Crystalline stars shone brightly as evening ruled over a New York skyline. Silence suffused the air as autumn rolled in. However, in a town named Greenwich Village, on a Street called Christy, a little shop title "Hokus & Pokus Occult Curioso" is where our story begins...

"Death."

A candle-lit room, filled to the brim with all manner of occult trinkets and baubles, enclosed around a crimson-skirted table.

"The Tower."

One by one, a delicate hand of alabaster skin places a sole card down.

"Temperance."

Her eyes are closed, yet seeing...

"Reversed Judgement."

No secret is hidden, no stone is unturned.

"The Devil."

The clarity of truth unveils all to her.

"Reversed Moon."

This power...

"2 of Swords."

This gift...

"The Star."

Is why she is who she is; The wise, the knowing, the all-seeing...

"The Fool."

Madame Xanadu.

Destined Meeting

"Death ended one life, only to begin another. The Tower of lies stripped of its secrets, Temperance fuses the cohesive bond while Reversed Judgement brings a ghost of the past back to the living. The Devil's chain ensnares, and the Reversed Moon's light spreads chaos... Two Swords crossing reveals the guiding Star's future."

A smile touches red lips, raven-colored hair cascades like water. Green orbs reminiscent of the finest emeralds turn their gaze upon a back wall as the flames of her candles danced wildly on their wicks. Fire appeared, raging in its temperament, yet controlled as it shifts; a portal, made from the very substance of where it comes.

"Our Fool has quite the journey ahead of him..."

Three figures exited the flaming circle, and upon their leaving the blaze promptly closed behind them with but a spiraling hiss. The candles in the room returned to normal and were still in their motions, yet two of the figures abruptly dropped the third on the floor between them.

"Damn, this boy is heavy..."

"Aye, 'tis like lifting a mountain."

A giggle brought their attention off of their load and onto the goddess of a woman before them. A scowl marring her beautiful face. "Etrigan, Thief, what are you doing depositing a child on my floor like a sack of potatoes?"

The more human looking of the duo spoke up,"Oh, bullocks! Not that pilfering thing again?!"

"You stole my egg, hence you are a thief until you bring it back. Now, answer me."

Etrigan interjected hastily,"You foresaw this?"

That stopped all argument as the woman smiled,"Yes, he will be a great force in this world. For good or ill, relies completely on him."

Nodding, the rhyming demon began chanting,"Gone, gone, O Etrigan! / Resume once more the form of man!"

In a flare of scarlet light, the demon was gone, and in his place stood a tall, lithe man wearing a tan business suit with dark red hair and a lined face. This was Jason Blood, Arthurian knight of the round, and holder of the great Etrigan.

"Well, if you would allow me... I'd like to take the boy in. After all, I know a thing or two about inner demons."

Slowly, ever so slowly, the land of consciousness claimed Naruto once more. The first thing he did was open his eyes, and the second was shut them as tight as possible to avoid the blinding pain coursing in the front of his head.

'What the hell?!'

"I see your awake, here take this."

Opening his mouth, the blonde tasted the bitter seasoning of two pills on his tongue. He was soon after handed a glass, the contents of which were drained completely,"Ah..Thanks." Almost instantly, his eyes opened and he found himself eye to eye with a middle-aged man smiling at him. Instinct and training kicked in and he was on his feet, kunai drawn and a quick leap away,"Where am I? Who are you? And, what happened to the witch I was fighting?"

Smile still present, Blood brought his hands up in a placating gesture,"My, for just waking up, you certainly are an active young man.. I am Jason Blood, we are currently in my apartment, and as for the witch as put it... she was scared off by your power."

The blonde seemed to accept the answers as he brought the weapon to his side versus in front of him. The occultist took this as a sign to continue,"We are currently in the city of Gotham, Ever since I watched your fight with Circe-the witch-I have been looking after you."

Nodding, the ninja sheathed his blade and responded,"Thank you."

"Oh, no trouble. I am always willing to help another, especially if he shares my burden."

Naruto glanced at the man with a perplexed face,"What do you mean, burden?"

With a labored sigh, the man explained,"I too, house a demon within me, young man. I understand your pain all too well."

The youth stiffened sharply at the word demon, and he upon hearing out the sentence, was stunned. 'He..he's like me? Could he be-'

"Are you a jinchuuriki as well?!"

"Jin chew re-key? I am unfamiliar with that particular term, could you perhaps expound a bit?"

"Jinchuuriki, or the power of sacrifice. They are those who have demons sealed into them through any variety of means, used as weapons, viewed as nothing more than the monsters they contain. It is a life of fear, pain, and loneliness."

Watching the boy speaking, Jason saw the hurt and sorrow within his words. It touched his heart in a certain way," Well, I do have a demon inside me, but it was in order to protect my home of one time. I myself am immortal, thanks to my...partner, and I have used his power for as long as I can remember in the service of protecting others."

'So, he is like me...' The young sage looked about himself, there were books all around kept in neat rows on bookshelves, and there was a large desk off to his left that held an odd assortment of things on it. There was light to his right coming from an enormous glass window, and upon walking up to it, the blonde realized that he was definitely in some kind of city.

"S-sugoi! This is definitely not like Konoha, mr.? Um, I never got your name."

'That is strange, he just asked me that not too long ago...'

"I told you earlier, my name is Blood, Jason Blood. Are you sure that you are alright?"

"I-I did? I'm sorry, I-urgh!"

Jason jumped as the boy before him started to convulse, his body seeming to be the puppet of some hellish show as his limbs spasmed about wildly. The immortal ran to his young guest's side as the boy fell down, passed out cold.

"Naruto!? What happened, Naruto!"

The sensation of being soaked was the first thing he felt, even as his eyes opened to the blackness around him. His mind was slow to gather, but with a steadily growing sense of dread, he realized...

'This place! Oh no, not here..not here kuso!'

He was once again in a place he hated more than anything. He was once more trapped within the seal of the kyuubi.

With heavy steps he found his way, his thoughts racing about as strongly as his heart was pounding away at his ears. Soon, far too soon for his liking, he found himself before the bars of his tenant and was afraid. A low, yet thunderous growl emanated from behind the gate, and the beast made itself known.

"Welcome back ningen."

Watchtower ~ 1:28am EST

"JLA Database: Member 2.1.3. Etrigan, transference complete."

Belial's son exited the teleporter in a dead sprint, dozens were passed in his rush, yet a blur of ruby appeared next to him in the form of the flash. "Hey big guy, what's the rush, and is that a kid on your shoulder?!"

"Go get a medic, now! I have no time for your folly today."

For once, the speedster didn't have to be told twice, as he bolted off to do just as he was asked.

"You...what the fuck do you want Kyuubi?!"

Terror turned to rage for an instant, and that was all it took..

A flare of red came from the corner of the room, and there were the crimson eyes of Wrath staring from the darkness,"Why hello little one, it's quite the surprise to see you again."

"Not you too, can't I be left alone, is that too much to ask?"

The nine-tails spoke up,"Unfortunately, this isn't an option. We have much to discuss."

"What could we possibly have to talk about?! You imprisoned me in my own mind, forced me to kill one of my precious people, and then killed me when...my...father-what happened to my dad?"

It was Wrath who spoke this time, however, there was something...off about him as he responded.

"Naruto, there was an..unexpected result after you supposedly died."

The medical bay was filled with examination tables and other sorts of medicinal machinations, so it was fairly easy to find a place to put the blonde as Etrigan began to chant. " Gone, gone, O Etrigan! / Resume once more the form of man!"

Jason Blood was standing over the bedside of the blonde before Flash came in with the Martian Manhunter, Giovanni Zatara, Batman, and Superman. As they came in, Jason hastily said,"I don't know what happened, one second he was talking with me, and the next he just started having spasms and fainted."

Superman was the first to speak,"Um, Jason.. Who is this? If you don't mind my asking."

Fixing his gaze on the group, he responded,"This boy is a summons of Circe that battled her to a draw using a sort of demon form similar to my own with Etrigan...He is also my newly adopted son."