Author Note: A return to the story, at long last…

Disclaimer: In an infinite number of possible dimensions I do own Naruto. However, for each one where I do there are another infinite number of dimensions where in which I don't. That makes sense, and the reality I perceive fits the statistical assumption of that truth. The beta laughs

A Demon's Dream

Chapter Nine: Uzumaki Unmei

"Damnit Naruto! Destroy that, it's your humanity and it's keeping us from merging! That'll be the death of us!"

"Oniichan… this," the lens lifted up, glowing with superficial warmth, "this is something I can't destroy." The seal shook and shuddered, disintegrating before their eyes. "Because it was never real to begin with," the seal exploded in a shower of inky blackness, then receded all at once back into the seal.

In a flare of abject darkness and a stink of sulfur, the pale lavender face of the shinigami appeared, its sharp-fanged mouth stretched wide and engulfed the bars of the seal. The pearly face lifted away again, the sky over the two darkened, the sealscape fell asleep, and the inhabitants went unconscious, the strain of what was happening overloading their personalities and subsuming their thoughts.

If anyone else had seen it they would find the orange-clad ninja burning with chakra, bright red, electric blue, and a frightening, eerie purple. The ninja's hands were clasped together, fingers interlaced in the snake seal. The chakra ceased and he shouted out loud, "UZUMAKI NARUTO, TOUBUN!" flinging his hands away simultaneously.

Suicide, salvation, insanity, stability, this was the only technique that saved Uzumaki Naruto, it was the only one that could, otherwise he would be consumed from the inside out by the fires of his failure to mesh. His tan, malnourished body shifted and writhed, glimmering and slowly becoming translucent. His body turned to glass for the barest moment, containing a roiling smoke of purple energy, then the glass shattered and the chakra rose as a pillar of raw potency.

The pillar slowly defined itself, becoming two distinct trails of light, one blue, one red. As the distance between them increased, both pillars collapsed down, the energy falling down and collapsing and focusing, bringing two complete, functional bodies into being. Satisfied, the two life-essences of Uzumaki Naruto invested themselves into their new bodies, and slept peacefully.

When finally Uzumaki Naruto woke, his two bodies stood and stretched out, ensuring that the vessels functioned properly. The two did not regard each other, for they were as completely aware of the other as they were of themselves. Moving forward a little ways, they left behind all that remained of the initial Uzumaki Naruto, the scorched orange jumpsuit left to smolder and scatter on the wind. Both bodies wore Tsunade's necklace, the real one, because Uzumaki Naruto wore it. (proto-note)

They spoke slowly, using the same voice at the same time, their voices perfectly working in concert, they were unsurprised by this. "Where do we go now we wonder… We should not return to Wave until we figure a bit more of our self out. Right, we are quite hesitant to bring more confusion now." (1, 2, and 3)

The pair sat, quietly contemplating all that they knew and likely prospects for travel destinations. After some time the two announced aloud, "Aha! We know where to go!"

Kyuubi leaned forward, looking like the old Uzumaki Naruto with fiery orange hair, baleful red eyes with slit pupils, and nine weaving tails that faded from view as he sat. He spoke with his own rough voice "We have decided" (2)

Naruto stood, simultaneously with his counterpart, this soul's body no longer mimicked its complete self. Gone was the kill-me orange jumpsuit, in its place were neon, kill-me orange plates of interlocking metal, so seamlessly fit that it was debatable if he were separate from them. The soul that was Naruto had a voice thick with emotion, for the moment, wonderment "That we shall go…" (3).

"In that direction!" they pointed at a random, unguided point in a direction that was neither Wave nor Konoha, and began their proud march.

Human minds handle time strangely, always using reference points and distances thusly from them. Typically the measurement for distances between significant events are cycles between less important events. And the human mind is an object so complex that attempting to write a separation of egos while maintaining the complete self, would be next to impossible for anyone who wasn't devoted entirely and completely to the concept. (Read: The author doesn't know enough to describe the stuff they think while moving, so we cut to the good parts)

The ninja continent, that nameless landmass, was quite a large place, something most failed to appreciate when glancing at a map. True that ninja speeds, horses, and other similar animals made the trips faster, but the fact was that it would take considerable lengths of time to get from one side to another, or really even between two hidden villages.

There was of course an exception for beings composed of chakra who merely manipulated or temporarily possessed bodies manufactured by the force of their awful will. The two beings fitting this description theorized that they could very easily discorporate themselves and re-conjure their essences and bodies in another place with little enough effort. At the same time, they had no urge to do it, they needed to spend more time in their current state, to continue figuring out what they were and how to act.

Unlike Naruto's rapid fragmentation and purifying experience, the process of refining the two identities into separated cohesion would take a long time. There might be an occasional breakthrough, but this would be a years-long process, which was fine for Uzumaki Naruto, Naruto, and Kyuubi, who all had had quite enough of Konoha for the time being. (4)

It occurred to them, that they had left their money in Uzumaki Naruto's wallet with the rest of his clothes. Well, the pair didn't mind. After all, they wouldn't get hungry, they needed no shelter, and their chakra was providing their trappings. Being an artificial construct had certain advantages, they decided quite firmly. (4b)

The two stopped at the edge of a massive crater, looking into the cavernous pit below curiously. "What do we figure it was?" they looked at each other, curious.

"A machine of war from another world meant to annihilate all life!"

"More like ninja-overkill on a former village."

"Actually it was just a meteor, it hit long ago, but it was a meteor all the same." A third voice picked up from somewhere nearby. The two bodies snapped their heads around to glare at the last speaker. The boy wore what strikingly resembled ninja garb, a hitai-ate bearing a star, and a facemask in one of his gloved hands.

The two fixed the newcomer with an ominous, piercing gaze. It was almost the same look that most ninja gave people who snuck up on them, a mixture of wrath, indignation and surprise. However where most ninja also had a bit of fear in their gaze, the pair held challenging looks instead. Such a look wouldn't normally have intimidated the hoshigakure genin, but receiving it from two faces, two faces which provided the distinctly odd feeling that a higher being was studying from afar. The feeling vanished when the two gave cheerful grins and inclined their heads to the side, speaking simultaneously once more.

"Hi, where the devil are we?" The simple question got the ninja to blink in frank surprise. Certainly any traveler worth their salt would know at least a thing or two about the reportedly dangerous hidden star village. Voicing his confusion brought blank, incomprehensible stares and joined questions, "Didn't we just say we were lost?"

"Look, all we want is to know where we," "are. And right now you're being just a tiny bit irksome." They gave the ninja a harsh glare loaded with a variety of emotions. Once again the ninja was struck by the strange feeling of being observed by something far too otherworldly to understand.

He spoke quickly in his own defense, the not-mundane sensation overwhelming like vertigo. "Err, right, sorry. I'm Sumaru, this is a part of Hoshigakure. If this were just the border I'd ask you to turn back, but this is deep in our territory, would you mind coming to see our leader, I'm sure he'll have many questions for you, like how you got here through our patrols."

The pair considered the option for a long moment, rubbing their chins thoughtfully. "It might be far more entertaining to level the village."

"But we wouldn't actually do that. At least, we think we wouldn't." The two nodded as if having reached a decision, and made to follow the genin, who was only too happy to stop having to watch the other bizarre ninja. Unwilling to display any of their tricks, the three simply walked to the village proper at the heart of hidden star's holdings.

It was a hair past noon when Tsunami woke from her peaceful slumber, the oppressive light shining down through her window. The banshee-cry of an alarm clock going off at its proscribed hour and the subsequent chakra-laden crunch sound. The gentle breeze of an air-conditioning fan chilling the healthy woman while her sheets clung to the sweat-slicked frame…

Perhaps peaceful was the wrong word to use. Tsunami's slumber was neither innocent nor peaceful, filled as it was with dreams and temptations like she wasn't used to. She gave a gentle groan as she peeled her body out of the smooth orange silks and made for her bathroom, blushing a darker shade than her normal tan as her mind replayed bits of her dreams. By the time she had the water turned on, she had decided to turn it back towards the cold.

Damn Naruto, showing up and giving her all those thoughts and wicked doings in her dreams. And then there were his words to add to her worries. Sure, after some time her body and the bodies of the majority of her student's had been under a most horrible strain, to the point where it was widely accepted that the Wave ninja were about to die out en masse, but that had been only two weeks into the program.
As she thought back to it she stepped into the cold water and let it rinse the sleep and dreams from her.

"Tsunami-sama, you have to stop this! They're all going to die, I can't let you kill my baby!" Third time. Tsunami's haggard face contorted and froze into a terrifying visage of challenge. By now she was the military leader of Wave, while not the same sort of tyranny as Konoha was, that didn't prevent Tsunami from breaking social taboos and making unpopular decisions.

Like this one, she reflected. "It is every child's choice to continue or to end their training, so long as they mean to continue they do it by my methods. I have faith in them, I think that they'll overcome this, and when they do they will show the whole world… You'll see. Wave will wear down every opposition it faces." There was a quality to her voice that was stressed and tired, but devoted with the desperation of the damned who knew it.

Over the course of the next few days the academy had begun to fare better, their training began to accelerate, along with their rest and hunger. They were consuming more but the training was paying off at amazing speeds, and if people tended to be a little more emotional than they had in the past then that was fine wasn't it?

And so, Tsunami resolutely put Uzumaki's words out of her mind, that thought however made her wonder why the house was so quiet. That isn't to say it was ever rowdy, not since Inari's adoptive father-figure passed on.

In point of fact, Tsunami had hated the man, while he was kind and genial in public, he had been brutish, too careless in private. Not to mention how condescending and sexist he'd been to her. Not at all like the object of her current affections.

It wouldn't be too much of an overstatement to say that the concept of Uzumaki Naruto had become the massed crush of Wave. Few actually knew him though, and almost none knew him well enough to realize that his concept was far less appealing than the real thing. Even Tsunami didn't know him well enough to understand him completely, just enough to know that she wanted to know more. Perhaps she'd get the chance today since he was staying here, which brought her back to the question 'why is it so quiet?'.

She shrugged aside the thought and finished her shower, toweled off, and got herself dressed for the day. Deciding she was presentable for her heart's desire, she went on downstairs and found the note her guest had left for her, and gave a depressed sigh that her jinchuuriki idol was no longer close at hand. She set the note aside to read after she made some food, the process of which was done in an upset funk.

She sat back at the table with her breakfast and ate distractedly while she read the note.

'Sorry Tsunami-chan, didn't mean to leave without telling you, but it's actually better off like this. Kyuubi says if we don't get out of populated areas then bad things are likely to happen to other people, and I certainly don't want that. Your students will do fine, I'm sorry for doubting you.

If you still need someone to teach you jutsus, then send someone to Konoha and have them meet with the current hokage. Send this note too, (Tsunade-baachan if you're reading this then get outta my personal letters! But if you help out Wave's ninja I'll actually stop complaining about missions for two months, promise). I wish I could help you more, or just stay there, who knows, maybe if Konoha refuses me then I'll come and be a Wave shinobi. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Its getting close to dawn now, and I'm starting to lose it a little bit more' his handwriting became a crass scrawl 'We must be moving now, to the lovely Tsunami-chan we bid a farewell… Uzumaki Naruto will return to you, have no doubts.' Once more it became his refined chicken scratch. 'Yeah so anyways, I'll see ya again Tsunami-chan!'

He signed with his own name and a spectacular flourish and a chibi-fied version of his statue, which Tsunami had to smile at. She finished her meal and headed out the door, blurring as she ran through possible groups to go to Konoha with her. Oh yes, she would go, just to see what people thought of her Naruto.

After all, his determination should be a sign of his village, shouldn't it?

The students of Wave ninja academy and their teachers turned suddenly to look in the direction that a massive surge of chakra. It was impossibly far away, but they all still sensed it, and then they saw the pillar of purple chakra. They watched it split and dance away into columns of red and blue life and each felt as if they were present wherever it was this was happening.

Then it faded away, each of them felt it, knew that they alone had been privy to something special and felt as though they had been born anew, their old lives scorched away by the fires of an unknown savior. They wouldn't know the damnation they were inviting for years, but eventually, it would be all too painfully clear.

The development of Wave's ninja began to rocket forward again. (5)

Naruto stood before the Hoshigakure leader, Kyuubi at his side, the two wore matching bored expressions while the older man ranted about treaties this and espionage that. The two had been standing, listening to the tirade for some time now, and while they had initially made a game of it by counting the times his forehead veins throbbed in proportion to his neck veins, it had gotten old fast.

So as the man was just about to begin speaking about something else Kyuubi and Naruto stepped forward and grabbed the man by his collar, and lifted him up into the air. Kyuubi's nine tails became evident, Naruto's irises bled out the frozen blue into the whites of his eyes 'til all was the luminescent shade first seen by Manbun Sonmin. The otherness, the raw force of personality and the dual source of limitless power hammered in the cramped space of the man's office, flooding it with too much life.

"Hey, old man, shut the hell up for a minute!" then they dropped him, and became normal again, taking their seats and waiting for him to recover.

"Geez, these humans really like to get the wrong idea don't they?"

Naruto shrugged noncommittally and beamed happily. "Yeah but they shut up fast so it doesn't bother us too much, right?"

"Only when we're unlike how we were. Used to be he wasn't scary at all."

"But that's done with now. We are, and therefore Uzumaki Naruto is going to be terribly frightening to most life in general." They nodded resolutely and Akahoshi sat dumbly, their captive audience. "Now the reason why we ended up here with no one noticing us was the fact that we are not human, and have no trace of human chakra left in us. Therefore we appear to senses you have no need of mostly." Naruto held up a fist and it slowly burned away into blue chakra-fog that shimmered in the air.

"These bodies are also false, meaning there is no reason for us to be noticed."

"Being the fearsome weapons" "that we are, if we had decided" "to obliterate your village we would not waste our time scouting. We would simply render you to ash." "That being said, mind if we wander around your village for a while before we head out again?"

The two stalked away from the gates of Hoshigakure no Sato grumbling. "Just because we said that we could crush the whole village he kicks us out! So not fair!" The two turned back and thumbed their noses at the village.

End Chapter Nine: Uzumaki Unmei

Not The Author Note: "Look kit, I'm sorry," this statement. I see it so often it makes me SICK! Just felt like saying so. If I ever have Kyuubi apologize for making the villagers hate Naruto, then somebody carve me up into teriyaki slices for the homeless (unless I provide a damnably good reason).

Author Note: Uhm… yeah, I guess not a whole lot happened in this chapter did it? I got a whole buncha ideas though when I went back and reread my reviews, it will be Naruto Tsunami pairing because the idea has begun to appeal to me, but if you expect romance in this story, you're sadly mistaken. Again I wanted this chapter to demonstrate Naruto/Kyuubi/Uzumaki Naruto and the soon to be declared Ishougakure no Sato.

(Proto-note): Naruto and Kyuubi both have the real necklace Tsunade gave Uzumaki Naruto. Neither is a copy. That makes no sense? Then let me put it like this. These are beings essentially ascending from our plane of understanding, get over it, this stuff happens.

(1): Normal type for spoken word is normal people, or Naruto and Kyuubi speaking at once.

(2): Bold face means that just Kyuubi is speaking.

(3): Italicized speaking is Naruto talking.

(4): Shwaa? -My beta came back and got a little confused here. Naruto- the original human soul of Uzumaki Naruto and the dominant personality. Kyuubi- the soul and essence of the Kyuubi no Kitsune that lost its demonhood, Uzumaki Naruto's less apparent but equally important personality. Uzumaki Naruto- The former human with two souls, two personalities, whose every action is the result of the conflict between his two complete selves. Also the body. Mostly this is a label, because he is neither a soul nor a personality, merely the of the other two.

(4b): Wait I think I understand now,... Errr, my head hurts. - My beta is funny when I become deliberately confusing.

(5): I refuse to have to have the main character romance with any individual not his equal in martial skill, and Wave's ninja will get truly entertaining as this tale goes on.