Naruto and Shikamaru sit in comfortable silence, after hearing what has happened in Konoha Naruto finds himself thinking back to it. I wish this was a dream, everyone I promised to protect is now...I don't know what to think...Ino, Choji retired. Kiba, shino being forced into obedience by danzo...our senseis, my comrades parents, Hinata... I can't fall alseep tonight maybe Shikamaru also can't? I'll ask him if he wants to take a walk with me. Naruto makes up his mind and asks Shikamaru. "Hey Shikamaru, I'm not gonna be able to sleep tonight. I assume you also wouldn't be able to so wanna go for a walk?"

The pineapple haired boy looks at the blonde, sighs and then replies back "sure after all, you are right I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight."

Naruto, smiles softly then stands up to look at the night sky. "The moon is very beautiful tonight Shikamaru." Naruto says in a daze confusing the Nara, as he stands up. "I guess you are correct Naruto, now let's both stop being so troublesome and explore this place." Shikamaru says as Naruto rolls his eyes, putting his hands in his pocket. The two walk side by side, one covering the front while the other covers the back, leaves crunching under their sandals. The night air crisp and cool flows through both shinobis hair. The nightly sounds welcoming them to its domain. Naruto takes in his surroundings, noting all the trees and rocks trying to make a layout of the place, crickets, owls and frogs playing their nightly symphony.

The two Boys walk in silence, no need to speak for they have spoken enough all there is for them right now is calmness. Shikamaru looks at his blonde comrade, concern edging against his face. For as long as he has known Naruto, he has never been this calm it made Shikamaru even more worried because Naruto hasn't smiled much, in his presence. Has this affected him so much, that his knucklehead attitude has disappeared? Shikamaru, questions internally watching Naruto and also occasionally looking behind them.

Naruto has never been as dumb as he had everyone believed, sure he was goofy, and loved to play pranks but that's where the line is drawn from his mask, and his true self. He can see Shikamaru studying him in his peripheral vision, the concern is so obvious he feels upset for lying to a fellow comrade all his years. But what could he do a smart demon is a dead demon. Of course he knew he wasn't a demon, just a holder but that was the villages nickname for him, might as well keep it.

The boys keep walking, silence still fills their presence except for the nightly noises in the background. Shikamaru having enough of the silence yells "OK NARUTO, I KNOW THIS HAS AFFECTED YOU IN WAY I CAN'T TRULY UNDERSTAND, BUT THE SILENCE BY YOU IS SO UNCHARACTERISTIC ITS WORRYING." Naruto sighs and looks to his worried friend, his once lively azure, sky blue eyes that twinkled with hope now disappeared leaving icy blue and dull eyes filled with calculation and impassiveness. "Listen Shikamaru, back at the village I never was the person you and everyone knew. I had to keep my true self under wraps or the villagers would-." Naruto is suddenly cut off as the next step he took made the earth shift underneath, his feet causing him to fall through. The sounds of rocks and dirt pelting him as he fell deeper and deeper. The scream of Shikamaru heard faintly as Naruto finally hits the rocky floor, his vision going black.

Naruto minutes later awakes and shifts rubbing his head. He groans feeling the immense pain in his back, neck and left arm from the impact. The blonde takes in his surroundings, seeing its full of jagged rocks, stalagmites and stalactites. Must of fell in a cave, ugh I should've been paying attention I would've seen the earth was uneven...well time to get out. He says internally, standing up fully he hears something faint, looking to the ceiling of the cave he can see nothing but darkness. Naruto creates a clone to preform the rasengan, the two Naruto's forming the familiar glowing, blue swirling spiral

Upon finishing the rasengan, the clone poofs leaving Naruto with a now glowing rasengan, lifting the jutsu in the air the cave is illuminated revealing, clusters and clusters of bats startled by the blue light. The bats fly frantically swarming Naruto, as Naruto's blue eyes widen, a memory resurfacing.

~~~Flashback~~~

Konoha, 10 years ago

It's raining severely, lighting seen and Thunder heard in a distance. Tiny footsteps are heard running frantically through the puddles with a splash, yells in the distance too faint to be heard from the pouring rain chasing after the small figure. The young child running, and dodging the sharp throwables being aimed at him. Tears hidden by the rain he finds himself at a old warehouse, noticing a small hole to climb through, he bends down only to be lifted by his left leg, and thrown into a wall behind him. "Thought you could escape? Huh demon?" A raged voice says.

"Yeah you stupid kyubi brat, trying to escape your well deserved punishment" a sneering voice says behind the other person.

"Cmon and beat the little shit already, I'm hungry and after this I'll need a drink" a annoyed voice says behind the others.

"Fine, fine let's get this over with so juko here can quench his hunger." The first voice says.

"OK you are all taking too long, let the Shinobi show you how its done." The chunin pushes the villagers back as they draw a kunai, he kicks the young boy in the stomach, making him wheeze in pain, the chunin picks up the boy and raises the kunai at his shoulder with a delirious grin, plastered on his face. "Heheheehe, you'll be feeling this one demon brat." The chunin stabs the kunai into the boys shoulder, making him scream in anguish and pain.

The villagers, and shinobi grin in glee only for their joy to be short lived as a low rumble fills all their ears, looking to the origin of the noise, it stops the villagers and chunin say it's just nothing, then go back to torturing the boy about to plunge the kunai into Young Narutos stomach. Time slows down for the blonde boy, seeing the gleam of metal stained with his blood prior, the rain only washing off so much.

Naruto thinks what did he do to deserve this, why did everyone hate him? Why is the guy taking so long to end his life?...the kunai pricking into his abdomen, Naruto says what he thinks is his final plea. Is there anyone who could help me? The once silence coming from the warehouse, is the answer to his prayer as glass shatters lining up with the Thunder going off in the distant, swarms of bats, thousands no millions fill the alley way, biting, scratching and screeching.

The villagers, and shinobi Run for their life screaming "BATS" "THEY PROTECT THE DEMON RUN." The one shinobi however who stabbed Naruto before, tries to follow his comrades but is suddenly knocked over by a flurry of bats. Trying to get up he sees the young demon standing in awe and joy at the winged freaks, growling the downed chunin tries to throw a kunai at Naruto to have it knocked out of his hand. The chunin screams as the bats swarm him leaving Naruto to finally succumb to his wounds, the last thing he hears is the sound of leathery wings, and a muffled scream.

End

Naruto, smiles in joy seeing the winged protectors as he calls them. He remembers the fear the villagers and shinobi had for these animals, then it clicked. That's how I will save the village, I'll become worse then the fox, I'll become a living nightmare of the shadows, a revenant, a ghost. I'll become what they have always called me a demon, such is ironic they called me demon for years only to fully transform me into one they would never expect. "He says smirking,

I'll use the fear to stop Danzos legion."