Chapter 6: Control

"You're ruining everything."

"Sorry," Naruto grumbled. He was getting sick of this. He was back in the house with the brunette. This time he had settled in, as he had already been there for several hours. The other had just come.

"No you aren't."

"No I'm not," Naruto admitted as he sipped the water. "Now, can I get some answers?"

The brunet sighed deeply and shook his head. "It's not that easy," he grumbled. "I really do wish I could help you, but Datenshi is calling everything."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I thought it had to do with some god or something," he said.

"Yes and no," the other said with a shrug.

"Well what the heck does that mean?"

The brunet closed his dull eyes. "It means that there are factors at play that are out of your control, and my control, and even his control. God or not, this is going to happen. I personally believe that the gods have stopped caring about this apocalypse."

"So, there are gods? Like Jashin?" Naruto asked, shuttering at the idea of more people like Hidan wandering around the world.

"Jashin is his own entity. Most of the gods don't care to mingle and deal with humanity. They'd rather let us to our own devices without caring how or when we destroy the world." The man shrugged.

"I don't get it…"

"It's complicated," he admitted. "I come from a time when gods were worshipped. We prayed for the harvest and the hunt. We prayed for the life of our men in battle, and our children sick in bed and for blessings on our houses. Those traditions died out, especially when chakra was introduced to the world."

"You have no chakra?" Naruto asked his eyes wide.

"I come from the time before Kaguya… When battles were fought hand to hand. Killing back then was far more personal, as there were no jutsu to assist in murder and assassination. Of course, we also only fought for land and crops, mostly. A few times we would go to war for simpler reasons, but in my time, there was no threat of a powerful Shinobi destroying the world in one fell swoop."

"So it was peaceful?" Naruto asked as he stared down at his hands. The cup was gone, though he didn't remember setting down.

"Other humans were not our biggest enemy, but what we were born as was. A farmer was born a farmer, lived as a farmer and died as a farmer. We accepted our fates, and farmers often died in the winter. Their children were expected to take up the farm right where the father left off. Unlike you, who choose to be a ninja, we were born into what we were to die as. We didn't have time to worry too much about what neighboring villages were doing. We were too busy with the elements."

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed. He wasn't sure what was worse. His world or theirs. "So, what does all this have to do with this impending end of days?" he asked. "Why is Datenshi so hell bent on destroying the world?"

The brunet shook his head. "I don't even think Datenshi knows that anymore," he admitted. "It has been so long and there have been so many generations. It just seems that he wants this all to end… I've never seen him so detached before."

Naruto cracked one eye open. "What do you mean? How many reincarnations of War has there been? And of the others?"

The brunet laughed softly. "There have been countless incarnations of Death and Famine, but only one War."

Naruto's eyes snapped opened. "What?"

"Datenshi is the original War. I would watch him every generation. Again and again, he would find the ones called Death and Famine. He would take them and raise them as his own, training them for their duties, waiting for the day Conquest would join their ranks… but conquest never came. For countless generations, he has gone through the same cycle. He used to open his heart to them and treat them as his own… but as time went on, he couldn't let anyone else in. There were times when he wanted to skip a generation just to save himself the heartache, but there was always that thought that the one time he didn't come for the others would be the time Conquest came for him."

Naruto looked at the brunet. All that would explain why the man was so desperate. "But I don't understand… Why is he continuing this, if even he doesn't seem to care anymore? What does he want?"

The man looked at the window and the passing feet. "What does he want?" he repeated softly. He chuckled. "He wants to die…"

Day 4 Hour 7

Kakashi was pacing in the room that had been deemed the Hokage's office in the labyrinth of tunnels where they had brought the people of Konoha and the Land of Fire. He had monitors in the room, but it was unlikely that they would work much longer. Naruto was showing no signs of waking and their time was running out. "Kakashi!"

The man turned to the open doorway. "How is he, Sakura?" he gasped, praying for good news.

"His fever's not going down," the girl said. Kakashi clenched his fists. He wasn't afraid that Naruto would die. Surely the powers that be wouldn't let him die. He was, instead, afraid that Naruto wouldn't wake up in time to stop this.

"Okay. Stay with him and let me know if anything has changed. I will keep medics throughout. Naruto is your top priority. We need him to wake up!" Sakura nodded and disappeared into the tunnels. Kakashi turned to the monitors and braced himself for the onslaught. They sprang to life, revealing the worried faces of the other Kage.

"Time's up, Kakashi," the Raikage snapped. Kakashi cursed. "You said we had a week, and it's been four days. We're out of options. We can't even go outside! There's nothing left, Kakashi! It's time to admit that Naruto's death is the only way!"

Kakashi turned to A and narrowed his eyes. "There's still time!" he snapped. "Just give him a couple more days!"

"We don't have any more days, Kakashi!" A shouted. "What will you have us do, Kakashi?"

Kakashi bowed his head as thunder shook the ground. That was the plague. Just as Naruto had said, the sun's light had burned their flesh. Today, despite the sun was still shining, there was a torrential downpour complete with lightning and thunder that shook the earth. "Give me more time," Kakashi begged.

"We're out of time. The death count is high enough, Kakashi! Don't let the rest of the world suffer because you want to save one ninja! It's time to end this!" A shouted. Kakashi clenched his fists.

He turned to the other Kage, but they remained silent. Even Gaara, despite his worried expression, was electing to remain silent. "Gaara?" Kakashi asked, hoping to find someone to agree with him in the young Kazekage.

Gaara sighed and bowed his head in defeat. "It is a difficult thing, Kakashi… I wish there was a better answer."

"This isn't an answer!" Kakashi shouted.

"Ask him," Gaara whispered calmly.

"What?"

"Ask Naruto… You know he'd do it to himself if he thought it would save everyone."

"This is madness! I'm not going to kill him in his sleep!" Kakashi snapped.

"So the boy sleeps?" A snapped.

"He's been unconscious," Kakashi admitted.

"So he's no closer to finding the answer because he's resting?" Kakashi nodded. "It is time, Lord Hokage. There's nothing else to be done."

Kakashi clenched his fists, but he knew they were right. Naruto hadn't found the scroll and now they had no idea how to stop this in time. The deaths would continue until they finally got smart. "Very well," he whispered shakily. He turned to Gaara's screen and tried to offer his a reassuring smile. "He won't feel a thing," he promised. His stomach lurched as he killed the connection. He paced the room for a moment. Could he really kill Naruto, even if it did mean saving the world? He knew Naruto would want that. Naruto wouldn't want anyone to suffer to save his life.

Kakashi steeled himself and started down the hallway to the medical ward where Naruto was. "Sakura, I need to talk to you," he said once he found her there. She nodded, turned to Shizune for a moment, and then walked over to the man.

"Yes, sensei?"

Kakashi shook his head slowly. "I need a lethal injection," he said quietly.

Sakura blinked. "What for?"

"It doesn't matter. As your Hokage, I am ordering you to mix a cocktail; one that can stop a heart almost instantly."

"Who's it for?" Sakura asked again; more forcefully.

"It's for Naruto," Kakashi admitted. Her eyes widened. "The other Kage have voted. Naruto's life isn't worth the world, Sakura."

"You can't do this to him!"

"I can and I will!" Kakashi snapped back. "And you will do your duty to the world."

"There has to be another way!"

"There isn't!" Kakashi shouted. "There's no better way! Naruto's been unconscious for thirty-six hours! We don't have any more time, Sakura! The world is ending and we can't stop it!"

"What will killing him do?" Sakura retorted. "It will only slow the inevitable!"

"If anything, it will buy us more time!"

Sakura stared up at her teacher and bit her lip, her green eyes brimming with tears. "You can't do this, sensei," she whispered.

Kakashi shook his head slowly. "I know I can't, but I have to."

Tears fell down the girl's cheeks and she nodded very slowly. "Yessir." She turned and began mixing the drugs. When she was finished, she turned to Kakashi and handed him the syringe. "Go for his heart," she explained. "He'll be dead in a second. The Kyuubi won't even have time to remove the poison."

Kakashi nodded and gently took the syringe. "Thank you," he whispered. He then turned and started for Naruto's room.

"What will I tell Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi stopped walking and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Tell him the truth."

"He'll kill you."

"Then so be it."

Kakashi wrapped the cloak around him and stood up straighter. He never wanted the role of Hokage. He only did it because he wanted to preserve something of Obito in him. He didn't want it because of moments like this; moments where he was forced to put the mission before his comrades. He didn't want to admit that as a child, this choice wouldn't be as hard. He smiled softly as he moved forward. Every Hokage had to make hard choices; they all had to do something drastic to save their people. Most, however, were being asked to sacrifice their own lives, not offer up a sacrificial lamb. He gained more confidence in his step. Killing Naruto would be what he would go down in history as. He would be ridiculed and hated as a Hokage. Many wouldn't understand why he did it, but he would, and he felt that was all that mattered in the end.

He stepped into Naruto's room and sighed. "Hinata, I need you to leave," he told the girl. She turned to Kakashi and cocked her head.

"Yessir," she whispered meekly. She patted Naruto's hand and then left the room. Kakashi turned to face Naruto and frowned.

"Well, this is it, kid," he whispered. "I'm sorry…"

"They're going to kill you…" the brunet muttered. He was staring out the window. Naruto didn't bother questioning him. He obviously could see into the realm of the living.

Naruto nodded slowly. "That's the best option," he answered.

"You're okay with that?"

"I mean, if it saves the world, I'm not going to argue. Will it save the world?"

The brunet shrugged. "I am no god. I don't know everything."

Naruto closed his eyes. "Will I be here with you, then?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. It would make sense. I cannot move on to heaven until all this is over. It would stand to reason that you could not either."

Naruto opened his eyes. "Heaven?" he asked.

The brunet nodded. "Heaven, the After Life… whatever you call it. We called it Heaven when I was your age."

"If there's a Heaven, is there a Hell?" Naruto asked, standing.

"Yes, but not how you would imagine. Getting there isn't exactly easy, and getting out is impossible. Souls there cannot be resurrected through any jutsu, but that's the thing with eternal damnation; it's eternal."

Naruto walked to the window that the man was looking out of and frowned. The other was seeing things that he could not. All he could see were the legs of people passing by. The other could see things in the world of the living. "I guess death wouldn't be so bad," Naruto muttered. "What was in that scroll you sent me to?"

"The answers you seek," the man said with a shrug.

"Oh, is that all?" Naruto asked, annoyed. He crossed his arms. "I want to go back to my body."

"That would make it harder for them to do what they need to do," the man said. "You should stay here and wait." Suddenly the man spun around and gasped. Naruto spun as well, but saw no one in the room with them. "What are you doing here?!" he snapped.

"Who?" Naruto asked.

"You can't be here! Get out!" He stopped for a moment like he was listening, then he narrowed his eyes. "It will work! You'll see! This isn't what I wanted, Datenshi! You know that!"

Naruto searched for the man, but couldn't find him. "What's going on?" The brunet turned to Naruto and shoved him. Naruto gasped and fell backward. When he hit the ground, it shattered.

Naruto opened his eyes to Kakashi about the plunge a syringe in his chest. Kakashi gasped and pulled back. "You're awake!"

"He's here!" Naruto snapped, unsure if his teacher even understood. Sure enough Datenshi and his male companion stood in the room.

"That meddling little brat," Datenshi grumbled. Kakashi turned the syringe to the man, but Datenshi merely laughed. "You are all still fools. Are you ready to accept your fate, Seifuku?" Naruto shook his head and grabbed the syringe from Kakashi, holding it to his own chest. "What are you doing with that, child?" Datenshi asked. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

"Naruto…"

"What? You were about to do it," Naruto snapped. "I'll do it, Datenshi."

"Oh? Go ahead," he said. Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I have the reincarnation of Death standing next to me, child. Do you think I can't bring you back?"

"If you could bring anyone back, then why won't you bring back to original Seifuku?" Naruto snapped.

"It's not that simple. Usually I don't get to pick who I bring back, but if I have the body, things change," the small child muttered.

"Besides, I waited hundreds of years for you. Do you think I won't wait again? I've already lost my mind, child, I don't mind waiting longer!" He rushed Naruto and slammed him against the wall. "Here, let me help you!" He pushed Naruto's hand down, flooding the boy's heart with the drugs. Naruto's eyes widened and he opened his mouth in a silent gasp. Datenshi turned to Haka. The pale child opened his mouth and his eyes rolled back in his head as he let lose an ear-splitting scream.

Naruto gasped and clawed at his burning chest, digging into the flesh. Anyone else would have died, but the boy's power was keeping him alive, but not entirely free of the effects of the poison. After a moment his moves became weak and he went limp. Datenshi dropped his body to the ground while Naruto watched through dead eyes. It was only a moment and then he sat up, gasping for air and coughing.

Datenshi turned to Kakashi. "Don't try to kill him again," he said. "I need this one alive." The two vanished and Kakashi ran to Naruto's side.

"I need… that scroll!" Naruto gasped. Kakashi frowned and nodded slowly. He helped Naruto to his bed and closed his eyes.

Land of Fire: Prehistoric

The snow was blinding as the sun poured down on it. Sodi stood silently by his mother and his aunt as men lowered the casket down into the grave. He clutched a bright red flower in his hand and closed his eyes. He hardly remembered what had happened. Some bandits came and attacked their caravan and his father, like a fool, had fought them. The merchandise was more important than their lives!

"Sodi…?"

The boy turned to his friend and frowned. He was covered in bandages and was leaning on a walking stick. Haniel wasn't supposed to be there, but they thought it would a good idea for him to meet up in the dead of winter so he could see the world, just once. Sodi's father had fought harder to protect the leader's son than his own. "You shouldn't be here," Sodi snapped.

Haniel shook his head. "I know I shouldn't… But I wanted to see how you were doing."

"How do you think I'm doing?!" Sodi shouted, making his mother turn to them. "My father is dead and it's your fault!" He was shaking with both grief and anger. "Just… go away, Han."

Haniel shook his head. "I don't want you to be alone, So," he whispered. "I'm sorry…"

"You should be," Sodi snapped. Haniel shrank back and frowned. "You think this is a game, don't you? You think going out and seeing the world is amazing! Well, it's not, because people die Haniel, but you don't know what that means! You don't know anything! You are so naive, Han!"

Haniel took a step back. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt, Sodi…" he defended weakly. "Pl-please…!"

"I know you didn't!" Sodi growled. "And that's what makes this so infuriating! You are so much a child, Haniel! There's nothing else you will ever be! You and your family live in luxury while our fathers die for money!"

"That's not all we do!" Haniel defended. "My family has hardships! Father just wants his people to be safe!"

"Then he should be out here dying with us!" Sodi screamed. Haniel gasped and took a step back. "But all he does is worry about us while we die in the field like cattle!"

"I won't be a leader like that!" Haniel retorted.

"Yes you will," Sodi said with a laugh. "You will because that's the easy way. You won't fight for us, but you'll care about us. You'll cry when we die, and celebrate when we're born, but we're just animals to you. We can be replaced easily."

Haniel bowed his head slowly. "I could never replace you, So…" he whispered

Sodi narrowed his eyes at Haniel and shook his head. "I never want to see you again, Haniel."

"Wha-what?!"

"Never speak to me again, and leave my family alone."

"Sodi!"

The boy ran at his friend and put a knife to his throat. "I mean it..."

Author's note: AH! Well, this took way longer than expected! My life is all over the place right now! Sorry it's late!