Chapter 9: The Woman in the Garden
Begin.
"What is this place," Naruto said calmly as he stared at the pale white sky and dull gray flowers spread far in this field. "Why am I here?"
"Isn't it obvious Naru-kun, you actually been in this place before." a beautiful serene voice spoke whispered in his ear. Naruto wished to turn around and see the owner of such voice, but felt hands wrap around his abdomen and her face nuzzled on his back.
"Who are you?" Naruto asked her, which she replied with a gentle giggle.
"Shouldn't you be asking who you are?" She asked Naruto, with him forming a facial expression of slight confusion. She giggled and tightened her hold on Naruto when she felt his reaction.
"You haven't noticed," She said softly as she moved her head away from his back and set it on his shoulders. "You are not the same as you remembered, Naru-kun."
Naruto turned slightly to see the women before him, getting trapped by her infinite void of black that is her eyes. She had silky black hair that complimented her eyes. She wore a white gown, that gave her an appearance of high authority. Naruto continue to stare at her, not really understanding what she meant. Naruto was going to ask what is going on, but she saw the mysterious woman's hand pointing toward a mysterious white sphere that floated in front of Naruto. It should a reflection of Naruto, which made him see obvious differences from how he looked before. One eye remained the same lifeless blue, but his left eye was now crimson red and were now slitted. His canine teeth became longer and sharper to that of a regular human.
"Having demonic energy travel through your body did more than just heal you." She said. "It changed you physically enough for Kurama-chan liking."
Naruto wanted to ask what she meant by that, but he saw her pointing toward the sky. Naruto looked toward the direction she was pointing and watched on as the sky changed and formed an image.
Naruto watched as Erza stood there with a man dressed in white lab coat. She had a grim expression as she stared between him and Natsu, who laid next to him. Compared to Naruto, Natsu was in a much worse state. His complexion was pale and looked to be in pain.
"This is what is happening outside your body. How do you think that girl will react to your new ...improvements?" She asked as she stood up and walked in front of him. She decided to start on why she brought Naruto here, since he did not wish to answer her question. She stared down at him, with her smile changing to a frown.
"Now to more pressing matters, why did you accept Kurama's offer?" She asked, sounding slightly disappointment. Naruto stared at her for a while before dropping his head and giving his answer.
"...I, I didn't want Kushina to be alone." Naruto answered softly, which the woman shook her head by the reply.
"Oh, what a typical self-righteous answer. Break the rules of fate for someone you hold close to your heart." The mysterious woman said as she rolled her eyes.
"You are exactly alike to those two humans I watched years ago." She said, causing Naruto to stare up at her with confusion. "Your guild's first master used a spell named Law to save her friend and your world's most evil mage used my teachings to save his dead brother."
"Who are you and what do you want?" Naruto asked a little surprised that she knew the first guild master and what he guessed to be Zeref, if she actually meant him. The woman brought her hand forward and put it gently on his cheek.
"I am Ankhseram, the god of death and life." She said with a beautiful smile, that caused Naruto to feel both serenity and fear. "I brought you to my terrain to speak about your decision to mess with the thread of fate."
"You see, I really don't like it when people mess with life and death, my realm." Ankhseram said as she walked a few feet away Naruto and kneeled in front of a flower unlike the other gray flowers. It was pure white rose that stood out as beautiful compared to the others. She picked it up and walked toward Naruto. "Everything is created and destroyed in their own process and messing with this process, messes with my order. You see this flower I brought in front of you, it is like the soul of your precious daughter."
Naruto looked at the white flower. "The white rose signifies purity, innocence to the human eyes. While all children are born with their innocence, your child is a special case in my eye."
"You try desperately to keep her pure and actually believe that her mother is still alive, but like every human in your hate-filled world, she will lose that innocence. Either by the sequence life is created by or the intervention of someone devine like me." Ankhseram said with a huge smile that had Naruto glaring daggers at her, for putting his daughter in the middle of all this.
"What are trying to say?" Naruto said with narrowed eyes. He didn't like how this woman was talking about his daughter and the indirect threat she was making. Ankhseram smiled at his reaction, before bringing the white rose forward toward Naruto. Naruto stared at the flower as black magic began surrounding the flower, sucking the life out of it.
"It's easy to take away as is to give." She whispered before the flower began withering away. Naruto clenched his teeth and glared with utter hatred. He wanted to attack her, but was surprised when he couldn't move.
"Those two I met before messed with life and death as well and paid a punishment for them." Ankhseram said with a smile. "I gave them the curse of immortality and the effect of killing anyone they loved."
"So you are going to curse me also, or are you going to continue with your talking?" Naruto said, trying to get Ankhseram angry but failed to do so. She smiled before causing a rift formed between them. Naruto's eyes widened when he saw an image of his daughter sleeping peacefully with Mira.
"Trying to provoke the god that holds your fate is really brave of you, Naru-kun." Ankhseram said with a smile before it was replaced with a frown. The image of Kushina disappeared as Ankhseram began talking of her reason of bringing him here.
"You seem to forget the last time you been in this place." Ankhseram said. "Last time you were here was the time you were taken away from your brother because both of you held the keys."
Naruto's eyes widened when he heard this. Ankhseram noticed this and gave him another smile. "Oh, you don't remember your brother? Well you did lose those memories after your memories were sealed by the after effects of getting the key sealed in you."
"What do you mean?!" Naruto sounded like he was pleading, when he asked the woman in front of him. He still didn't understand why his memory was fuzzy when he thought of his mother and why he forget spending any time with her. Ankhseram appeared before him and gently tapped her forehead, unlocking all those memories. Naruto let tears stream down his eyes as he screamed painfully at regaining the memories he had missed.
(Flashback)
"Mommy, Naruto ate my ramen again!" a four year old boy with dirty blond hair and violet colored eyes whined to his beautiful redheaded mother who was busy washing dishes. Kushina turned to her second son, Menma before giving her first a scolding glare.
"Naruto..."
"Ay, I didn't eat that crybaby's ramen, he's lying to get me in trouble!" Naruto argued back as he gave Menma a glare. Menma stuck his tongue out toward Naruto, as he tightly grabbed the bottom of Kushina's dress.
"Ah, why can't you both just get along." Kushina sighed, until she heard her husband's voice coming from the door.
"Honey, I'm home. Where is my beautiful angel and my two miniature demons?" Minato asked as he walked in, before getting tackled by two blond missiles. He was caught by surprised when he noticed both of his kids glare at each other, but heard his wife explain.
"Long story short, Naruto ate Menma's ramen." Kushina said as she walked up to her husband and gave him a kiss. Menma smiled at his wife, before turning toward Naruto. Naruto turned away when he noticed the look Minato was giving him. Minato sighed before asking Naruto to follow him. Naruto turned toward Menma who was sticking his tongue toward him before turning and reluctantly following his dad.
When he caught up with his dad, he found him looking through an old photo book. He kneeled down to show Naruto what he was looking at. Naruto looked at a photo of a younger Minato standing next to a girl with blond hair and green eyes.
"Is that you dad?" Naruto asked, which Minato nodded his head.
"Yes, that's me and my big sister when we were still training to be mages." Minato said.
"Why haven't I met her." Naruto asked, which Minato answered with a frown.
"She's gone Naruto and I couldn't say goodbye because we fought a week before I lost her." Minato said with a deep frown. "Even though I annoyed her and always tried to get her mad, she was always there to protect me."
"Naruto, I'm not trying to scold you or anything, I just want you to realize how good you have it having your brother." Minato said with a smile, which Naruto puffed his cheeks before looking away.
"But..."
"I know what you are going to say, but it's their job to get the older brother mad, the older brother's job is to take it" Minato said as he smiled toward his son. "Do you understand?"
"Yea..."
"And if your mom asks, I was really hard on you." Naruto nodded his head, before him and Minato returned to the living room. Minato went to sit next to Kushina, who was reading a book sitting on a couch. Naruto turned to Menma, who was playing with action figures his mom got them. He was going to go to his room until Menma stopped him.
"Naruto, do you want to play with me? You can use this guy!" Menma said as he held one of the action figures. Naruto smiled as he accepted the gesture. Minato and Kushina smiled at the interaction before snuggling into each other.
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"Daddy!" Naruto cried out, as he held his sobbing little brother close. The village was half destroyed by a giant nine tail fox. Minato was able to stop the fox from destroying anymore by transporting the fox away. Minato with the help of his wife, fought the fox with all their strength; but, was still weak compared to the legendary demon. Minato turned to his sons, which he used his magic to transport them there; gave both of his sons a reassuring smile, that was completely pointless since blood was coming down the corner of his mouth.
"I transported you and your brother here to seal away the power and soul of kyuubi in you and the darkness in Menma." Minato said causing Naruto's eyes to widen. Kyuubi was about to attack them before Kushina used her chains to hold him down.
"I won't be able to hold him long!" Kushina yelled as she tried to hold the demon back. Minato nodded as he summoned the lost spell he found in an ancient ruin.
"Devine Five Circle Seal!"
A seal appeared over them and Kyuubi as well as below them. Kyuubi's eyes widened when he saw the spell and began to thrash harder. Kushina struggled to keep the demon in line, so she gave Minato a look to hurry. Naruto turned to Naruto and Menma who became immobilized when bright seals travelled across their bodies. Minato took that as kue to finish the seal.
"Extraction!"
Hands made of pure magic began coming out of both seals. The fox roared in pain as he was being split in two. His soul was split in two beings. One was. Light grey color while the other was a dark crimson red color. The seal that extracted the darker color soul minimized before appearing on Menma's stomach while the other seal appeared on Naruto's stomach. They both fell unconscious as the light on the seals died down. Minato and Kushina gasped for air as they finished the process, before running toward each other and holding each other tightly. Minato heard his wife sob, while trying to hold his own tears back.
"I-I don't want to separate them Minato and I don't want to leave you!" Kushina cried as she clutched Minato's shirt tightly.
"I know, I hate this too, but this is the only way to stop him." Minato said with tears.
"Kushina I want you to go raise Naruto to be strong and be able to harness the full power of Kyuubi. I will teach Menma to control the darkness of Kyuubi and use it as an ally."
"B-but..."
"I know you are still reluctant to leave, but the seal will be broken if Naruto and Menma stay too much time together." Minato brought Kushina into another hug. "I sealed the power of Kyuubi in you so when the time comes, transfer it back to Naruto."
"The seal made it sure we will not live long, so use the time wisely to prepare them for what is to happen soon." Minato said as he gave his wife one more passionate kiss before going toward Naruto. He caressed his cheek before grabbing Menma. Minato turned to Kushina one more time before flashing away. Kushina nodded at the final moment before taking Naruto with her. She decided to go to the place she heard from her mother.
'Fairy Tail..."
(Flashback End)
"I... I..." Naruto tried to say as he gasped for air. Ankhseram smiled as she noticed their time is over.
"So it seems our time here is done." Naruto eyes widened as he tried to stop her. He still wanted more answers, but the world around them began to change. Naruto opened his eyes and found himself in a hotel room. He turned to his left and found Natsu laying there with a towel on his head. He noticed that they were the only people here. He walked to the bathroom to see if what he saw was true. His right hand trailed his left eye noticing his left eye was in fact different.
'I can't show this to the others.'
Naruto used an illusion spell to change his left eye and teeth back to normal. He then splashed water in his face as he thought of the new information he acquired.
"Menma..."
(Unknown Forest)
A man with a black cloak looked to the sky for an unknown reason. He felt like someone was calling for him, but nothing was there.
"Menma-kun~ hurry up." an annoyed girl whined as she called for him.
Menma turned back before continuing his travel. 'Someone called for me...'
End.
I changed the information in Ch 4 since I saw I made him sound like he was an orphan.
