Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, The Evil Dead Series (Evil Dead; Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn; Army Of Darkness), or Bleach.

In the Dark of the Night

Chapter 1

Standing to Defend You

Naruto aimlessly wandered the streets of Konoha late one night, just two days after Christmas. Normally, such an event was no big deal. After all, the caretakers at the orphanage were very understanding about his need for space on nights like this. However, tonight was the night of a great tragedy. The orphanage had been all but wiped out. Of the 156 children and the 7 caretakers, only 25 children and 1 caretaker remained.

--flashback--

The huge playroom was full of laughing children, all 156 of them. All the caretakers were sitting or leaning against a wall, smiling at the scene before them.

Nami, the newest if the caretakers, got up to get some coffee for herself and the others. It would be the last time they saw her alive.

When she opened the door, an explosion blew the rice paper screen off its rails. She was killed by a piece of the frame that lodged itself in her skull. Then all hell broke loose. Six men burst through what was left if the door and started killing children left and right, all the while looking for one in particular.

As soon as they got over their shock, the last 6 of the caretakers started fighting to protect the children, but to no avail. One by one, the few chosen to guard the youths fell, until only one remained. Leaving their partner in crime to fight, the other five returned to the slaughter.

Naruto stood in the middle of the room, too stunned to do anything as the other children stampeded past him in their panic. He watched in horror as the caretakers that had raised him fell to the men that killed his friends for no reason. However, when the last of the guardians tripped, the blond started moving to protect her. Just as the man raised his sword to deal the final blow, Naruto clubbed him over the head. Picking up the weapon the killer dropped, Naruto whirled to face the rest of the attackers.

"Nee-Chan," he breathed when he saw that one of them had taken Akane, the only one he saw as family, hostage.

Seeing he had the Jinchuuriki's undivided attention, the man slit the girls throat, thinking it would put the "demon-brat" into a state of shock.

No sooner than her body hit the ground, the man lost his head as Naruto charged past him. Only one thought entered the mind of the three-year-old boy as he turned to face the remaining five, 'I must protect them. I don't want to lose anyone else!'

Two of the men fell to the ground screaming as the child tore past them as their legs were cut off. Another two lost their arms. The last one got in a lucky shot as he lost his arm. He took Naruto's left hand in exchange.

--end flashback--

Naruto's grief stricken howl had caught the attention of a passing ANBU patrol. The sight that awaited them at the orphanage was one they never wanted to see again.

Once his stump had been bandaged, Naruto left. Somehow, he knew they were after him, and he would rather die than let something like that happen ever again. Come Hell or high water, he would protect all within the village walls. Starting with the girl that man was trying to escape with.

"Are you sure you are willing to do anything to protect this village, even after what happened back there?" asked a mysterious voice.

The response, although barely above a whisper, was absolute, "Hai, even if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself to do so."

A chuckle came from the voice, "Nothing quite that drastic will be necessary, Child. For now, take this, we shall... discuss the cost at a later time."

In a brief flash of gray, a chainsaw appeared on the stump that was once his left hand. Smirking at the sight of his new"toy," Naruto noiselessly ran at his target.

The kidnapper never knew what hit him as his leg was literally torn in two by the hellish chakra-powered weapon. Dropping the girl unceremoniously, and in the process, breaking the genjutsu keeping her asleep, the masked ninja twisted to face the threat, only to find a child with a never before seen weapon. Thinking this would be quick, the man lunged at the boy, sword ready to slice through the blond. The pale-eyed girl, bound and gagged, watched in terror as her savior blocked the weapon with his own. With a feral grin, Naruto charged the chainsaw with all the chakra he could spare. The kidnapper's blade flew out of his hands and was buried halfway to the hilt in a nearby wall. With the sudden loss of the weapon he had been putting all his weight behind, he lurched forward far enough to lose an arm to the instrument of death.

At that point, the same ANBU, attracted by the thunderous roar of Naruto's weapon, arrived on the scene to find out what was going on. Seeing Naruto, a masked man, and a tied-up girl, the shinobi in the ceramic masks arrived at the correct conclusion and took care of the situation. One took the criminal to "visit" Ibiki. The remaining three took the children to the Hyuuga Compound, knowing full well that Hiashi and Hizashi would both be in a, for lack of a better word, demonic rage.

To Be Continued...

I know it's been a while, but hey, it's something, right?