Here's the rewrite of Imaginary Assassin. The other one, I didn't really like that much. It wasn't because of the story or anything. It was just the way I wrote it. If this doesn't do well, then I'll take it down and go back to Ghost of Existence.

So, here's the summary from the original story.

Summary: At the Nine-Tailed Fox's sealing, the Yondaime Hokage's life was not taken. Instead, it was Naruto Uzumaki's. He is taken by the Shinigami to be trained as one of his soldiers, beings who transcend Life and Death. It is there he gains the name, Arimoshinai no Kyoushu, the Imaginary Assassin.

Disclaimer: I technically own this fic, since I created it. I don't own anything else here though, such as places and characters.

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Prologue: This All Seems Familiar, But It's Not

It ran on. The fox was at least 100 feet tall, and with nine tails, it was a sight to behold. It's eyes were a red, with veins running around it. The fox lifted one of its tails and brought it down. It crashed into the ground and brought with it an earthquake that shook the ground beneath the shinobi's feet.

The fox had attacked not one hour ago. Already it had destroyed half of the forest surrounding Konoha and was attacking the outer walls.

The force of the fox's tail impacting the ground caused the wall to crumble. With a single leap, it was inside Kohnoha.

They had immediately assembled all their military forces and nothing could stop the great beast. The samurai the Damiyo had sent were nothing against the beast. They could do nothing with their swords to hinder the beast. Those that tried to slash at the fox's legs were blown away in a hellish red glow when their swords touched the beast.

The shinobi were not doing much better. The Aburame clan had sent all their available kikaichu against the beast, but they had all been burnt to a crisp. The Yamanaka had no luck either. The beast's mind was too old and complex for them to manipulate. They, like the Aburame clan, had started attacking with jutsu's. The Uchiha and Hyuga clans dojutsu's were no use against the beast's might, and everything they tried could not stop the beast. The Nara and Akimichi were having better luck than the rest of the clan's. With the combined forces of the Nara clan, they were able to use their clan jutsu to slow the beast down. They wouldn't hold on for much longer though. The Akimichi were enlarging themselves to half the Demon's height, and using all their strength to attack, and their efforts were showing. The fox was held back long enough for the Yondaime Hokage to show.

Eventually, he did, along with his wife, Uzumaki Kushina. Her breathing was labored, a testament to the swell on her stomach.

"Are you sure?" He asked her, as she gave a sharp intake in breath. He ran over to her, supporting her underneath his arm. He looked at her, and she flashed him a smile to show she was alright.

"Of course I am, baka." She lifted her arm, and gently hit him over the head in a playful manner. "It's just a baby."

The Yondaime smiled down at her. His wife really was a little childish sometimes, even when the time wasn't right.

The hairs on the back of his neck tingled, as he picked up his wife and carried her to the side, as a massive tail came crashing down at the spot where they had just been.

"Are you alright?" He asked her again worriedly. She reached up with her hand again, bringing it down on her husband's head with force.

"I've already said I was fine. You don't have to ask again." Then she turned her face to the Kyuubi, who was angrily thrashing about, his tails whipping every which way and slaughtering bundles of ninja who could not get away in time. "Let's hurry. Our shinobi are dying, and I need to examine the Kyuubi's chakra to make the seal."

The Yondaime nodded, putting her down and running along beside her towards the Kyuubi.

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"Kushina…" He murmured softly, touching her hair. She was in bad shape.

The Kyuubi had gotten her with an out lash of chakra, as she had gotten too close and examined the Kyuubi's chakra with her Ryuushigan (Particle Eye). To make matters worse, she had immediately gone into labor, and the Yondaime had to rush her off the battlefield and into one of the medic tents near the battle.

She screamed, and the boy came out (that was weird…). The nurses held him up, wrapping him in a towel to get the blood off. She handed the boy to the Yondaime, before heading out the tent flap to leave the two alone.

The Yondaime stared down at the boy, pride filling him. He had red blonde hair, a mixture of both his father's hair and his mother's hair. Even though he had just been born, he already had some hair. He was looking at the world with calm, blue eyes. Normally, a baby would have been crying right then, but the boy was just staring at everything, taking in everything.

"He's beautiful," He muttered softly, reaching down and patting his son like a small, newborn puppy.

Kushina laughed, then winced in pain. "Don't treat our son like a dog." She laughed again, and then leaned over the side of her bed and coughed up blood. The Yondaime rushed over to her, supporting his son with one arm and his wife with the other.

When Kushina was finished, she smiled at the Yondaime, then at her son. "You're right though. He is beautiful. It's sad that I won't live to see him grow up, and become a fine man like his father."

The Yondaime's eyes widened at her words, and was just about to scream at her to not give up when she cut him off with a swift chop to the head.

"Baka. You're the leader of this village, so act like it." She then sighed deeply, "We both know that I won't live from the Kyuubi's taint, and it's only a matter of time before it kills me."

Through this exchange, the baby looked at his parents, examining what was happening yet not knowing what was happening.

"Hand me the brush, and some ink." She ordered him. When he did not respond, she said softly, "I know that I'm going to die, anata, but please let me die knowing I'm helping this village."

The Yondaime stayed still for a little while longer, and then grudgingly walked over to a medical counter, taking a brush and an inkwell. He brought it over to Kushina, and held them up to her.

"Arigato," She said, and coughed, some blood spilling from the corners of her mouth. She took one look at her son, her bloodline activating.

The Yondaime watched, as his wife effortlessly created a seal, designed to contain one demonic chakra. It was her specialty, the creation of seals. He had asked her to create one seal, designed to hold demonic chakra. He had created a plan, knowing the Kyuubi was right at their gates. When he had outlined the plan to his wife, she had strongly opposed it, knowing that her son would have a hard life, and probably be ostracized by the whole village. In the end however, she relented. They knew none of them could stand against the fox. Even with the combined might of their village, they would fall. This was the only way. If she knew the part about the Shinigami, then she would never have agreed.

"Here," She said to him, handing the bundle containing their son over. She stared at the boy one last time, before looking at her husband. She smiled, and he returned it with a small smile of his own. Then he turned on his heel and left, an unspoken good-bye passing between them.

When he left the tent, he bit his bottom lip to hold back the tears, and he looked down at his son.

"Gomen, Naruto-kun." He told the young boy. They had chosen the name Naruto as soon as they had found out Kushina was pregnant. It was their favorite part of the ramen, after all. "I'll be leaving you alone today." He spoke to the boy, while summoning up Gamabunta, the Toad Boss. "You're mom is going to die, and your father is going to die." He chuckled a bit, tears falling steadily down his face. He sniffed, and said, "I sound so much like the Uchiha right now." He frowned, this revelation hitting him hard.

With a single leap, the Toad Boss was right in front of the Kyuubi, whose tails were flowing behind him majestically.

"Mortal," The fox growled, "How dare you stand before me with such defiance?"

The Yondaime gripped his son tighter, as he stared at the fox from across the field. The Toad Boss jumped high into the air, as the tail came slamming down into the ground, a shockwave of chakra spreading out beneath them. A tail shot out from behind the Kyuubi, and the Yondaime heard the toad below him grunt in pain.

"Gomen, Minato-kun." He said, "I can't stay here for any longer."

The Yondaime nodded, and the toad whispered words of good luck to him, before poofing away in a puff of smoke. The Yondaime fell, twisting his body around to avoid an incoming tail from the Kyuubi. He heard the beast growl below him, as he landed with a heavy thump on its head.

"Damn mortal!" cried the fox, shaking his head to try and get the Yondaime off. He nearly succeeded, as the Yondaime realized that his chakra and the Kyuubi's were mixing together and causing the Yondaime's chakra control to slip. He was able to save himself in time, as he reached a hand down and grabbed the Kyuubi's fur tightly. In his other arm, he held the bundle which contained his son, who was still looking at everything curiously. The Kyuubi stopped, as the Yondaime slammed one of his special kunai into the body of the Kyuubi.

His chakra mixed with his, flooding the fox's body with a human's chakra. It froze him for a few seconds, the contact and sudden intrusion of the chakra mixing with his. It was enough, as the Yondaime laid his son on the back of the Kyuubi and did handseals at a blindingly fast rate.

When he was finished, the Shinigami stood behind him.

He turned to face him, controlling the shivers that were bound to appear when meeting the God of Death.

"S-S-S-Sh-hini-gami-sama," He could not help but stutter, facing the giant that was the Shinigami. He towered over him, nearly twenty feet in height. He hovered in the air, his gray skin dull against his skin. His arms were crossed over his chest, staring down at the human who had summoned him from the Immortal Realms.

"Mortal." He said to the blonde haired man, addressing him as what he was. "You have called me in the Mortal Realms, taken me forcibly from the Immortal Realms. What is it you so desperately seek, that you felt compelled to call me?"

The Yondaime bowed deeply to him, almost forgetting to breathe and took a sharp intake of breath to fill his lungs. "Shinigami-sama. I offer you my soul to seal this beast within my son."

The Shinigami looked down at the blonde haired man, as he bent over and picked up a bundle. "You offer your soul to seal this beast when you could have offered your soul to have him destroyed instead?" He asked amused, as the man stopped.

"You can do that?" He asked wildly, his eyes widening in shock, then into fear as the Shinigami turned his gaze on him, looking down at him angrily.

"OF COURSE NOT, YOU INCOMPETANT MORTAL!" He thundered. "THAT BEAST IS AS IMMORTAL AS I! HE CANNOT DIE!"

The Yondaime held the child up to the Shinigami, quickly saying, "Then seal him into my son and take my soul!"

The Shinigami examined the boy held up below him. Blood was still on him, marking him as a newborn. His eyes were staring up at the Shinigami, looking at him with an emotion different from fear. To him, it was pretty frightening to see a newborn looking at him with a clear and crisp calm, not with the usual fear that came with meeting the God of Death.

A plan formulated in his mind, as he stared at the young boy.

"Very well," He said slowly, "I will seal the beast for the price of your soul."

The Yondaime held up his son, and the God of Death reached out towards the Kyuubi, who was still frozen from the chakra mix. He grasped his soul, and pulled it out, sticking it into the boy who the Yondaime held out.

The Yondaime sighed in relief, as he saw the Shinigami place the soul of the Kyuubi into his son. He then opened his mouth in shock as the Shinigami grabbed hold of the bundle in his outstretched hands and pulled him from the Yondaime's grasp.

"What are you doing?!" He shouted at the Shinigami, who was examining the boy in his arms. "You were supposed to take my soul, not my son!"

The Shinigami shook his head. "Yes, I was." He told him simply, as the body of the Kyuubi stared crumbling due to the absence of a soul. "But I didn't seal the Kyuubi into you. Besides," He scratched the head of the boy with one finger, "His soul is probably worth more than yours."

The Shinigami started disappearing, starting from his feet up.

"Wait!" The Hokage shouted, holding a hand out as he sunk, the Kyuubi's body falling away under his feet. "Don't take him!"

The Shinigami completely disappeared and he was forced to jump, as the Kyuubi completely disappeared, nothing left of the fox's corpse left.

Everyone slowly walked back into Konoha. They walked through the streets, battle weary and a little bit in awe at what they had seen. Only a few people were left, helping to tend to the injured.

The Yondaime was leaned against a tree in shock and exhaustion. He had used most of his chakra to summon the Shinigami, and his only son.

'It might take years for Konoha to recover.' He thought mentally said. Over and over in his mind replayed the same image of the Shinigami taking away his son.

Tsunade came walked up to the Yondaime, a crestfallen look on her face.

"Minato…" She said softly to him, not knowing how to break it. The Yondaime nodded, a small sob racking his body. He had lost them both, in order to save his village.

Kakashi, the Third Hokage, and Jiraiya walked up to tree the Yondaime leaned against.

They stood there in silence for a few moments none of them knowing what to say. The current Hokage's shoulders were slumped, his breath a little ragged. It was Jiraiya who broke the silence first, "You did good, gaki."

"Jiraiya's right, Minato-kun." Tsunade said to him, trying to make him feel better.

The Yondaime slowly whispered, "I didn't do good. The Shinigami was supposed to take me, not Naruto."

"Maybe it was for the best." the Third Hokage slowly said, as if thinking it out while saying it.

"What do you mean it was for the best, Sandaime-sama?!" yelled out Kakashi, half in shock and the other in puzzlement.

"If you think about it, it does." said the Yondaime, speaking for the first time since the Shinigami had sealed the Demon Fox. Revelation struck his face, along with the wariness of a man who had lost many things.

"What do you mean?" Shouted Kakashi. His gaze turned and rested on the form of his sensei. The weariness was still there, but there was also a determination present there.

"He means," Jiraiya started, "That with the gaki's help, we'll be able to rebuild Konoha, and make it better than ever before."

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It was a week after the Kyuubi attack, and the village was just starting to pull itself back together. It was a rainy day, but the people still stood under the overcast skies to hear him speak.

"Citizens of Konoha," He began, not raising his voice more than he had to. The crowd below him held an air of depression and hopelessness over them, which had been prevalent ever since the Kyuubi had attacked. "It has been a week since the Kyuubi's attack. Many of us have lost friends," Kakashi looked down, remembering Rin, "Others have lost comrades. There are parents, who have lost sons and daughters." An image of Naruto sprang into his mind, but he buried it, knowing that it wouldn't do good to have it affect him now. He would have time to cry later. "There are sons and daughters who will grow up, never knowing their parents. Then there are the ones who have lost husbands and wives to the Kyuubi." He shed a tear for the death of Kushina, but continued on. "It is our duty as the survivors to let those lost live on in our hearts and in our memories."

He paused for a moment, allowing some to offer up prayers to the Heavens.

"We will never forget the past, but now we must go towards the future. We will help each other, and through this, we will become stronger." A cheer rang through the crowds, hope filling them once more at his words. "Never shall we forget, this moment and this day. Today, we will strive to make Konoha, and the entire Fire Country better than it ever was before!"

The crowds below him shouted their praise, and support for the future. He looked to the rising sun, as the skies cleared.

'This is for you, Kushina, Naruto.' He said in his mind, 'I'll make this a place you would have loved to live in.'

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"Shinigami-san." Kami chastised the God of Death, who was standing in front of him with a bundle in his arms. "Why do you have a mortal in the Immortal Realms?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The Shinigami retorted. "I've chosen this boy."

"Preposterous!" Shouted Kami. "He is a newborn! We have never taken a newborn before as a Chosen!"

"Then, it's good you're not taking him," He sneered. "I will train this boy, and I will make him the best of the best!" He declared.

Kami just shook his head, walking away.

The Shinigami watched his retreating back, then stared down at the boy in his arms.

Three whisker marks adorned each side of his cheeks. Red lined outlined his pupil, surrounding his pool of azure colored eyes. The iris was slitted, much like a fox's. All these were probably from the fox's influence, but they didn't seem to affect the boy mentally, as he was still staring at the world calmly and curiously.

"You will become the best of the best." He whispered to him. "You will be able to challenge the gods themselves one day."

He turned the boy around in the bundle, so his back was facing him. "But for now, you are mine."

He held his hand flat against the boy's back, as he burned his insignia into the boy's back. When he lifted his hand away, there was a sword running down the back of the spine, the hilt pointed up at the boy's neck. Chains were wrapped around the blade, coming over his shoulders and stopping. On the blade of the sword, there were several kanji.

They read, "Death after Life and Death is Eternal." It was the law of the Shinigami, and the law that his Chosen would follow. Just as it was his duty to make sure this law was followed, it would become his Chosen's duty to find the ones who broke the law and exact their punishment. There were many in the world like this, the ones who sought immortality or bringing the dead back to life. He would be very busy for the next years of his life, and it would be the Shinigami's duty to train him, or make sure he received the proper training.

The Shinigami turned the boy over, and looked at him.

Within those calm, red-lined blue eyes, the Arimoshinai no Kyoushu was born.

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There's the rewrite for you. Hope you'll like it. Also, I know that there are some parts in here that were from Imaginary Assassin. From here on out, it should be original.

The next chapter should be up later on today. I'm going to try and make it at least 9k words, but right now, it's only at 3k. Depending on certain circumstances, it might also be up tomorrow.

Tell me if you see anything wrong,

Dokugin

Words: 3,365

Page Count: 7

Time: 3 hours