Thanks guys for sticking with me through the desktop fiasco. The replacement computer seems to be working perfectly so the chapters will be coming more frequently. Here's the next one.
***************************************Chapter Start*********************************
In the following weeks things struggled to go back to normal. Damage was repaired, bodies removed, 'stains' cleaned away. The civilians returned to their homes and businesses and life resumed, except for the overhanging sense of grief at the death of their leader and undercurrent of fear, who would lead them now?
Then, by unanimous vote coupled with the discovery of the will of Hirzen Saratobi it was decided.
Naruto would have cracked up there on the streets when he learned the identity, but he was SUPPOSE TO be in mourning like everyone else.
His sake drinking, gamble-addicted godmother.
Apparently the Third had nominated his godfather, funny in itself-but in the event he refused the position (let's face it, NOTHING was allowed to interrupt that man's perving)-it would go to his godmother. Because the Third had left it in his will AND the council approved it (the last Senju as the Fifth Hokage-just like her grandfather before her, who WOULDN'T want that? Good for Kohona's image) and lastly the civilians voted for it wholeheartedly, she couldn't refuse without looking bad. And with Kain having already paid off her depts, it wasn't as if anyone would be coming to demand since she was the Hokage, Hidden Leaf itself pay off what she owed.
Naruto did however crack up when he came in once-to visit of course, not to laugh at her-when he found her asleep across the desk, muttering about "paperwork, so much paperwork. What, did the old man leave it ALL for ME to do?"
Just after everything calmed down and went back to normal, Naruto and the rest of the Guardians confronted Shino. He reluctantly admitted he had discovered the ability in an previous training session but had been reluctant to use it, knowing man wasn't meant to control time-absolute power corrupts absolutely. Being able to control and manipulate the future and past, what COULD BE was too much of an temptation. What person in the world wouldn't kill to have the ability to go back and correct every little mistake they made? To go to the future and see what will happen so they could manipulate the present in THEIR favor?
He had tested, but so far only seemed able to go back seconds, he had not been able to stand the thought of loosing Shikamaru and THAT was the only reason he did it.
He then asked Naruto how HE had been able to remember what happened, everyone else but him 'forgot' the events of the original time-line.
Shikamaru didn't remember.
"We are the Balance Guardian" Naruto said "of course we'd remember."
"I have traveled back and forth through time" Razeil answered with his next breath "I have seen hundreds of versions, even been there at the center of one of those shifts-twice. "
"So you're saying since you were there for these events it's given you some...leeway with others?"
The wraith nodded "my rebirth-even my true birth were pivital events in history. There are a few in time who are the same, time moves around them and depend on their actions for certain points to actually occure. That gives them some 'wriggle room' in such as these."
It was also decided that Sasuke leaving Hidden Leaf to 'defect' to Sound would wait a few months. He wasn't quite ready yet and it gave Orochimaru time to APPEAR to be struggling with finding a way to heal, to get use of his arms back.
After all, if he had really lost the use of his arms, he wouldn't be worried about Sasuke at the moment.
In reality Naruto had Spectral Jumped inside the base, healed him and secretly moved among the snake-nin's forces, ferreting out spies or traitors for him to know about and keep an eye on.
It was during this time that Naruto had found...IT.
"How did this base come to be?" he frowned as he faced the snake-nin.
"Come to be?" the sannin frowned at him "what do you mean?"
"Did YOU build it, or did you merely find it and claim it as your own?"
"Ah" Kabuto looked at him "master, I believe he found that hidden door. The one we could never open."
After grimacing at the title Orochimaru searched his memory for it. It took a few long seconds to find it among all the things he wanted to forget, but it was there and he nodded to his medic "you are right" he looked at the younger man "when I originally found this place, it was an entrance, hall, this room..." he motioned around him "and THAT DOOR we could never open. We tried everything, jutsu, explosives, summon NOTHING could get inside or even open it. It seems protected somehow in ways too advanced for us. So I had the base built around it in the hope of one day finding a way inside." He looked at Naruto curiously "you know WHAT it is and why it's there?"
Naruto nodded "the one that enacted that jutsu on you endangers the entire planet with his scheming. Somehow my fathers ancestors-who were an highly advanced race-foresaw the events this guy did and left various chambers and items of power around the Elemental Nations for those chosen to fight him to use against him and protect them. Some have already been found, only a few, but if it really is protected, this is one of them."
"Whose?"
"I have no idea."
"Why do I feel drawn to it?" Orochimaru asked softly, thoughtfully "like it's calling me? But it won't let me in."
Naruto's head snapped up towards him "WHAT did you just say?!"
"I'm drawn to it, always have since I found it. Which is why I had the base built here. Yet I can't get in like everyone else."
Naruto frowned "have you gone near it since your return from Hidden Leaf?" When the snake-nin shook his head, Naruto rose from his seated position and motioned the two to follow "come with me."
The two followed Naruto to the door where Naruto motioned at it "touch it." When the sannin just frowned at him, he just motioned again "trust me."
Slowly the sannin reached out and lay a palm flat against the door.
There was an hum of power and the door lit up under his flesh, a line of light spreading out from between flesh and stone, racing around the surface of the door until a symbol-a picture- appeared.
Snake nin and medic gasped, an white snake! The same one that the sannin had been experimenting with! The one the Otokage had become so alike!
There was a sound, like power coming to life and old machinery awakening and the three stepped back, Orochimaru away from the door as the heavy stone slid open, revealing an dimly lit interior and stairs.
Before the others could move in, Naruto caught both their arms and pulled them short, speaking first to Kabuto "you can't go in there, no one but Orochimaru-san can."
"Why not?" the medic frowned suspiciously.
"The chamber is only for the one it was designed for, any other will die in there, this is for him an him alone." He released his arm to look at the snake-nin "if this is one of THOSE chambers, there will be a test, to prove who you are and your worthiness. To pass you must hold NOTHING back, it will take all your skill and cunning. Once you have passed and the object is yours and in your possession, THEN it will be safe for us to come inside, not a moment earlier. For this you are on your own."
Orochimaru hesitated "the...object at the end. Is it worth it?"
"Everything left by the ancient vampires has proven useful-vital even so far. Whatever it is will either prove vital to the future or invaluable to you later on, believe me."
Hesitantly the Otokage nodded and moved inside. Kabuto started to panic when the door started to close behind his 'master', but Naruto soothed him softly "it's alright, it just ensures he's not followed or interrupted. This will require all the intelligence, cunning and speed he can muster."
Ten minutes later they were still waiting and Kabuto had been forced to move off and divert some Sound from the area. Once one of the ninja had gotten past Kabuto and Naruto had been forced to Spectral Jump to avoid him.
It took at least twenty minutes before the door slid open. Naruto sent an mental call to the silver haired medic who came as soon as he could.
Together the two moved inside.
Kabuto looked around in awe at the architecture inside as well as the symbols everywhere. He never thought he would see snakes portrayed so nobly and heroically, but here they were.
In a corner they found the sannin slumped against the wall, seemingly unconscious, limp, hair hanging down to hide his face from them. Naruto reached the figure first, kneeling by his side to examine him. By the time Kabuto had reached him, Naruto was finished with his exam and looked up "he's uninjured, just exhausted and low on chakra. It took a lot out of him."
In an surprisingly tender gesture, Kabuto knelt in front of his kage and stroked the hair from his face gently "sensei?"
"I remember" he slurred weakly "I remember EVERYTHING." The two exchanged looks "Everything?"
"Everything, everything they made me forget, HE made me forget." He motioned weakly at the back of his head and Naruto gently pulled him forward so Kabuto could move his hair to the side to reveal...
Naruto frowned "a SEAL?!" he leaned a little closer to look more clearly "it's one designed for memories, I've seen it in use on prisoners of the T&I."
Something was attacking it, eating away at it, they could see chunks slowly disappearing as they watched. A line of glowing light ran just under the snake-nin's skin from it and following it back they found his left hand still clutched around an item, a book.
A book on sealing Naruto had never seen before. Is THIS what the ancients had left the man? A BOOK? But why? Although if someone HAD previously sealed away the sannin's TRUE memories and manipulated them to suite him or her, perhaps it made sense.
Letting the man lean back against the wall again, Naruto looked into his eyes. The yellow was clouded and unfocused as he obviously attempted to sort through the mess inside, new and old, real and fake.
"My father was a great seal master" he began "he was the one the Hokage called on when needed, HE EVEN started to teach Jiriaya."
Naruto nodded to Kabuto "keep him talking" he said to him mentally "it will help him sort it all out if he speaks of it."
The medic nodded "HE was the one who taught the greatest seal master in Kohona? Wow. Did he teach you as well?"
The sannin frowned "no, he refused, he wanted me to follow mother. When I started to get into it and create my own, he punished me" he motioned at his neck again. "he sealed away all my knowledge and memory of them until the one-eyed ninja contaminated it with his jutsu."
Naruto's eyes widened and he looked at the Medic, identical knowledge in his eyes "the curse seal" they said together. It all fit. Orochimaru had said he could see those capable of using sage energy, could see it, but couldn't use it himself. Combine that with a child experimenting with seals. He had said he wanted to find a way to allow those who had the capability to actually use it. The snake nin must have been trying to find a seal capable for releasing that energy in ninja from an very young age when his father found out and in order to stop him, sealed that knowledge away, it was too dangerous-for him and those he chose to use to try it out on.
However he could STILL see that energy and after his parents died and the one-eyed ninja cast that jutsu, the desire returned, only because of the contamination...
"I can continue, with this" the sannin's eyes were slowly clearing as the light faded, it's work done. "I don't know how your ancestors knew so much about seals and sealing, WAY MORE than Jiriaya ever did, but I can continue my original work as it was meant to be, not that abomination it became. They even made sure I would never be twisted so badly again. Look."
Frowning the two leaned forwards again.
A new seal was there where the other was, it hadn't been there seconds ago. "What is it?" Kabuto asked, then yelped when he went to touch it and instead received an aggressive shock, quickly snatching his hand back.
"An seal of guardianship, think of it as an protection charm. No one will ever control me again. But it also has an type of filter, so if the one-eyed ninja returns to renew the jutsu it won't work, but I'll know what he wants me to do, so I can act on them like he's in control, but he is not" he looked at Naruto "that's when Kabuto will get in touch with you." The tailed and winged boy nodded and leaned forward to get a better look at the new seal without touching "it seems your new seal acts like my Skulks, it protects the bearer from ALL chance of contamination. You saw it's reaction to Kabuto, now you know why when you tried to seal Sasuke the reaction was...severe."
Orochimaru's hand flew to the mark "you mean that they..."
"Yes. Somehow and some way, the knowledge of the ancients sealing was passed from them to you though this book, and to the Kyuubi through me."
"Although" he thought "how did the knowledge of the ancient vampires sealing get passed to the nine tailed? They are two completely different time periods nowhere near each other?"
"I have no idea" came the inner reply "I just have it. I never questioned it before."
His answer came a few weeks after Tsunade's appointment as Fifth and the 'event' at Sound. Team Seven was called in for an special mission.
"The Fire Lord is sending an dignitary to Hidden Leaf" she said "to officiate my induction as Hokage. You four are to meet him on the way to Hidden Leaf, he should be just arriving in Grass Village now" she handed over the information on a scroll. "His safety is the top priority, the official is close friends with the Lord and his wife and has known them for many years. This makes him a target to those seeking to harm the Fire Lord. Meet him and make sure he and his property reach Hidden Leaf safely and undamaged."
"Um" Naruto started "why did you choose us of all teams? If this guy is so important, shouldn't the ANBU or even chichi be the ones to escort him."
"Because for some reason your team were requested" Tsunade said to them "no set reason why was given, just that he wanted you four and no one else."
"Hmm" Kakashi said, stroking his covered chin thoughtfully "this implies either the Fire Lord is up to something putting him with us, or the dignitary knows of or one of us personally."
"But who and why?" Sasuke questioned.
"THAT we'll have to wait to find out."
As they moved towards the coordinates given Kakashi felt a sense of foreboding he hoped to the Kami was wrong. However he also noticed Naruto tensing the closer they got.
"Something's wrong" Naruto frowned and spoke suddenly, staring ahead of them where they were going intently.
Aware by now of the blonde's heightened senses and sixth sense for danger-never mind the fact he felt something wrong for himself, Kakashi tensed "what is it, Naruto?"
"I don't know exactly" the boy frowned "something's wrong ahead, I sense Jitsu's and fire."
"Like where we are supposed to meet our client?"
"SHIT!" Naruto was off so fast even Kakashi with all his years and experience, was having trouble keeping up.
They entered a clearing just in time to take the situation in.
Ninja's from the Fire Lord, probably guards to the dignitary, lay dead around the place, blood and...other things all over trees, grass and bare earth. Along with them were dead kin-nins, obviously the aggressors.
There was an covered carriage, the horses obviously gone, near the far trees.
Just as they were entering the clearing, Naruto was attacking one lone ninja, glowing sword drawn, however he wasn't in time to stop the man launching an huge fireball at the lone carriage.
"SENSEI!" Sakura screamed, Kakashi attempting to go through the hand signs for an water attack to douse the flames, but it was too late, THEY were too late.
Flames engulfed the carriage and there was no hope for those on board. Kakashi continued, hoping to put it out on time when he was stopped "Sensei let me, I won't need chakra."
Hesitating the man nodded.
Raising one hand, the other and then dramatically clapping his hands together Naruto send an huge tree-high vertical wall of water to cover the entire area of the burning structure, dousing it instantly.
As the four headed for the ruined structure Kakashi spoke "which was that attack? I have never seen it before."
"Water glyph."
"You used Sound on those Sound nins in the Forest Of Death, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Tell me about it" Kakashi said as they started to dig into the burnt frame, looking for survivors or bodies. So the pink and brunette haired teens began to recap the events as they worked.
"Quick thinking, Naruto" the sensei appraised "thinking like that on a battlefield is what keeps you and those you work with and love alive."
"Well father taught me that many enemy are NOT immune-even vulnerable-to their own attacks. So sound may be their attack, but it is also their weakness. I mean how many people out there train against their own bloodline and or attacks?"
"I do" Sasuke said "Itachi and I trained each other to resist or even overpower each other's Sharingan, he said I have to be ready for ANYTHING, even the unlikely attack of another Sharingan."
"Unlikely?" Naruto grunted "more like likely. Don't forget our enemy possesses an Uchiha body, complete with Sharingan. Obito may have had only one eye after giving it to Kakashi sensei, but how much do you want to bet once he transferred bodies, he transplanted his previous forms eyes into the new one? Meaning we have an former ANCIENT Uchiha with who knows how much knowledge and probably an mangeko to boot and years of hatred against the Senju and Kohona to contend with."
"I'd hardly call him ancient" Sasuke snorted "KAIN-SAMA is way older than this guy even Razeil-niisan and Kyuubi-neesan. Just because he's two hundred odd doesn't make him an ancient. He's not ancient, just old."
"True" came another voice. "It would be an distinction known and I would expect from no one less then the son of my blood-child and his team."
The group froze, looking around but seeing nothing. The voice had been male, gentle and kind, whispering around them like an breeze through the trees, but while amused it seemed very grandfatherly, even priestly. The words were very old, almost like an priest would use, even ancient, but the actual age was indistinguishable.
"Wait" the blonde frowned "I know that voice, I've heard it before...But where?"
"Naruto?" the group looked at their blonde friend.
"I've heard it before, no...wait, niisan has. But we can't place it."
As they watched his eyes went white and he began to look around. "Where are you?" He said in the voice they knew by now meant his brother's spirit was out and in control.
"Look up."
The blonde's head snapped up and he gaped, "YOU!? IT CAN'T BE!"
The other three followed his eyes to gasp. Above the trees but close enough for them to see fully was a sight.
Huge black wings dipped in white spread to allow flight, skin of dark grey\blue was a figure. He had slicked back black hair cut around the back of the neck and streaked with grey.
The hands were what could only be described as cloven, two fingers and a eyes were yellow\gold the frame tall and well build-muscular.
Two longer and pointed canines were seen on the top jaw of the mouth, similar to Naruto when his brother showed fully.
He appeared at least forty, maybe younger.
He wore ANBU boots in white, rich white\gold long pants tucked into his boots and an matching white\gold sleeveless long-coat over an plain white shirt.
Stitched into the coat and around the bottom that fluttered around his legs was writing so ancient they couldn't begin to read it, flowing up the sides and all around the outside-past the collar to meet the start at the bottom again, almost in an weird kind of circle.
On the back of the coat-from the shoulders to the leather belt, was an picture, a picture stitched also in gold but also yellow, red, purple, orange, cream and blue.
They were ten strange symbols each a different color, all revolving in a circle around another, to their surprise, the copy of Naruto's sword.
The sword was golden but seemed aflame, to their surprise there was ten more symbols circling the blade, inside the other circle.
The figure floated closer towards them causing the others to withdraw their kunai and tense for battle, but Naruto\Raziel raised one arm to block their path "Wait" eyes narrowing "Janos?!"
KNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNKNK
"You know this...person, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, motioning the other two to stand down.
"NARUTO doesn't, but I do" the white eyed spirit said through his body "but how he got here and in this time, I have no idea. The last I heard, he was trapped in another world, the same world the enemies of my father's race were in."
"So he IS an enemy" the other two gripped their kunai tighter.
"No, you are not listening properly" the spirit said "I said he was TRAPPED in their world, not he WAS one. In fact he is far from it."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean in a round-about way, he is actually my-therefore Naruto's-grandfather."
The three looked at him in disbelief, "GRANDFATHER?!"
"He was the one responsible for my father, so my grandfather."
"Responsible?" Kakashi frowned "according to the Hokage, your father's kind are made from dead bodies, not born. So how could he be responsible for him? Your father was..." His one visible eye suddenly widened nearly all the way.
"Exactly" the white eyed 'boy' nodded.
"Sensei?" Sakura questioned softly.
"According to the Third before he died, many millennium ago, before the elemental nations, the place was called Nosgoth. The humans here worshiped two highly evolved races, one demonic-looking called the Hylden and another angelic-looking, the Vampires." He motioned at the winged figure just landing in front of them.
He went on to tell her about the Elder God (Naruto\Raziel mumbling under his breath something about 'bloody parasites with an ego the size of the entire planet'), the war between the races, the humans rejecting them in anger for the war they were put in the middle of, the rising of the pillars and the Soul Reaver sword, the other 'dimension' and the guardians.
Then he told her of the curse and all it entailed.
"They were eternally their age, immortal, but they were only be able to feed from human blood and unable to reproduce like us and any other life anymore, the race severed their connection to the planet and nature, their link to life. Instead they developed their own separate chakra system different to us and the sort all mortal life has."
Sasuke frowned "Is that what he means by 'Vampire Energy'? Vampire chakra?"
Kakashi nodded, echoing Naruto\Raziel.
"Before the Third's death he theorized that was why the Vampire race are able to reproduce by dead bodies. When a person dies their chakra system would slowly dissipate, allowing an infusion of Vampire Chakra to essentially restart their body. Because the chakra is different from its original, it causes changes in the body, like an virus affecting the body functions, mutating the dead and bringing them back as an mixture of host and source."
"An...interesting way of putting it, young one" the figure spoke.
Kakashi shrugged "it was what The Third thought of, and Tsunade-sama agrees."
Naruto\Raziel and occasionally the figure himself finished the story, Raziel telling the parts about himself and his 'father'.
Sakura frowned "what does all that have to do with this guy and our missing dignitary?"
The other team members and their leader rolled their eyes at her stupidity "don't you get it, Sakura? HE IS the dignitary."
She frowned "how does The Fire Lord know and send us one of THESE guys?! Why? And how can he be Naruto's grandfather if they can't have kids?"
The rest of the team sighed while the figure looked at her in fascination, as if someone this stupid was such an oddity he wanted to watch her like an scientist would a new species of life.
"The Vampires, ancient, original or otherwise, claimed those they... brought back, THEY are their children."
"But they aren't" Sakura frowned.
"We ARE" Raziel emphasized "Who or whatever we were in our previous life was gone. When I awoke after Kain raised me as his son, my previous life no longer existed, not just bodily, but in soul. I had no memory of who I had been or was supposed to be. I was reborn as Kain's son, his right hand, his first born."
"Then how did you know about hunting the Vampires and being the ancestor of the Uchiha?"
"What Kain told me and seeing for myself in the past with Mobius' time-stream device."
"Are any of those devices left?!" this worried the silver haired ninja, if an enemy got hold of one...
"They stopped working when the pillars were destroyed" Raziel explained "even if they did still work, the secret of how to program them died with Mobius. Kain knows, but, well, there is no way he'd tell anyone."
He looked at the figure and raised an eyebrow curiously, only to receive a shake of his head "only the guardian of the pillar of time would know that secret."
"But you're an guardian, Janos, the last of the original guardians, the tenth guardian-of the Reaver. Surely you would know..."
He continued to shake his head "the pillars were connected to their guardians in ways separate than they were connected together, the pillars spoke their secrets only to their guardians."
"Then how did Kain..."
"He learned from Mobius and trail and error."
"Wait" Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully "if you eleven have been chosen as new Guardians and Janos-san was the original Guardian of the Reaver, since he is not dead, how could Razeil have replaced him?"
"I was born the new Reaver Guardian even though Janos didn't die at the time" the white eyed young man started "so I couldn't fulfill my destiny. However there WAS a period of time he WAS dead that allowed me to resettle my role. When he was brought back through my...foolish actions, he arose as something else entirely."
"What do you mean?" they asked.
"There couldn't be two Reaver Guardians, however he is the last of the Original Vampires, by far older than Kain. He is the oldest living being on the planet, he KNOWS THINGS, long lost, forgotten or discarded. When he returned from death he became something else entirely, we felt it, nature through the pillars reaching out to something else, although at the time we had no idea what."
"What are you saying?"
"Janos is still a Guardian, but not like us, more like..." Sasuke spoke "The Guardian of the knowledge-or history-whatever."
The other two looked to the man who nodded seriously.
"He's not like us, really" Razeil explained "think of it as we are the Earths chosen, her children, but he has her blessing-which is why he's in the sun."
"So" Kakashi continued to stroke his chin "he has the knowledge of ALL his people and was chosen to help guide you eleven."
Razeil nodded and turned to look at the man with a frown "one thing confuses me though. How did you return from the Hylden world, Janos? I thought I had lost you that day to them."
The man looked regretful "and I am sorry I attacked you then, young one. I...was not myself."
"I understand and do not hold it against you, it was not YOU who did so but the Hylden lord. I regret also attacking you, my friend."
"Forgiven" the other said instantly.
"Tell us how you escaped the Hylden world, Janos, so we may understand how you are here, now."
The figure nodded "I 'hitched a ride' as it were, out."
Raziel\Naruto's eyebrow went up "with the Hylden, you've been out that long? Why didn't you tell father you were free? He's regretted what he did to you ever since I purified him and would have tried to make it up to you if you..."
"No" the other said firmly "later than the Hylden, recently, well, more recent than them."
"How recent?" Kakashi frowned at him.
"The Juubi."
Their eyes widened "you hitched a ride WITH THE JUUBI out of the Hylden world?!"
The figure nodded "It was not always an violent being. In fact we were close friends in the other world, we learned various magics and information from each other during that time and hunted the Hylden together. That was how we found the gate out, we were following a fleeing group of the enemy. But something went wrong on the way out, the Juubi was somehow contaminated by the gate itself. Perhaps because it was built for the Hylden."
"Is that why it went on a rampage?" Sakura asked curiously "because it was contaminated by the gate? What about the Sage of Six Paths?"
"That is all true" the figure nodded to her "it was MY knowledge of Ancient Vampire magic and the Juubi's own, told to me so long ago by the very being itself that allowed the human to do what he did, trapping it within his body and controlling it.
When he separated each as a guardian of the villages, I had long gone into an deep sleep, hidden away from this human world, leaving only the Sage himself with the knowledge of my location.
It was the sudden flare of Razeil's energy, obviously freed from the swords confines that roused me."
"Ah" the spirit being inside the boy nodded "my escape from the swords ashes and bonding to Naruto."
They nodded in understanding of this.
He suddenly blinked "wait, did you say you taught the Buji all about ancient vampire magic and practices?" When the figure nodded his eyes widened. It all fit. The seals, their glyphs, how Kyuubi knew something that amounted to vampire magic, the similarities between Orochimaru's seal and theirs. Somehow Kyuubi had retained that knowledge when the Buji were separated, or at least part of it.
"So the reason the Buji are such negative powers is the contamination of this gate" Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully, continuing on their conversation, oblivious of the winged and tailed others distraction "I wonder if there's a way to clear them of it?"
Raziel grinned "It's already happened to two."
"WHAT?!" the man looked at him.
"Naruto's soul changed the Reaver when we merged, made the wraith blade able to purify not just Kain, but Kyuubi. She is as she was meant to be now, Naruto's sister and all she was before-I suppose. Then he was able to use the sword to purify the one tailed raccoon-dog and his host. The wraith blade may be able to purify the other buji as well."
"It may be worth a try" Kakashi said, "I can't imagine the other villages wouldn't want their guardians purified as well." He looked at the other "how did you end up being The Fire Lord's dignitary and coming here?"
"It appears The Sage Of Six Paths only told ONE person of my location and existence. The ancestor of The Fire Lords wife. He seemed to know who I was exactly and wanted my safety above all else."
"So" Kakashi stroked his chin again "after learning of Kain being awake and what happened with Razeil you came here."
"Not exactly" he said "they were reluctant to endanger me by letting me out of their sight. Although I could undoubtedly leave easily on my own, I found the various humans there, none of which feared me or wished me harm, fascinating. However sensing recently an surge in energy not only familiar but totally unexpected, I was eager to get here to investigate it."
"You mean Naruto or his brother's chakra."
"No, Original Vampire energy, from BEFORE the Hylden cursed us."
They looked at him in disbelief "you mean someone here escaped the curse and is descended from your race?! Who?! Where!?"
"There" he looked at Naruto\Razeil.
"NARUTO!? Naruto is descended from your original race?!"
"No, he IS one of my original race. Now."
They were completely stunned.
"Somehow whether it is through Razeil or Kain once baring my heart or a combination of them all, he has become what we once were."
"So THAT explains the raven wings, both of ours" Naruto murmured thoughtfully.
"Um" eyes now blue, Naruto scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment "you see Hinata and I...we..."
"I see you, child" the figure reached out to touch behind him, fingers running through feathers-which made him shiver in something they couldn't read.
Instantly the other drew his hand back "I apologize, young one. It has been so long since I saw another with such limbs like mine I forgot how sensitive they can be."
"It's ok" Naruto grinned "it's just that usually the only people who touches them are Baa-chan when she examines me and Hinata-chan. So I kinda got use to them being, well, you know" he blushed deeply.
They understood his embarrassment.
The figure frowned "however I see only one like mine as well as one like Razeil and you implied more-including another with such features. What do you mean by that, child?"
"Oh THAT. Well, you see, my mate has them as well, two of them like yours, only hers are black dipped in flame."
The other looked shocked "mate? Dipped in flame?"
"Yeah. Her name is Hinata and when she was five her parents and father had an marriage contract set up for us both. So she moved in with us and since she and I were already friends we just started sleeping in the same room together.
Father said since she was going to be living with us and everything then she'll do everything I am, like training."
Kakashi's eyes widened at this "Hinata Hyuuga is like you as well?! Those wings were real?!"
Naruto nodded "she's unsure about other people's reaction to it, so she uses an illusion jutsu to look completely normal, but she's not. The more we trained growing up we noticed, the more powerful she became in chakra and body and how slowly she was starting to show abilities only I had.
When she started showing wings like my raven one, we went to baa-chan in concern. She said since we grew up together and even slept together in the same room or same bed, Hinata-chan's chakra had started tuning into mine and even absorbing some.
Since we were kids our chakra was just starting to develop, so by being exposed to each other almost constantly our chakra-even my Vampire Energy-was tuning automatically into each other and sort of mixing and developing together."
Kakashi blinked at the boy "you mean she's developed INTO what you are? She's become an Original Vampire as well?"
"Yeah."
The figure blinked in shock at him as well "not only are you one of my race before the curse, enhanced by the chakra of an buji, but your... mate has developed into one as well."
Naruto nodded.
"You realize what this means, Naruto" Kakashi frowned at the boy "between the two of you, you can rebirth their line. Any kids you two have will be the same."
Yeah but any kids THEY have probably won't. Mixed blood."
"Not necessarily" Kakashi said "if you can influence the Hyuuga heir to become one, chances are any your kids have would either be born the same, or at least change so in the womb as they are developing."
"If this is the case" the figure said, drawing himself up proudly "as the last of our line it is my job to train him and any after him as such, as in the full of what we are capable of and can do."
"Training?!" Naruto sat up in excitement "you're gonna train me!"
Kakashi chuckled "you just got our Naruto's attention. You don't know what you're in for. He runs everyone ragged. Even Kain occasionally tell him off for annoying him with his demands for training or spars."
The man smiled gently, fondly "we shall see." He looked at Naruto, eyes intense. "We shall see" he repeated.
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Before they left the figure-Janos Audron-insisted they search the ruins of the carriage for two large chests, stating not only were they fire-proof but he needed them for his stay.
One contained clothes he needed for his stay and scrolls he had brought for Kain and Tsunade. Since it would be lighter, Sakura was charged with carrying it.
The other however contained armor and weapons designed and enhanced by Janos himself, made by The Fire Lords own most skilled smiths, also money for his stay, should he need it.
Sasuke and Naruto would carry this, while Kakashi kept a look out, Janos walking beside his 'grandson' so the two could converse, alternating between Razeil and Janos talking about the history and past of their experiences and that of the Original Vampire race and Naruto and Janos about a training schedule for them.
They decided to stop for the night, not because anyone was tired, but because they had been attacked a few times on the way and needed to regroup and work out plans of defense and attack for the next day.
They had quickly discovered that while as an dignitary for the Fire Lord, Janos was a target, it seemed the main target was the chests. They reasoned the armory chest was wanted because it would provide someone with armor and weapons past human standards, although who knew this, they didn't know.
Janos held his own against attacking ninjas, even if he had no jutsu's, but he bore an TK power like Naruto had shown, something that looked like an sort of shushinn, agility and strength as well as speed. Not to mention being able to fly out of range of any attacks or jutsu's.
Also he had something that resembled what could only be described as green lightening that Razeil obviously recognized by his brief wince when he first saw it.
He also was able to fight hand to hand with ease, considering his vampire strength and speed they understood, however Naruto asked him about it later, how he knew hand-to-hand.
He went on to explain how he had received training from some of the best fighters under The Fire Lord. He had been bored and the lord thought it best he have some direct combat training to protect himself, despite the fact that his kind had been born, grown up and died in battle with the Hylden.
They soon reached the gates of Kohona and were allowed through, heading straight for the Hokage tower. Naruto grinned at the winged man at the looks he was getting and changed the subject "Baachan is gonna be so surprised to see you, so is chichi! Father would never have suspected you were here and baachan is gonna flip! She thinks your dead."
"She knows about me?"
"Oh yeah! Baachan is an Kainite, her whole family go way back and know everything about your kind and father! She's been researching it and the curse and helping chichi unlock some of the stuff he can do that he never knew about! They even developed an blood pill for him to take when he can't or won't feed. Which is like, never." He grinned sheepishly "well baachan develops it and Chichi takes it. He's kinda her guinea pig."
The smile was back "but because Chichi does, she's developed other stuff too. A blood pill for ninja's that can help with blood loss during battle and even a Eldrith Pill for me and my friends."
"What do you mean by humans taking Eldrith Pills, Naruto?" the winged man looked alarmed "that type of energy is dangerous for normal humans!"
Naruto made a motion at Sasuke who dug into his pouch and threw something small to him, which he immediately handed to the man "these. They are capsules containing high concentrations of an water we found in Wave."
The vampire popped the pill in his mouth and looked thoughtful as he swirled it around then swallowed. He looked at Naruto curiously "you FOUND the balance glyph?"
"Yeah. The other glyphs reacted to it, nearly pulling me there. I had to go or they wouldn't stop vibrating. I was on a mission, I needed to concentrate."
"Humans can not use this energy, Naruto, it is too dangerous for them."
"I know, but some of my friends are different. When I was a kid we went through this kind of ceremony and now they can not only use my glyphs, but apparently have one of their own. They need it to help them use it."
"One of our ancient Vampires, long before us, apparently foresaw a group of powerful humans-lead by one of us-bringing total peace to the entire planet. So our ancestors created not just the glyphs for the one who would lead them but his allies and companions. For you to have those glyphs through Razeil and your friends finding and using the others means..."
Sasuke's eyes widened "Naruto IS that one of legend and WE, his childhood friends, are the allies!"
The winged vampire nodded solemnly.
"What EXACTLY does this legend say?" Kakashi asked in concern.
"Funny enough it mentioned the Juubi."
"The Juubi!? How?"
"It spoke of an outcast attempting to 'reunite what has been torn asunder into nine, back into one' and how with the aid of 'the child with eyes of death' he would attempt to murder his enemy and how, 'with eyes of the moon' he would subjugate the entire world, every living creature. Then how all that would be able to stop him would be the 'Child Of The scion of balance and his allies.'"
Naruto looked at his sensai questionably who nodded. He looked at the Original Vampire "Janos, there is something you should know..."
"I see" the Ancient Vampire nodded thoughtfully later as they made their way inside the tower and headed for the woman's office to report "if this is as you say, young one, we indeed need to discuss this with both your father and Leader."
Naruto put on his playful foxy side "yeah she's probably wanna talk to you for A LONNNNGGGG TIME about your people and their magic, how they did certain things, other legends and all that, she'll probably wanna get in your head as well. She'll want you to stay with her too I bet." He leered comically "I heard sensai Jiriayia say one day when he thought no one could hear him that she seriously needs to get laid."
"BAKA!" the said woman screamed, throwing and heavy paperweight at his head as they entered the room, which missed as he moved aside, giggling "but baachan, I was only repeating what my sensai said! You TOLD me I had to listen to my teachers to learn."
"Not about THAT, baka!" another item went flying at him, which again he avoided with an loud laugh, dashing behind the winged man and crouching, using him as a shield.
At first they thought she was going to throw, but then she froze, her eyes slowly widening nearly all the way and her mouth dropped open, shock written all over her frozen form.
Kakashi took the opportunity and stepped forward, introducing them to each other formally "Lady Hokage this is the visiting dignitary from The Fire Lord, Janos Audron, once Tenth guardian of Nosgoth and The Soul Reaver, Last of the Original Vampires. Janos-san this is Lady Tsunade Senju, Fifth Hokage of Kohona, granddaughter of the First."
"A pleasure to meet you" Janos bowed low, his coat making a slight shushing sound against his legs.
"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune seemed concerned about her stunned state and the way Kakashi had introduced him. How could he be a vampire when Naruto's father was supposed to be the last? How was he an 'Original' one? What exactly did that mean?
And why did his mere presence stun her sensai so?
Slowly the woman lowered her arm, noticing everyone in the room giving her concerned looks, even the ANBU guards hidden around the room.
"I..." she slowly sat down again, looking around at the faces. This was no time to play fangirl to her godson's newly discovered grandfather. She was the Hokage, a certain amount of respect and dignity was required.
She could freak out and go fangirl later.
Although she had to admit, despite his inhuman parts, he was an devastatingly handsome man.
And unlike everyone in the village with the exception of the pervert, he was older than her and could probably hold his own in a battle with her of strength.
She was suddenly interested, even if he COULDN'T give her heirs, she'd had enough of kids to last a lifetime anyway.
Besides, that's what Naruto and his mate was for.
What would she find from examining him? Kain was fascinating enough, but THIS was one of the original race, the source of the vampires, the original cursed beings.
The figures head suddenly turned to look at her godson, one of the most gentle and pure smiles she had ever seen on his face "I heard that, young one."
Naruto blushed in embarrassment and muttered under his breath. Something about the Whisper and reading minds and Kain. The vampire original smiled-an almost smirk-at him.
Tsunade cleared her throat to get their attention, looking to her ANBU "Summon Kain-san to me at once and the rest of you leave us alone. This is an private meeting. Kakashi, you and your students are dismissed until tomorrow morning. Naruto, you stay."
"Yes, Hokage" the silver haired cyclops bowed and left, followed by Sasuke and Sakura.
Naruto grinned "you don't have to call Chichi, baachan. I already did."
"Naruto?"
"You forgot about..." he tapped his temple.
"So that's what Janos-sama meant by he heard that" she said.
"Um" Naruto blushed "yeah. Is my mate back from her teams mission yet? Janos knows what's happening with us."
This perked her interest "Really? And what is that?"
Naruto told her what had happened, what they had discussed and the vampire had said, including sensing the energy he put out and what it meant.
Tsunade gaped as she stood abruptly "Original Vampire?" she looked at the winged vampire "like you are?"
He nodded "My Original kind, BEFORE the curse."
"By Kami" she breathed as she sank back in the chair, "this is big, REALLY big." She let out a long breath and looked up "tell me everything, both of you."
"There's not just that" Naruto said softly, seriously "There's something else you should know-about an ancient legend and death approaching. Maybe not now, but soon."
"Tell me" she said seriously.
It took at least an hour of discussion before the blonde woman nodded "I agree, this is extremely important since not only does it fit in with information we currently have but events that have come to light" she glared at Naruto "I'm sure I don't need to tell you how mad I am that you endangered the lives of your friends like that." The boy nodded shamefully. "But since it happened ten years ago, it's too late now."
The lady Hokage turned to the door, bellowing a name. The door opened and a head popped in, wild hair with a bandage across the nose "Hokage?"
"Call the council members together for a meeting in half an hour, tell them it's about an danger to the very village and clans themselves. Call the other clan heads and tell them to join for the same reason.
Then summon..." she looked at Naruto briefly "the Nara heir, Amuechi heir as well as the Abrahume heir, Hyuuga heir and Inuzuka heir if they have returned yet, at the hospital in three hours. Has Kain-san arrived yet?"
The man looked behind him briefly before looking back "he is waiting to see you, Lady Hokage, as is team 8."
Naruto immediately perked up "Hinata!" He looked at the winged man and ignoring the woman's protests left the room at nearly a run, returning quickly however with the girl wrapped in his arms, one hand wrapped around his fathers wrist, dragging both with him with an excited babble of "you gotta meet him, Hina!" the rest of team 8 and their sensai trailing behind, the Inuzuka heir wanting to see who had his best friend so excited, the Abrahume heir following his friend and the sensai just following them.
The minute Kain saw who else was in the room he froze, shocked, eyes wide "Janos?!"
"Yes, my son. I am pleased to see you well."
"But how? How did you..." he suddenly stopped and blinked, relaxing "you found a way to escape. I should have known" he gave an dark grin "you are the last, I should have considered that meant you'd be craftier and more intelligent to find a way to escape, I did. I didn't see you there, I should have realised that meant you found a way out as did I."
The man looked shocked and surprised "YOU were in the Hylden world?" Kain nodded "briefly. It happened when Razeil was trying to resurrect you." He looked at the others in the room "and it is a story for another time. How did you get here?"
"That also is a story for another time young one. For now there are far more important matters to discuss." He gave his attention back to Naruto who was leading his mate to his side.
The Hokage looked at the rest of the group "Kurenai give your teams report in and then you're dismissed until called. Kiba, Shino, I want to see you both at the hospital in a few hours" when the Inuzuka heir opened his mouth to protest, she glared at him "that's an order."
"They'll be there, Lady Hokage" Kurenai said, steering the two boys away and out of the room, Naruto and the two waving to each other.
Once the five were alone, Kain spoke to his son and daughter "you can shed your disguise, show Janos your true appearance now."
Naruto nodded encouragement and in a blink of an eye they stood there, fully revealed to the man.
Slowly the man circled both, eyes going over every inch of them, from the large feathered wings-Hinata's indeed appearing dipped in flame, to the grey skin and so on. The only difference was while the ancient vampire bore the long canines, cloven feet and hands, the two barely teens retained their human appearance. Well, except the skin color, wings and a few other small features.
But their hands and feet were the same as humans-well except the long black clawed nails. But then again the Inuzuka, like Kiba, had clawed hands so that wasn't unusual.
Natural weapons of the species, Tsunade had theorized, from when the race was not as advanced as they were before the curse. Same with the wings. In fact Tsunade had the therory that while the Hylden race had some insect genetics in them, like a more advanced Abrahume, and developed an hard skin\shell for defense, the vampires had been more bird-like, both in appearance and in defense. In fact Tsunade had likened them to an eagle race, powerful claws for defense and also for-unnecessary after they evolved-catching prey. In many ways the race WAS bird-like. Their liken for high places to build their homes-or aeries-even BEFORE the human hunters and war with the Hylden. While the Hylden preferred underground or such similar structures.
Their unusual skin colour which was probably due to their original feather colour and as they developed it just stayed on their skin, growing with their development.
The Hylden were pale colours, whites, browns, colours likened to insects. Their skin was tough and in the end even their limbs had began to twist and grow as such. Although there was so few actual pictures or such of the race past the few uncovered because of the Original Vampires seeking to remove all trace of their enemy, it was unknown if they truely looked that way in the beginning before the dimension they were trapped in warped them, or it was just the Original Vampires painting them demonically to dehumanize them.
While undoubtedly she could ask Janos for a description of the Original Hylden, chances are he'd either didn't remember-it WAS eaons ago-or would probably describe them the same.
Besides, the chances or Janos being the ORIGINAL tenth guardian was slim. True the race was cursed at the moment of the raising of the pillars, the guardians choosen at that moment, and there was NO WAY Janos was a turned human like Kain, but the chances of the Original Vampire having seen an Original Hylden was next to impossible! Even if Janos was a child when they were cursed, he wouldn't remember them and by the time he was trapped in their dimension, they were already mutated.
Same reason she couldn't ask Kain. She supposed that it would just have to be a mystery.
What she could do with Janos...oh, the possibilities were endless. The race invented Genjitsu's, spells, manipulated chakra and after they were cursed-Vampire energy\magic. They invented machines and technology, taught humans all that plus everything they now knew and professed to have created themselves. Everything humans had made or invented themselves had their roots in either Original Vampire or even Original Hylden technology or magic.
What sort of things did Janos know that no human or other beings alive ever could know or think of? How could Original Vampire technology improve the village and its defenses?
Another thought made her want to drool.
What about healing? How much more did he know that she could learn from him? How many more lives could she save thanks to his knowledge?
She glanced over at Naruto, standing between his adopted father and grandfather, telling Hinata what had happened and who the new man was, what it meant to them and so on.
Did the Original Vampires know about the Spectral Realm? If so, their knowledge would benefit both Naruto's further development and anything he could do, there was possibly other glyphs and Reaver enhancements out there only they knew about-and their location.
And other temples and hidden locations for things they needed or could use. Hidden Leaf-and by default any of their allies-could once again become what they once was before the Kyuubi's attack.
Villages allied with them suffering for various reasons-be it previous invasion and oppression like Wave-or lack of business like Suna, they could help them fully and restore their businesses and the flow of it going and out.
Her mussing was interrupted by Naruto "there is something else, baachan, something I've theroized and been trying to figure out, but Janos confirmed to me. It's to do with our glyph seals and what happened to HIM in THAT chamber."
Taking the hint the new Fifth Hokage dissmissed everyone else, even her hidden ANBU guards, enacted an privacy seal around the chamber and motioned the boy and his recently discovered grandfather to sit.
Naruto told her EVERYTHING, from start to finish, how they decided to use an seal Kyuubi knew of to connect each other, how they were going to originally use it to track each other in case the other was in danger, the ceremony, the way it changed during and the end result. How exactly they were connected, the stages of the glyph each could use and how each gained aspects of each other. The way they reacted so violently to the touch of others than the group-adding THAT is what had happened to the snake nin with Sasuke-and how this was the TRUE reason for the eldrith pills.
He let both briefly examine the mark on the back of his neck, forbidding them to touch it for their own safety. He explained what had happened at Sound and how the item Orochimaru had found lead to the destruction of an seal placed over him at a young age and how he had regained his complete memories from it. Then how IT had reacted so alike to theirs. Also how Kabuto had told them recently how the book was highly detailed on sealing, ANCIENT VAMPIRE seals, it was even helping the sannin to refine the curse seals into something more. The Medic even thought the snake nin would be able use it to allow others to use the sage chakra with certain limits. "He said all it would do would be 'open the door' so to speak and regulate the flow."
So, you're saying that this 'ceremony' you all enacted came from something Janos-sama taught the Jubi during their time together and somehow the Kyuubi retained memory or memories of that. How much of this knowledge do you think she retained?"
"We don't know, all of it? Part of it? They know the way they have been since they were the Jubi here is wrong, both her AND the Shukaku have mentioned they KNOW they weren't always like that and have vague memories of a time they were one and happy, but they don't remember anything other than that. They KNOW what happened when the Jubi attacked was wrong and Kyuubi and now the one tailed know they were contaminated to cause it, but they don't remember how or why" he tapped his forehead "now they do, Kyuubi heard and sent the knowledge to Gaara and his."
"Hokage?" there was a knock on the seal protected door "the council are ready and waiting in their chambers."
"I want you two to come with me to see the council. We need to inform them of these events" she stood up, followed by the two males "I need you to both to tell them all you told me and what it means."
"Of course" Janos said followed by Naruto's nod.
After cancelling the seals, the three moved off towards the chambers where the current Council sat waiting. She motioned them to wait for her signal outside and entered, the great doors closing behind her.
With their enhanced hearing the males could hear what was going on inside as Tsunade brought the group to attention.
"What is so important it calls us away from our Clan duties?" Tsume asked her. The Fifth recapped the important parts of what they had learned of the power trying to bring down Hidden Leaf.
"We all know of this already, why call us together NOW?"
"Because some new information has come to light linking to the facts we already have and revealing some truths, INCLUDING something that happened about seven years ago to the clan heirs" she looked at the ones in question "YOUR heirs."
"What did they do?" It was the Abrahume head who asked this.
"It is in connection with their new appointments as natures Guardians. I'm sure you all noticed that immediately after their meeting with each other, they immediately became close, even connected, in a way almost...preternaturally so."
They must have nodded because she was going on "they all started to display slight changes, to personality, to chakra flow, even physical."
Five of the clan heads murmured together uncertain and concerned. However they didn't hear from Shibi Abrahume. Tsunade noticed this "Abrahume, you don't sound surprised."
"I have known for years. The day it happened when Shino came home my Kikai alerted me of the change in him. He told me all that had happened and their worries and what they had said. I kept an eye on it over the years and had it done anything...negetive, I would have reported it-or done something about it. So far as far as I've seen the effects have been positive so I saw no reason."
Tsume spoke "does this have anything to do with why Kiba suddenly seemed to get control of his temper more and become more of a thinker?"
When Tsunade answered in an positive the woman snorted "then I don't care."
"Is this why Choji's diabetes stabilized?" Choza asked and when the Hokage again answered in the positive he spoke again "then I agree with Inuzuka and Abrahume-sama."
There was an unanimous agreement and an flustered Tsunade moved on to the new information about their enemy and the ancient vampire legend. When she had finished they heard Tsume speak, a frown in her voice "where did you get this new information from? How do you know it's reliable?"
"You are all aware of the Fire Lord sending an digantary here to officiate my appointment? How the man was a target because of his close friendship with the lord? Well it turns out that he is also known by both Kain and Razeil" she raised her voice "you can come in now."
Side-by-side Naruto and Janos entered the room, moving to stand before the table the council sat at.
"Fellow members of the council of Kohona, may I introduce Janos Audron, last of the Ancient Vampires, once Guardian of the Reaver, now the Earth's Guardian of Knowledge, best friend of the Lord Of The Land Of Fire, Kain's blood father and Razeil-therefore NARUTO'S grandfather."