Chapter 3: His First Celebration

~~Four Years Later, Tuyin Compound~~

"Come on Naruto, you can take a day off of training for this. It's your first Celebration!" Jin called out the window, looking at her son as he was sparring with a clan member. On his shoulder was a growing, ashen pale lizard with growing bone spikes protruding from its features. At his side was Keiko, now the size of a grown wolf and baring teeth at the faux foe before them. She grew up quickly at the side of Naruto, the two becoming inseparable as neither she nor Naruto wanted her to return to the land of her clan. Granted, she did miss them dearly, but with Naruto starting her training four years ago after her birthday she wanted to be by his side and train with day after day.

The lizard the size of a large house cat that sat on his shoulders was called Rika, a name she made herself after learning of her mother's name. Sadly, after a year, Rikona passed in her sleep, leaving a grieving Shintami clan and plotting brood mothers preparing to fight for the position of Brood Queen. However, to Naruto and Keiko's shock, she didn't want to be a Brood Queen like her passed mother. No, growing up with Naruto, and the promise of thrill and adventure to come when he became a genin, made her want to stay at his side just like Keiko. Ironically, Rika was the one scared of Keiko for the majority of her early months of life. Rika thought Keiko was plotting to eat her when her "father" wasn't paying attention. When confronted about this fear, she explained that she knows her species is known for eating other lizards, and feared that Keiko would want revenge on her for something her brood may have done to Keiko's own in the past.

Keiko couldn't help but feel sorry for scaring Rika, and not a week later did she and Keiko start to bond. Now, after conquering their fears of one another, the two young lizard females worked to fight hard as both support and backup for Naruto.

Naruto made several hand seals before taking a death breath " Death Art: Black Abyss Fireball!"

From his mouth a large plume of black, gray, and white flames spewed forth towards the clan member. Said member dodged the attack before rolling towards Naruto and trying to strike a firm punch to the boy's stomach. Before the punch would land Rika inhaled and sprayed a corrosive spittle onto the man's arm, making his flinch backwards and roll away as he held his arm.

"Hey! I thought we agreed on no acidic ninjutsu!"

Naruto chuckled softly before pointing at Rika, who swayed her tail innocently as she looked away from the man. "Don't look at me, Rika does what she needs to to prevent you laying a hand on me. She saw what Life Essence Manipulation can do. And she doesn't want to see that again."

The clan member grumbled as he got back up, nursing the minor burns given to him from Rika's spittle. After a few moments of talking Jin came up to the two, giving the member a look and he bowed his head before leaving to prepare himself for the Celebration. Naruto looked up at his mother as she gave him the heart warming smile she only ever showed him.

"Come now Naruto, we need to get you ready."

"Mom, do I really have to go? You know I don't like going into the village. Everyone there always dotes on me and its annoying."

"Yes Naruto, you need to go. Trust me when I tell you that its important for you to be there. After all, don't you want to see Lord Shinigami?"

Naruto smiled at her, rather eager to meet their patron deity that brought him to his home. "Do you really think he will show up?"

Jin brought her hand to his head, rubbing it gently with her fingers mixing into his braided locks. "Yes, I believe so. I think he will be proud to see the child he left to us becoming a strong ninja like he had hoped. After all, you are the youngest in our village's history to graduate from the academy."

At the mention of the academy Naruto grimace. Jin chuckled, taking her hand away as she turned to go get ready.

Naruto sat down on the ground, his mind lost as he thought about the two years he was in the village's Ninja Academy. It was very unpleasant for him, mostly due to the fact that he had practically the entire female population trying to recognize them while the male side of the academy tried hard to get into his good graces. They saw him as what everyone else in the village saw him: the Shinigami's Chosen. He didn't mind that, he understood that he was very important to the village and to Lord Shinigami. But as he grew up, he truly wished people would see him as simply who he was. Naruto Shingami.

While he got lost in his thoughts he felt the familiar scaly embrace of Rika against his skin. He looked down, smiling at the young creature looking up to him with a loving embrace. Behind him he felt Keiko sit at his back, her long tail wrapping around his waist as she nestled her body close to the base of his spine. He let out a happy, relaxed sigh as he put a hand on both of his companions. At least in the end, they treated him like the boy he was, not what the village saw he could be.

~~Bell Tower Square - Chikyugakure~~

The entire population of Chikyugakure were in the streets, celebrating with drinks and delicious treats as the partying started to grow bigger the closer the time got to midnight. Naruto found it easy to go through the crowd as he wore a Shinigami mask with a black hood, covering both his face and hair to hide who he was as he enjoyed the festivities without being coddled. Rika and Keiko decided to stay at the clan's compound, not wanting to be around the numerous Bone Lizards that would be with their companions during the Celebration. Despite not wanting the Brood Queen rank within her species's community, she knew others would still see her as competition or a meal.

Naruto sighed softly as he walked down the streets, bumping into others and giving simple greetings. He could feel the gaze of the many Chunin and Jounin watching the flock of people to make sure no one got too rowdy. In truth, he couldn't wait for the day to be like one of them. To be a true ninja with the rank to show he wasn't someone to be respected for name, but for prowess and ability alone.

The next few hours were nothing but a blur of sweet drinks and hot foods, but most of that food was specifically ramen for Naruto. For some reason, he was just naturally drawn to what he called "Shinigami's Divine Meal". Even now, as the crowd was making their way to the Bell Tower, he sat happily at one of the stands eating his ninth bowl of pork ramen. However, a hand on his shoulder stopped him from finishing. He turned around, gulping slowly as he saw his mother Jin standing there with her ceremony kimono placed onto her frame. Hanging on her arm was another kimono, and Naruto knew he didn't have the chance to avoid this. With a sigh he paid for the ramen, even though the owner refused to take the payment since he was honored just for Naruto to eat at his stand. He took the clothing from Jin and after taking off the robe he was wearing beforehand, put it on and took the mask off to be placed with his discarded clothes.

Now with Jin, he walked at her side with the other members of their clan. He stood straight and proper, keeping a cool and collected look to his features but deep inside he was bouncing with joy. After ten years of hearing stories and praise for the Shinigami, he may now finally meet him.

As per tradition, the four clans came from north, south, east, and west. Naruto was with his mother as she approached the appointed spot of her clan, and he watched as she took the tanto of her clan against her palm and let the blood seep from her flesh. Just as quickly she and the other clan heads brought their hands to the palm shaped divots in the stone before them. The boy watched as red cracks ran up the obsidian stone that held the bell before the cracks encased the bell itself. And soon after, the bell started to ring.

Standing under the bell tower now was the ghostly appearance of the Shinigami himself, looking over the crowd with his dead eyes before turning his gaze down to Naruto and Jin. He floated forward, looking at the boy before taking the tanto form his jaws and speaking.

"It seems you have grown, Naruto Shingami."

Naruto bowed his head down low before standing tall again. "Thank you, Lord Shinigami. I am honored to finally meet you. I thank you for bringing me to my home ten years ago. My life is yours."

The Shinigami let a small smirk crack against his lips before speaking again. "Your life is yours to live, it is your death that I will claim in time. However, I believe I have missed several, what do mortals call them, birthdays? As such, I brought you a gift."

The Shinigami reached into the sleeve of his robes, pulling out a large scroll and handing it to Naruto. The boy looked up at the death god, then back to the scroll.

"I understand that you have signed the Metal Lizard summoning contract. Traditionally speaking, it is rare for a mortal to have two animal summon contracts at once. However, this is no normal summoning scroll. That scroll summons no living creature, but the souls I have deemed worthy to fight for you. I present to you the Pure World Contract. And you, Naruto Shingami, will be the first and potentially only living mortal to sign it."

The entire crowd gasped loudly, every single one of them looking at the scroll in Naruto's hands. Slowly the boy opened the scroll til he saw the blank white parchment. Not a single name was written in this scroll. He really would be the first to sign it.

"That being said," the Shinigami continued "You can not keep the souls here permanently when summoned. They draw chakra from you in order to remain here like most typical summons. However, the jutsu they may use when aiding you will now be drawn from your chakra pool."

Naruto could only nod as he looked at the Shinigami in awe. He truly wondered how a being such as the one before had all this power. He was able to grant gifts to the clans based on the powers in his domain, then give all those powers onto one boy, and now allow said boy to summon potentially powerful souls from the Pure World. It was almost too much for the young man as he stumbled backwards, but was caught by Jin as she smiled down at him.

After the gift was given to Naruto, the Shinigami spoke loudly for all to hear. "Listen, mortals of Chikyugakure, I have come not only to see my chosen people's lives growing stronger, but also come with a declaration. Starting from this day forward, the village of Chikyugakure will no longer stay hidden within the shadows. I have decided it is time for the world around us to know of our presence."

The crowd looked up at their god, the four clan heads looking with smiles on their faces. It was finally time, finally time to show the world the strength the Shinigami gave to his chosen village.

"I demand from this day forth, the village start to participate in the other nations Chunin Exams. I will no longer shelter the village, it is time for you all to stand on your own two feet and make due with the world you live in. I will, in turn, look over those who are in the heat of combat, preparing to bring you to the Pure World by my hand alone where you will rest with the others that fall in your village's name."

The crowd started to cheer loudly, the entire village shaking from the chorus of joy that ran out throughout the gigantic cavern they called home. After the cheering died down, he turned back to Naruto. "You, Naruto Shingami, will not participate in the Chunin Exams yet. No, you instead will prepare for the right time. Until then, I have several missions of my own I need you to undertake."

"Of course, Lord Shinigami. I will do what I must to honor your request of me."

"Very good. The mission I task you with will take a long period of time to undertake. I request of you to travel to the Land of Water, where a bloody civil war is raging. Though I care little for mortal affairs, this bloodshed has been raging for far too long. The task I give you now is to help end the affair, and return the balance of life and death to the land. Do this, and I will reward you."

Naruto bowed his head slowly, trying to take in what he was being asked to do. To end a civil war…did the Shinigami put that much faith into him?

~~Konohagakure - Hokage Tower~~

Minato rubbed his temples with his hands, taking a deep breath as he looked at yet another letter from a rebel faction fighting in Kirigakure. Mei seemed to be persistent in her requests, and as much as he wanted to help them he couldn't afford it. Intervening in another country's affairs like she was asking was just opening the door to political disaster across the board. After a few seconds to think he prepared the same letter of rejection of the aide. As he wrote onto the parchment he heard the knocking on the door, and before he could answer a small red haired girl bargained into the room and ran to his desk.

"Father, Uncle Jiriaya came back to visit! Come on, he said I'm old enough now to sign the Toad Summoning contract!"

Minato smiled down at his father, putting a hand on her head which earned him a pout from her. "That is great to hear, Yuna, truly it is. But sadly your dad is quite busy at the moment. I am behind on paperwork and need to get it done so I can come home to you and your mother tonight."

Yuna pouted some more, crossing her arms as she got red in the face. "But dad, I need your help in getting stronger! Even Kyuubi thinks it's a good idea for you to help!"

Sighing heavily Minato stood up from the desk, picking up his ten year old daughter and putting her down on the desk. He smiled to see the whisker marks on her cheeks, running his thumbs across them as he cupped her face. "Well you tell Kyuubi there that I will do my best. But I need to work on this first. Besides, you're doing very well with how strong you are now. I think you're probably the youngest Jinchuriki in history to brefraid their Bijuu."

Hearing her father's praise made Yuna lessen her little temper tantrum, and feeling his thumbs across her cheeks soothed her more than she wanted to admit. With a huff she jumped off the desk and made her way to the door where her mother, Kushina, was leaning against the door frame. When their daughter left she smiled at her husband, walking over to him with her belly swollen with his child.

"She is so impatient it's almost like she is eager to take your spot my love."

"Perhaps so, but she needs to learn how to pace herself. She is stretching herself too quickly for my liking. I know she has Kyuubi guiding her with controlling his chakra, and Tsunade and Jiraiya are working with her too. She has all the people she needs for training. She just needs to be patient."

Kushina simply nodded to her husband's words before sitting on his desk and looking over the papers. She sighed, seeming him write yet another response to Mei, making her shake her head with a bit of a chuckle. Her husband was so adamant with staying out of the conflict it seemed. As her eyes wandered the paper, she saw notes scribbled on a discarded paper and took it to see what he was writing. Her smile softened as she realized what it was, and turned to look at Minato.

"You're still trying to figure out how to get him back, aren't you?"

Minato stopped writing once again, putting the pen down and looking up to his wife. "You know I can't stop trying Kushina. It's my fault the Shinigami took him…"

"Minato, I want nothing more than to see Naruto again. Trust me, I want him here to see his family, to see his baby brother to be." She said softly as she rubbed her hand over her swollen belly.

"But as it stands my love, there is no way for us to get him back…"

Minato stood up, turning his back to her as he put a hand on the window that overlooked the village. He looked down, seeing the happy families walking about, sons and daughters with their parents. Everyone recovered from the Kyuubi attack ten years ago, everyone but him it seemed.

"I won't give up, Kushina…I can't let the hope of him returning die."

~~Land of Water - Rebel Camp two months later~~

Mei Terumi kept the pressure on the rebel's bleeding wound, trying to keep him from bleeding out as the medics made their way through the few dozen injured shinobi laying about the ground. It was another failed strike against the Fourth Mizukage, and now not only was a portion of her forces wounded but also another third was captured during the raid. Things were dire for the resistance to Yaguro's rule over the Hidden Mist Village, their army now barely over a few hundred and many of them started to desert after another failed attempt of a counter strike against the loyalists. No other villages would aid their cause, too afraid of the political ramifications of doing so. As she looked down at the man she was trying to save, she would only see the cold eyes of his corpse looking to the sky.

She let a tear fall from her eyes as she stood up, covering the body with a white tarp before walking away to her only friend left in this bloody war. Chojuro looked at her, seeing the blood drenched on her clothes. He wanted to cheer her up, but couldn't. Things were bad for them, and the shy ninja swordsman couldn't find the words to inspire hope. When she was about to speak to her friend, Mei saw a particular sight.

Coming from the tree line a few meters away from the camp two figures emerged. A person, a young one judging by their size, was walking to the corpses that were laying on the outskirts of the camp. The other figure was clearly a rather large lizard, but was as strange as the other standing with the corpse. This lizard walked on her back legs, her body covered in a kimono that draped down to her legs. The kimono itself looked pure white in color, with the kanji for "Earth" embedded on the upper left chest of the fabric. The boy wore something similar, but instead of a kimono it was a ninja flak jacket with the same kanji on the back. He wore solid black ANBU pants, standard issue ninja sandals, and under the jacket was a long sleeved red shirt that went down to the stranger's wrists.

When the boy stopped in front of the corpses of the fallen, she started to make her way to him. She herself wore a simple yet elegant blue dress with a slit running up her thighs to show off her slender legs. The dress itself hugged her frame nicely, letting her assets be shown off to any man brave enough to look at her. When she got to the boy she smiled at him and cleared her throat.

"Uhm, hello young man. Are you lost? This isn't a safe place to be. Are you from a local village?"

The boy turned to her, his long blonde braids now handing to his shoulders. She noticed the metal trinkets in his air, four of them having small plates with symbols she never saw before. When he turned to her she also saw the headband across her forehead, the plate adorning a simple four lined diamond. She couldn't think of any Hidden Village with this symbol. Before she could ask again, the boy spoke.

"I am not from any village from this country, nor am I lost. I was sent here by my lord to assist in your rebellion."

He raised a hand up, taking a deep breath before closing his eyes. When they opened again, Mei saw the ghostly blue of his irises surrounded by the void within his eyes. With his hand still raised he took another breath before speaking softly.

"Shinigami Art: Soul Revival."

Before Mei could ask what he was doing, the air got dense. The wind died, the trees stopped howling and a heavy mist rolled into the field. Normally the mists wouldn't bother her or her people, but this was different. This fog carried with it a dense feeling of dread and death. The people shuddered, Mei barely able to resist the urge to do so. However, before the dread could settle in further, little blue orbs started to float in the sky and swarm around the boy. The lights coiled around him, resting against his body before sinking into the body. As the last of the lights entered his body his hand stretched out to face the corpses emitted bright green light that shot into the corpses. This continued for five minutes, showering the dead with the strange light. When the last of the green energy faded away he closed his hand, falling to his knee.

The lizard creature was quick to put her scaled claws on his shoulder, checking on him. She wasn't concerned with the shocked looks of Mei, Chojuro, or any of the others as the men once thought to be dead started to rise and toss the white drapes over them.

"W-what…" was all Mei could muster as she turned to see the boy slowly standing up, the lizard letting him use her as leverage as she looked to Mei.

"My Lady Terumi, my master needs somewhere to rest. The ninjutsu he used depleted a great amount of his chakra." The lizard said softly, trying to help the boy up to his feet as they made their way to Mei.

Mei shook her head out of her confusion, nodding and helping carry the boy to her tent. When inside she helped lay him down on the bedding she had, putting a hand over his forehead and checking over his vitals to make sure he wasn't experiencing Chakra Exhaustion. To her surprise, the boy didn't seem as weak as she'd expect from a boy his age. However he did fall asleep, the lizard staying at his side while Mei had to think about what just happened.

~~Three Hours Later~~

Naruto opened his eyes as he finally woke up from his slumber, moaning in pain as he sat up in the bed. He looked around, not noticing where he was. The last thing he remembered doing was that jutsu. He looked down to the hand he used to perform the Shinigami Art, clenching his fist. He hoped that it worked, he never tried to use it on so many people at once.

As he looked at his hand he heard someone clear their throat. He turned his gaze to the red haired woman sitting not too far from the bed, smiling at the boy as she held a smoking pipe to her lips. "So, the boy finally wakes up. That jutsu was really something."

Naruto slowly got out of the bed, feeling that he no longer was wearing his ninja flak jacket and was only in his typical clothes. He looked at the girl, a smile on his face. "Yeah, Shinigami Arts are very heavy on my chakra reserves. Thankfully I have a large amount to work with."

"Indeed, though tell me, how does a boy your age have such chakra? Let alone jutsu that exhausts it?"

"That's simply Lady Terumi. I have my village's Kekkei Genkais."

"Genkais? So you have more than one bloodline?"

"No, for all intents and purposes I am not blood related to the clans."

"Then how in the world are you able to use their abilities?"

"Again that's simple, Lord Shinigami gave me their gifts."

(Author's Notes)

Hello again, Vermillion Clover here for a quick update and some other tidbits to be shared with y'all.

So, I feel like I'm doing a piss poor job of describing Keiko and the Metal Scale Lizards. Basically they are like the Lizardmen from Overlord. Except their scales are far different and the larger summons are bigger. Think of Keiko like Krush Lulu from that show.

About how Naruto is using the clan's bloodlines. Simply put, the lore of the bloodlines and the Hidden Earth Village will be revealed later on. Though as it stands now, Naruto is able to use these abilities thanks to his connection to the Shinigami and the Pure World.

That is all my friends, I hope you enjoy this story so far!

-Vermillion Clover