Summary: When faced with rejection, a man has only two choices: To wallow and despair or rise above and take that step toward the future… For Naruto, it is no different. But he makes the right choice. He chooses to become a true shinobi. Now, watch as he goes forth into the world and carve his name into history. All will know his name - Naruto the Angel of Death.

~ Naruto the Angel of Death ~

Revised Edition

Chapter 10 - That Which Leads to the Future

"This is a stupid idea."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's a fucking awesome idea. You just can't see the brilliance behind it, Ami."

"How is sneaking onto a ship which we know is filled with mercenaries and other lowlifes to kill Gato a better idea when we could just blow the whole thing up and avoiding fighting entirely?!"

"For exactly that! If we just blow it up, I won't get to see that fat midget's face before he bites the dust. Where's the fun in that?!"

"Hate to say it, but I agree with Zabuza-sama."

"Me too."

"Ma, I don't really care."

"Hn, I'm with Zabuza on this."

"When he puts it like that and after everything he's done to you guys, I kinda feel the same way."

"Men…"

This was the conversation currently going on between ten shinobi hidden in the forest, observing the large shipping barge docked less than a hundred meters away. It had been five days since their epic battle royale on the bridge and while most of them were still injured in one way or another, it had been decided that Gatō, who had slipped away during their fight against the monster, needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later. Of their little band of shinobi, only three were missing: Kira, Yūgao, and Tenzo. The former was too injured from Sakura's final attack to join in and the latter had volunteered to stay behind as someone needed to keep an eye on the client.

Of course, that did not explain their current predicament. What the shinobi were trying to do was decide how best to eliminate their target. Naturally, Zabuza, being the bloodthirsty vindictive bastard that he was, wanted to make this an up close and personal thing, if for no other reason than to see the greedy bastard's face before he died. And of course, if that also meant a greater chance for a fight, all the better in the swordsman's opinion. The rest of the men in their group, being the hot-blooded idiots that they were, had agreed to Zabuza's plan, with the sole exception of Kakashi who had been noncommittal, but also didn't argue. That, and he was nose deep in his smut, as per usual.

The women of the group were naturally trying to get their male counterparts to not be… well, like men! Their so called plan, if it could even be called a plan, was simply asking for trouble. Especially since they were all still injured. Wouldn't it be better to just rig a few dozen explosive tags and destroy the whole ship in one go? They could even form a perimeter around the ship to make sure that if by some insane chance Gatō survived, they could finish him off!

Definitely a far more rational plan.

But of course, any argument, no matter how valid, fell on deaf ears.

"Alright, if we're really going to sneak in, how do you plan for us to get past all the patrols?" Ami grumbled. "I know I saw a couple missing-nins among them, so the Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hiding in the Mist Technique) ain't going to work. It'll tip them off."

"Really big boom."

"You're kidding…"

"You know I never joke about big explosions."

"How is that any different from just blowing up the ship itself?"

"We've already been through this, Ami. I want that traitorous midget to feel fear before we off him."

The kunoichi sighed. This was getting her nowhere. "Zabuza, I know somewhere in that thick skull of your, you know we need an actual battle plan to get in. Do you have any intelligent ideas?"

The swordsman scowled. "Tch… What we really need is a distraction. One that will draw most, if not all of the patrols to one location. From there, I say we take them all out so that we won't have to do any fighting on the way back. Then we'll slip in, kill anyone stupid enough to get in our way, loot the place because the greedy fuck deserves nothing less, kill the bastard… slowly, and then get out."

"It's a decent plan," Ami muttered after a moment, almost reluctantly. "But what should the distraction be?"

"How about me?" Naruto offered, drawing everyone's attention. He shrugged. "We've seen how people react to my wings and I'll be flying high enough to avoid any weapons. Once I have their attention, I'll use a technique I have to blind them and then we can take them all out in one shot, no problem."

"That… could work."

"Are you sure, Naruto-kun?" Haku asked, worry evident in her face.

The blond smiled. "I'll be fine, Haku-chan. I'll even use the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) to turn myself into a woman so that I can draw more of them in."

"Good call," Ami agreed. "A female angel is likely to get more attention than a male one." The kunoichi fell silent for a moment, taking into consideration everything they had gone over before nodding. "Alright, I think we got a solid plan. Naruto, on my signal, head out and try to get the attention of as many mercenaries as you can. You have three minutes, after which, lead them over to the southern most dock. The rest of us will be waiting to attack as soon as you use your technique to incapacitate them. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded.

"Alright, let's move out. Naruto, on my signal… Now!"

As the rest of Naruto's team vanished into the night, the winged shinobi slapped his hands into a familiar hand seal, gathered his chakra, and brought forth the greatest image of beauty he had ever seen in his mind. "Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)!" Almost as soon as the illusion took hold, a light breeze swept through the leaves. It scattered the misty clouds that had previously been darkening the port and illuminated the forest, drawing many of the patrols' attention toward the trees. And in that moment, something emerged…

And what they saw would forever be seared within their minds.

For it was beauty. Breathtaking, radiant beauty at a divine level. Luscious honey-blonde hair that flowed down the back in soft waves. Sparkling blue eyes, filled with swirling emotion, that put the sky and the sea to shame in its vividness. Heart shaped face with full lips and a dainty nose. And a lithe, yet curvy figure, clothed in what appeared to be a modified kimono that showed tan skin, long legs, and two beautiful angelic wings, which had been spread wide to reveal their radiant glory.

Jaws dropped all around.

Many fell to their knees.

Most were speechless and the few who could speak could only whisper "Tenshi (Angel)."

The beautiful angel smiled, causing everyone to blush, before slowly taking off into the air. Naruto was now in full view of everyone on the port, including his own teammates and allies. And that got some fairly interesting reactions.

"Naruto is now in the air." Ami reported over the comms. "I repeat, Naruto is now in the air."

"W-Wait, that's Naruto?!" Kakashi and Sasuke both demanded.

"Hot damn, look at her! Talk about a babe!" Shuzuki drooled with a perverted expression on his face. His eyes, along with Sasuke and Kakashi, were fixed upon Naruto's transformation. "Humana, humana…"

"You three do realize that that's Naruto up there. right?" A cruel smile spread across Ami's lips as she watched the shinobi stare unabashed at the angel's scantily clad ass. "That means that the ass and boobs you boys are checking out belong to a guy."

At that thought, the three men turned green and promptly puked into a corner.

"You're a fucking bitch, Ami," Shuzuki grumbled, shooting a glare at the laughing woman only for his attention to shift upon realizing one very interesting fact. "Wait, why didn't Zabuza react?"

"I was just thinking that!" a certain pinkette suddenly exclaimed. Clearly, Raijin's spell was still affecting her. "I mean, Naruto is a total babe right now and I'm having all kinds of dirty thoughts about him… err… her… I don't know. Either way, I want Naruto right now! But Zabuza… Is he gay or something?"

The swordsman spluttered as his comrades silently laugh at the accusation. "WHAT?! I AM NOT GAY, BITCH!"

"Liar! Look at Naruto! He-She… Whatever… You're telling me you don't want to tap that?! Don't you see that bounce-bounce and the jiggle-jiggle? That's practically the definition of being gay!"

"Oh c'mon! What about Ryōshi?! He didn't react either!"

"He's with Ami, so he's clear. Just admit it. You're gay."

"I am not gay!"

"Are to!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"I AM NOT GAY, YOU STUPID FLAT-CHESTED BITCH!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, YOU SADISTIC RETARDED ASSHOLE?!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Ami snapped, scarlet flames blazing to life in her hands. Quite frankly, it was a miracle their enemies didn't notice their yelling or the sudden light, but then again, every one of them, including the few missing-nin on Gato's payroll, were currently in a lust-fuelled daze. "Naruto will be here in less than thirty seconds, so get your asses into position."

The two bickering shinobi grumbled and complied, but that didn't stop them from using sign language to send more insults at each other. Most of it involved throwing each other the bird in increasingly lewd fashions.

Meanwhile, Naruto was desperately trying to refrain from outright butchering every single mercenary below. Since the full awakening of his bloodline, the angel had noticed he had become more sensitive to the emotions of the people around him. And needless to say, the majority of the feelings he was getting from the enemies below was sinful lust.

"Well, what do you expect, brat? You are fucking hot right now!"

Oh, and did he forget to mention the perverted idiot living in his head?

"Listen, Naruto. There's this secret technique in the Land of Demons called the Kage Kagami Shinten no Hō (Shadow Mirror Body Transfer Art). It lets the user permanently transform themselves into whatever image they can imagine!"

'I don't want to know, Kūkiyo…'

"Just imagine if you used it with your Kage Bunshin! You could be banging this hot number right now!"

'Are you even listening to me?'

"Although, I guess you would technically be having sex with yourself…"

'Okay, that's just sick! Mei-chan? Rei-chan?"

WHAP!

"And the idiot wonders why we beat him up so much," Meigetsu grumbled, watching the void spirit fly off into the distance from her punch. Reisei was already chasing after the pervert, feminine fury burning in her eyes. "So, want to tell me who you were thinking of when you created your illusion? She's beautiful."

Under his illusion, Naruto's face turned red. 'Uh… Yeah… She's the most beautiful woman I've ever met.'

"Ohh!" An impish smile spread across the demoness's lips. "Something you aren't telling me, Naruto-kun?"

'What?! No!" the blond denied (read - flat out lied).

"Uh huh. So, who is it?"

'What?'

"C'mon, Naruto-kun! Who's the lucky girl?! At first, I thought it may have been that Haku girl, but your illusion looks nothing like her. Maybe, Rei-chan? No… What about Ka-"

'It's you…'

"… Huh?"

'My illusion… The person I was thinking of was you.'

"M-Me? But-"

'I know. Her hair, eyes, and skin color are different. It was changed to match what most people believe angels should look like,' Naruto mentally mumbled, feeling horribly flustered. He would not be surprised if his illusion was also blushing in embarrassment. 'Everything else is you though… I've never met anyone as beautiful as you, Mei-hime, and I honestly doubt I ever will.'

"I-I don't know what to say," Meigetsu admitted, her mind having somewhat short-circuited at this rather unexpected turn of events. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't touched by her vessel's heartfelt compliment… She could hear the underlying emotions in his words, though exactly what emotions those were, the Biju was a little afraid to find out. What if her insinuations held more truth than she had known? Did Naruto really have feelings for her? If so, what should she say or do? She had a mate for crying out loud!

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, their conversation would have to continue at a later date as Naruto had arrived at the ambush point. As he hovered just scant meters from his comrades, the transformed angel spoke, "Come closer…"

The guards all complied, as if under some trance. Not a single one of them noticed the circle of marked kunai that they stepped into.

"I have something I wish to share with you all."

The mercenaries leaned closer, trembling in anticipation.

"What I wish to share with you… is this!" And just like that, Naruto's illusion fell, revealing his true appearance and utterly ruining the fantasies of everyone present. "Seiton: Kagayaki (Holy Release: Radiance)!"

It was as if Naruto had suddenly become the sun! A blazing, golden white light exploded out from the shinobi's body, causing every single mercenary to scream in agony as they were blinded. They were defenseless. And as soon as the blinding light vanished, Naruto's group struck.

"Seiton: Hoshiakari (Holy Release: Starlight)!"

"Benikiri-Ryū: Chi no Uta (Crimson Mist Style: Song of Blood)!"

"Raiton: Kusari no Inazuma (Lightning Release: Chain of Lightning)!"

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!"

"Raiken (Lightning Fist)!"

"Sensatsu Suishō (Thousand Flying Water Needles)!"

"Fushichō Ōgi: Senkō Kaen (Phoenix Secret Art: Scarlet Blaze)!"

"Fushichō Ōgi: Dai Senkō Kaen (Phoenix Secret Art: Great Scarlet Blaze)!"

"Doton: Doryūsō (Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears)!"

"Mizudeppō no Jutsu: Jiyūrenshiya (Water Gun Technique: Rapid Fire)!"

They didn't stand a chance. Within scant seconds, the unsuspecting idiots were wiped out by a hurricane of elemental fury, leaving the eleven infiltrators free to board Gatō's ship unhindered. As previously planned, the shinobi quickly split up into groups to better search the ship for their quarry. Ami, Ryoshi, and Zabuza all headed up to the top of the ship, while Haku, Kagome, and Shuzuki took the middle levels. That left Team 7 the lower levels of the ship.

As soon as the Konoha shinobi entered the cargo hold, weapons were drawn and they split up. Eyes trained to spot even the tiniest detail scanned the large rooms, searching for any traps or hostiles. They searched every nook and cranny of the hold until finally, after several tense minutes, they relaxed.

"Ma, it looks like no one is here," Kakashi said, taking in the rows of weapons, armors, and artifacts on display. "Alright, my cute little Genin, listen close. Everything in here can be used in some way to benefit our village, so we are going to seal it all into storage scrolls. If you see anything that you like and think you can use, put it aside and I'll take a look at it."

"Hai!"

The three Genin quickly started on their task, with Naruto's clones speeding up the process considerably. For the most part, Gatō's hoard consisted of things that were too ornamental to be of actual use to the shinobi. But there were a couple items that did catch their eye.

For Sasuke, the Uchiha found a battle chain, several meters in length, with an arrowhead at one end. Deadly, chakra conductive by the looks of it, and capable of augmenting his existing techniques in countless ways. The perfect tool for the avenger. Just seeing the deadly looking weapon brought forth images and ideas on how he'd use it to kill his traitorous brother. 'Yes… I can work with this,' he thought, picking up the tool with a grim smile. He quickly wrapped the chain around his chest and continued on.

As for Naruto, the blond angel hadn't found anything of true value or use to him. In fact, he had almost finished sealing up his section of the room. He was just about to start working on the second to last row when a voice called for him.

"Naruto!"

The teen looked up to see Kakashi waving him over. "What's up, sensei?"

"I think you'll want to see this," the man said, gesturing to the display beside him. In it was a battered set of armguards, greaves, boots, and shoulder guards. More streamlined than traditional samurai-styled armor, the dull white and gold-trimmed pieces of armor were emblazoned with countless seals, all of which had been stylized to depict rays of light and shining angels battling the forces of the Dark One…

In that instant, Naruto realized exactly what was before him. "Sensei… Is this…?"

Kakashi eye-smiled upon seeing the look of recognition dawn on his student's face. "What we have here is half of the Kago no Yoroi (Armor of Divine Protection), the armor of the Uzumaki Clan. It's a special armor that's only made for the Uzumaki's that have fully awaken their bloodline. Shame that we're missing so much of it, but I figured you'd still like to have these pieces. The armguards, greaves, and boots will be especially useful to you given your Taijutsu and Kenjutsu style."

The blond shinobi could only nod in agreement as he removed the glass and picked up a piece of his heritage… It was almost too much for Naruto to take in. Here, right now, he had found pieces of his family's legacy… Sure, he had Ten'yuu, but this was different. The sword was a responsibility, one passed down by Kami herself. But these pieces of armor were forged by members of his own clan and that… That made them so much more in Naruto's eyes.

"Looks like they might be a bit big for you," Kakashi observed. "I'm sure we could get them resized back in the village though."

"Hai. I can bring it over to Hideki-"

"KAKASHI-SENSEI! NARUTO! SASUKE-KUN!"

Spurred by the urgency in Sakura's voice, the rest of Team 7 was by the girl's side in an instant. And what they saw embedded everyone's jaws firmly into the ship's hull. For the girl was standing over a display that held an extremely familiar bronze-colored disc, only this one, instead of a lightning symbol, had a stylized fire emblem on it.

"You have got to be kidding me," Naruto sighed, rubbing his face in exasperation. "Three divine objects on one island. Kami-sama and Shinigami-sama must have something to do with this."

"Hm… Looks like it's the Elemental Talisman of Fire," Kakashi said, leaning in to get a better look at the divine object. "Which means it'll only work for someone with a fire affinity." The man turned his gaze to the two who had fire affinities. "So who's it going to be?"

In near perfect synchronicity, Sasuke and Sakura looked up at their teacher with wide eyes, then at each other, then back at the Talisman, before repeating the entire process… twice. It was only after that did they shake off the shock and realize that yes, there was in fact another divine item before them and yes, they were being given the incredibly opportunity to wield it, should they prove worthy.

But who would take it?

After a moment of consideration, Sakura was the first to speak. "I already have the Talisman of Lightning. You should take it, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke's head snapped toward his pink-haired teammate, his eyes wide in blatant surprise. "A-Are you sure?"

She nodded, a smile on her lips. "Naruto and I both have divine objects. It's only right that you get one too."

Touched, Sasuke returned his gaze to the divine object that laid before him. It was tempting. He could not deny that he wanted to take up the talisman… To have unrivalled control and power over fire would surely make killing his brother all the more possible. But, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel as if it was wrong. That he was not meant to wield the Elemental Talisman of Fire.

That it was meant for the girl standing beside him.

Besides, didn't Naruto say before that the Elemental Talismans were supposed to be a set?

With a sigh, the Uchiha stepped back and looked at Sakura. "You take it."

"Eh?"

"I'm serious. You take it, Sakura."

"EHHHHHH?!" Sakura could not believe her ears. Sasuke Uchiha refusing something that would give him more power?! The pinkette was sure her jaw had dropped somewhere below the sea. The rest of her team were similarly shocked. "B-But Sasuke-kun! Don't you want it?!"

He shrugged. "Of course I want it. But I get the feeling you're the one meant to have it, not me. Besides, we've already encountered three divine items on one island. And this is just our first mission outside the village. I'd say the chances are pretty good that we'll find more. Maybe one that's an actual weapon."

"Well… if you're sure."

"I'm sure. Go ahead."

As Naruto watched his pink-haired teammate remove the glass and pick up the Talisman, a certain demoness piped into his thoughts. "You know, the Uchiha's got a point," she said. "To find that many divine gifts in such a short span of time and within a couple miles of each other simply cannot be mere coincidence. I'm sure the gods have something to do with this."

'I know. But if this is really the work of the gods, then that implies that danger is coming sooner than originally thought.'

"You sound worried."

'Can you blame me? The tasks we were given was monumental in and of itself. And now, we may have less time to prepare… I'm not sure we'll be ready."

"Don't give up hope, Naruto-kun. Reisei, Kūkiyo, and I will do everything we can to make sure you and your team get through this. We'll pick up the pace with your training once this mission is over."

'Do you think that'll be enough?'

"It has to be. All we can really do is prepare as best as we can, in the time we're given, and to hope and give it our all when the moment arrives."

The angel sighed. 'You're right, as usual,' Naruto thought. 'Thank you for reminding me, Mei-chan.'

"Anytime, Naruto-kun."

At that very moment, Sakura's whole body arched as she suddenly threw her head back and screamed! The cry echoed throughout the ship's hull and was so sudden that it took every bit of Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke's self control to not immediately rush over and knock the talisman out of her hands. It was fortunate that they resisted though, because not a second later, there was fire… Intensely hot, multi-colored fire! It blazed to life and engulfed the pinkette in its flames.

And then suddenly, the screaming stopped. It just… stopped. Sakura was totally silent now, despite standing in the midst of a fire so hot, the metal hull beneath her feet was beginning to show signs of melting.

"I-Is she okay?" Sasuke asked.

"I think she's in her mindscape," Naruto said.

"Did this happen last time?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, only with lightning instead of fire. She'll probably meet Kagutsuchi-sama for her test."

Before Kakashi or Sasuke could comment on the fact that their pink-haired teammate was going to meet a god, a familiar gruff voice cut in over the comms.

"This is Zabuza. We have eyes on the target. Fat midget is alone and unguarded…"

All three present Konoha shinobi frowned at this info. There was no way Gato would be alone and unguarded, especially after everything that had happened on the bridge. Even with their ploy to eliminate the guards, the shinobi were sure that there'd be at least a few men protecting their target. "This is Kakashi. Can you repeat? Did you say that the target is alone and unguarded?"

"Affirmative. Either the midget is overly confident that we won't get in, which I doubt since he isn't that stupid, or something's not right. And my gut says the latter. Stay on your toes, Kakashi. I don't like the feel of this."

"Copy that."

"Haku, did you get all that?"

"…"

"Haku, Kagome, Shuzuki, do you copy?!"

"…"

"Shit! Something is definitely wrong, Kakashi. Rendezvous back at-OH FUCK! WHY ARE YOU H-?!"

"Zabuza?! Ami?! Ryōshi?!"

"…"

"Shit," Kakashi cursed. "Naruto! You and I are heading up. I want you to take to the skies and report anything you might see to me. If you encounter any enemies, be careful. We don't know what's going on here." The angel nodded. "Sasuke, I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Sakura until her test is finished. It's suspicious that our mission went so spectacularly sideways and that there's a divine object here. You stay alert and keep on guard. Whatever's going on might be a distracted to get the Talisman."

"Hai," Sasuke nodded, two kunai already drawn.

"Let's go, Naruto."

The two dashed back onto the deck with Naruto immediately taking to the skies while Kakashi quietly slipped into the shadows. For several tense moments, they scanned the ship, occasionally reporting in to one another over the comms, but for the most part, nothing seemed amiss…

'Something feels very wrong here,' Naruto thought, making his seventh sweep over the ship from the night sky. 'Why can't I sense anyone? I can even see Kakashi-sensei, but for some reason, I can't feel his chakra…'

"That could mean that someone or something ridiculously powerful is releasing so much energy, that it's literally suppressing everyone else's presence," Meigetsu explained, worry coloring her voice. "I want you to be very, very careful, Naruto-kun. It could be-WATCH OUT!"

Naruto immediately banked left, just barely avoiding a wave of black chakra that literally cut a crevice through the clouds blanketing the night sky. Whirling around, the blond angel readied himself for a fight only to freeze in utter fear at what he faced. "… Fuck…"

"No…" Despair colored Meigetsu's voice. Beside her, both Reisei and Kūkiyo had fallen to their knees, terror in their very beings. "It's too soon…"

Tall, handsome in a way that was just plain unfair, and built like a freaking truck, the man floating before him practically reeked of world-ending power. His long, shaggy black hair seemed to writhe and move on its own as he stroked his three-pointed beard in open amusement at Naruto's curse. The entirety of his body, save for his head, was covered in black and red armor and he also had an absolutely lethal looking halbard strapped across his back. But none of that really mattered to Naruto… No, what truly transfixed and terrified the blond angel to his very core were the two massive, black crow wings jutting out from the man's shoulder blades…

"Datenshi…"

"Oh no, not just any Datenshi," the man chuckled. The very sound of such a cruel, twisted laugh made Naruto's skin crawl. "I am Yami Datenshi, the Firstborn, known across the nine realms as the Harbinger of Doom and the Right Hand of the Dark One. I'm sure you've heard of me."

At these words, Naruto's felt his very soul go cold. Fear took him in its icy, unforgiving grasp as sweat beaded down his neck… The Harbinger of Doom, the very first of the Datenshi… This man was renown in the mortal realm for destroying half of Iwagakure, killing both the Tsuchikage and Mizukage, completely annihilating over sixty-thousand shinobi, and the slaughter of four fully-trained Jinchūriki… all without getting a scratch. This crippling destruction was what ended the Third Shinobi World War and since then, Yami Datenshi was labeled a SSS-Rank threat with instructions to not flee, but to pray to Kami-sama in hopes that your inevitable death would be painless and swift.

Naruto swallowed hard. He could feel the fear within his tenants at what he was facing. "W-What do you want, Datenshi?" he demanded.

"Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze… Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Yōko, wielder of Ten'yuu and Mugetsu, and the chosen champion of the gods. I have to admit, you're not what I expected… But you have potential," Yami nodded. "Yes, you have potential. I can feel it. The question though is will you be able to reach and exceed that potential?"

"What's it matter to you?"

"Oh, more than you realize! You are interesting, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze… You are the Key that will end this long war between the Dark One and those pathetic gods. And I find myself honestly curious as to how you will grow, especially given how weak you are now."

That brought a twitch to the teen's brow. "So is that it?" Naruto growled. "Are you just here to assess me?"

"Well, it is one reason. I'm also here to drop off your little friends." At these words, black tendrils rose into the air, revealing in their grasps every member of Zabuza's group. Fortunately, none of them appeared injured, but it was hard to tell with them hanging limply in the air. "Don't worry, they're still alive. They just happened to be in the way of my secondary objective here."

"Let them go!" Naruto roared, his fear disappearing upon seeing his captured friends.

"Oh, I will… But whether I leave them alive or not is up to you."

"What?!"

"You heard me."

The angel growled. "What do you want?"

An absolutely sinister smile spread across his lips as he merely inclined his head toward another black tendril of chakra. To Naruto's immense surprise, in its grasp was their target, Gato!

"What are you planning on doing with Gatō?!"

Yami smiled darkly as he brought his captive closer, delighting in the fear wafting off the greedy fat midget at their close proximity. "Oh, nothing much," the Datenshi quipped. He turned his gaze back to Naruto. "You and I both know that this mortal's soul will go to Hell. Probably the Fourth Circle given his greed."

"Your point?"

"Well, once he gets there, he'll eventually transform into a delightfully sinful devil. So all I'm going to do… is speed up the process!" Black celestial chakra suddenly exploded out of the Datenshi and enveloped his captive, twisting and mutilating the man as his screamed echoed through the night. "This will be your test, boy! Prove to me your strength and conviction! Win, and I will spare your friends' lives. Lose, and everyone on this ship will perish. Now show me that you can truly be a champion of the gods. Let's see how you do against a devil of greed from the Fourth Circle of Hell!"

In a deafening explosion of twisted energy, Gatō's transformation finished, revealing a grotesque and bloated winged monster. It looked vaguely like a bat, only much bigger with long gangly arms and wings that dwarfed Naruto's own. Various gold trinkets and ornaments hung off its body, signifying its connection to the sin of greed. The devil, upon realizing what it had become, immediately screeched in anger and abject horror before focusing on the one it deemed responsible for his downfall.

"GRROOAARRR!"

"SHIT!" Naruto was only just barely able to raise his swords in time to block the devil's claws. The sheer power behind the strike blew the angel back even as he struggled to right himself back up. 'Damn, what the fuck just happened?!'

"The Datenshi did exactly as he said," Reisei answered.

'What?'

"He used his powers to transform Gatō into the devil he would've become in Hell."

'How is that even possible?!' Naruto cried, deflecting another flurry of claw attacks. He cursed when one of the devil's claws slipped past his defense and cut a shallow gash along his side. 'Shit, despite how he looks, he's fast! How am I supposed to defeat him?'

"Don't panic, Naruto-kun. He may be fast, but overall, he's much weaker than the devil you fought on the bridge. Calm yourself and focus."

'… Right…' With supreme effort, Naruto parried the devil's most recent assault before kicking the monstrosity back, giving the angel just enough time to calm his frayed nerves and focus. "Alright, Gatō, let's do this!" Power flooded down his divine swords as he swung them down, hard. "Seitōryū: Tengiri (Holy Sword Style: Celestial Slash)! Kūtōryū: Dankū (Void Sword Style: Spitting Void)!"

In response to the crescent waves of celestial energy careening toward it, a translucent bubble of green energy suddenly formed around the devil, much to Naruto's surprise. His attacks slammed into the shield, shattering the barrier, but otherwise leaving the creature unharmed, although one of its trinkets had fallen off.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Naruto cursed. How was he supposed to kill the beast if it could do that?!

Unfortunately, the devil had no intentions of giving Naruto the time to figure it out. Having seemingly realized that it could do more than just swing its claws about, the devil suddenly took a deep breath and regurgitated a massive, deep green fireball the size of a small house!

"Oh, come on!" the angel spat, just barely dodging the hellish flames. "That is not fucking fair!"

Another green fireball was his response to that, forcing Naruto to once again dodge. Clearly, the creature had no intentions of letting the angel in close. "Oh, so you want to do this at a distance?! Well, two can play at that game!" He sheathed his swords and reared back his now glowing fists, "Take this! Seiton: Hoshiakari (Holy Release: Starlight)!"

A dozen bolts of bright gold energy lit up the night sky as they flew toward their target, only to collide against another shield, which easily took the brunt of the celestial attack. 'Fuck! How am I supposed to kill this thing if it can block everything I throw at it and breathe fireballs the size of a house?!'

"Haven't you noticed, Naruto-kun? Every time the devil uses one of its abilities, it loses one of its trinkets."

'So? Why does that matter?'

"Think, Naruto-kun! It's a devil of greed! That means its power is drawn from what it perceives as wealth. If you want to win, you need to target those gold trinkets of his. If you destroy them or make it use them all up, the devil will be powerless!"

'Why didn't you tell me this earlier?!' Naruto demanded, ducking under another fireball before sending back a volley of his own. Once again, it slammed into an impenetrable shield. 'So I just need to get rid of those trinkets one way or another, right?'

"Yes."

'Alright, I can do that!' Sending another barrage of celestial energy, Naruto used the ensuing explosion to dart in close, appearing at the devil's side the second it's shield fell. He struck! His sword flashed, slicing off one of the gold trinkets hanging freely off its hind leg as well as scoring a shallow cut, before the angel flew away and out of the creature's reach. 'OK, that's two,' he thought, watching the wound heal instantly while another piece of gold fell off.

"Keep it up, Naruto-kun. You can win."

'Hai-!'

"On your left, brat!"

Kūkiyo's warning came just in time. In an instant, the creature blitzed across the distance between them with it's claws in mid-swing. They smashed into the angel's hastily raised guard and Naruto felt his arms shudder at the power behind the strike. "Fuck!" the angel cursed, trying to push his attacker away. Unfortunately, in doing so, Naruto had left his side exposed and the monstrosity had no qualms of taking advantage of it.

BOOM!

The night sky lit up in green fire as the devil unleashed a fireball at point blank, sending Naruto crashing down onto the ship's deck. Stunned, the angel could barely move as his body struggled to cope with the severe burns that had all but destroyed half his clothes. "Okay… that hurt…" Slowly, Naruto pushed himself back up, wincing as he did so.

"Naruto!"

The shinobi turned to see his teacher running up to him. "Kakashi-sensei…"

"What the hell is going on?!" he demanded, helping his student stand. "Why didn't you report in that there was a devil in the vicinity?"

"I never got the chance. Yami Datenshi is here…"

Kakashi very nearly had a heart attack upon hearing that name. "D-Did you just say-?"

"Yeah… And that devil I'm fighting is Gatō." Had their situation not been so dire, the gobsmacked and horrified expression on Kakashi's face would've been priceless. "Yami did something to transform him into a devil and now he's making me fight it as some kind of test. He has Zabuza, Haku, and all the others held hostage and if I lose, he'll kill them and everyone else on the ship… including you, Sasuke, and Sakura."

"Shit… Well, let's kill it together then."

Unfortunately, as soon as those words left the Jōnin's mouth, a tendril of black chakra shot through the air and wrapped Kakashi in its grasp. And try as he might, the silver-haired shinobi could not break free. "Ah, ah… No helping your student, Kakashi of the Sharingan," Yami said, floating down to their position. "This is a test and you should know better than to interfere." He looked back at Naruto. "Get back to it, Naruto… If you do not end this soon, I might just lose my patience…"

Gritting his teeth, Naruto ripped off the tattered remains of his top and took back off into the sky. His weapons glowed in the night as he flew up to re-engage the monster. 'I need to finish this as soon as possible,' he thought, slamming his swords against the devil's shield, but to no avail. The beast screeched in defiance and tried to swipe at its opponent in retaliation, only to receive a blast of wind that pushed it back, making it miss. 'This isn't working,' the angel cursed, parrying another claw strike before before flapping his wings hard to shoot up into the sky and avoid a green fireball. 'He still has too many trinkets left. Any ideas, guys?'

"Try blinding it," Meigetsu recommended. "If it can't see, it won't be able to defend itself."

'It might just keep its shield up, but it's worth a try.' Firing off another bolt of celestial energy, Naruto used the brief lull it created to run through the sequence of seals. "Seiton: Kagayaki (Holy Release: Radiance)!"

It was like a high-powered searchlight had just gone off directly in the devil's face. The beast screeched as it recoiled in pain, clutching its damaged eyes. Unfortunately, the monster proved more intelligent than they had thought as it immediately brought back up its shield, protecting it from all possible harm as it tried to regain its vision.

'Okay… That didn't work.'

"Stupid brat. Think! You're not limited to just holy celestial powers. You also have the power of the void! You can slip through that barrier, blast away all its trinkets with a Fūton Ninjutsu, and finish it off."

Naruto's eyes widened. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that sooner?

"Because you're an idiot of the nth degree."

'Shut up.'

Time to finish this.

"Kūton: Kaiheki (Void Release: Crossing Gate)!" With a single swipe of Mugetsu, Naruto cut what could only be described as a tear in the very fabric of space and time itself. The angel disappeared into its black vastness for but a split second before emerging from another tear… only this one was inside the devil's shield.

"Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!"

The howling blast of wind slammed into the blinded devil with all the force of a truck and sent it plummeting out of its shield and onto the ship's deck. Every single one of its trinkets had been blown off, leaving the beast completely defenseless as Naruto, with Ten'yuu glowing bring in the night sky, hurtled his sword right through its chest, pinning it to the floor and burning the creature with righteous fire. "Seitōryū: Tenmo (Holy Sword Style: Heaven's Vengeance)!"

The devil screeched! It could feel the holy fire burning its very soul, sending waves of agony coursing through its body. And no matter what it did, no matter how hard it thrashed, the monster could not break free. And so it screamed. It screamed and screamed until Naruto, no longer able to handle its pained cries, swooped down and ended the devil once and for all with a single swing of his sword.

And so, the billionaire known as Gatō died.

It was finished.

Naruto exhaled wearily. His body felt heavy and he ached all over. The burns from the devil's green fire were particularly painful. Unfortunately, the night was not yet over as clapping soon filled the air from behind.

"Well done," Yami said, walking up to him as he clapped. Naruto immediately tensed, despite knowing that if the immortal wanted to, there was nothing he could do to stop him from killing them all. "To be honest, I was not sure if you would win. While nowhere near as strong as the devil of wrath you faced a few days ago, this one was still strong enough to give most Chūnin trouble. And yet, you triumphed. Well done indeed."

"I passed your test," Naruto panted. "Release my friends. Now."

"Yes, don't worry. I always keep my word," Yami quipped, releasing his captives. All of them, save for Kakashi who immediately put some distance between them, slumped bonelessly onto the ship's cold metal floor. "I will take my leave now. It was entertaining to see your fight and I look forward to meeting you again." He began to float up into the sky. "Make sure you reach and exceed your potential, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, for one day, you and I will battle… AND I WILL END YOU!"

Naruto couldn't breathe… It was like he was being crushed on all sides… Such murderous intent… Such power! It was beyond anything he had experienced! Beyond the might of even Meigetsu! Unforgiving darkness swept across the night sky as four, massive red eyes of unholy fire gazed down at him, promising his end, his death… his complete and utter annihilation.

He threw up. Naruto hit the ground on all fours and voided his stomach, his whole body shaking in abject fear. In some vague corner of his mind, the angel noted that Kakashi was in no better condition. Even Zabuza, Haku, and the rest of their group had gone pale in their unconscious states.

As for Yami Datenshi, the immortal was gone.

Slowly, with the source of his fear gone, Naruto got a hold of himself. The shaking was starting to go away too. "S-Sensei?"

"I'm fine, Naruto," the man responded. He was on his feet, though a bit unsteady. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live…" Naruto mumbled, falling ungracefully onto his butt in exhaustion. The angel took a moment to look at his injuries. They were healing, but it was slow. And it hurt like a fucking bitch. "Once we finish this mission, I'm going to sleep for a week."

"After that fight, I'd say you've more than earned it."

"How are they?" Naruto asked, seeing Kakashi look over Zabuza and the rest of their group.

"They're fine. Just unconscious. No noticeable wounds or anything."

"That's good."

"Yes, but not what I would expect from someone like thee Yami Datenshi." It was clear that Kakashi was trying to figure out Yami's motives and was drawing a blank. "Well, anyways, I was able to secure all of Gatō's assets earlier, so let's get Sasuke and Sakura and get the hell out of here."

"Sounds good to me-"

"HELP!"

The two Konoha shinobi turned to see Sasuke dashing up the stairway to the deck with a look of utter fear on his face. Chasing after him was none other than Sakura, her face flush and her eyes alight with… lust?

'What in Kami-sama's name happened?' Naruto thought, watching Sasuke actually cower behind their teacher. Upon seeing the rest of her team, Sakura stopped… And proceeded to blush furiously as she looked at all three of her male teammates… and their crotches. 'Okay, seriously, what the actual fuck is going on with Sakura? I feel violated just from the way she's looking at us! And why are you laughing, Kūkiyo?'

"Well, do you remember what we said about the tests for the Elemental Talismans? How they're typically designed to release the wielder's limitations on the part of their mind and body that's connected with the element?"

'Yeah…?'

"Well, if the Talisman of Lightning released and heightened her electrical impulses, allowing every one of her thoughts and inhibitions free, what do you think the Talisman of Fire will do?"

Naruto took a moment to think on that. What was fire often related to in terms of mortals? Generally, passion, love, and… 'Oh shit. You don't mean…?'

Kūkiyo was now outright cackling at his vessel's misfortune. "Yup! Looks like your teammate's passions, loves, and, most importantly, all her sexual frustrations and desires are now out in the open! In other words, she's insanely horny! Hah hah, I am going to enjoy this!"

Mentally grumbling, Naruto very slowly edged closer to his teacher and whispered, "Sensei?"

"Naruto! Don't… move… another… inch!" Kakashi whispered furiously. His lone eye steadily tracked his female student who was clearly having dirty thoughts if the way she was squirming and panting was any indication. It made everyone more than a little uncomfortable. "Listen up, boys. I don't know how the fuck it happened, but I'd recognize that look anywhere. Somehow, Sakura has become the most dangerous thing in the universe… A horny, uninhibited fangirl… If we so much as breathe the wrong way, she will think we're coming onto her and attack and rape us and nothing, not even Kami-sama, can save us."

And just like that, one of Sasuke's worst fears came to life. "W-W-What do we do?"

"There's only one thing we can do, boys…"

"Yes?"

"And that is…"

"Yes?!"

"EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!"

In a puff of smoke, Kakashi disappeared in the fastest Shunshin (Body-Flicker) he had ever done, possibly even rivalling his sensei's own speed. Both Sasuke and Naruto could only stare in muted shock that their instructor had basically abandoned them before-

"Oh, Sasuke-kun! Naruto-kun!"

As one, the two teenaged boys turned their gazes toward their female teammate only to let loose a terrified squeak when they discovered that she was literally less than a foot away from them. Her face was bright red and she was breathing heavily. Her eyes, clouded with lust, raked over both of them, lingering on Naruto's exposed chest and Sasuke's crotch.

They gulped.

"Hello, boys…" she purred.

They paled.

"I need your help…"

They broke out in a cold sweat.

"I have this itch… And it's just driving me crazy!"

They trembled.

"I need something long… mmm… and hard… ohhh… to scratch it."

THUMP!

Naruto fainted, foaming at the mouth. Sasuke scowled at his teammate and only had a brief moment to think, 'Traitor!' before Sakura literally tackled him onto his back.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" she moaned, grinding her hips into him. "I'm so horny… Please, take me!"

"WHAT?!"

"Fuck me, Sasuke-kun!" the sex-crazed kunoichi begged. "Stick your fat dick into me and make me yours! Don't you want to know if pink hair is my real color?"

"HELL NO! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Sasuke screeched, pushing the girl off and practically diving over the side of the ship into the ocean below.

"DON'T RUN, SASUKE-KUN! YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT!" Sakura shouted, chasing after him.

The very moment the pinkette hit the water, a familiar silver-haired shinobi popped his head up from behind a stack of crates. He scanned the area with every one of his sense, wanting… no, needing to be sure that Sakura had not somehow pulled a fast one and was still on ship. After a moment's silence with nothing seemingly out of the ordinary, Kakashi slowly stood. Silently, he crept over to his still foaming student and whispered, "Coast is clear, Naruto."

The angel cracked open one eye. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. She's chasing Sasuke down on the pier."

Naruto immediately got back up, the foam that had once been bubbling around his mouth disappearing as if it had never been there. "You do realize that this test will likely last for at least a few more weeks, right? Her test from the Talisman of Lightning is still ongoing."

"Then whenever her lust gets the better of her, we direct her attention to Sasuke, sound good?"

"You're telling me to basically abandon my teammate to his fate in the face of a horny, uninhibited fangirl?"

"Got a problem with that?" Kakashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope, sounds good to me!" Naruto chirped, smiling.

"I figured as much." A quick hand seal later and suddenly, there were multiple copies of silver-haired shinobi, each of whom picked up one of their unconscious comrades. "Alright then. Let's head back to the house and get that burn looked at ASAP. After all, don't you have a match in a few days?"

Author's Note: Well, as I'm sure you all can see, a fair bit has been changed in this chapter. Perhaps one of the biggest changes I've made that will affect the storyline is that Meigetsu has become aware, at least on some level, of Naruto's attraction to her a lot earlier. I felt that in the old version, she was a little... dense. Perhaps it was a subconscious bit of vengeance against the girl I had previously had feelings for, but who knows. Either way, I figured it added to the overall emotional content of this story by incorporating that little bit. I hope you all like it.

Another big change is that Zabuza is no longer part demon. I realized that the only reasons why I did that in the first place was because (1) it was badass, (2) it reminded me of World of Warcraft, and (3) I wanted an outlet for Oniton (Demon Release) techniques. Now, looking back at it, all those reasons were stupid. So, I got rid of it.

I've also shifted the entire confrontation with Yami Datenshi to this chapter as opposed to it being in the next. It felt more fluid in my opinion and I was also able to add a pretty badass battle with the devil-turned Gato. I'm not going to lie, that felt pretty sweet and writing out the fight was fun, since it forced Naruto to think more rather than just using raw power.

Anyways, as before, please leave me a review on what you think of this new revised edition of Chapter 10 of Naruto the Angel of Death. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions. Ciao!

Old Chapter Techniques:

Brochette (Skewer)
Santen Découpage (Three Point Cut)
Nitōryū: Taka Nami (Two Sword Style: Hawk Wave)
Nitōryū: Nana-Juu-Ni Poundo Hou (Two Sword Style: Phoenix of the 72 Earthy Desires)
Ama-no Isshi (Celestial Arrow) - Original Technique
Danku Giri (Splitting Void Slash) - Original Technique
Kokubyaku Giri (Black and White Slash) - Original Technique
Raiton: Rairy ū no Tatsumaki (Lightning Dragon Tornado)
Raiton: Jiki: Gekitaisuru (Lightning Release: Magnetism: Repel) - Original Technique
Suiton: Teppōdama no Jutsu (Water Release: Liquid Bullet Technique)
Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Projectile)
Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)
Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)
Fūton: Renkūdan (Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet)
Doton: Sanchi-no Kuma Keisei (Earth Release: Mountainous Bear Formation) - Original Technique
Doton: Doryūdan (Earth Release: Earth Dragon Projectile)
Katon: Shinsei Bakufu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Nova Blast Technique) - Original Technique
Katon: Shuiro Hairyūdan no Jutsu (Fire Release: Scarlet Ash Dragon Projectile) - Original Technique
Oniton: Go Ka Saitan (Demon Release: Hellfire Resurrection) - Original Technique
Oniton: Osoroshii Kaen no Jutsu (Demon Release: Dreadful Blaze Technique) - Original Technique
Oniton: Go Ka Harigan no Jutsu (Demon Release: Hellfire Needle Gun Technique) - Original Technique
Seiton: Mabushii Kagayaki (Holy Release: Blinding Radiance) - Original Technique
Seiton: Ho Ken no Jutsu (Holy Release: Consecration) - Original Technique
Kyoton: Kurai Takase no Jutsu (Void Release: Dark Shackle Technique) - Original Technique

Revised Chapter Techniques:

Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)
Kage Kagami Shinten no Hō (Shadow Mirror Body Transfer Art)
Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)
Mizudeppō no Jutsu: Jiyūrenshiya (Water Gun Technique: Rapid Fire) - Original Technique
Raiken (Lightning Fist) - Original Technique
Raiton: Kusari no Inazuma (Lightning Release: Chain of Lightning) - Original Technique
Doton: Doryūsō (Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears)
Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)
Fushichō Ōgi: Senkō Kaen (Phoenix Secret Art: Scarlet Blaze) - Original Technique
Fushichō Ōgi: Dai Senkō Kaen (Phoenix Secret Art: Great Scarlet Blaze) - Original Technique
Sensatsu Suishō (Thousand Flying Water Needles)
Seiton: Kagayaki (Holy Release: Radiance) - Original Technique
Seiton: Hoshiakari (Holy Release: Starlight) - Original Technique
Kūton: Kaiheki (Void Release: Crossing Gate) - Original Technique
Seitōryū: Tengiri (Holy Sword Style: Celestial Slash) - Original Technique
Seitōryū: Tenmo (Holy Sword Style: Heaven's Vengeance) - Original Technique
Kūtōryū: Dankū (Void Sword Style: Spitting Void) - Original Technique
Benikiri-Ryū: Chi no Uta (Crimson Mist Style: Song of Blood) - Original Technique