PinkiePieParty122894: I am excited to write Danzo's death as well.
1995hzq: I'm sure that things won't go as planned for Danzo but he will do some damage to Konoha. I'm glad that you are liking it.
UnsanMusho: He's pretty beat down if not broken from his recent experience with the twins and the Shinigami's Blade.
Animaman: In terms of Fugaku, don't judge a book by it's cover. His future actions or explanations may surprise you. I plan on bringing more explanation of how the parents neglected Naruto when he returns. The meeting between Minato, Kushina, Menma, and Narumi is pretty brief this chapter and their isn't really any conversation between them. I'll have to think about Yakumo exploding on Naruto's parents, Orochimaru is going to be the most grounded Sanin (ironic isn't it), and Danzo isn't being played really. The old man is just really ambitious and believes too strongly in his village's potential for superiority.
demigodninja21: We will see if it's Naruto who kills Danzo. Maybe or maybe not.
Rebmul: It is a shame that Haku died but I felt it was the right way to go and I can't say the outcome of the twins just yet.
Two figures stood in the darkness looking down at a soulful presence lying in darkness.
"Well I'll be damned, the kid survived the Destiny Seal. You must be proud Tenji" spoke the voice of a recently defeated dragon summoner through the darkness.
Whomever the voice was addressing chuckled before responding. "Proud indeed. He shows incredible potential and an indomitable will. I believe that he will become the greatest swordsman in our line yet. One day, all will know the name "Lunar Swordsman"" spoke the wise voice of the first legendary swordsman with a prideful tone. Tenji turned to his side. "So what now Ryuki?" Tenji asked but was met with the sight of Ryuki slowly fading into dust.
Ryuki looked up with a smile. "Now, I will finally enter the afterlife for good. As a reward for defeating me, I have imprinted my most precious and sacred technique within his mind. It will take time for the technique to reveal itself to him, but he is the one that I entrust it to" the dragon summoner said before his entire being faded into dust. Ryuki the dragon summoner had finally reached the afterlife, he was finally at peace.
The thought of Ryuki passing on brought a slight smile to Tenji's face before he looked at the spiritual form that was starting to take shape. "It is time to awaken young swordsman, and when you do, your journey will continue" said Tenji as the form started to take on the appearance of Naruto more and more every second. Twenty seconds later, the lost spirit had regained itself and reformed. Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze had returned to the land of the living.
(Paradise)
Naruto's eyes shot open. Blinking slowly, the Konoha ninja brought up his arm to shield his eyes from the brightness of the overhead sun. His arm felt like it was supporting five hundred pounds and it became a struggle to keep it raised. Once again blinking, Naruto slowly and with great effort raised himself into a sitting position. Still blinking slowly, the swordsman raised a hand to his head which was throbbing very painfully. Taking a few deep breaths, Naruto's eyes slowly became adjusted to the sunlight. When he was able to see his surroundings completely, his eyes widened slightly.
The area that he had woken up in was perfect. The grass was a perfect light green color with each blade the same height as the next. A crystal blue river quietly rushed a short distance away from him. The sky was a picture perfect image of a perfect sky. The beautiful light blue color that could entrance anyone who looked up, the completely white and fluffy clouds that slowly drifted across the ocean of blue, and the bright and radiant sun that provided the ideal amount of warmth. Looking around him, he noticed that a series of beautiful oak trees surrounded where he was sitting giving off a forest vibe. As Naruto continued to admire his surroundings, he sensed someone coming from behind him.
Slowly, the chunin turned, hoping that whomever or whatever it was that it wasn't hostile. Preparing to defend himself as best he could without the use of his legs, the boy was surprised when a small black haired girl entered the area with a picnic basket on her arm.
As soon as the girl entered the area, she looked up and upon seeing Naruto sitting up, she smiled a large smile. "You're awake!" shouted the girl who ran to Naruto, her basket going up and down with every step. Quickly appearing in front of Naruto, the girl sat down on her knees and set the picnic basket down beside her. Before Naruto could say a single word, the girl beat him to the punch. "I was wondering when you were gonna wake up mister. You're lucky that I found you. Anyways, I'm happy that you're awake because now I don't have to eat all of this food by myself again" the girl said with a slight pout before opening her basket.
Naruto was silent as his brain tried to process everything. Blinking rapidly, he examined the girl who had pulled out a small folded tablecloth. The girl quickly spread out the cloth as best as she could before pulling two plates out and setting them down. After the plates were set, Naruto briefly wondered what meal the girl had prepared. His anticipation died and he sweatdropped when he saw the girl pull out the makings for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
"Who are you?" Naruto asked as the girl continued to make the sandwiches. After finishing the creation of the meal quickly, the girl looked up with a smile. "I'm Aiko" the girl said, her smile so infectious that it caused Naruto to smile himself.
(Iron Country)
The five great ninja village leaders each sat at a large wooden table within the designated room in Iron Country. Minato sat with Kushina, Konan, and Yakumo surrounding him. A, the Raikage, sat with Darui who was a talented jounin within the Hidden Cloud Village, the two tailed jinchuriki Yugito, and the eight tailed jinchuriki and brother to the Raikage, Killer Bee. Onoki, the Tsuchikage, sat with his son Kitsuchi, his bodyguard Akatsuchi, and his ambitious granddaughter Kurotsuchi. The Mizukage, Mei Terumi, sat with her bodyguards Ao and Chojuro. The Kazekage, Gaara, sat with his sister Temari, his brother Kankuro, and his adviser Baki. At the head of the table sat the samurai Mifune who would serve as the moderator for the summit.
Minato looked around the room at the powerful people that resided within. After ten seconds of examining the room, the blonde Hokage spoke. "I have called for this summit so that we may address a threat that has been ignored for too long. The Shinigami's Blade" he said causing each of the kages to narrow their eyes. "We can confirm that three of them are dead but the two most powerful members remain along with my children Menma and Narumi" Minato informed getting a snort from A.
"So that's why you put your children in the Bingo Book. So much for the perfect man and his perfect family" A said with a mocking smirk which received a glare from both Minato and Kushina. "Hurry up and get to the point Minato, some of us have villages to run. Do you have any information that will help us beat them or not?" A asked crossing his muscular arms. The entire room looked at the blonde Hokage expectantly.
The Fourth Hokage sighed and nodded. "Recently, Jiraiya of the Sanin managed to find out the location of the Shinigami's Blade's base of operations. He infiltrated the base and eventually made contact with the leader and my two children" Minato started getting wide eyed and interested looks from everyone in the room. "The leader did not fight but Menma and Narumi did and viciously destroyed Jiraiya who is currently in recovery. The only reason he was left alive was to be seen as a warning sign"the blonde Hokage stopped allowing the idea of a Sannin falling to two children to digest.
After allowing a short time for everyone to think on his words, Minato continued. "That being said, we need to create a coalition of nations in order to take out this threat. They are becoming more and more powerful. I have no doubt that if the group desired it, they could destroy any of our villages. But if we come together, our numbers will hopefully be able to drown them out and we will extinguish the Shinigami's Blade" Minato finished.
The room was silent for a long time after Minato's suggestion. Each leader was trying to think about ways to handle what was a serious threat to each of their villages and whether or not Minato's solution was sound enough to work. After serious contemplation, Onoki the Tsuchikage was the first to speak.
"In my long tenure as not only a kage but a shinobi, I have never seen a threat as serious as the Shinigami's Blade" Onoki said turning to A and his group. "One of their weakest members destroyed us in battle and had it not been for Minato's first born, we would be dead. The leader would have killed us without any effort of that I am sure" the old kage said before looking towards Minato. "This group is a threat to the shinobi way of life and each of our respective villages. Though I and my village may despise you Yellow Flash, Iwa will not cower from the Shinigami's Blade. Avalanches of earth will rain down on their small group as Iwa buries them" Onoki finished with a passion not used in many years. Kitsuchi, Akatsuchi, and Kurotsuchi looked at their leader with admiration and nodded in agreement.
Mei took a breath and stood up. "When we needed help to reclaim Kiri and begin to bring it back to its former glory, you answered our plea. I have not personally seen this group you speak of but I will trust in your word and answer your call for help. The Hidden Mist will drown the Shinigami's Blade and if they still live, I will turn them to ash myself. Kiri will assist Konoha and Iwa in the fight against the Shinigami's Blade" the red headed Mizukage stated which received a nod from Ao and a smile from Chojuro.
Gaara sat in his chair quietly and thought about his words before standing up. "You will have the power of the Hidden Sand Village at your disposal" the raccoon-eyed Kazekage said crossing his arms while Kankuro, Temari, and Baki sighed at their leader's inability to give a proper inspiring speech.
Everyone turned to A who was still sitting with his hands folded in front of him examining everyone in the room. "Where is the boy who killed the member that we could not?" A asked making everyone's attention shift back to Minato who was trying his best to conceal his nervousness at the question. A didn't see anything given away by the blonde Hokage's face, but he did notice the subtle flinch of the brown haired girl that was a part of the Konoha group.
Thinking quickly, Minato didn't miss a beat at the question. "Naruto is currently on a secret mission that I cannot speak about" Minato said getting a suspicious look from the Raikage. "My son's presence is not what we are here to discuss. The Shinigami's Blade is a real threat and it will take all of us and all of our ninja to defeat them, you know this A" the Hokage said now in a pleading tone. Bee, Darui, and Yugito looked at their leader expectantly while the muscular man continued to think.
A stood from his chair. "For now, we are in agreement" the Raikage said but before Minato could say anything, the Raikage spoke again. "However, when the time comes to attack the Shinigami's Blade, if your son is not there then Kumo will not risk the lives of it's shinobi on an unlikely victory" A finished. The Hokage slowly nodded while praying to Kami for Naruto's return in his head.
A laugh suddenly sounded from within the room causing everyone to become alert. The laughing grew louder as a distortion in the room started to form. A few seconds after the distortion appeared, a man stepped out followed by a woman and two insane children. "Didn't you get my message about what would happen if you tried something like this" the man said with a smile. His identity immediately revealed itself to everyone in the room.
The leader of the Shinigami's Blade had arrived.
(Paradise)
Naruto sat in the forest clearing with Aiko who was happily looking at the many beautiful butterflies that had arrived. The sandwich that the girl had made him earlier had satisfied his hunger and he could feel a little of his strength returning. Biting his lip, Naruto began to push himself off of the ground which gained the attention of Aiko. The girl quickly got up from her sitting position and rushed to Naruto's side. "Let me help mister" Aiko said immediately trying to help the ninja up. Just when Naruto was about to refuse, a surge of strength flowed through him at Aiko's touch giving him the ability to slowly get up on his two feet.
It took some time, but with Aiko's help the chunin stood while partially leaning on the girl. Taking multiple deep breaths, Naruto grunted as he took a step forward. His legs felt numb and his body was telling him to quit and just lie back down, but something deeper urged him to keep going. Step by step the ninja moved without a clear destination in mind while the girl helping him assisted him without any hesitation. After a few minutes of walking, the two came to a flowing stream of water. "I can take it from here Aiko" Naruto said getting the girl to hesitantly let go. Naruto took a few steps before stumbling and falling into the water. Just as the boy was about to try standing again, a shock went through his entire body. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Aiko rushing to his side.
(Inside Naruto's Mind)
Naruto's eyes shot open and he sat up looking around him. He was sitting in what seemed to be an endless golden plain. "Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze" a voice spoke causing the boy to look around him even more rapidly. Thankfully his curiosity was sated quickly. In front of him, ten figures shimmered into existence in a shining light. When the light died down, Naruto's eyes widened at the identities of the figures. Each one held a sword and each one was looking at him with a smile. None of them had a bigger smile however than the blue haired woman at the end of the line of swordsmen. Naruto shakily stood up, his mouth agape. All ten of his predecessors stood in front of him in all of their glory, each one radiating power.
The first swordsman in line, Tenji, stepped forward with his sword in hand. "We have watched you for the short time that you have been a swordsman. In that short time, you have shown the potential to be the best of us. It is time for you to unlock your full power Naruto just as we did before. The legacy of the legendary swordsman has been passed down for generations and now rests in your hands. I, Tenji, the Swordsman of the Sun, pass to you my legacy" the man said before stepping back. The next man stepped forward wearing a black overcoat with long black hair. The blade in his hand was black and serrated. "I, Shoji, the Swordsman of the Shadows, pass to you my legacy" he said returning to his spot shortly afterwards. The third swordsman, a large brown haired man with a heavy looking grey and bulky sword stepped up. "I, Tenkura, the Swordsman of the Forest, pass to you my legacy" Tenkura said with a smile and nod before returning to his spot.
The fourth swordsman who was holding a reddish gray curved sword and had a head of gray hair walked up with a smirk. "I, Kobura, the Swordsman of the Ash, pass to you my legacy" he said before backing up into his spot. The fifth swordsman stepped up wielding two bluish gray swords and smiled. "I, Kojura, Swordsman of the Storm, pass to you my legacy" the swordsman said to Naruto before stepping back in line. Next walked forward the sixth swordsman, a muscular blonde haired man wielding a bronze broadsword. "I, Hoshi, the Swordsman of the Earth, pass to you my legacy" the man said before giving a short nod and returning to his spot. After Hoshi returned to his spot, a man with long black hair and strange grin on his face stepped forward. He held by his side a stained red scimitar. "I, Korabusa, the Swordsman of the Blood, pass to you my legacy" he said before returning to his spot beside an uncomfortable looking Hoshi. The eighth swordsman walked forward and Naruto immediately felt a feeling of familiarity. The swordsman was a woman with red hair done together in two buns and she held a long, silver, katana in her hand. "I, Mito, the Swordsman of the Whirlpool, pass to you my legacy" she said giving a large smile as Naruto's eyes widened at the name. When Mito returned to her spot, the ninth swordsman stepped forward. He was an average looking brown haired man who held a green tinted curved blade. He looked at Naruto for a short moment before smiling. "I, Seto, Swordsman of the Grass, pass to you my legacy" he said before returning to his spot.
Finally, the tenth swordsman stepped forward with the proudest smile of any of the swordsmen there. She came to stand directly in front of Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder. Naruto looked up at the swordsman with tears in his eyes as the swordsman looked down at the blonde with tears in hers. "Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, it seems like forever since I chose you to become my successor. I chose you because I saw a spirit inside of you that refused to stop fighting, someone who could be great, someone with potential. Throughout your brief journey as a swordsman, I have seen your accomplishments, each one greater than the last. You have not only made me the proudest teacher ever, you have affirmed everything that I ever thought of you. That being said, I, Sera, the Swordsman of the Water, pass to you, Naruto, the Swordsman of the Moon, my legacy. You now truly hold the position and power of the eleventh swordsman, the Lunar Soldier" the blue haired swordsman said with her tears now starting to spill over. Naruto quickly pulled the woman into a hug and the two let their tears fall.
The rest of the swordsmen looked among each other and smiled before slowly vanishing into nothing leaving Naruto and his teacher alone. Within the confines of Naruto's mind, the two spoke about many things whether it was catching up or telling each other how much they missed the other. Unfortunately, all things come to an end, and after a long period of catching up, it was time for Sera to go. When she did leave however, there were no tears in the tenth and eleventh swordsman's eyes. Only smiles remained as the two had finally reached peace.
(Paradise)
Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He quickly noticed that he was no longer in the beautiful forest of before but instead, a quaint bedroom. Slowly, the blonde started to sit up only for Aiko to immediately appear in front of him causing him to fall back down in slight shock. Aiko giggled at Naruto and went to the corner of the room where a chair rested before promptly pulling the chair to the side of the bed and sitting down. The girl looked at Naruto with what seemed to be her giant trademark smile.
Taking a short breath, Naruto slowly sat up again. "Where am I?" the blonde asked causing Aiko's smile to widen even further. "You're at my house. After you fell asleep, I had to drag you all the way here. You're really heavy you know. I bet your so heavy because you spend all day sleeping. I like to sleep to but it's a lot more fun playing in the sun even though my mom doesn't like me going to far off to play. Oh yeah, you'll get to meet my mom later and then" "Calm down Aiko" Naruto interrupted causing the girl to slightly pout but quickly regain her smile. Her smile eventually caused Naruto to let a small smile appear. It was impossible to be annoyed by her.
(Iron Country)
Everyone in the room was in a battle stance as they stood across from the four members of the Shinigami's Blade. Killer intent radiated off of Minato, Kushina, and Konan, but it exploded off of Yakumo who seemed to have the Shinigami himself behind her. Minato quickly took out his tri pronged kunai, chains erupted from Kushina, Yakumo summoned her scythe, A activated his Lightning Armor, dust started to form around Onoki, sand flowed from Gaara's gourd, and Mifune removed his sword from his sheath.
Mifune pointed his sword at Tsuranabi, an act that caused the man to scowl. "Who are you and why are you here?" the samurai asked, demanding an answer. Tsuranabi looked the man up and down before responding. "Put the sword down old man, only one person could have challenged me in combat and unfortunately he has been eliminated" the dark haired swordsman said and immediately summoned his sword to block a slice of Yakumo's scythe. He looked into the girl's eyes and looked past the tears in her eyes. Anger, hatred, and the desire for vengeance shined as she pushed down on her scythe harder. Tsuranabi sighed before barely pushing back sending the girl speeding into Konan's arms.
Tsuranabi redirected his gaze to the rest of the room. "Put your weapons down, all of you know that even together you are no match for me. Besides, I did not come here to fight" he said only causing everyone to increase their guard. Tsuranabi sighed again. "I do not wish for conflict, I wish to end it. Do you not see that the actions of each of you puts your own people at risk every day. If you only submit to me, all conflict, all war, and all bloodshed will end. I will make a perfect world, something that each of you kage have neglected to try. Let me save you and your people" the man said waiting for the answers of the kage.
Mifune tightened his grip on his sword. "You are not welcome her. Now I will ask you one last time to-" the old samurai was stopped by a sudden pain in his chest. Slowly looking down, his eyes widened in horror at the sight of a hand covered in red chakra going out of his chest. Turning his head, he looked into the eyes of Menma who was grinning. "You talk too much old man" the boy said. Before Mifune could take another breath, Narumi appeared in front of the man and a second later, Mifune's head was detached from his body. Narumi looked down with a smile as she held her sword in hand now dripping with the blood of the leader of Iron Country.
The other occupants excluding Tsuranabi and Sashira were wide eyed in shock. Tsuranabi raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Menma, Narumi, Sashira, it is time for us to return. Obviously we will not get favorable answers today" he said as a distortion started to form in the room. As he started to turn around, the black haired swordsman moved his head to the side just in time to avoid a strike from A's fist. Tsuranabi jabbed his elbow backwards hard into the Raikage's ribs making a noticeable breaking sound occur and bringing the blonde to his knees. Now fully turned around, Tsuranabi watched in amusement as the occupants of the room prepared to attack. Before they could however, the black haired man simply chuckled before vanishing into the distortion behind him as did Sashira. When everyone turned around, they were surprised to see that Menma and Narumi were gone as well.
Author's Note: Hey everyone, sorry it took so long again. My job has been ramping up and school has started back up so it's taking up most of my time. I know that this isn't one of my better chapters and I am sorry about that, I just wanted to get a chapter out this month and I plan to be better. Again I am really sorry if I disappointed you at all but I will try extra hard to pump these out better. I would also like to emphasize that I AM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS STORY. I hope that it has been good enough to keep you all reading and invested and I will try to do better.