AN: I... Actually don't have a lot to talk about this time... More story-setup, a larger time-skip than last time, and character progression/relationships. Has anyone noticed that Naruto is a hypocrite in my story? He hates being lied to, but he has no problems lying to others... I love writing Sora, he is hereby a main character!

Anyway, this is the possibly the last chapter I can manage to produce rapidly. I will be quite busy from now on again, but whatever. I will still try! Soooo... Yeah.

LET'S START!

~Agony~

"You asked for me, Lord Hokage?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the esteemed and twice selected leader of Konoha and it's entire ninja corps stared at the boy he proudly calls his semi-grandson in shock. He had expected the boy to barge in with his orange jumpsuit, yelling out 'hey gramps' for everyone to hear with possibly the largest smile known to man on his whiskered face.

That did not happen though. Instead, he had knocked on the door and politely waited for the affirmative before entering his office. Plus, the old man wasn't blinded by his entrance due to his new clothes which, for some reason or another, had mute colors.

"N-Naruto? What has happened to your clothes? Your hair?" He almost let a question about the boy's apparent lack of hyperactivity and happiness slip, but that could wait for a few minutes. He subtly ordered the ANBU to leave his office, the elite soldiers leaving the room in total silence without being seen, yet the boy's eyes seemed to flicker over towards one of them as he left. For a moment, the two of them stared at each other before Naruto averted his gaze, the boy's shoulders slumping in apparent defeat.

"I..." The boy looked lost, as if seeming to not know where to start. He rubbed his right arm wearily, as if trying to calm himself. "I... I can't really answer you about the hair, as I don't know myself yet, though it's hopefully not anything dangerous... As for my clothes..." Here he stopped again, his head turning towards the window that looked out towards the village.

"Sit down and take your time Naruto, and only talk if you feel it is necesarry." The wizened old man said with a gentle smile, motioning towards the chair in front of his desk. The boy seemed pensive for a moment, though he seemed to have made up his mind as he slowly walked over to it before sitting down softly, as if the chair might spring to life and attack him.

Hiruzen stared at the boy with worried eyes. The boy looked completely downtrodden, and the usual spark of joy in his blue eyes was gone, and the boy's hair had somehow turned white and almost dead-looking, hanging limply around the boy's head, as if someone had sucked the very life out of it. He was tense, as if expecting something bad to happen. What had happened to the boy he loved?

"I..." The boy began, a gulp leaving him as he seemed to have gained back enough courage to talk, his voice soft, a complete contrast to how he usually expressed himself.

"For the last week and a half, I have been sick for probably the first time in my life. A-At the start, I simply believed that I was exhausted due to me training a lot more often to try and become stronger, b-but only a few days later, I barely managed to leave my bed to eat." Here the boy stopped, a flinch leaving him as he looked at his hands which was pressing down on his lap.

"I... I used the next five days to do nothing more than rest, a-and since I had nothing to do, I began to t-think about my p-past... S-Specifically about the... The..." The boy stopped again before hugging himself tightly, his eyes peering out towards the village and the people below. Hiruzen quickly got the message, and a sad frown left him.

"You were thinking about the villagers hatred towards you, am I right?" He asked, the boy licking his lips, not meeting the man's eyes.

"Y-Yes... Their... Their h-hatred for me is becoming u-unbearable, and I... I just can't..." The boy shook slightly, his blue eyes peering out the window, a gaze full of trepidation falling on the people walking below them.

"T-They've hated m-me for so long, I..." The man raised his hand, a deep, sad frown on his face, his mind racing. This boy... Has he always harbored this sadness?

"Am I right when I say that you are questioning if the village will ever accept you?" The man whispered, wincing slightly at the sharp flinch which left the boy, the young teen closing his eyes and seeming to fall into himself. Not that he could blame the boy, seeing as the villagers had done basically nothing to earn his trust.

"F-For twelve years I have tried t-to make them h-happy, and all I have got back i-is hate and s-scorn... H-How? How can I d-defend them when I b-become a ninja if t-they would rather see me d-dead? Why should I p-protect them if they'd rather k-kill me?" The boy opened his eyes to stare at the man between his lack-luster hair, tears leaving his blue orbs.

The Hokage stared at the boy in total silence. He was speechless, not by the words the boy had spoken, but rather his eyes. How could such young eyes radiate such a sorrow? How could a boy barely past his twelfth year of living know such despair and anguish? Had he truly been so blind up until now to have never seen the sadness that had obviously built up within the one he proudly called his second grandson? How could he answer the child's questions without seeming like he pardoned what the villagers had done?

"W-When I walk down the street, I can h-hear them talk between themselves a-about me, h-how I am a c-cursed child, a damned child, a d-demon brat... I... I can't take it any longer! P-Please, make them stop!" In the end, he screamed almost hysterically, having fallen from the chair to his knees, his hands clasped together, begging the man to help him. Tears fell rapidly from his eyes, and the broken look that was shining through them almost crushed the old man's poor heart.

Quicker than Naruto could see, the man had rushed around the desk before kneeling in front of Naruto, clasping the boy tightly to his chest. The boy sobbed loudly, constantly muttering about the villagers and how he wanted their hatred to stop, the old man simply letting him, his own tears leaving his closed eyes. He felt honestly afraid for the boy, not due to the Kyuubi within him possibly manipulating him due to his apparent mental breakdown, but he was scared of the possibility that the boy might turn down a dark path, not the path his former student walked down, but the path several war veterans walked.

As the man prayed to whatever deites that existed out there to help his pseudo-grandson, a black shadow slowly seemed to spread across him. It covered his legs, and mere seconds later, all but his head was covered, the appendage hidden a second later. Mirage seemed to squirm for a second, as if having difficulties entering the man. A moment later though, she slowly merged herself with the man, entering his mind, and beginning her master's will.

For just a moment, Hiruzen felt a dark chill run down his spine, as if his doom was certain, though he quickly threw that silly thought away as he finally felt Naruto starting to calm down. For a minute, they just sat there in silence, relishing in each others warmth before the boy softly pushed the man away from him. The boy looked physically and mentally tired, though a small spark of life seemed to have entered his eyes again.

"I'm sorry for freaking out like that." He whispered, his eyes looking everywhere but towards the leader of the village. Sarutobi only smiled softly at the boy, his hands at the boy's shoulders. He idly noticed that the boy was a bit broader than last time he had seen him, but quickly put that away as the effect from his extra training.

"It is okay my boy. I'll hazard a guess and say that your new attire is to not garner the interest of the civilians?" The boy seemed somewhat embarassed at the question, the boy giving a nod, the man only smiling kindly towards him.

"It is a sound idea to be honest, and that strange phenomena with your hair only makes it harder to identify you... I can't force you to put your trust in the villagers, as you have been through too much for that to ever happen... I can honestly say that you are a stronger man than I could ever be, having lived through so much, but still pushing forward. I know I don't say this often to you, but I am extremely proud of you. You are like a grandson to me, and it pains me to see you in such anguish. You have grown so much..." Here the man trailed off, seeming to lose himself in thought. The boy only stared at the man, having seen the small flicker of concious thought that had left the man's eyes for the smallest of moments. Inwardly, he smirked in victory, knowing that the man was his to control now if he played his cards right.

"I think it is time for me to reveal something to you, about you." He finally said, sighing at the end.

"I have not been entirely honest with you throughout the years, and will not ask for your forgiveness if you hate me after this, as I don't know if I deserve it." He looked at the boy, a sad but serious frown on his face, hoping that he was making the correct decision.

"Twelve years ago, Kyuubi attacked on the day you were born. Your generation, and those younger than you have been told that the Fourth killed the beast... This was not possible, seeing as Kyuubi is a manifestation of pure energy, making killing it physically impossible. He had to do the next best thing..." He stopped for a moment, his heart breaking at the absolutely crushed look Naruto sported.

"That... That is what the seal on my stomach contains, isn't it? I... I hold the... The Kyuubi within me... The villagers believe I am the Kyuubi... That is why they hate me." At the whisper in the end, another tear left his right eye as the Hokage pulled him into another hug, feeling the boy shiver slightly, though he seemed far more collected now than before.

"I am sorry for with-holding the truth from you. I-I believed that it would be for the best that you did not know, that if you weren't told until you were older that you could have a chance to find friends and acceptance, but it seems like that was not to happen." He whispered at the end, tightening the hug he had enveloped the boy in for just a moment before letting go, finally standing up again before walking around the desk, situating himself in his chair.

Ever so slowly, Naruto arose from his still kneeling position, looking at the old man before him, every wrinkle on his face seeming even more pronounced than before, as if his age finally was beginning to catch up to him. Slowly, the boy met his eyes again, and the man saw something he should have expected. A confident, but far less joyful look with just a slight tinge of anger behind it.

"I... I can't forgive you right now. For too long have you lied to me, I can't just forget that..." He gulped, seeming to hesistate upon his next words.

"There is something you can help me with though..." His eyes flickered slightly over towards the pictures where the old man's predecessors and successor hung.

"Iruka told me that, that I shouldn't become a ninja to protect the village, but rather to help and protect those close to me, those I find precious... I can't bring myself to look at the civilians in anything else than anger, but as long as those precious to me is within this village, then I will protect it, if only to protect that person..." He swallowed again, peering into the old man's attentive gaze.

"I need to become stronger if I want those I love to be safe... I need help gramps. Can you please train me until I become a Genin?" Naruto bowed slightly while staring into the aging man's eyes unflinchingly, his blue orbs silently begging the man for just the tiniest amount of help.

Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. It was a risky proposition the boy gave, asking the village leader for help in his training when the one in question wasn't even done with the academy. Then again, this was a golden opportunity for the both of them. The boy would gain a solid foot inside the world of ninjas, and Hiruzen might just get the boy to forgive him. He had seen the boy train through his crystal ball, and his physical exercises was more than acceptable for someone his age, it clearly showed his physical superiority compared to the rest of his classmates.

The man wasn't worried about showing favoritism, as honestly, a lot of Jounin teachers, and even the First and Second Hokage themselves showed favoritism when it came to their teaching. If they cried foul, then he could simply say that he was grooming the next Hokage, as every Hokage was allowed to do that, and if they made a fuss about that... Well, he would show them why he was elected as the Hokage not once, but twice.

But what to train him in?

According to the report Iruka had given him right before Naruto came, his fighting style seemed to be completely instinctual, no actual style being used, yet everything he had done seemed to simply flow together in a deadly combination of moves. Should he help the boy and give him a style that might limit his imagination? No, no he should not. Several of his fellow ninjas in the first and second war had fought without any real style, simply using what they felt was appropriate at the time, and at the time, it had seemed most effective. Some people was simply not meant to be... 'in control' for lack of better words.

Should he try and teach Naruto some Genjutsu? The boy certainly had the imagination necesarry to utilize the art to its full potential, though his chakra control, or rather lack of control was something to be wary of. Then again, it is a possibility that the boy, simply through raw overpowering, could force Genjutsus to work, and since the most common ways to break an illusion was to force one's chakra through one's body, his illusions might simply be to strong to disrupt without hurting one-self, almost guaranteeing a handicap.

Yes, giving the boy at least an introductory look on the art of illusions might be a boon in the end. It might take a long time, but he believed that the boy might be able to cast illusions, if not through control, then through force.

But what about Ninjutsu?

This was a simple decision. The boy was a Chakra-powerhouse already. With a bit of training, he could spam techniques left and right for a few hours, and simply be a bit tired in the end. Plus, what if he used the fox's chakra when casting a jutsu? Would it simply be impossible, would the jutsu rebound and hurt, maybe kill Naruto, or would Naruto cast an incredibly powerful version of the jutsu? So many variables, and thankfully, so much time.

But what to start him on? Should he actually go right on learning techniques, or should he try and teach Naruto a chakra control exercise or two before letting him start Elemental Manipulation? He should probably teach Naruto how to walk on water before they start any training whatsoever. Maybe teach the boy how to create and attach chakra strings? Maybe make the boy proficient with using a weapon? But what kind of weapon? Would a simple sword or staff fit the boy, or would he need something a bit more unpredictable and wild? Maybe a pair of chakrams? Nun-chakus? Axes? Hammers? Perhaps even whips?

No, focus... Yes, perhaps starting on Elemental Manipulation would be the best. If he was unlucky enough and the Jounin the boy got in about six months time was... Insufficient? Or perhaps the word would be incompetent? No matter, if the man or woman was not up to scratch, then the boy would already be ahead of his two other team-mates, and might actually be underway to create his own techniques. If the boy showed enough skill by the time their first C-rank came around, then perhaps he should field-promote the boy? After all, the Chuunin exams is simply one way to get a promotion.

At least an introduction to illusions, chakra control exercises, Elemental Manipulation, perhaps even a technique or two. He should maybe find the boy a weapon. If the boy prefers a blade, then perhaps a short one for best maneuverability. If a staff, then he could tutor the boy himself. For less popular weapons, the boy would probably have to find a few books, but he could still try and help the boy...

He had made his decision.

"Twice a week, after the Academy on wednesday, and the whole day on saturday, you are to meet me here. We will then go to a training ground of my choosing, or a remote clearing if all my choices are occupied. During those days, I will help you with four subjects. On wednesday, Chakra control and Genjutsu. On saturday, elemental training and weapon handling." He took a drag from his recently lit pipe, relishing the taste of the tobacco.

"My reason for Chakra control should be obvious, as you yourself has proclaimed before that you have trouble controlling your chakra. My reason for Genjutsu training has several incentives. Your imagination is simply astounding, and an open mind is a must to be able to master Genjutsu. I also have a feeling that we can get your control up to a certain point where illusions are a viable option, and if the situation occurs that your control does not meet the standards... Well, we can always try a different method, which is to force a Genjutsu to form. It has not been done before, but then again, only a few has ever tried, so if it is possible is currently impossible to say." He took another puff, collecting his thoughts.

"My reason for Elemental Manipulation is... A bit more personal. In the situation that your future Jounin teacher is... Insufficient, then you will have something to fall back on. Those who has a certain mastery over an element has usually bunkered down and made a few techniques of their own. I have made a few myself on my down time, when I had nothing to do." He licked his lips slightly, suddenly wishing that he had a glass of water.

"And at last, weapon training. While most ninja use either kunai, shuriken or senbon, there are a few that has taken up a weapon. The seven swordsmen of the hidden mist for example has seven different swords, all used differently, all with different abilities, and even the weakest of them can be considered an elite. I have personally taken a liking to staffs throughout my years... And then we have the fabled objects of the Sage of the six paths himself. While not technically weapons, they are still probably the deadliest objects currently in existance... But I digress. My point is, I want you to try and take up a weapon." He looked straight at the boy now, forcing down a smile at the boy's rising expression.

"In six months you are to be a Gennin. For six months I will train you. By the time the graduation exams roll by, I am absolutely certain that you will be the most powerful Gennin alive. So in conclusion. Yes, I will teach you my boy." He finished, his heart soaring as he watched the delighted expression that shined from Naruto's face. Yes, he silently mused, he had made the correct decision, and nothing would be able to change that.

"I... I don't know what to say, I..." Sarutobi raised his hand, silencing the flabbergasted boy.

"It is okay, you don't have to thank me. Now, I believe I have held you up for far too long, seeing as the sun has already set. Time sure flies when we talk about important subjects it seems, so you are free to leave. Continue your hard work, and I can guarantee that you will become a splendid ninja, perhaps even greater than I was at my prime." He watched the boy smile as he gave the man a slight bow before turning around, waving goodbye over his shoulder.

'He will become great, I just know it.' The man thought to himself, missing the bit of darkness that left him and connected to Naruto's shadow. As the boy left the building, he quickly scaled a wall before landing on a roof, quickly travelling towards his favorite training spot, the place with the waterfall.

'It worked.' He smirked. 'It actually worked... It was so easy.'

Three minutes later, he entered the clearing, not a single person anywhere to be seen. Naruto sat down on one of the rocks beside the waterfall, an eerie smirk plastered on his face as the boy seemed to shiver slightly in mirth. Sora and Mirage slowly arose from his shadow, the two of them staring at their master.

Then a chuckle left him. The chuckle was followed by another one, then a soft laughter that quickly escalated into a loud, maniacal laughter. His voice echoed around the clearing, the pure mirth in it would have brightened anyone's day if not for the fact that it sounded like a psychotic killer was the one laughing. Quickly controlling himself, Naruto took a deep breath before looking up towards the sky, a few stars visible as the sun had already set, a large grin on his face.

"Is this how you feel Belial!?" He screamed to the heavens, his grin still present. "Is this the euphoria you feel every time one of your schemes comes to fruition!? Is this the pure bliss that circulates through your body every time someone acts perfectly devilish!?" It might have been whatever sanity he had left that was slipping, but he could have sworn that a star was destroyed by his words, only widening his grin.

"When we meet, I'll probably be happier than ever before, but I'll still punch you in whatever face-like structure you have for the shit I have went through." He muttered, snickering slightly.

Seconds passed, and the three of them simply relaxed at the sound of the waterfall. After about a minute though, a Shadowling, Jade to be specific, arose from the darkness of the trees at the edge of the clearing, a very small, red stone in his clawed hands. Time seemed to stand still for a moment as Naruto choked on his breath, his eyes wide. So soon?

The Primordial Evil slowly stood before striding over towards the Shadowling, the creature raising his hands, presenting the small fragment. As he reached his loyal servant, he stretched out his right hand, pausing only slightly to imprint this moment in his mind before he took the small shard.

A shiver of pure, unrefined terror swept across him for the slightest of moments, and the pure joy that arose within him at the feeling was unmatched by anything else he had experienced during his somewhat short life. This was the real deal, a shard of a Soul Stone. He raised the small fragment to eye-level, holding it between his thumb and pointing finger as he peered deep within the crimson shard, a smirk on his face.

"So we finally meet, Diablo, my brother."

~Agony~

One month. One month had passed since the day he managed to trick the Hokage to train him in Ninjutsu. One month since Jade had found the first fragment of a Soul Stone. One month since his progress had sky-rocketed faster than he had ever believed would be possible for any being.

Naruto sat in his chair at the academy, bored out of his mind as he listened to Iruka drone on and on about some history that Naruto couldn't even begin to care about. It would not matter soon anyway, his time was slowly running out, and the time for his wonderful escape was approaching, though still a bit slowly for the demon's liking. He couldn't deny though that the last four weeks had been a tremendous boost for him. He glanced around the classroom, his eyes finally landing at the brooding boy Sasuke.

It had become unquestionable. He was officially the strongest student at the academy. Before, that title had been given to Sasuke, something which was only partially well-earned, as Shino was a fierce contender for the title. Three weeks after his return to the Academy though, he had been pitted against none other than the onyx-eyed wannabe-avenger.

If they believed that the Inuzuka was arrogant, then they had obviously never meet the survivor of the Uchiha massacre, though Naruto had begun to call it 'the time when the bushes was trimmed.' Having been praised as the best student of their generation basically daily had inflated the boy's ego somewhat fiercely, something which Naruto found ridiculous since the boy hadn't even unlocked his Sharingan yet, and there was a chance that, like every Uchiha, he would never be able to achieve it anyway.

Naruto had finished the match in a simple manner. As the boy rushed him, the Uchiha sent a straight punch towards his face which the albino simply caught in his own hand. A moment later he smashed his other hand into the boy's chest twice, breaking four ribs while bruising three others before kicking him away, ending the match with Mizuki rushing the boy towards the hospital who, according to the rumors, had some hefty inner damage done to him, the doctors almost losing him more than once. Strangely enough, for the students that is, Iruka didn't try and reprimand Naruto for almost killing Sasuke, and for a single moment, Naruto saw the tiniest of smirks cross the teacher's face.

Naruto smirked at the memory, rubbing the biceps on his right arm slightly as he remembered the satisfaction he felt when he pounded the boy.

He couldn't really complain. While his physical improvement had slowed down, he was still becoming stronger at a far more accelerated pace than any normal human could ever hope to achieve. Another positive achievement Naruto could smile about was the fact that his acid didn't hurt his throat any longer, and that his body seemed to have increased the production speed of the dangerous liquid. It still wasn't up to any satisfactory standard, but it was slowly getting there.

Glancing out the window, he noticed the Hokage talk to the younger students, the old man's own grandson in the group. The aging leader's wrinkles seemed deeper than ever, and he looked slightly pale, small, almost unnoticable dark bags forming under his eyes, like he hadn't gotten a good nights sleep in a while. The smirk Naruto bore morphed into a frown as he looked at the man. He despised the man with his every fiber, but he was so useful. Of course, the man's use was slowly running out for each week that passed, and since tomorrow was saturday again, he would finally learn the second step of his wind manipulation.

Genjutsu wasn't something Naruto could say he was a great fan of, but he couldn't deny the fact that he was intrigued at the art. To trap people in an eternal nightmare which simply enough did not exist, to escew their senses to they stabbed themselves. To make himself invisible to another person's senses for only to dissolve that person in his lovely acid... Who was he kidding, he was hooked. While he was better at Elemental Manipulation, he found Genjutsu a lot more fun. Plus, it was a lot more subtle.

He looked down at his hand, the green leaf held in his palm looking completely innocent, for only to be violently ripped apart a moment later by an unseen force. He had begun to try and replicate spells using his primary element which was wind. Then again, was he replicating the techniques or simply creating new spells? He couldn't really say, not that he actually cared all that much. It was slow going, as he hadn't even managed to create a mild breeze yet, though he had a feeling it was less his fault, and more the catalyst in which he was using.

No matter how much he wanted, the wand that he stole from the Necromancer simply enough was not attuned towards his own Mana frequency, and it's usefulness was rapidly disappearing as Naruto's own natural weaving was quickly overcoming the faulty catalyst. This was probably for the best though, since he did not want to be dependant on an object to help him cast his spells. It would only hinder him in the long run if his catalyst somehow was either stolen or destroyed in combat. He would have to destroy the wand soon just to ensure that absolutely no one could use it after he as done with it. The man in his head would probably have a hissy fit if he saw his wand destroyed though.

The Necromancer had somehow managed to resist Pyre's torture incredibly well for thirty-three days now. The moment his plan was foiled, he had locked away his memories, barricading his memory-doors completely. Last week though, he had gotten the tiniest of progress from the man. It was only for a moment, but that was all that was needed for Naruto to dwelve into the man's psyche and drag out a single little solitary memory, and for Naruto, that memory might be the most important one of them all. The day the man had tried his first Necromantic experiment.

It had surprised Naruto immensely when he found out that Necromancy and Bone-manipulation in general actually simply was an advanced, yet somehow bastardized version of Earth magic, as he had expected that it was some sort of forbidden branch of magic that only the darkest of wizards could do, but apparently, if you simply enough was a good enough mage in general, then everyone could learn Necromancy simply through a bit of trial and error. You simply enough manipulated the calcium and other minerals in a skeleton to 'awaken them from the dead' while using a small bit of Mana to keep the creature together.

Finding skeletons had never been a problem for a Necromancer, for no matter what, under every person's feet lied skeletons, though some, if not most of them lies deeper than one might believe. Heck, if Naruto's theory was correct, then he could probably find some human skeletons hidden within some of the gigantic trees surrounding the village, as the fabled First Hokage apparently managed to create the forest that inhabited Fire Country, pulling up ancient roots from who knows how deep underground.

While that had given Naruto his first look at the Necromantic path, it had taken him no closer to the fabled Absolute Resurrection spell they were rumored to have. While that spell, in the grand scheme of things was useless for Naruto, it would certainly boost his future armies if he managed to bring back certain people and demonic beings.

He was snapped out of his inner musings as the bell rang, and something resembling a stampede was heard as most of the students rushed out of the academy. As he stood up, he couldn't help but smirk slightly. He had finally gotten taller, now standing eye-level to the 'lovely' Uchiha, though he couldn't wait for the time when he was towering over everyone. Of course, even if he remains short, he would still tower over them all when they were thrown to the ground, dead or dying by his, his minions, or his brothers hands.

His brothers. He had gotten two fragments during the month, both of them belonging to his other brother, Mephisto. The blue shards, while cold to the touch, seemed to have a small flame within them, the flames of hatred. Naruto and his other brothers were probably the only creatures alive that could touch the Soul Stones without being affected by the aura that radiated from them. While others would be consumed by pure terror and hatred simply by being close to them, Naruto simply felt a lingering happiness that he could not explain. He kept the fragments within Sora, just to be safe, the imp more than happy to keep them for Naruto. Naruto always felt happy around the Shadowlings nowadays.

'They are family.' He mused to himself, a small smile on his face as he walked to his normal clearing, the one with the waterfall. 'If I cannot be happy around my own family, no matter how dysfunctional it is, then who can I find happiness with?' His smile slipped slightly, suddenly remembering his two slain brothers.

'Azmodan... Duriel... I will bring you back somehow. Even if I have to breach the inner sanctum of the heavens and fight off every angel that exists, I will reclaim your souls... Though not before avenging you.' He sneered in his mind, eyes darkening as a title crossed his mind's eye.

Tyrael, Archangel, and the Angel of Justice. The one that had destroyed the lives of most of his brothers, and the one that had left Naruto to rot and be killed in that pest-riddled village. He could not give a damn about any other creature. He would gladly spare the entire world of his wrath as long as he got a shot against that so-called holy being. Sadly enough, he would probably not meet him before he had slain his band of holy assassins, as the holy creation would be forced to intervene with the world's affairs once again.

As the clearing came into view, he quickly rid himself of any revenge-driven thoughts. He idly noticed the several bare-stripped trees and gouged rocks. He didn't understand how and where that dagger he used on the Necromancer came from, but he couldn't help but be drawn towards using it. Of course, when training with the old man he used a standard-looking dagger, though he couldn't help but long for the day when his beautiful, black, jagged dagger would see the light of day.

He shook that memory away. Today was not like any other day. This was the day when he was finally going to meet his unwilling tenant. Nothing had happened between them yet, and Naruto was becoming just the slightest bit skittish at what the gigantic demonic entity within him might be planning.

As the boy sat on his favorite rock, he felt the familiar tugging motion within his head, right behind his eyes. For just a second, all five of his senses completely disappeared, and he floated in an absolute void of nothingness. It was actually a strangely comfortable place, and for a moment he wondered if this was a part of his mind, or simply just his astral projection needing time to adjust to the mind-travel. Slowly, his senses came back to him as the throne room appeared, the boy sitting on the throne.

He looked around, grinning at the changes. The obsidian walls had been fixed, and the empty torch-holders along the walls had been filled, the light sources burning silently, illuminating the room in a comfortable glow. The ceiling and floor, which he had identified as marble was fixed, and the red carpet along the floor looked perfect, as if it was just created. The chandelier hung proudly from the ceiling, the five candles still burning.

There was one changed detail though. To the left and right of the carpet, two large holes was now situated, both of them seemingly endless, as the darkness inside of them stretched further than the eye could see. This was the birthing place of his lovelies, and he saw it as a massive improvement compared to the cracks which they were born from before.

As the boy walked down the throne steps, Sora formed beside him, falling in step with his father as the shadowy creature walked on all four. Interestingly enough, he had begun to feed on the darkness that had begun to form within Iruka, and as a result, he had grown larger, almost half a foot, standing now at a proud three-and-a-half feet. His body also seemed a bit more human proportion wise, the head not as large compared to the rest of the body, and his sinewy limbs had a bit more definition to them. Naruto had asked why Sora didn't feed on Naruto's darkness, though the answer he got was simple. Sora simply didn't want to.

The duo walked in a comfortable silence as they entered the corridor that lead towards the rest of Naruto's mind, the tunnels still looking catacomb-like. They passed the Hall of Memories as Naruto had dubbed it and came upon the very same crossroad he had found during his first visit, though this time, all viable options was open, the floors having been returned to a usable state. Only one path interested Naruto though, and that was the one which emanated an extremely faint, but malicious red glow.

Slowly they began the trek down the corridor, both of them thinking about different scenarios that might happen during the coming confrontation. Something the Hokage said in his office when he told Naruto about Kyuubi had actually struck a cord within the boy. Apparently, everyone believed that Kyuubi was a manifestation of impure energies, basically power taken physical form, and no matter how much Naruto wanted to refute that claim and call it false, he simply couldn't.

Why had none of the nine tailed beasts been killed up to now? Certainly, a lot of people have tried, and with enough men and persistance, they could certainly somewhat easily kill at least the weaker ones. Heck, it was rumored that a single Kage-level shinobi could most likely take care of the one and two tails and still come out of the fight relatively intact with all the limbs still connected to the body. Yet all of them were apparently still alive. It did not make sense! A collection of energy, no matter how strong, should not gain a physical form, nor should it gain a conciousness.

At least not naturally.

The two of them came to a staircase that winded downwards, which made sense for Naruto since the Kyuubi was below him when he first entered his mind, and the entire place had pretty much been straight up until now. The staircase itself was suprisingly long, perhaps over a hundred meters tall from bottom to top. They were greeted by a pair of fairly large metal doors at the bottom, the doors having rusted in several places, and one of the hinges seemed to have been destroyed. A light seemed to emanate from behind the doors, shining faintly through the crack between the two obstructions.

For a moment, Naruto stared at the doors before raising a foot, smashing it into one of the two metallic objects, sending it flying for at least twenty feet before it finally crashed to the floor, metal grating on metal, an annoyed grunt leaving everyone in the vicinity at the loud sound.

As he entered Kyuubi's den, he almost had to shield his eyes at the nigh blinding light that emanated from a gigantic orb in the middle of the room, the malicious red glow basically pouring from the ball of energy. Interestingly enough, the walls within the room was perfect, quite unlike the rusted, water-damaged metallic walls right outside the double doors.

A shuffling sound and the audible noise of chains clenching snapped his attention to behind the massive orb.

There, standing barely two feet above the ground, with a body that hinted at severe malnutrition was none other than the mightiest of all the tailed beasts, the being that was rumored to be able to destroy mountains and create tidal waves with just a lazy swipe of his tails. The pitiful looking creature that stared at him with the utmost hatred while chained to the wall was none other than Kyuubi, the creature that had cursed him with a life of hatred, the being that had destro... What?

'Wait a second. What am I thinking? It is not Kyuubi that looked at me with scorn all these years, but rather those humans. Kyuubi might have been the magnet that drew their ire, but it was the hatred from those pathetic wastes of flesh that made my life worse than hell... If anything, as far as I can see, he is as much of a victim as I am.'

Slowly, but purposely he walked around the titanic orb of power, his gaze never leaving the shivering, but hateful form of the once mighty beast. Strangely enough, he noticed, the ball that now was almost behind him did not make a single sound, not even a weak humming sound like he had expected.

He stopped barely a foot away from the now small entity, their eyes still peering within each others 'soul window'. After a minute, the fox relaxed, if only slightly, lieing his weakened body down on the uncomfortable floor below.

"So, we finally meet... I would have said that I expected more, but who am I to make judgment at someone else's corpulent mass." As expected, his voice was deep, almost demanding respect, yet there was just the tiniest amount of exhaustion behind it all, signaling just how weak he currently was.

Naruto said nothing, simply sitting down at the even metallic floor, his eyes closed, as if thinking. After a few seconds, they snapped open, and the Primordial Evil stared hard at the fox.

"Yes, we finally meet, and it makes me sad to see what you have been reduced to because of man's greed and desperation... Well, it is somewhat wrong to say you have been reduced to a powerless being, seeing as your power is right behind me, but I digress." Sora sat beside Naruto on all four, cocking his head at the weak-looking creation before him. If he had even a simple grasp of positive emotions towards anyone else than his father, then he might have felt pity towards the fox's situation.

"I have some questions for you, and if I find the answers to my liking, we might make a... Deal of sorts. Believe me when I say that the deal will be to your liking, at least compared to your current predicament." He smirked slightly, though there was no malice behind it, simply a humorless realization.

"A deal you say..." He looked around the boiler room he resided in, a sneer forming on his face. "Anything is better than this. Fine, you may ask, but I do not promise that I have all the answers." The boy nodded, his smirk widening just slightly.

"Good. First question: Are you a demon?" The Kyuubi looked at him like he was a moron, and Naruto somewhat felt like a moron at the question, but he had to make certain about the being he was dealing with.

"Of course I am not a demon. What kind of stupid question is that?"

"Are you simply a mass of energy then?" He quirked an eyebrow, the fox pondering his answer.

"Yes... And no... I am a mass of energy, but I am also not."

"Then what are you? A mass of energy, no matter how strong can't simply take a physical form and gain a mind of its own. What created you Kyuubi?" The fox looked away from the demon in human form, licking his chops, thinking about how to answer the question without drawing the ire of the one who might help him out of his infernal prison.

"As you might have heard, over a thousand years ago, this Sage of yours re-discovered Mana. What you do not know, is that he also defeated a mighty Primordial being sent by your ancestral brother, the Lord of Lies. This being was a simple analgalm of energy, just like me and the other beasts. When it was defeated, the energies that held it together dispersed, spreading randomly across the world, becoming focal points of pure, unrefined powed. The world was in disarray after the Lord of Lies little stunt though, so the Celestials had to... How to say this, return the balance so to say." He licked his chops again, looking away from the young demon.

"One of the focal points was different to the others simply by the amount of energy that was gathered there. The energy was too strong for the fauna of the area though, so human, animal and plant life withered away. This source is what the Celestials used, what the... Angels, as you call them, manipulated, to create spiritual guardians of this world. Of course, like every being, greed filled us for a moment, and all nine of us tried to siphon as much power from each other before our corporeal bodies were manifested. As you can probably already tell, I am the one who won that little tug'o war between us, seeing as I has the most raw power... At the start, I did not realize just how... Morally ambigous those celestials truly were, and you can see the result of my blind naivity." He pointed a tail at the floating mass of energy, longing to be connected to it again.

"That is what I am. I am the unofficial leader of the Celestial Guardians of this world, yet this world has not fallen in disarray despite my sealed state... The one Celestial named Imperius is their official leader, though he is not the most powerful one, nor is he the most influential one either as far as I can tell. Their true ruler you already know about, having a vendetta against him and everything... I can tell you this right now. No matter how pure and holy they might seem, the sins of hell still plague their souls, just like every other creature... Well, except for the Angel of Justice, though his mind is plagued by another curse, though what that is, I do not know... That is all I know."

The fox closed his eyes, awaiting the judgment that would come from his container, this demonic entity that could have simply killed him and stolen his power. Then again, perhaps total annihilation would have been the best solution. He had lived a long time, he had seen a lot. To be honest, he wouldn't be totally against giving his power to this child of anguish, as he simply did not care if the world burned at his absence.

He heard shuffling, and a moment later, a hand rested softly atop his head, his eyes snapping open, staring at the demon child that sat before him, a frown on the boy's face.

"They used you, didn't they? Lied to you and threw you away the moment your immediate use was gone... They did to you what this village will do to me... I will not let that happen though." He stood up swiftly, moving towards the massive energy orb, Sora walking over to the wall, his hand grasping the chain which was connected to it.

"Kyuubi, tell me. This world, do you think it is worth saving?" He asked, turning his head, staring intently at the thin fox.

"... In all honesty, I do not know. What I do know, is that a demon-controlled world would be interesting, seeing as that has never happened before. Hell is not a true world, more like a burning prison for the 'wretched' beings of this realm." Naruto nodded at the answer, once again looking at the gigantic red ball.

"Good answer... Here is my deal. You will be released from my mind under a few stipulations. They are as following: You can never go against me and my subjects. You can stay wherever you want when I leave this village, but until that time comes, you must stay with me, to ensure my safety. Ten percent of your power will stay with me to use as I see fit. At last, I want a favor from you. An unobjectable, non-negotiable favor that you must do in the future. What that is, I do not know yet. Through the help of my lovelies, I will establish a sort of bond with you, so that your state of being is technically still considered sealed within me, negating whatever future sealing techniques used on you as long as I am alive... Cross me, and I will seal you back in my mind before destroying you, taking your powers as my own."

Here he turned around, having slit his palm with the black dagger of his, a bloody mark imprinted in his hand. Kyuubi looked at the out-stretched hand in thought, finding a few flaws within the deal set between them.

"I have two stipulations of my own. You are not to attack me, and that favor of yours can not end with my imprisonment. Agreed?" Naruto actually smiled at that, understanding Kyuubi's trepidation of being trapped within a cell.

"That is agreeable. Do we have a deal?"

For just a moment, Kyuubi seemed like he wanted to reject the offer, Naruto saw the slight fear in his eyes. A moment later though, the fox grasped the demon's hand in his own hand-like paw.

"An unbreakable pact has been made. I truly hope you know the price required if you break the rules." The fox said, almost laughing as most of his power returned to him, his flesh filling out, giving him a healthy look as he grew so he was just above six feet, leaving only a comparably small, but still quite large orb in its wake. After a slight nod, the chain that binded the fox was broken, and the remains fused with Sora, the matrix of the seal now kept hidden and memorized within the creature of darkness.

"Just so you know," Naruto started, Sora again standing by his side. "You are free to temporarily join my forces when we burn this village to the ground. In fact, you and me might actually be the only ones allowed to kill them... Well, us and Sora here of course, seeing as he is sort of my son, as he is my first, and honestly best creation." Here he patted Sora's head, refraining from quirking an eyebrow at the almost hair-like texture the Shadowling's head had taken.

"I might just do that... You are looking for your brothers, am I correct?" At the boy's nod, he continued. "Well then, I have a good thing, and a bad thing to say to you..." He stopped again at the pensive look on the boy's face.

"Yes?" The Kyuubi sighed deeply.

"The good news is, the fragments of your brother Baal is all collected and fused together, meaning that your brother is once again complete... The bad news..."

"Yes?" The demon said, his teeth grit, his anger rising. If anyone had done anything to harm his brother... Well, they wouldn't live to tell the tale. The fox only sighed, fearing a bit for his safety.

"The moment it happened, every Celestial being in existance felt it, and... Well..." He took a deep breath, preparing to scarper at the slightest hint of his impending obliteration.

"Imperius has his Soul Stone."