ITALICS – thinking

BOLD – demon talk/jutsu

Disclaimer: Although I wished I owned Naruto, I sadly do not.

Arc One: A Warrior's Path

Chapter Five


"So…what shall it be my furry friend? Will you help me take over, or will you prove that your hateful shell has been cracked?"

Kyuubi growled at Yami as his mind tried to process what to do. Luckily, it was here that Naruto appeared, but the state he was in as he approached Kyuubi's cage made the fox worried while Yami couldn't be more elated. The Uzumaki had dead looking eyes, pale skin, and a permanent frown etched on his face, one that seemed to have aged many years, and his once spikey blonde hair was now disheveled; an aura of a lost soul hung about him.

Empty and unfeeling.

"Dear Kami…"Kyuubi thought with an internal gasp.

"Yes…this is perfect. All I have to do is push the right buttons and he will snap. Once I take over, I free the Kyuubi and Konoha will finally see the consequences of their actions." Yami thought with an evil smirk.

Naruto, oblivious to the two beings thought, simply stopped in front of Kyuubi's cage and sat down in the seiza position not saying a word. Instead, Naruto decided to look at his reflection in the murky water. For Yami and Kyuubi, all they saw was a twitch of a cheek muscle, and a lone tear that ran down his cheek and fell into the water below.

With a plop, it echoed off the walls of the mindscape.

"Naruto…c'mon, speak to me." Kyuubi worriedly said.

"Don't pay attention to Kyuubi Naruto, the beast is only trying to misguide you." Yami retorted, doing his best to corrupt Naruto's broken mind. "Don't you see now? Don't you see the power you must possess to kill those who have wronged you?"

No response.

Naruto continued to stare at his reflection with a soulless expression.

Kyuubi let out a sad whimper and lowered its head so that it could look into Naruto's cold blue eyes. This time, Naruto raised his head to look into the massive red orbs in front of him.

"I killed, Kyuubi." Naruto looked at his hands thinking they had blood on them, his voice hoarse and without emotion. "How can I live with myself now that I have done so? A samurai is supposed to moral and just…but killing is anything but that."

"You can always kill yourself and let the Kyuubi free" Yami shrugged as he came closer to Naruto, the sick grin still on his face. "Or perhaps merge with me so that we can wreak havoc upon Konoha!"

Naruto paused in thought and began to wonder if that was a good idea. Kyuubi, upon seeing this boy, couldn't help but feel his heartstrings being tugged.

"Didn't Bushido state something about death Naruto? Better yet, what is this Bushido all samurai must follow?"

Yami scowled as Kyuubi won again, even more so when he saw Naruto's eyes widen in shock. As Naruto started to recite the Bushido code, one he spent countless hours trying to memorize, one element made him pause.

"Uses death as their advisor, not their enemy." A smile came to Naruto's face, his dull eyes starting to show signs of life. "Of course!"

Seeing Naruto's eyes lighting up made Kyuubi let out a smile, a rare one at that, of his own. Yami, however, wasn't going to let Naruto out of his clutches.

"Did the blood feel good between your hands, did you enjoy killing those who attempted to kill you?" Yami asked as he bent down and whispered in Naruto's left ear. "How does it feel to have your innocence lost? Do you really think the villagers will respect you after you used Kyuubi's chakra?"

Naruto's eyes dulled as he realized Yami was right. Upon seeing this, Kyuubi mentally cursed as he didn't want to play such a card just yet.

"Would your parents be proud of you, Naruto, if you destroyed the village they sacrificed themselves to protect?" The bijuu said in hopes of making his container see the light.

"No, Kyuubi they would not." Naruto's eyes brightened once again, another small smile had begun to form

"And yet you forget that Kyuubi was the one to kill your parents that fateful night!" Yami heatedly interjected.

"Silence yourself Yami, you know not of what happened that night!" Kyuubi angrily said, his tails thrashing about the cage as he saw Naruto's eyes dim once more. "I was ripped out of Kushina Uzumaki by a masked man then put under a genjutsu where I was ordered to attack Konoha. Do you think I liked what I did? Killing all those hopeless peons beneath my feet?! Us bijuu were peaceful until these stupid mortals decided to fucking seal us!"

Yami's eyes widened in shock as did Naruto's. Both, however, had the same response.

"W-what?"

Kyuubi grinned as Yami was near speechless for once. He let out a snort of amusement which made Naruto's hair rustle a little.

"And the kicker is that a man masquerading as Madara Uchiha did the deed."

Naruto's eyes quickly turned battle-hardened as he stood with his fists clenched by his sides. Yami, seeing the rise of conflicting emotions, tried to push Naruto one last time.

"See…that's why revenge is so sweet. You can avenge your parent's death, you can -"

Yami couldn't finish as Naruto promptly turned and punched him in the gut. The dark half's eyes were wide in shock as he was bent over the fist in his stomach, spittle spraying out of his mouth.

"You are becoming quite the nag Yami, and trying to poison my mind with your vile thoughts will not work anymore." Naruto whispered in Yami's ear with a harsh tone. "Kyuubi has at least showed compassion ever since I decided to become a samurai. What have you done? Nothing but torture my soul and dismiss the one thing I must always follow."

"Bushido is but a fool's code of honor." Yami said as he pushed himself off of Naruto's fist.

Hearing this made Kyuubi wince and Naruto's eyes to squint in anger. The next thing Yami knew was pain as his head was rammed into the armor plating on Naruto's right knee. A sickening snap echoed off the walls of the mindscape as most of Yami's face fractured from the Ki enhanced strike. Not done, Naruto snap kicked his dark half into the nearby wall. Yami crashed into it and stayed there for a little bit, before he fell to the shallow water below with a splash.

Naruto took a deep breath and stood, his eyes and stature was that of a seasoned warrior. "I know we will meet again Yami. Sadly, my time has not yet come to fully conquer you as I feel lingering hate in the bijuu behind me. Naruto calmly stated as he waved to the cage behind him. "So go, Yami, go back to your realm and heal. But know that when you return, I will be there to end you once and for all."

Yami looked at his other half with a sneer, then disappeared in what looked like black ash particles. After Naruto watched them drift away, he turned to the beast in the cage and bowed.

"I thank you, Kyuubi, for helping me get over my ordeal. An ordeal which will take much longer to get over. Also, about what happened on the night of my birth…I'm truly sorry. We both lost something that day. I lost my parents while you lost your one chance at freedom."

Kyuubi was speechless, it couldn't retort with anything as everything Naruto said was true.

"On my honor as a samurai, we will find the man who made our lives a living hell, and show him the true power of the Akuma no Senshi!"

Naruto said this in a regal tone, slammed his right fist on his chest, and then stuck it out towards the cage. Kyuubi looked at the fist, then back at Naruto.

"Is this what you meant father, is this what you foresaw before your death? Naruto…you are an interesting child. Perhaps it is time I start a new life, and turn over a new leaf."

The bijuu sighed and looked at the determination in its container's eyes. With a smirk and a slight chuckle, Kyuubi took its right paw, made a fist, and connected it with Naruto's. A pulse rippled through the mindscape which made it change to what Naruto imagined when he first met Kyuubi and Yami.

A lush forest appeared with the sounds of wildlife, the sky was blue and the sun was high in the sky. Where the cage was, was now an open cave. The seal which resided on said cage was now on a dog collar which was around Kyuubi's neck. The bijuu hesitantly got up and stepped out of the cave. He took a deep breath and started to laugh with tears coming out of his eyes. For the first time in over fifty years, Kyuubi was overjoyed.

"Naruto…I…I…this is amazing."

Naruto couldn't help but smirk, "Our journey has just begun Kyuubi. Our journey has just begun."


Harumasa's Emporium

Jiraiya and Hiruzen looked over Naruto while Harumasa was sitting nearby sharpening his katana. Although the Hokage was using crutches as his leg healed, it did not deter him from his duties; one's that he knew would soon be over.

"It's been two days Sensei, shouldn't we get Inoichi in here to see if Naruto is mentally sound?" The Toad Sage worriedly said. .

"Fear not for my student's sanity, he will awaken soon." Fukui interrupted, a smile on his face. "I have a feeling much went on inside that head of his…perhaps he has quelled the darkness within?"

The Sandaime let a smirk form at how calm the samurai was, most were in fact. It was one of the things that made them so dangerous in battle. With no emotion to show, it made reading what they were about to do next almost impossible. Although this was slightly unnerving, Hiruzen knew to trust the man who gave Naruto a new life. It wasn't but a couple minutes later that a groan filled the room which made the three quickly rush to Naruto's bedside. As the Uzumaki opened his eyes, he gasped as he remembered what happened to his home.

"The Namikaze Estates…are they alright, what about the scrolls inside, what about -"

A smack was heard in the room as Fukui backhanded his student in the face. As Naruto rubbed the red mark, he couldn't help but laugh at the shocked looks on Hiruzen and Jiraiya. Once his laughter ceased, he looked at his master and thanked him before looking at the Hokage where he noticed that he was on crutches.

"Hokage-sama, I think you shouldn't be walking about. That injury looks serious."

"I've been through three Shinobi Wars, this is minor compared to what injuries I have gotten in the past." Hiruzen said with a smile as he ruffled Naruto's hair. "As to the Namikaze Estates, thanks to your father's seals, it was unharmed. That explosion was the defense mechanism if anyone not of Namikaze blood tried to enter the grounds."

"Yah, most of the poor bastards were mincemeat when I and the ANBU got there." The sage shook his head in mirth. "Ha! I taught my student too well."

After a brief moment of silence, Naruto sighed and looked at his hands, "My innocence is lost master, but the strangest thing happened when I was out. Kyuubi helped me yet again and now…now we are building our relationship. It wants to work with me, to turn over a new leaf." "Come again?" The elders in the room stared at Naruto in disbelief.

Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head as he got up.

"Yah, apparently I remind it of its father…the Sage of Six paths. Also, it told me the truth of what happened when it attacked."

The room went silent which prompted Naruto to tell what he was told. Needless to say, by the end of the story the elders were flabbergasted. Jiraiya, however, rubbed his temples and groaned slightly.

"Great…this masked man reminds me of a person my spies have seen. Apparently, this man is starting up an organization, but as to what its goals are I have no clue. They call themselves Akatsuki and they all wear black cloaks with red clouds on it."

Fukui hummed in thought before he looked at his student. "It seems the winds have changed, my student, we must make haste to Iron Country and finish your training."

Naruto nodded with a frown on his face, "As one storm dissipates, another begins to blow."

With a sigh, Naruto got out of the bed he was in and walked to the changing room so that his armor and such could be put back on. For Fukui, Hiruzen, and Jiraiya, they understood what Naruto went through and was going to do. He was going to find a coping mechanism for the killing he did and will be doing for the rest of his life.

Hiruzen watched his surrogate grandson enter the changing room with a sad smile, "Only eight years old and he already has blood on his hands…not since the Warring Clan Era has a child been subjected to such a horror."

"Do you think the Kyuubi can be trusted?" Jiraiya asked, a serious expression on his face.

"Of course it can." Fukui interrupted before Hiruzen could retort. "Did you not see the truth in my student's eyes, did you not see the happiness it brought him? I'm telling you Jiraiya-san, Hokage-sama, if those two eventually work as one then the Akuma no Senshi will become more than just a rumor."

All three chuckled as they remembered the whispers that went around the village, whispers about the rumor of a demonic warrior that helped protect Konoha. Some knew the identity of this warrior while others thought it was just a specter. For Harumasa, and those who saw Naruto in action, they knew that a legend was just beginning. It was five minutes later that Naruto returned in his armor with his bokken affixed to his right side which made the three elders stare at him with a proud smile. Fukui, however, nodded to his student in understanding.

"I see you wish to find a coping mechanism after your ordeal two days ago."

The samurai in training eyes widen for a brief moment, and then rubbed his chin in thought.

"Two days huh?" After a brief pause, a small smile came to his face. "Master, do you think we can get an instrument? Something portable like an ocarina?"

"That sounds like a lovely idea, my student." The elder samurai said as he walked up to Naruto and patted his shoulders with a smile. "Come, I will take you to a shop which I sell items to."

Hiruzen took out the clay pipe from his Hokage robes and put it in his mouth, but he decided to wait until he was back in the office to light it.

"If you would excuse us Harumasa-dono, Jiraiya and I must be off as we have some important matters to discuss."

Both the Hokage and Jiraiya bowed to the retired samurai before they left the store. As they left, only one thought went through both of their minds.

"Stay safe out there Naruto. The world can be a cruel mistress."


Higurashi's Store

As the master and student walked to the store, many civilians looked at Naruto with a smile and a wave, some Shinobi who saw Naruto fight looked at him in awe and slight fear, and some civilians looked at him with a sneer. He understood perfectly why those sneers were there.

"It seems some cannot simply see that I am the jailor of the great Kyuubi."

"Oh, you flatter me." Kyuubi said, a small chuckle escaped his lips. "Ha! Now do you see why I call you mortals stupid?"

"Shut it fluffy." Naruto mentally smirked.

"Did you just…" Kyuubi's eyes blinked in shock as he registered what Naruto had said. "I WILL EAT YOU, YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

At this, Naruto let out a chuckle then looked to his master who had a look of confusion.

"Kyuubi and I had a small chat is all, and it seems to hate the nickname I gave it."

"And that would be?" Harumasa questioned.

"Fluffy."

As Naruto continued to walk, his master stopped in his tracks, held his sides and guffawed.

"Ha! He called the Kyuubi fluffy…oh man, I haven't laughed that hard in ages." Fukui took a breath to calm himself then smiled, "Ah, Naruto, although you lost your innocence I still see that rambunctious kid in you. A good trait to have as you have yet to overcome the lingering darkness."


Eventually, Naruto and Fukui made it to the store. They opened the door to find two people at the counter. One was a girl with brown hair tied into buns on either side while the other was around six feet tall, had a muscular build, and short black hair. His skin tone was tan and his face was marred with various scars, something Naruto thought of as old shinobi injuries.

"Ah, Harumasa-sama, I see you brought your student here today." The muscular man said with a deep baritone as he looked down at Naruto with a smile. "A lot of rumors have spread around about what you did two days ago Akuma no Senshi." Naruto chuckled while he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "The girl beside me is my adoptive daughter Tenten Higurashi. I am Dan by the way, nice to meet you Uzumaki-san."

Naruto bowed in respect then looked at his master who nodded with a calm look on his face.

"Would you have an ocarina by any chance? I need a…coping mechanism for what I did."

Dan didn't miss the sad tone at the end, "Don't feel bad with what you did Uzumaki-san. You did what you had to do to keep Konoha safe and above all, you did what you had to do to stay alive."

"Death is my advisor Higurashi-san, but I thank you for your words."

Dan nodded with a smile and looked at Fukui, "You taught him well Harumasa-san…excuse me, I will be right back."

Tenten looked at the two samurai in front of her and couldn't help but start to drool as she gazed at the armor Naruto was wearing and at the two swords Fukui had. Both didn't miss this look and sweat dropped internally.

"Where did you get the armor and can I have one? Tenten started to question in an overly-excited tone. "Wow, I wonder what you had to do to get those swords; can I hold them please?"

"Tenten, what I did to get these weapons is something that no shinobi has had to endure." Fukui started coldly, he hoped his words would be a good lesson to the girl. "Many years of intense training, some of which is done alone in the snow covered mountains of Iron Country, is first. Next is usually peace…for me however it was a civil war. A war where I had to kill my own wife. Her swords are what I carry today."

Naruto internally gasped while Tenten's eyes widened while Dan stood in the doorframe that led to the backroom so that he could listen, his eyes were closed in sadness at what his daughter brought on.

Painful memories.

"Now tell me, Tenten, do you expect me to let you touch my weapons after all that I have endured?"

The only thing she could do is shake her head no while tears started to come from her eyes. Seeing enough, Dan came out and handed Naruto a small black box. Before he opened it, however, the muscular man patted his daughter on the head then looked at the retired samurai.

"I'm sorry you had relieve those memories Harumasa-san."

"Like my student said, death is my advisor." Fukui smiled. "I do hope your daughter has learned a valuable lesson today."

Dan nodded and excused himself as he took Tenten upstairs so they could talk while the two samurai left the store. As they did, Naruto looked at his master with sadness.

"Are you going to be alright master? Is that why you told me to always protect the ones I love, to always trust my instincts? All those lessons you have given me?"

The retired samurai sighed and nodded, "Hai…but I cannot dwell in the past as the future is much brighter."

The rest of the walk to the training grounds was silent as both had painful memories currently in their mind. They would get to meditation once they reached the grounds. Before that however, Naruto finally opened the box and gasped at the ocarina inside. It was blue like the ocean and had Uzumaki spirals all over it. As Naruto picked up the instrument, two notes were found at the bottom of the box. One was instructions on how to play while the other was a handwritten note. Naruto picked the latter one up and started to read.

Uzumaki-san,

This belonged to your mother Kushina Uzumaki, and has been an Uzumaki heirloom for many generations. Before the Kyuubi attack, she told me to keep it safe and give it to you when you needed it the most. Kushina had a feeling she wasn't going to see you grow up which tore her apart inside. On the back of this note is the sheet music to an old Uzumaki tune which represents loss and sorrow. Your parents would be proud.

Dan Higurashi

Naruto smiled and turned over the note to see the composition. Once at the training ground, Naruto sat down, the note in front of him, and picked up the instructions how to play. For the elder samurai, who had just started to meditate, knew that Naruto would be alright and that he would come out of this stronger than before.


Hokage Office

As Hiruzen sat in his chair, he closed his eyes as he lit his pipe where he inhaled before puffing out the smoke shortly after; the pungent smell of tobacco filled the office. For Tsunade and Jiraiya, they began to wonder what they had to discuss, but the way their Sensei was acting they knew it wasn't good. After a minute, the Sandaime opened his eyes which showed his age and what he had to endure to gain his Shinobi no Kami title.

"My students, I have lived a great life and served Konoha as Hokage for a very long time, but I am not getting younger." Hiruzen took another puff on his pipe before continuing. "The battle with Danzo showed me that I am not like I once was before. If not for Enma, I would likely not be here talking to you today."

"What are you saying Sensei? Tsuade questioned. "You're not thinking about doing what I think you are going to do…are you?"

Jiraiya looked at his Sensei then Tsunade then back to the Sandaime. His eyes widened at what was going to happen.

"Whoa now Sensei! There is no way I am going to be Hokage. I have my spy network and, in all honesty, I just don't feel qualified."

"I understand that Jiraiya, and I would have Tsunade become Hokage but she has the medical program to run." Hiruzen noted as he leaned back on his chair ready to take another draw from his pipe. "Tell me, who would be qualified to take up the mantle?"

"Kakashi is a possibility." Tsunade said with a shrug. "However, his lazy attitude would be a big problem."

Jiraiya agreed with Tsunade as he added his own idea. "Any of the clan heads is a possibility, but I can see that would give one of the clans too much power. Power they can exploit for their own gains."

Hiruzen smiled at his students, but as he was about to speak, the Toad Sage spoke up again.

"There is one person I have been keeping tabs on, and he would be a great Hokage…that is if he could walk again. In fact, he has been giving me intel on this masked man that has been running about as of late."

The Sandaime's interest was piqued which made him quirk an eyebrow, "Well then, my student, would you mind explaining who this person is?"

"What do you know about the Sage of Six Paths?" Jiraiya said with a smirk.


Following Day – Konoha Gates

The entire village was gathered at the front gates to see two people off; Fukui Harumasa and Naruto Uzumaki. Today was the day they would part for Iron Country, it would be an almost week long trek. Naruto was in his armor, but had a bag with him filled with the essentials for traveling. A sleeping bag, some spices for food they catch, clothes, and repair kits for armor and clothing, and a canteen filled with water. Fukui wore his usual outfit, but with samurai armor that resembled Mifune's overtop of it. Like Naruto, he had a bag filled with essentials.

"Well, my student, today's the beginning of the end of your samurai training." Fukui said with a smile as he slapped Naruto on the back.

"Hai, although I am excited, I cannot help but look at my hands knowing that more blood will stain them." Naruto smiled, though a sigh escaped his lips which made the Sandaime rest his aged hand on his surrogate grandson's right shoulder.

"You will do just fine Naruto, and please, do come back to visit once your training is done." Hiruzen warmly said. "Better yet, I have something to give you."

The Sandaime reached into his robes and pulled out a blank dairy book and a pencil which he gave to Naruto whom happily accepted it.

"I expect you to write in that every day and send me updates once in a while. Your parents would be proud, Naruto, all of Konoha is proud of you."

Naruto wiped some tears away from his eyes and gave his grandfather a hug. Jiraiya was up next and handed his godson an orange book. Tsunade, and those who knew what that book was, gave the Toad Sage death glares. The Slug Sage though, punched Jiraiya into the ground.

"You pervert! Poisoning our godson with that smut!" Tsunade screamed then turned to Naruto and pecked him on the forehead.

This, of course, gave him a full view of her impressive cleavage. If one looked closely, a small trail of blood started to run from Naruto's nose. Jiraiya, who recently go up, happened to be that person and grinned.

"Hehe…just like Minato."

Naruto discreetly put Icha Icha into his bag along with the diary then gave Tsunade a hug in return.

"Be good gaki and my gift to you is something I have treasured for a while now."

Tsunade took off the necklace Hashirama gave her and placed it on Naruto with a smile. Seeing this, Hiruzen looked at Tsunade with worry.

"Are you sure Tsunade? You know the supposed curse that goes along with that necklace."

"What curse?" Naruto questioned with his head cocked in wonder.

"The person who wears that necklace usually ends up dying." Shizune introduced herself as she spoke in a sad tone. "Tsunade gave that to two others before her, both of which have passed on."

Naruto crossed his arms and hmphed. "Curse smurk! Don't worry about me Tsunade-san, this necklace will make it back to you I swear on it."

Tsunade smiled, "I don't doubt it gaki. Go on and show the world what the Akuma no Senshi is made of."

Naruto nodded and looked to his master who nodded in return. As they left, the cheers of the villagers could be heard. Some had tears in their eyes not knowing what fate would befall the Uzumaki heir. Others, like those in the academy or just entering, looked to Naruto as sort of a role model.

From a boy who lost his path only two years ago thanks to the villagers hate, they now looked at Naruto with happiness and goodwill. It was not his heritage which sparked this change, but his actions which helped show who Naruto truly was. A human child who kept the beast who almost destroyed them at bay. It wasn't until the two samurai disappeared from view, did they start to disperse. As they did, they knew, somehow, that Naruto would be the catalyst for a great change in the Elemental Nations. What they didn't know was that someone was watching the whole ordeal from afar.

It sunk into the ground after it had all the details.


Somewhere in Iron Country

Zetsu returned to the camp he visited before, and, like last time, the same man was there waiting ever so patiently. This time, however, he was sharpening his katana, occasionally looking at his reflection in the polished blade. The man had gray, thinning hair, deep set wrinkles on his face, and a nasty scar which left him blind in one eye. This scar ran from the chin, through the left side of the lip as well as the left eye, and ended at his forehead.

"I see you have returned Zetsu." The elder spoke, not taking his eyes off his blade. "Any news of the boy?"

"The boy is currently traveling to Iron Country with his master, apparently he will be undergoing the final part of his training." The white half spoke as usual, his head the only one being seen.

"Can we eat the gaki…I'm starved!" The other half said.

"Ignore my other half." Zetzu paused briefly before continuing, "My master wants an update, he will not take failure lightly.

The old man smirked and paused what he was doing, "Tell your master that everything is going according to plan. The forces are being gathered and spies have been placed. Mifune is none the wiser. Now go…I must finish my task."

Without a word, Zetsu disappeared back into the ground. Once out sight, the old man traced his scar with a finger and clenched his hands in anger. That anger turned into a smirk, however.

"You may have given me this scar, Fukui Harumasa, but I gave you an even bigger one. Oh, how much it must have pained you to do that to your wife." He paused to let out a maniacal chuckle. "And to have Mifune grant you retirement…oh how I can't wait to test your student myself."

The man began to sharpen his katana again, but every once and a while he would pause and let out a short, insane laugh.


Edited: 5/16/2015