Maelstrom's Curse

Book 1- Dance with the Dead

It's finally time! The very first official fan-fiction of the Eternal Anime Network has arrived! This is going to be so much fun! With that being said, welcome! Thank you so much for visiting us today! If you don't already know this, I am Director Neon, and I will be your host and guide throughout our online headquarters. It's not much yet, but with the support of our family, (That's you, in case you're a bit dense,) we will grow into an electronic empire worthy of the world of anime!

Now then, please enjoy our first installment into the archives, A Maelstrom's Curse. We at the EAN are sure you will love it. Whether or not you do, we welcome your feedback! You chose to step onto this page today, and that makes you one of us! So review, give suggestions, help the seedling of this very first chapter evolve in ways even we will not see coming!

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"Talking/Shouting"

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Chapter 1- The Same Damn Problems

The significant problems we have cannot be solved with the same thinking or mindset that was used to create them. –Albert Einstein

'Even after all this time, nothing has changed.'

Standing in the center of what was left of The Valley of the End with a bored look on his face, such a thought passed through Naruto Uzumaki's mind. As he gazed monotonously at the ragtag army glaring at him across the soon-to-be battlefield, he couldn't help but let out a tired sigh.

"You damn demon! It's time we put an end to your wickedness! You can't possibly hope to beat us all!" one of them yelled out angrily, getting him shouts and grunt of approval from his 'comrades' and a blank stare from Naruto for his efforts.

'What a load of bullshit,' Naruto thought to himself. He knew full well that even if they succeeded in killing him, and ridding the Elemental Nations of 'The Demon' as he was known in the Bingo Book, their fragile 'alliance' wouldn't last a week before they were back to killing each other.

It was a vicious cycle that repeated itself without end. They would go to war over some bullshit reason such as land or 'another village having too much power,' slaughter each other, somebody would narrowly emerge victorious, and a strained peace would ensue for a year or two. Once the next match was lit, they would take leave of their sense and proceed to destroy each other again. Naruto had seen it time and time again. No matter how much they had, it was never enough. They seemed to always want more. More land. More resources. More shinobi. More money.

It was an endless paradox of pointless hate and suffering that Naruto had been watching for far to long.

Not only that, but the cherry on their 'stupidity sundae' was the people had sent to kill him, after an enormous string of failures. Speaking of which…

"Twelve-thousand, eight hundred and seventeen."

"What nonsense are you spouting demon?!" the apparent 'leader' of the army demanded. He was the 13th Mizukage, a tall, bald man known as Koi. He was a fighter who overwhelmed his opponents with water jutsu and speed close to that of the Hiraishin in its weakest form. He was fast, for a human. To Naruto, it was like watching molasses run. He was not worthy of the title he bared.

*sigh*

"That's the number of times the Elemental Nations has tried, not to mention failed, to kill, kidnap, torture, maim or assassinate me. If you continue on this course, all you will succeed in is making that number go up by one, and making the Valley of the End into a mass gravesite." He responded listlessly.

He always gave them a warning before decimating them all, not that they listened. He hasn't received so much as a scratch in a very long time, not that it would have mattered. Any wound, even the most fatal, would heal near instantly, with very few exceptions. That's not to say he couldn't die, it was just a bitch and a half to make it happen.

If I had known this would be the result at the time, would I have still gone through with it? Naruto wondered, tuning out the ranting from the future corpse about his 'horrible crimes and misdeeds.' 'Hah, a stupid question to be sure. Of course I would have.'

It was true. A long time ago, Naruto had not hesitated to give up his mortality in order to save the world. Kurama had told him at the time what that entailed, but Naruto had not realized the full scope or repercussions of his actions until much later. His foxy friend and the other bijuu had sacrificed both their lives and the ability to reform helping to end it all. After absorbing the power of the Juubi and defeating Kaguya by draining her of every las bit of her chakra, Naruto became immortal. His eyes turned red with concentric circles and nine tomoe spread throughout, giving him the rinne-sharingan. A third eye appeared above them, containing a particularly powerful byakugan. Six inch horns grew from his head, keeping his slightly longer hair out of his eyes. His canines lengthened and sharpened, making him look a bit more feral. Most people would take this new appearance simply for the eternal longevity it provided, but Naruto didn't care about that. His only thought was to protect those precious to him. To him, it was a curse.

He watched his wife Hinata grow old before his eyes, while he didn't age a day. He had openly cried in front of her when he fully realized what he had done. He apologized repeatedly, his tears streaming onto the wooden floor of their house. And Hinata. Sweet, gentle Hinata. She had wrapped him into a hug as he sobbed into her chest, and whispered soothing words into his ear. She had stroked his hair and told him it was ok, that he wouldn't be the man she fell in love with had he done any different.

***FLASHBACK***

"Live Naru-kun. Live long after I and our children have passed. You have a big and selfless heart, and it has so much love to be shared. There are people who will need that heart, and the never ending warmth and comfort it provides. And should it turn out that this world does not deserve your heart, move onto the next one. Find somewhere to be happy."

She put her right hand onto his chest, and wiped the remaining tears from his eyes with the other. She gave him a brilliant smile, and he fell even deeper in love with her selflessness

"That young, bright and sunny child I fell for repeatedly will always be in there, and it deserves to be happy. Find your happiness Naru-kun. Eternity is a long time to spend alone. Fall in love again. Experience new things with them. I will always be happy, as long as you are happy. Promise me Naru-kun. Promise me you will live."

Looking up into her beautiful, loving white eyes, any though of refusal abandoned him. He could never say no to her.

"I promise Hina-chan."

***END FLASHBACK***

He hadn't lived up to that promise. Watching as his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren lived and died had proved to be more taxing on his soul than he had anticipated. He watched as the years passed him by, and every last person he cared for left the living world, and with them a small hole dug its way into his immortal heart. Kakashi sensei, Ero-sennin, Tsunade baa-chan, and so many others, gone. He had tried to keep things peaceful and prosperous. In his one hundred and eighty long years as the 7th Hokage, the longest in history, he had tried. But the hatred festered. It rose from the hearts of the people he had long protected. His appearance only made it worse. They grew to believe that 'such a monster' didn't deserve to lead them. He had considered using a henge, but decided against it. In the long run it wouldn't quell the growing darkness that somehow thrived in their souls, despite his efforts. The other nations, who no longer was led by those who knew him and his heart, hated him even more for the unending threat he represented.

It disgusted him.

With nobody left to tie him to the village, he named his successor (he was the only one even remotely worthy of the title), sealed all his possessions outside of the clan compound itself and fled. He went to Uzushiogakure, the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools. Using his now near limitless chakra reserves, he created thousands of clones. With the money he had taken with him, he rebuilt the Uzumaki ancestral village in under a month. There was nobody to live in it, but that didn't matter to him. His new home was finished. He crated numerous henged clones to act as the city's officials and villagers, shinobi and civilians. He crafted a personality for each of them, which took him another month to complete. It made things a little less lonely. Perhaps it made him seem a bit crazy, but he didn't care. In the next few months he had trained his new abilities, when he had downtime from running his 'village.' He perfected his new powers, sharingan, byakgan and rinnegan alike. He improved and created several new techniques, making him even more formidable. And then, four months after moving to Uzushiogakure, the attacks started.

He had found out from a bingo book that he had been ranked a triple S-class criminal to be killed on sight, with a bounty to match. It would set someone up for life, provided they succeeded.

It was rather laughable. With his knowledge of sealing, his home was near impenetrable, not that it would have mattered. The few that did get through didn't make it a hundred feet before they were stopped by one of his clones. They were warned, and had been advised to leave. They did not listen. They hadn't made it another twenty feet when the various 'villagers' decimated them. That didn't stop the idiots from trying again. And again. And again. Over the years, he effortlessly repelled hundreds of attacks on his home. He had attempted to reason with them. He had pleaded with them not to throw their lives away. His pleas were only met with violence.

It disgusted him.

The constant conflict grew old and stale. He grew numb to all the killing, and that worried him. Such death had no purpose, and he was worried that he was losing his humanity. Sixty years after arriving at Uzushiogakure, in an attempt to prevent further loss of life, he reclaimed his clones, and, using his unmatched knowledge of seals, sealed his home.

He stayed on the move, using clones, henge and various genjutsu to keep the bloodthirsty humans off his trail. But still they came. They pursued him relentlessly no mattere how many he killed, or how many times he threw them off his trail.

So now, five hundred years after gaining immortality, here he stood, facing off yet another ignorant group that wished to end his existence. For what? Fame? Money? To rid the world of 'the scourge' that afflicted it? Do their lives mean so little that they risk certain death by his hand?

Even centuries later, it saddened him. He had broken his promise. He hadn't lived up to what was once known as 'his shinobi way.' He was pathetic.

As he thought of what his late wife would say to him, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

'Hinata-chan. I am sorry. I failed you, but no more. I will not hide any longer. It is time I seek out my own happiness, and leave my demons behind.'

"Hey are you listening to me demon? How dare you ignore me!" The wannabe Mizukage growled out, breaking Naruto out of his thoughts.

"Sorry. I just realized what an idiot I have been." He responded, his eyes shining, their light restored.

It is long past time this farce ended. This will be the last time I spill blood in this world. You know what's funny, is that despite me being a 'monster' I am still more human than any of them.

With new resolve, Naruto summoned Kusanagi, and it appeared at his waist. Smiling sadly at the memories it brought with it, he cast an equally sad look at the men before him.

"Come."

"You heard him men!" The Mizukage yelled out, spittle flying from his mouth. "Kill the demon!"

They charged at him, five thousand strong, firing off various weapons and jutsus in their wake. A spilt second before the nearest projectile reached him, Naruto drew his blade.

"Toride Hiraishin."

An instant later Naruto sheathed Kusanagi with a soft click, and five thousand bodies fell to the ground, dead.

Heaving a final sigh, Naruto dismissed Kusanagi and with a wave of his hand, ripped a hole through space. He stepped through it, leaving the Shinigami to collect what remained.

Naruto reappeared in the dead of night near the edge of Training Ground Three, in front of the now two memorial stones. Stepping in front of it, he ran his hand across the names of his fallen loved ones and comrades one last time.

"I came to say goodbye. I'm moving on."

"We've been waiting centuries to hear those words."

Recognizing the voice, not to mention the fact that someone had actually managed to sneak up on him, Naruto spun around, his eyes widening in surprise. What he saw made his jaw drop for the first time in five hundred years.

"How?" he whispered out.

Standing in front of him, with happy smiles on their faces and their eyes sparkling with amusement, were many of those precious people he thought he had lost forever.

His mother and father stood at the front, grinning widely at him. Jiraiya, Hiruzen and Tsunade were beside them. But that wasn't all. Kaksahi, Sasuke and a scaled down Kurama stood with them, all of them chuckling at the no doubt stupefied expression on his face.

"The Shinigami gave us a one-time pass. You've been doing a lot for him lately." Minato said, one eyebrow raised.

A guilty look flashed across Naruto's face, and he opened his mouth to respond, only to stop cold when his mother raised her hand.

"Hold on sochi. There is someone who wants to talk to you first." She said, a mischievous smirk making itself known.

Stepping to the side, everyone who had come to see him made a small path, and Naruto gasped at what he saw. She looked even more beautiful than he remembered. Even more so than the day he married her.

"Hina-chan."

She opened her arms, her body radiating love and acceptance.

"Naru-kun."

Unable to trust his voice any further, Naruto flew into her arms and kissed her fiercely. As their mouths danced for the first time in years, his guilt started to plague his mind. Pulling away, he looked into her deep white eyes, ashamed.

"Hina-chan, I'm so sorry." He cried out, his tears flowing freely. "I broke my promise to you. I killed so many people in an effort to hang onto the world I once loved. I…"

Naruto cut off when Hinata re-captured his mouth with hers, and they kissed even more passionately than before.

"Is nobody going to mention how awkward it is to watch the two of them make out?" Kakashi mumbled to himself, only to grunt in pain as Tsunade slapped him on the back of the head. This of course went completely unnoticed by Naruto and Hinata, who were both rather busy at the moment.

After the need for air became apparent Hinata pulled away and when Naruto made to speak, she put a slender finger to his lips.

"You talk too much Naru-kun," she said, giggling slightly.

"Hai, Hina-chan."

They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment until Naruto heard a sound that made his eye twitch.

"Wa-pish!"

Naruto turned around to see his father making a whip like motion with his hand. The other males of the group laughed heartily.

"Tou-san!"

"Haha, sorry Naruto, I couldn't resist. You looked so whipped I couldn't resist." His father said, a huge grin on his face."

"Oh, and you're not?" his mother asked crossly, making his father pale. "Perhaps you'd like to sleep on the couch for the next week," she stated, making him shake his head rapidly.

"It was just a joke Kushi-chan!" he said hurriedly. "Please forgive me!"

Everybody laughed at Minato's predicament before Kurama spoke up.

"Let's get on with it. We don't have much time." The deceased bijuu said. "That being said, I will start things off."

Padding in front of him, Kurama stared him in the eye before giving him a rare smile. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"So kit, you now have near limitless power at your disposal." He said bluntly.

"I never wanted it." Naruto responded, his face falling slightly.

"Yet you are the only one who deserves it, because you will never abuse it. I am proud to call you my partner, and one of the only ningens I cannot hate,"

Never one for heartfelt emotions or goodbyes, Kurama raised his fist towards his one-time jinchuuriki. Naruto bumped his fist against Kurama's and gave the fox a firm nod. The bijuu nodded back before vanishing.

"So dobe, you finally pulled your head out of your ass." Sasuke said, smirking cockily as he walked up to his friend.

"So I did teme. Thanks for the sword by the way. It's helped me out a lot." Naruto said, making Sasuke's smirk grow.

"I couldn't let anybody else use it. They wouldn't appreciate it. Do me a favor Naruto."

"Anything Sasuke."

"Keep holding onto all those traits that made you so damn annoying." Sasuke said, punching him in the shoulder before disappearing.

Even after death, he's as cocky as ever, Naruto thought, shaking his head.

"Yo Naruto." A familiar silver haired sensei said, giving him an eye smile.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm kind of surprised you didn't arrive after everybody else." Naruto said cheekily, making the former jonin sweat drop. He grunted in surprise as Naruto slammed into him, hugging him.

"It's good to see you Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said before pulling away.

"You too Naruto. I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. I'll admit I was slightly worried our deaths would make you lose yourself. It was a bit rough for a while, but you pulled through. Never forget who you are Naruto. Don't lose the heart that makes you… you."

"I won't. I promise."

"Glad to hear it." One last eye smile and Kakashi vanished, waving to him as he went.

Jiraiya and Tsunade came up to him next, arm I arm.

"Oh, what do we have here?" Naruto asked, smirking at them. Jiraiya puffed out his chest.

"You know how it is gaki. The ladies can't get enough of the great Jiraiya!" he shouted, making Tsunade's eye twitch. She punched him on the head, making his face crater into the ground.

'He'll never learn,' everyone thought.

"Somebody has to keep this one in line." Tsunade said, motioning to the twitching man beneath her. "Anyway I have something for you gaki." She pulled a sealed scroll from her robes and handed it to him with a grin. "This is my legacy, and I can think of no one worthier to carry it."

Looking at the scroll, Naruto saw the kanji for strength written on the seal, and smiled softly.

"Thank you baa-chan." Naruto said, hugging the busty women.

"Hey, don't forget about me," Jiraiya said, standing up as if nothing had happened. "I don't have anything left for you to learn, but I do have a gift for you." Taking a scroll out of his sleeve, he handed it to the immortal teenager. Naruto read the label on the scroll and laughed.

"Mt. Myoboku Firebrand Whiskey. I assume there is quite a bit in here." He said, making the toad sage grin.

"Enough for a good while, no doubt." Jiraiya responded, before leaning in and whispering so Tsunade couldn't hear him. "Whatever world you go to, put my books out to publish. It will net you some good money wherever you are, and it will help my legacy spread to other worlds!" He finished, grinning perversely before straightening up.

"Time for you to find your way. Goodbye Naruto." The old pervert said, before both he and Tsunade vanished.

'Goodbye Ero-Sennin, Baa-chan. I'll make you both proud.\

"Looks like I'm next Naruto-kun" Hiruzen said, smiling warmly. "I am so very proud of you. I noticed you have a new look to match your abilities."

His words made Naruto grimace a bit.

"This new me has caused a few issues oji-san, but I refused to hide it, whether or not they accepted me."

"Good. You are still you my boy, no matter what anyone else says. They don't deserve to know the love and kindness inside your heart if they can't even look past the outside."

He pulled Naruto into a warm hug.

"You have done well Naruto. Find a place to belong, since it can no longer be here."

Naruto hugged the man back, his eyes closed. After a few seconds, he felt his surrogate grandfather vanish, and he opened his eyes.

"Tou-san. Kaa-san."

Unable to wait any longer, Kushina rushed her only child, pulling him into a bone-crushing embrace.

"Oh my beautiful boy. I am so very proud of you. I love you so much." She said, stroking his hair.

"I love you too kaa-san." Naruto said, hugging his mother back fiercely. He may be several centuries old, but he stopped aging as a teenager. Naruto felt a pair of arms encircle him and his mother.

"My son. When your mother was dying and I sacrificed my like to seal Kurama into you, I knew you would be meant for great things. Holding you in our arms during our final moments, we were so happy. For a few brief moments, we were together. A family. Naruto, you are the sunshine that made everything else worth it. You always will be. You have sacrificed so much, far more than you should have had to. I could never be more proud than I am now to call you my son."

They both kissed his forehead at the same time before pulling back.

"My sochi, before we go, we want to give you something."

Like Tsunade and Jiraiya, Kushina pulled out a sealed scroll, handing it to the teenage immortal.

"In this scroll is my katana and your father's original hiraishin kunai, the first he ever made. Let them help guide you towards your own piece of happiness. We love you sochi, and will always be with you, in this world, and every world after."

They hugged him again, their tears and bodies radiating the joy they felt. And as soon as they came, they were gone.

Putting away the scrolls he had received, Naruto turned to the person who had been waiting patiently for everyone else to finish. The light of his life. He realized this would be the last time he would see her for a very long time.

"Hina-chan." He said, choking back his tears.

"My precious Naru-kun." Hinata said lovingly, clinging to her one-time husband. "It's ok. You have so much love to give, and there are so many people that will need it. I love you so, co much. I will always be in your heart."

Pulling back, she grabbed his face and stared deep into his three eyes. She kissed his forehead right above his third eye and he smiled goofily. He could never stay sad in her presence.

"You look even more handsome Naru-kun."

"And you look more beautiful than ever Hina-chan."

"Promise me something Naru-kun."

"Anything."

She stared into his eyes, as if looking into him to see if there was any doubt. She found none.

"Do not close your heart of to others. I know I will always have a special spot in it, but promise me you will leave it open for those that deserve it."

He didn't answer for a few seconds, wanting to stare into those white eyes as long as possible.

"I promise Hina-chan. I will remain true to myself for as long as I live."

She smiled, and closed the distance between them. They shared one last soulful kiss before she vanished, her radiant smile never leaving her face.

He stood there in front of the memorial stones for a few minutes, just staring up at the sky.

"Goodbye, my Hina."

With a wave of his hand, he stepped through a crack in space, and vanished as it swirled closed behind him. He had one last thing to do.

Naruto reappeared on the top of the Uzukage's tower in Uzushiogakure, his eyes closed. It had been well over two hundred years since he had been here.

Back to my home for the first time in a couple centuries, only to destroy it. It must be done though. Nobody left in this world has the right to anything here.

Opening his eyes, Naruto gathered his chakra for a few seconds before flinging his hands out from his sides. His rinne-sharingan spun around wildly, and Naruto shouted out his will.

"Shinra Tensei!"

The deva path jutsu destroyed everything in its wake, leaving not even dust behind. In just a couple of seconds, The Village Hidden in the Whirlpools was gone, leaving only a crater in its wake. The crater quickly filled with the water that surrounded it, and soon nothing was left of the place he had come to call home.

It is done. Time to leave this broken world behind.

His task finished, Naruto gathered his chakra again. Splitting open space within a world was easy, but opening a rift between worlds was a great deal harder. Not only that, but he had no idea what world he would end up in.

Holding out one hand in front of him, Naruto spoke.

"Eien no Kamui!"

Early in the morning in Tokonosu City, nobody noticed a lone figure step silently out of a swirling vortex in the middle of an empty street. Nobody noticed the figure suddenly change form into a handsome young man in his early twenties with sunny blonde hair and brilliant cerulean eyes. The figure looked around at the world he found himself in, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Well, at least I'm in one piece. Now then, I wonder what this new world has to offer?"

And that is the end of chapter one! It's a bit short, but was meant as an introduction I order to give a little background and to set up for the story ahead.

Please review, and thank you very much for visiting. We sincerely hope you come back soon for the next chapter.

-Neon, Head Director of the EAN