto returned his embrace.

"I-I'll miss y-you, big brother" he wept.

Naruto was surprised by what Inari called him, but also happy.

"I'll miss you to, little brother" the blonde told him, "But this goodbye isn't forever, we'll see each other again one day" he assured him.

Inari looked up at him, hope filling his tear filled eyes, "R-really?" he asked, "You p-promise?"

"I promise" he told the boy.

The two then embraced again, before parting, with Inari feeling much better.

Naruto was then surprised by Tsunami, who walked up to the blonde before kissing him on the cheek and then embracing him.

She ignored Inari saying "gross".

All were oblivious to Haku, Inner Sakura, and Kurama's jealously.

"Thank you" she said, "For avenging my husband and giving my son hope again."

Naruto recovered from his surprise and returned her embrace.

"You're welcome."

After this, the group bid farewell and began the journey back home.

"Hey" Tsunami said, "I just realized, we never gave the bridge a name!"

Tazuna's eyes widened slightly, "Hey, you're right!" he thought for a moment, "How about…'The Super Great Bridge That Tazuna Built'!"

Tsunami smacked him on the back of the head, rolling her eyes.

"How about 'The Great Zabuza Bridge'" Inari said.

Tsunami nodded, "I agree. 'The Great Zabuza Bridge' in honor of the man who was redeemed and helped save us from Gato."

Tazuna grinned at his family.

"'The Great Zabuza Bridge' it is then!"

The crowd cheered in agreement.

Finally, after years of darkness, the light of hope fell upon Wave Country once more.

Unknown Location:

In a dark room, where only the light of torches allowed any form of illumination, a massive being sat on an equally large throne.

The being was contemplating the future and its own schemes, when another being entered the room.

It was a Guardian Demon and it immediately knelt before the giant.

"My lord Azazel" he began, "Destroyer of Nations, Breaker of Souls, Bringer of War, Lord of the Circle of Violence, and most powerful and favored of Demon Lords…I bring grave news."

The being, now identified as Azazel, opened his eerie yellow eyes and looked down on his servant.

The Guardian gulped in fear and continued, "It appears your servant in the human nation of Wave…has been slain."

This brought a modicum of surprise to the hulking Demon Lord.

"It appears that he was killed by…by an agent of our most persistent and reviled of enemies, the Reaper Corps" the Guardian told his master.

Azazel was silent, contemplating what he had heard.

"Approach me" he commanded. His voice was dark, demonic, and it echoed within and shook the very room they occupied (imagine Amon's voice from StarCraft 2).

The Guardian Demon was terrified, but didn't hesitate and slowly began to move towards his master. After a few moments, he was now kneeling directly in front of his lord.

Azazel stared down at the lesser demon…and then wrapped one of his hands around the creature's horned skull.

The Guardian began to struggle under the Demon Lord's vice grip…but stopped when his head exploded, crushed under the lords strong grip.

The Lord of Violence watched as the headless body fell to the floor, dissolving a few seconds later.

Oh, how he hated bad news.

Azazel stood up, ignoring the blood on the inside of his hand, and began to walk forward.

So, Xuthar had been slain.

Unexpected…but not unprepared for.

Wave Country was now no longer viable as a place to plan conflict, but there were many others.

When one scheme fails, ten more will take its place.

The Demon Lord made his way to a large pair of doors, a shoved them open with his massive strength. He stepped out onto a balcony, which have him a view of a large portion of the Circle he ruled.

The desert of the Abominable Sands stretched as far as the eye could see. The sounds of clashing blades, explosions, roars, screams (both in anguish and from battle cries) echoed throughout, with the glow of flames caused by magic or explosions lighting up the land, smoke rising towards the dark, endless sky.

Azazel closed his eyes, reveling in the sounds and smells of battle his servants engaged in.

Some were waged for his amusement.

Others, for attempts at power or to settle a score.

It mattered not to the Lord of Violence. Conflict was conflict.

Still…the wretched Corps had ruined yet another of his schemes. He had not expected Xuthar to fall in battle, or even to be discovered.

The lord opened his eyes and held up his blood covered hand.

The blood on it then began to twist and shift, taking a shape. It was that of a human male, with spiked hair, a large scythe, and strange marks on either side of his face.

The Reaper that had foiled his plan.

Azazel's yellow eyes narrowed and he willed the construct to burst into flame and evaporate.

This Reaper had his attention now.

And that meant he was dead.

Elsewhere, Shortly after the Battle of The Bridge:

Zabuza Momochi opened his eyes to unfamiliar surroundings.

The last thing he remembered, he was dying. He had said goodbye to Haku, had seen and felt the most beautiful and warm light in his life, before a strange hooded man showed up and touched his forehead.

And now he was here…wherever the hell "here" was.

"Welcome, Zabuza Momochi."

The sound of a soft, rasping voice caused the former Sevena Swordsmen member to turn…

And his eyes to widen greatly.

There, sitting on an ornate throne, was the Shinigami himself.

"I have a proposition for you…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And that's it, the chapter is finished and so is the Wave Arc!

Naruto has a new weapon and a powerful new enemy…

Codex:

Xuthar: Not all demons are born. Sometimes, damned souls in Hell adapt to their environment and are mutated and twisted into demonic creatures, with few or no memories of their past life. This was the case with the demon known as Xuthar. Long ago, five mass-murderers lived in a large village. Though they inhabited the same village, they worked independently of each other and were in no way connected. After several murders from each of them, the five were captured and their reigns of terror ended. The evidence against these most depraved of men was irrefutable and, in order to avoid five long, lengthy trials, the village council decided to try all of them together as accomplices. The five unaffiliated men were sentenced to death and were all hanged together on the same day at the same time. These five souls were sentenced to an eternity in the Inferno, but, as they fell, something inexplicable happened. The souls of those men all merged together as one being, soon becoming a gangly, ten armed monstrosity that called itself Xuthar.

Being physically weaker than most demons, Xuthar learned how to use firearms and soon acquired one for each of its hands. Blessed with heightened senses, incredible agility, and enhanced reflexes, Xuthar operated as a spy and assassin for his superiors. Originally, the ten-armed demon was the servant of an unnamed Demon Lord. When this lord sought to overthrow Azazel, the Demon Lord of Violence and Destruction, Xuthar came to believe that his master would fail and, seeking to save his own skin, betrayed him by informing Azazel of the plot. After Azazel dispatched the other Demon Lord, he appointed Xuthar as his own personal assassin, and had him hunt down those who displeased him.

While he enjoyed his work, Xuthar, like most demons, sought to escape Hell and cause chaos on Earth. He succeeded in escaping by possessing the body of a poverty-stricken teenager named Gato. Instead of taking direct control of his host, Xuthar allowed Gato to retain control (in order to avoid a confrontation with the Reaper Corps), while the demon within him manipulated his thoughts, making him more ruthless and intelligent. With Xuthar's help, Gato grew to establish a large shipping corporation and became one of the wealthiest men in the world. A few years after he had established this trade empire, Xuthar was surprised when his master contacted him and ordered him to use his host's wealth and influence to block off all trade to and from Wave Country, a major trade nation. Azazel's plan was to halt all trade and cause a supply shortage. When food and other resources and comforts stop coming and going, he believed humanity would turn on each other in desperation, causing a war. Fortunately, this plan was ended before things went too far, as Xuthar lost his life in battle against the Reaper Naruto Uzumaki.

Demon Lord: Lucifer is the ruler of Hell. This fact is undisputed, but even a being as powerful as the Fallen Archangel cannot rule over a realm as massive as the Inferno by himself. To combat this problem, Lucifer created a caste designed to handle day-to-day matters in his realm. And so, the Demon Lords were born. It is unknown exactly how many of these beings exist, but the common theory suggests that there are eight, one for each Circle of Hell (excluding the Ninth Circle, which is controlled entirely by Lucifer). Some believe, however, that some circles are divided into sections, with a lord for each one. Whatever the case, the Demon Lords are, without a doubt, the most powerful and ruthless creatures in Hell, second only to Lucifer himself, and answer only to him. While most are anonymous to those outside of Hell, some Demon Lords have been identified. The three most well known and powerful are Beelzebub, Lilith, and Azazel, who is widely considered to be the strongest of all Demon Lords and the most favored by Lucifer.

Demon Lords act as brutal dictators towards their subjects, forcing them to do their bidding. The position of Demon Lord is prized and every demon in Hell dreams of becoming one. Unfortunately, Demon Lords are immensely powerful and guard their positions jealously. Anyone who attempts to overthrow one is brutally made an example of. Any demon who manages to kill a lord, however, takes that demons place. Such events are rare however, only happening four times since demonkind was born. Demon Lords are free to do as they please and must only follow two rules. Firstly, they can do nothing that undermines Lucifers will and secondly, they are not allowed to openly fight amongst themselves. When he first created and appointed them, Lucifer quickly realized that, like any time two or more demons are placed together, Demon Lords will fight to see who is strongest or simply out of hatred and rivalry. A fight between two, or more, Lords of Hell causes almost apocalyptic levels of destruction and disrupts all activities within the Inferno. Because of this, Lucifer forbids his lords from fighting and any who break this rule dying in the most agonizing way possible…if they are lucky. Instead of open conflict, Demon Lords plot against each other from the shadows, chipping away at their influence, undermining their authority, and hoping that, one day, their rival makes a mistake that ends up earning their masters ire, which is essentially a death sentence in and of itself. They also hope that, when that happens, Lucifer will command them to act as the executioner.

While they are unbelievably strong and powerful, Demon Lords are unable to possess a human host directly. Because they are so powerful, no human body can ever hope to contain one. Any attempt to do so would cause the host to explode in a blast big enough to wipe out a small country, which would also kill the lord. Those who know of them thank the Creator for this limitation. Despite this, lords are still able to bargain for souls, though they only do so with souls who they deem unique and powerful enough to gain their attention. When this happens, the lord keeps the souls like a human would collect stamps, trading cards, etcetera. Sometimes, Demon Lords will give these souls to their strongest followers, allowing them to travel to Earth and wreck havoc in their name. Other times, lords will mutate stronger souls into powerful demons to serve them. Finally, Demon Lords are capable of controlling their victims remotely and can mutate them into vastly power monsters capable of causing untold destruction.

When not plotting the destruction of Hell's enemies or their own rivals, Demon Lords rule over their appointed territories and enforce their creator and masters will. Let us hope these foul beasts never see light of the sun.

Azazel: Demon Lord of Violence and Destruction. The most powerful of Demon Lords and one of the Reaper Corps most hated and persistent foes. The rest to be revealed.

Codex End

Now the Codex is done, let's talk.

So, now we know that Xuthar wasn't acting on his own, but under orders from Azazel, a Lord of Hell. Before you say anything, yes, I know Azazel is the name of a main villain from the Supernatural T.V. series, but he also has a place in mythology. According to some stories, Azazel was the being who taught mankind how to create weapons, so it made sense for me to use him as the Lord of the Seventh Circle. Also, he has yellow eyes, like in the Supernatural show, because I thought that would help him stand out more.

Also, I know some of you are probably upset with my decision to kill off Zabuza, but I felt it would important towards the character development of Naruto and Haku. Writing Zabuza's death wasn't easy for me, I assure you, so I decided to name the bridge after him, as he is proof that no one is beyond redemption (which the series liked to prove a ridiculous number of times).

No man anyway…

Also, like Dante's Inferno or God of War, Naruto will occasionally acquire new items or powers from the more powerful enemies he defeats. These items and abilities will only happen rarely, however, so Naruto won't be carrying a damn armory around.

Speaking of weapons, if anyone would like to give me ideas as to any abilities you think EternalRest should have, or even Harvest if you wish, please do so. Also, I still welcome any Reaper or Dark Release jutsu or Reaper Form ideas, just to let you all know.

I made the Eternal Rest a wheellock because I think that form of firearm is interesting and doesn't get the respect it deserves.

Also, even though Sasuke was told how the deal with Xuthar could've gone wrong, he will still resent Naruto for taking away the chance to have his family restored. Will this push our least favorite Uchiha towards a certain Snake Sanin? No. What causes that will be something much worse.

Moving along, Team Seven now knows about the existence of the supernatural. This will bring them all closer together as a team (except for Sasuke, but he isn't dumb enough to tell anyone).

Finally, Haku is in love with our hero and will soon live in Konoha. When will he notice her feelings? Time will tell…

So, that's all. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

Next time: The Chuunin Exams begin!

Until next time, this is Intimidator1323 signing off!