Arc One: A New Era Begins

Chapter Three

Bahamut had led his clan to the only place in their desolate landscape with a grove of trees and running water. This was a very sacred place to the Dragon Clan for it was the place where all blood rituals were conducted. Once on the Elemental Nations, the Sage of Six Paths had used the power of the Rinnegan to transport it here to their realm. Much like the seals used to hold Alduin in his domain, this too was protected by a similar barrier due to the toxic environment of their realm. The grove was massive, enough for the whole dragon clan to move around comfortably. In the center of this grove was a shallow pond which shimmered with an odd bioluminescence. A pond where at its center held an altar, decorated with draconic carvings and runic language, where one could be laid upon. It was this very altar that Liorenth lay Naruto on before joining the clan which had congregated around the glowing pool.

Silence engulfed the grove for nobody in the clan had wanted to do such a ritual as most had forgotten the proper steps to conduct it. However, there was but one dragon whom studied this ritual for many years so that he could learn from its strengths and weaknesses. To learn why such a ritual eventually led to not one, but two great wars, and how it led to them being put in this realm; how it led to them being forgotten to time.

"Tharos," Bahamut said to his son after a lengthy silence in the grove, "you have my permission to start the bonding."

Said dragon blinked in shock. Yes, he studied the ritual for years, over 30 in fact, but to read about it was one thing. Performing the ritual was a task in of itself. It honestly made the young dragon nervous.

"B-but father…"

"Stay your tongue and listen to my words, son." Bahamut interrupted with a smile on his face. "I have raised and watched you grow into a fine young leader, my wife and your mother's death being a catalyst into your study in the ways of old. You hath studied, now it is time to perform. You hath learned from the mistakes of the past, now it is time to correct them."

Tharos smiled internally at his father's words as it helped ease his mind. With a nod, Tharos closed his eyes and concentrated until his body started to glow. With a great exhale, Tharos's body turned into ash which swirled around his glowing form. Soon, this ash consolidated and began to form a human shape. Within seconds, this ash turned into flesh and blood to reveal his human form.

Taller than the average shinobi, Tharos had tanned skin which was adorned with tribal markings. His feet up to his hips, and hands up to his elbows, were encrusted with blackish-orange dragon scale which resembled armor. Across his bare, tattooed chest, was a leather strap which held the sheath to the sword that lay across his back at a slight angle. His face was that of royalty, not a blemish in sight. His hair a short, spiky grayish color like that of ash. His toes and fingers shaped like dragon talons, just as sharp as before but with the dexterity like that of a human. His eyes, now open, were that of glowing lava, but they soon dimmed to that of a smoldering ember. All in all, a truly fearsome sight to behold.

Tharos let out a deep breath and began stretching for this form was rarely used in their realm. Bones and tendons popped like firecrackers while the light in the pond had risen and swirled around the young dragon as he began his trek towards a comatose Naruto. The whole clan watched in silence, in awe of what was about to take place. Everyone but one dragon that is whom used this moment to leave partly unnoticed. Partly, for nothing escaped the King's senses.

"Many tries, many failures, many lives, turned traitor. Killing favors, starts a war, killing saviors, our world no more. Sealed away, time has passed, became archaic, forgotten at last." Bahamut internally cried as he recalled the Enlightened One's final words to him. "How low you've fallen…my brother."

Tharos had reached Naruto, the light that had collected was now attracted into the altar which made it glow a light bluish green. The runes, once dull and plain, were now pulsing with intense light which sent small ripples across the pond. It was here, that the young dragon began chanting in the full draconic language. The blood ritual had begun.

Death, life, begin anew. Human to dragon through and through. Thine blood is weak, no longer pure.

A soothing aura had blanketed the grove which made many of the dragons want to fall asleep. However, their interest of the events taking place had kept them from doing so. It was at this point that Tharos quickly took out his sword and made a gash across his unprotected stomach. The sword was back in its sheath as blood started to trickle from the wound, drops of which landed in the pond which turned the glow an angry purple.

I offer my blood, dear Gods above. To this human we have grown to love. My blood I give to them, so that their transcendence can begin.

The glow, now turned mist, began to swirl around Naruto which lifted his body a couple inches above the altar. The wind picked up which swayed the mighty, ancient trees in the grove. As Tharos knelt to pray, his self-inflicted wound now healed, the mist around Naruto had picked up in speed.

Guide him, oh great one, for whence the transfusion begins. For the pain will be immense; unforgiving.

The mist was now a whirlwind, the glow in and around the pond almost too much to bear. Just when everyone thought they would have to cover their eyes lest they go blind, the howling winds stopped and the glow suddenly vanished. Both had followed the mist which began to rush into Naruto's eyes and mouth, the latter of which was open in a silent scream of intense agony.

Bones broke, only to be replaced by ones as strong as steel. Tendons and muscles ripped and popped as Naruto's body stretched and morphed to accommodate his new body. Finger and toenails began to bleed as they sharpened into that resembling dragon claws. It was here, that Naruto's skin was set alight by strange blue flames which dulled and created invisible dragon scales along his now naked form. Wounds inflicted by Alduin were now healed, even the partly gouged out eye, but scars had remained. The final transformation was underway as scales, like that Tharos wore in his human form, had encrusted themselves onto Naruto's skin. The Uzumaki's eyeballs were the next to transform. They were now a mix of sapphire blue and glowing embers, the black pupil within was like those of all the dragons; cat-like. The last to change was Naruto's hair which now sported ashen-gray streaks in his spiky blonde hair.

The glow around the pond had dulled, and any remaining mist was now lowering Naruto gently onto the altar. Once the Uzumaki's body connected, the mist had vanished at the same time a massive pulse of power was felt by the entire dragon clan, Alduin and the escapee included. The ritual had ended, the altar and pond had returned to normal, but Naruto had no pulse. Tharos began to wonder where he went wrong while the rest of the clan held their breath in the hopes their new summoner, their savoir, would awaken. Just when Tharos was ready to apologize to his father for failing him and the clan, Naruto let out a bestial roar to the heavens before falling silent with shallow breathing. The entire clan let out an internal sigh of relief while the final words of the ritual were said.

My blood now runneth through his veins, weakness no more. A new being will now arise, for the dragons long for a savior once more.

Back in limbo, Kami and the others had finished explaining what Naruto had to do to ensure a semblance of peace in the Elemental Nations. Everyone knew, even the Sage himself, that true peace was unobtainable. The Elemental Nations was more war than peace, but there were those that longed for the latter. It was this ideology which clashed with the war hawks, a clash which bred a never-ending cycle of hate. Perhaps in the future, a far distant one, true peace could reign, but for now the cycle would continue. Naruto, even though he was smarter than the average six-year-old, still gazed off into the distance every now and again for the speech had bored him. Although irritated by this, Kami couldn't fault Naruto. A task such as this was a heavy one, a burden that no child should bear. A burden that Naruto wouldn't have been put with had certain people stayed away from the child to begin with. It was here, amongst getting to know his parents better, that Naruto's form started to fade.

"You are waking up, a new life bestowed upon you young Naruto." Kami said with a smile, but it quickly turned into a frown. "Alas, the time with your parents has come to a close."

Naruto looked mortified. He was finally shown the love and affection that all parents give their child, but now it was about to be stripped away. His happiness, his will to live…gone. Naruto was about to fall on his knees to beg for the deity to reconsider, but he suddenly stood ramrod straight for a moment; his eyes glossed over. It only lasted a couple seconds, but once done the changes in the dragon realm had applied itself up in limbo. Before anyone could marvel the sight of Naruto's now hybrid form, the boy himself had marched right up to Kami and looked her dead in the eyes. Glowing, angry embers stared at a calm, yet powerful maelstrom.

Neither blinking.

Neither moving.

A dragon's growl built up in Naruto's throat that all could hear; a territorial call that one shouldn't ignore. Kami, however, was not like those back on the Elemental Nations.

"I've lived eons, boy." Kami started snidely, the smirk on her face matched her tone perfectly. "More lifetimes then you'll ever live. Saw more death, more destruction, then you will ever create or see." Kami moved closer which made Naruto growl even louder, his throat now glowing with fire. "To me, you are just an ant that I could easily squash."

Naruto had enough and roared which sent the massive swath of white flame out of his mouth. It only lasted a couple seconds, but once everything had cleared, Naruto's mind returned to some normalcy. Kami's fit of laughter was the only thing that returned it fully.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Kami had a megawatt grin on her face, not an injury in sight. "Quite the temper, but that's to be expected from a dragon hatchling."

It was here Naruto looked at his hands and his body which made him step back in shock.

"W-what the…?!" Naruto stuttered as he began to examine the scales on his arms, finding them to be very coarse yet smooth.

"Hmm, quite the sight eh Kurama." Hagoromo said as he looked to see her nod in agreement then back to Naruto whom was chatting with Kami. "One I haven't seen in ages, since the time my mother was around. The Second War of Old and the beginning of the Elemental Nations as we know it today."

"Father?" Kurama gave a confused look to the Sage of Six Paths as he rarely reminisced of his past.

Hagoromo sighed as he turned and laid his hands on Kurama's shoulders, "I won't be around this time to help save the world you cherished after the Juubi was split by my power." The Sage's tired eyes were now locked with Kurama's brighter ones. "It's been ages since a dragon hybrid was made, the last time helped breed war yet end them all the same. Change is coming to the Elemental Nations …much needed change. Use my gift I gave upon my passing. Guide this young savior to the end of days, the end of time. For great hardship lay ahead, and you the only root to keep him grounded."

"But father, I don't understand!" Kurama interrupted, her eyes alight with nervousness and confusion.

"Hush now, my young kit, and be steady." Hagoromo let out a smile as he backed away from her, "In time, you will understand my words. In time, the gift I bestowed will show you the right path to follow." A slight pause had followed as Naruto yelled out in happiness for some reason. It made the Sage's smile even brighter. "I bid you adieu, my daughter. Treat him well."

Kurama watched her father fade away with tears in her eyes, her form switching to one that matched Naruto's age. To her, it just felt right for this was the beginning of a new life. One where she would make better decisions and not let anyone control her ever again.

"It's time." Kami's voice broke Kurama out of her self-reflection to see a smiling Naruto with his parents beside him.

A nod is all the nine-tailed fox gave before she, Naruto, Kushina, and Minato had vanished from limbo and sent to the dragon realm. For the two deities, they knew that Naruto's rebirth was the beginning of a very long, very bloody future for the Elemental Nations. One that neither wanted, but one that was necessary all the same. For the old would need stripped away before any new seeds were planted.

Back in Konoha, the man who orchestrated everything from the fall of the Uzumaki clan to Hiruzen's death was royally pissed. And that was putting it lightly. He was assured that the summons wouldn't interfere, but they went against their higher-ups; defied the order in which the summon world was built. Tsunade and Jiraiya arriving was a major thorn, for he was to eliminate any threads of loyalty to the Third and Fourth Hokages' before furthering his agenda. And to make it worse, Hiruzen's body and the rest of the Sarutobi clan was taken to Kami knows where. The man knew that if word leaked out, the Fire Daimyo would come down on his ass hard. Hard being liquidating Konoha before rebuilding it from the ground up.

The Daimyo was an old fool, one that had been coronated shortly after Hashirama had passed. He had the same ideals Hiruzen and the Shodai had and didn't stop training even though he was well into his late 80s. Strong, able-bodied, and mentally strong…all of which the man didn't like one bit.

"Get Fugaku." The man ordered to one of his soldiers, "He and I need to have a chat."

The soldier simply bowed and left in a sunshin which made the man crack a small smile. Everything went well on his end so far, so this was no different. However, an inkling of doubt entered his mind. Knowing to trust his instincts, the man stood up from the seat at his desk and walked over to the nearby bookshelf where an ancient looking crystal ball was resting on the middle shelf. One touch was all it took for the clear ball to turn cloudy before revealing an angry looking eye…a dragon eye.

"Instincts again?" The dragon said with a raspy laugh at the end. "I know what you seek, alas I gave all I could give. The King is watching me now, waiting for my next move."

"And I thank you for such a gift, but isn't there something you can do?"

Silence ensued as the dragon thought and looked around the area he was in. Sensing no danger in what he was about to do, the dragon's eye in the ball glowed for a moment before returning to normal.

"A boost to your plans…may it serve you well."

As the ball returned to normal, the man could only smile at how things were turning out. A knock on his door stretched that smile even further. Yes, everything would turn out alright.

As Jiraiya and the others arrived in Mount Myoboku, all became surprised to see most of the head summons there to greet them. In the front was Enma from the monkeys, Katsuyu from the slugs, and Gamabunta from the toads. Behind them were summons that they didn't even know existed up until now. Bears, panthers, spiders, among other creatures which inhabited the Elemental Nations. All the head summons was there, but why? Before any questions could be answered, Enma walked over and looked sadly at Hiruzen's body. Saying a silent prayer, the Monkey King picked his long and most loyal summoner up from the grass where he lay, gave a nod to Asuma whom nodded back, and disappeared back to his realm. Asuma knew that burying his father there would be for the best, for he knew that the Sarutobi name would always be associated with the monkeys.

"Gamabunta, why the gathering?" Jiraiya asked as he looked at all the summons, "Has something happened in the summon realm?"

"Hai, and one Gamamaru, our Great Sage, hasn't seen since the formation of the summons realm." The Toad Boss replied, his voice turning grave. "A rift between our realm and yours has opened, had been opened for a while now, but Gamamaru only saw it after young Naruto's passing."

"A rift meaning no contract required between us, right?" Asuma asked which only got him a nod in return from the Boss Toad.

"Hai, we know not of the person who found this rift, but our Great Sage has foreseen where this rift could possibly be located. A realm far older then us, one that had been locked and forgotten to time thanks to the Sage of Six Paths."

"That man was real?" Tsunade questioned with a raised eyebrow, "Thought that guy was a myth."

"Sensei always said that rumors were based in truth, and that the impossible could be possible when it came to chakra." Jiraiya added with a smile coming to his face along with Tsunade's and Asuma's as they remembered that lesson well.

"The man is no myth." The Panther boss decided to speak up. The summon was about half the size of Gamabunta, the voice oddly soothing for a feral beast. "For he was the one to start the summon realms with the Forgotten Ones carrying on that knowledge to expand it to the one we all known today."

Asuma was about to ask who these Forgotten Ones were when he felt Konohamaru tug on his pant leg. Looking down, he saw the young Sarutobi about to fall asleep. Katsuyu had seen this and urged Enma back whom took the two Sarutobi members to his realm. Jiraiya and Tsunade would inform Asuma later about what they learned. Another interruption was had by the ANBU who were all starting to wake up. Not wanting to take a chance at them seeing this, Tsunade knocked them out again.

"Traitors to the cause, Tsunade-sama?" Katsuyu asked.

"Unknown, as Hiruzen told us not to trust anyone, even his own ANBU." Tsunade let out a sigh as tiredness started getting to her. "Perhaps we can discuss who these Forgotten Ones were another time."

The summon bosses looked at each other and nodded in agreement. It was a trying day for all of them, and rest would come few and far between over the next many years. Gamamaru had foresaw this, and the outcomes he had come up with worried Gamabunta and the other summon head's greatly. One outcome, which Gamabunta had just been told before Tsunade and the others arrived was that Naruto was still alive, yet changed. Whether this change was good or bad, the Sage didn't know which is why Gamabunta stayed silent on the whole thing. Losing Hiruzen was hard enough on their hearts, but losing Naruto was another nail in the coffin. Both Sennin had tried to hide this, but their eyes told all.

"Two days, no later, for a situation such as this is dire." Gamabunta ordered which the other summons had no choice but to agree.

Once the summons had returned to their realm, the Toad Boss motioned for them to follow. For now, this would become their home until they were needed in the Elemental Nations. A place where Tsunade and Jiraiya would finish their Sage training and use it to help Konoha become bright once again. The two Sennin looked at each other with a smile as they walked, their hands slowly intertwining. Naruto may be gone, but they still had each other. They would get through the hardships together, consequences be damned. For when they died, they knew they would be met with the smiling faces of all those they had lost over the years.

Back in the Dragon realm, Naruto sat up from the altar with a groan; his right-hand resting on his throbbing head. As the pain subsided, Naruto's eyes opened to see that he was in a lush grove of trees with many dragons around him. At first, fear grew in his heart for he remembered the experience with Alduin all too well, but it quickly subsided as he felt a kinship with them for some odd reason. One more than most, and that dragon was standing beside him just as Minato, Kushina, and Kurama arrived in the realm.

"Kurama, is that you?" Bahamut said as he recognized the fox, but not in such a young form.

"Been many years, but hai, it is I." Kurama replied with a smile on her face.

"You de-aged…a lot older you were last you came here."

"I was given the chance at a new life, so I figured a redo would do my mind some good."

Bahamut could see the pain in Kurama's eyes, and one look over at Naruto whom was bonding with Tharos made everything come together. The two ancient beings locked eyes and nodded to each other as they knew much had to be discussed. For now, however, it would wait. Today was a joyous occasion, for the blood ritual was a success and the first Blessed One in what seemed like forever was created. Any training the hatchling needed could wait, for celebrations were to be had. With a giant roar, Bahamut glowed brightly before undergoing the same transformation Tharos did; the rest of the dragon clan following suit. Bahamut's human form was like that of his son's, but he was much taller, had more tattoos on his skin, and looked far more regal in appearance. Instead of black scales which encrusted part of his body, they were a royal reddish-orange color. And like his son, a sword was strapped to his back at an angle.

"To new life, this hatchling brings to our sacred clan!" Bahamut began jubilantly, "A rebirth worthy of celebration! May we welcome this hatchling and his guests with open arms, for they all will help us return to the land which we once inhabited. A new day is upon us! Let us rejoice for the hounds of hell will soon be at our doorstep, and this hatchling before us our guiding light!"

As cheers went out around the grove, Naruto couldn't help but smile; even more so when his parents and Kurama gave him a hug. To Naruto, this was what he always dreamed of having. A family, a large one at that. All supportive, ever faithful. Worry grew in his heart, however, for Naruto remembered most of what Kami told him. Looking at his clawed hands for a moment made him wonder how many would die by his hands alone. He heard horror stories from the Sandaime and Megumi about the Shinobi Wars, gory details left out of course, but it was enough for Naruto to hate the thought of war. Tharos pushed Naruto's clawed hands down to his sides which made the boy look at the dragon's eyes.

"Your fear is not unfounded, young Naruto." Tharos calmly stated, a small smile on his face. "Yes, much bloodshed will occur in the future, but for now let us enjoy the festivities; the simpler things in life."

It took a moment, but Naruto let out a sigh and nodded. With help from his parents, Naruto was taken off the altar before they all proceeded to join the rest of the clan. The smile was back on Naruto's face. Yes, he would enjoy today. A day with the family that he always wanted.

AN: I feel iffy about this chapter, but it was necessary in my mind before some more action could take place. I apologize for the long wait on these chapters, and not following the tri-monthly updates, but I am currently applying to a federal job. It's a long process which has taken up a lot of my time lately. I hope to get the next chapter out soon, but life might throw another curveball at me. I thank you for your patience, Random out.