Chapter 2: An Assassin

Naruto spent a week learning from the book. It was a tome of inestimable knowledge. It detailed the entire life of Firavel Duali or, as he should have been in Naruto's language Duali Firavel.

The young child realized several things from that book, some told directly, others implied. This book was simply from another world. A world of magic and sorcery, where might made right, where adventurers killed powerful monsters every day, where ninja were not jutsu-slinging warriors but shadow-cloaked assassins.

Many parts were scary, but Firavel's writing put many things into perspective and his, somewhat dry, humour helped the child along. He learned many things from that book, seeing as the Shadow Elf was very, very good at explaining things. It seemed he had wanted people to learn both his story and his techniques, his fighting style, everything. In the book were training excercises, lessons on the use of Shadow Magic Firavel was so fond of, even on how to research and create alchemical and poisonous substances. The entire training regime of the Shadow Lotus Guild, a guild that had apparently taken most of the skills monks trained in along with a sneaky rogue's cunning and mixed them together creating what seemed to be the perfect assassin.

Naruto didn't realize it at the time, but his mind, his psyche was adapting to Firavel's essence just as his body did. It wasn't immidiately noticeable, but Naruto became more ambitious, more focused, less concerned with what others thought.

Then... the story ended. But the book had much more left to go. It was Firavel's final gift to whoever found that book. A mighty spell that would transform the inheritor of his Legacy into a Shadow Elf, much like Firavel himself. Naruto was already so enamoured by the Shadow Elf's life he didn't think much about it. He ignored the warning about his life changing, just as his entire being would.

With firm, sure hands, Naruto began the ritual. Of course, it didn't happen instantly, nor in a day. It took him almost a week to find the proper ingredients to properly prepare for it. But, one day, a day he knew that Hokage-jiji, who would never have agreed to it, wouldn't pay attention. So what, thought little Naruto, so what if he lost all links to his previous family? He was just a nameless, worthless orphan, hated by all around him. He would rise though, rise to the power and skill that would make all others respect him, notice him and remember him. For a nameless orphan like Naruto, the immortality afforded by becoming a Legend was greater than anything else.

He began casting the ritual, speaking words that were rough on his tongue, the flames of the candles swaying hypnotically, the scent of burning incence clouding the air around him. The book was on top of his folded legs as he sat and spoke words of power never heard in these lands.

A few moments later, Naruto's eyes were begining to close, feeling immese tireness behind them. But his mouth never stopped, his voice never wavered. Words now flowed like a river from his throat, the punctuations corrected without any conscious thought, for such the spell commanded. Naruto wouldn't be able to stop, even if he wanted.

A dark, shadowy cloud seeped slowly out of the book and encased Naruto in a coccoon of unpierced darkness.

And Naruto lost consciousness.

Deep inside Naruto's mindscape, the great Demon Kyubi roared in laughter. The boy had ceased being human, the fool. Now the seal would open, giving him his freedom. And Lo and Behold, the gate DID open. The great demon took a step forward when a voice caused him more anger and hate than anything else. For in front of him stood the Yondaime Hokage, Hero of Konoha and the person, the mere human that was responcible for his imprisonement.

"Soko made da. Kyubi. (That's as far as you go. Kyubi.)"

"YONDAIME! I WILL DESTROY YOU!"

Yet, before the demon could move, chains of chakra wrapped around him, stopping him in his tracks as another figure, a red head this time appeared.

"KUSHINA? YOU TOO?"

The pair stood their ground. It was a hopeless battle, but for the sake of their sole child, they would do it, even if he wouldn't biologically be their child once it was over. The pair took their combat stances and were ready to fight when another voice cut in, soft, velvety and yet with a touch of silver and maybe even hardened steel, emotionless-seeming yet more impressed than imaginable.

"So this is the youngling's mind? Most impressive of him, to grow up as he did. Most impressive indeed."

A person walked out of the shadows, but he wasn't a human, not by a long shot. He was shorter than most people, leaner too, but even through his grey-black armor, his muscles were clearly defined. He had an angular, sharp face, with no facial hair except two thin, elegant even, eyebrows and a mane of long dark blue hair. On his head, a diadem, embroidered with silver, gold and a black diamond held the hair from his face. His skin was like ebon, only a slightly gray-er tone, giving the illusion of a moving dark sculpture. Eyes so piercing they seemed to see through all before it, almond shaped and a mixture of purple and black. Oh yes, this person was most definitely not human. Something even more apparent from his pointed ears as he walked passed the stunned pair, in front of the Demon Lord. He wore chainmail armor, dulled so as to not draw attention. Several parts were covered by leather armor, studded with the same dulled metal, reducing the mobility restriction. He had a bandoleer in front of his chest, storing several small vials, round orbs and even a scroll. Behind him was a bow, almost as long as Daikyu, built with a recurve, a score of arrows hanging bellow it, held securely in place. On another holster on his back was a short staff-like weapon, made of dark wood and embroidered with gold inscriptions and runes. On his hip was a hand crossbow with a few bolts under it and one knocked and ready. Wrapped around his waist, looking like a belt, was a whip with a dagger in the end, while on the boots, them too elegand and made of dark leather more supple than anything they had seen before, were a pair of broad-bladed knives, made to hook on flesh and create large, bleeding gashes. Over the whip were several shuriken. The armor was somewhat covered with aristocrat's clothings, in a mixture of purple, black and gold. A halfcoat covered a shoulder, with a large crest on it looking like a crescent moon with a knife behind it, words from another language inscribed under it.

It was Firavel Duali, or at least his essense.

"What are you doing here beast? Tainting this child's mind and soul? Though even that doesn't go that well does it?"

"HOW DARE YOU! I AM THE MIGHTY DEMON LORD KYUBI NO YOKO! PATHETIC INSECT, I WILL CRUSH YOU!"

The elf's voice came again, but this time with barely concealed hate. This scum would destroy a child, his own legacy too? Unacceptable.

"I think not demon. I have slain many of your kind before while I was alive, all of them much more terrifying than a mere nine-tailed fox. I think I'm going to be the first to ever slay a demon while dead though. Thanks for another chance to prove my Legacy, demon. But you shall not lay a finger on the child, nor on his parents! May some god show you mercy and let me kill you quickly, for I will most certainly not."

Before the, very, surprised eyes of the Yondaime Hokage and his wife, Firavel disappeared from sight, moving in immense speeds. His form leaped around the mindscape, bouncing off everything, even running on the wall, without chakra. Sure, confident hands pulled out the bow, notched arrows and started shooting arrow after arrow. The missiles themselves lit up with a brilliant flame after being launched and struck the demon, their numerous enchantments dealing surprisingly grievous wounds. The demon made to smash the annoying elf with a mighty tail, but Firavel used his whip to grab on to it and re-direct himself mid-flight, leaving some wounds from the whip as well.

Yondaime was openly gaping at the agile elf while his wife was... cheering him on. "Go get him! DATTEBANE!" It was the kindest cheer, for soon after followed with more... dangerous ones, like cutting off the fox's genitals. Minato shuddered, remembering his wife's temperament while Firavel smirked. Amongst the chaos of the demon's pained cries, Firavel's voice reached the woman.

"If you weren't married, my Legacy's mother or both of us dead, I would have fallen for you. Woman, you are by far one of the most fiery females I have met!"

Minato, jealousy getting the better of his mouth, screamed at the elf. "Hey, that's MY wife you're flirting with!" He only received Firavel's laughter in responce, realizing that the Shadow elf was merely joking around.

Kushina blushed at the praise but laughed as well, especially when Firavel struck his boot's knives right into the... underside... of Kyubi. The demon yowled in pain and reeled back. Getting his chance, Firavel seemed to focus for a second before blazing through the battlefield, small flashes of silver coming from his previous position. The demon reeled back from the assault and the two shinobi realized that Firavel had riddled the demon with several shuriken.

Of course, Kyubi wouldn't just take this, he roared and blasted the elf with his chakra, seeing as trying to hit him with any form of targeted attacks was fruitless. The elf however moved like a fish in water, contorted his body like an eel or maybe a snake and completely avoided the blast of energy, surprising the demon. However, the Kyubi also noticed something else. Firavel had ran out of all his weapons except the weird staff-like weapon on his back and his whip-dagger.

"HAHAHA! PATHETIC MORTAL! YOU HAVE NO MORE WEAPONS TO THROW TO ME! NOW YOU SHALL DIE!"

Kushina and Minato were terrified for a bit, before seeing Firavel's smirk. The agile assassin removed his staff from his back and gave an absolutely terrifying smirk to the demon.

"Is that a challenge? Then I will get serious, demon fool!"

A quick touch from Firavel's skilled fingers and a pair of blades shot out from the tips of the staff with a soft 'shink!' sound. He twirled the double spear-like weapon around him in eight-figures and fell to a comfortable stance. Then, he was gone. Not speed, just a flicker of shadows in his place. Kyubi roared in pain as the elf had appeared behind his hind legs and severed the muscles cleanly. A short dash later, he was in front of the demon's front feet and cut them down as well, causing the great beast to collapse with a resounding boom.

The two onlookers cringed for a second, thinking Kyubi had fallen right onto Firavel, but they were quickly reassured as the Shadow Elf had appeared above the demon, falling onto it's head. With a twist of his wrists, the short staff had disconnected in the middle. Now, it had a pair of long, thin spikes, much like a tamo dagger's blades. He fell onto the demon's neck and stabbed, hard. The spikes easily penetrated the demon's skin, reached between the vertebrae and severed them. Firavel then leapt off the neck, pirouetted through the air and landed onto Kyubi's nose, his face hard yet excited. He was panting quite heavily from the exertion, but he was definitely in a much better shape than his adversary.

"This is the end, Demon. I know you will reform one day. But my Legacy, my Successor, the boy you sought to destroy will be here. And he will end you again and again. Die."

The ebon-skinned elf raised his weapons and with an unbelievable burst of speed leapt onto the demon's head and stabbed downwards. The thin spikes pierced through the demon's skull, their enchantments enlarging the blades, and went through to the demon's brain, killing it and dispersing it with a final curse.

Firavel fell to the ground lightly, without even raising a spec of dust or making a ripple on the water. He panted, but twirled the two weapons in his hands before re-combining them and storing them on his back. He looked expectant towards the two stunned humans in front of him.

Minato was the first to speak. "You... you... you killed him! I... I couldn't do anything but you killed him as if he was a mere child!"

Firavel smirked. "Yes, but unlike you I shot him with so many alchemical poisons that would have taken down an entire country. Also, unlike you, my weapons are extremely powerful magical items, possessing demon-slaying enchantments. He was a very powerful adversary, but I was prepared for him. And you, my fair lady, are you alright?" He asked Kushina.

The red-head gaped for a bit before shaking her head and leaping at the elf, hugging him tightly, thanking him over and over. He had not only destroyed her own curse, but also her son's as well. Firavel gave her a soft smile and a one-armed hug.

"Now, I'm afraid it's time for me to leave." He said. "I have left everything to my successor, your son. He should come by soon, to speak with you. Tell him the truth. He will not misjudge you. His trials have given him wisdom beyond his years, maybe even beyond mine. Farewell and Luna's light guide you."

Then the elf faded away into wisps of shadow and smoke, back into the book that held his essense. A book that had mysteriously added several pages to the back, for Naruto to write his own stories in.

Mere seconds after Firavel's departure, another figure walked in. He shared the shadow elf's skin color, his hair and even general build. But he was much younger and his eyes were a deep blue, slowly turning black as it neared the .

"Mother? Father?" A soft voice spoke from the shadows, shaking the pair from their stupor. They rushed to the boy and hugged him tightly, crying tears of happiness. Kushina began fussing over the former blonde while Minato patted the boy on his back.

"Hello son. I'm sorry for what I did to you. But I had to protect everyone. I... I didn't think they would have disregarded my final wish to see you as a hero. I'm so sorry son... Sorry for not being there for you."

Kushina looked tearfully at her son as well, for maybe the last time on that earth. "Me too Naru-chan. Me too. If only I was stronger, Kyubi wouldn't have been released and we would all have been a family. I'm so sorry my son, I'm so sorry, forgive me..."

Tears fell from her eyes onto her son's shoulder as she held him close, trying to give him the love she never could before. Then, Naruto's voice cut them both.

"Why should I forgive you?" He said, before laughing at their surprised faces. "I have nothing to forgive. You didn't do anything bad. You tried your best and that's all I could ever ask from you. It's not your fault you weren't here for me, it was Kyubi's. You didn't abandon me, you didn't leave me behind. You loved me, you always... always loved me. So what if I couldn't see it, your love didn't go away, it always was there and always will be. So, mom, dad, don't cry any more. I love you too, I love you so much it almost hurts." Naruto was crying at the end, but it was tears of happiness, not sadness, so much happiness that it poured out of his heart like an all-powerful river, cleansing all in it's way, giving life and taking away death and sadness.

The family hugged tightly, savouring the meeting. Naruto, suddenly, let out a sad laugh. His parents looked at him surprised.

"You know, it's ironic. Thanks to Firavel, the Kyubi's banished and you we are free. But my body can't produce chakra so I can't keep you here. If I hadn't met Firavel, Kyubi would still be here, but I also would have the chakra to keep you with me. Now... Now I don't know if I regret finding that book."

Kushina looked at her son, emotions running through her eyes. "It matters not son. You will be with us someday, when you move on. Until then, we will love you from afar. We will always be watching you. Our beloved little Naru-chan..."

Minato nodded in agreement at his son, feeling his time to go grow near.

Naruto looked at his mother. "Nee, kaa-chan... could you... could you do me a favour?" His face had apparently blushed if the increase of purple-red color on his cheeks was any indication.

Kushina looked at him curious and she nodded.

"I... I really want you to... sing me a lullaby mom. I never... never had any so... I..."

Kushina placed her son's head on her lap as she ran her hands through his hair. With a soft, sweet voice, she began to sing, her voice reverbrating through the walls. The mindscape shook with every note, every syllable that escaped her mouth. The walls, broken already, fell away, crumbling into nothingness as fresh, silvery-white walls showed from behind. Pipes, rusted, were mended and the ceaseless dripping of unshed tears stopped. The water, that was pooling at their feet, drained away, revealing a spotless floor. The ceiling, so down it was suffocating, opened away, revealing a beautiful sunrise.

Minato and Kushina watched on in wonder as the mere act of singing a lullaby fixed the damage so many years of hate had caused to their son. Naruto's breathing became slow and shallow as he fell away into peaceful slumber. His last words, his last thoughts reflected immense joy, happiness and relief.

"Now... now I know why everyone likes them so much..."

Kushina looked down at her child's peaceful face, and tears welled into her eyes. Minato was gently rubbing her back, showing his support. With a broken voice, the red-headed woman spoke, for the last time to her son.

"Nee... Naru-chan... grow well alright? Don't fight with everyone... And, make lots and lots of friends... Don't eat too much ramen and make sure to eat your veggies... Also... also, find yourself a girl... and give me lots of grandbabies and... and..." Kushina sniffed a bit. "And live well Naruto-chan. Live well and happily and grow strong and become the Legend you want to be and... and just be happy Naruto-chan... Be happy my little Maelstrom..."

Minato let a small chuckle escape his lips. "Heh, my time to say goodbye and Kushi-chan took it all away. But... she already said everything I ever wanted to say. So... I'm gonna say this... become strong Naruto. And take no shit from anyone. Show them your worth. You're a Namikaze the... the last Namikaze. So show them what an Uzumaki-Namikaze can do and kick ass for both me and you mom. And don't worry. Me and your mother will always remember you. You are already a legend to us... My son... grow strong..."

Kushina had let her son's head rest on the stone, yet somehow still comfortable, floor as she stood up, taking her husbands hand as their figures began to blur and fade away. Their united voice echoed through the mindscape.

"We will always love you, we will always be watching. Goodbye... our son."

A few wisps of light that lazily fell on Naruto's calm face were all that remained. A smile, a rare, true, joyful smile etched itself onto Naruto's face.

Outside the Mindscape, Naruto's body, long since wrapped in a coccoon of power and shadow, began to emerge. The coccoon dispersed as dawn's light landed on it. Naruto's purple-black eyes opened and peered through the glass windows, his hands giving him shade to adapt to the light. He got up, dusted himself off and looked into the mirror. He was wearing yesterday's clothes, but that's all that remained of the previous Naruto. Now, he looked like in his mindscape, a young Shadow Elf. He glanced to a still shadow-covered corvered and smirked. He cracked his joints, enjoying the sound and relaxation they brought. He concentrated on the shadowy essence around him and his form wavered and altered, becoming that of a brown-haired, brow-eyed average boy. He took the velvet bag, which he now knew to be a bag of holding, capable of storing immense amounts of things, placed the book inside and stored the bag in a brown leather backpack. He slung it over his shoulder and leapt out the window, marching towards the Hokage Tower.

Firavel Duali's time had come once again.

A/N: Not much to report here.

Firavel Duali is a level 40 assassin, a god-slayer. Kyubi was defeated because he was a demon and, at those levels, demons are pretty much one of the two major enemies, along with dragons. So, Firavel had enchanted his gear to kill demons easier. Along with specially brewed alchemical poisons and... well you got the point.

Yes, Naruto will have crazy skills. No, he won't have chakra, he won't need it. Yes, he's going to be kicking major ass. No, he's not going to be a whiny little brat trying to save everyone but neither will he be an emotionless murderer or what have you. If anything he's inspired by my character, which means he's going to act somewhat insane, extremely focused to the point of obsession and he's going to be a very, very lethal dude.