Naruto: Uchiha no Densetsu

Chapter 15: The Looming Shadows

After completing his assigned task, Naruto had immediately left the small town and steadily made his way back to Konoha. Knowing that he would be free for a few days after he gave his report, he was in no rush to reach home. Hence, he had decided to take a rather slow pace on his way back. It had been a little over four hours since he was on the road and it was relatively peaceful for the blond. He rarely got any time for himself amidst all the missions he was sent on. But he never complained about any of that. He loved his village far too much and loved serving his country. Despite his love for Konoha and the Land of Fire, he couldn't ignore the slight distant feeling in his heart. Having travelled to several different parts of the Elemental Nations since he joined the Anbu, the amount of sorrow, misery and hatred he had come across- it was truly terrifying. It had changed him in ways he himself couldn't describe. He earnestly wished for all the conflicts between the five villages to subside. But, since the dawn of the shinobi, peace always seemed like an impossibility among them.

As he was walking in the dense forests of Hi no Kuni in the late evening, a sudden gust of wind suddenly hit him, and he came to an abrupt halt. He casually looked around, as if looking for someone. While his face still portrayed an impassive look, his mind was highly alert of his surroundings. It was very subtle, but he had felt the extremely potent chakra, even if it was for a second. He took a step forward but noticed a strangeness in the wind and trees around him.

'It's as if time itself has frozen. But, somehow it doesn't seem to affect me.' Naruto thought cautiously. He was familiar with jikukan ninjutsu, but he had never heard or come across anything such as this. He flared his chakra, but nothing seemed to happen. Trying it for a few more times, he eventually settled down and looked to his right from here he had felt the chakra.

"You may as well show yourself. It's no point hiding. I know you're here." Naruto called out, seemingly to no one. There was no response for a few minutes before he suddenly turned around and jumped back. He saw a strange looking pale skinned man. He had medium sized light colored unkempt hair which he wore in a ponytail. He wore a long sleeved, light colored suit with a sectioned apron over it, along with a sash. But the most mind-boggling feature Naruto noticed were the horns that grew from the back of his head that covered his forehead along with the red colored rinnegan in both his eyes. Naruto eyed the man warily, having already sensed the immense power that the man held. He was sure, even if he gave his all, this was a fight he wouldn't win. His own chakra reserves felt like a droplet of water compared to the man's endless ocean of chakra.

"I must say that I'm impressed… young Otsutsuki prince." Announced the man with a weak smile. Naruto's eyes significantly widened on hearing the name Otsutsuki but remained calm nonetheless.

"Otsutsuki?" Naruto questioned with a raised eyebrow. By now he had realized, there wasn't much he could do to get out of this jikukan ninjutsu either. He wasn't ever sure if it was ninjutsu to begin with. With his rinnegan he could see that the flow of time itself had stopped and it baffled him completely. He couldn't even speak to Kurama for that matter. And the fact that the man before him called him the Otsutsuki prince confused him greatly. His knowledge about the Otsutsuki Clan was very scarce and in fact whatever he knew about them, he had learned that from Kurama.

"I'm not surprised that you don't know about us, young Naruto. It has rather been some time since our clan has associated with any beings from this dimension." Replied the man formally, his words intriguing the blond greatly.

"And who might you be?" asked Naruto flatly. The man chuckled seeing the expression on the young boy's face. "I am one who stands above everyone else. But if you insist, you may call me Takeshiki Otsutsuki." The man said, quite humbly.

"That's ridiculous… it shouldn't be possible. The Otsutsuki Clan lived millennials ago. And why do you call me the Otsutsuki prince?" asked Naruto speculatively. As the seconds passed, none of them spoke a word. Soon enough, Takeshiki walked forward from under the tree, as he now stood under the clearing of the evening sky.

"Millennials? What you humans call time is a momentary speck in the infinite space and time. The laws that govern time are different depending on where you put yourself. As for your question, the members of the Otsutsuki Clan have ways of prolonging their lives, while some of them are born with such high regeneration abilities that they are essentially immortal. We have laws in place that govern the existence of our species. Now, tell me what you know about the Otsutsuki Clan. Surely, the fox must have told you something by now." Takeshiki said, his voice signifying his seriousness. Naruto widened his eyes significantly at that little piece of information. "I'm not here to harm you, Naruto. You surely must realize that by now. If I wanted you dead, you would already be dead by now. Although, I generally refrain from such actions." He emphasized when he sensed the hesitance in the young boy's demeanor.

"I… I don't understand. What does the Otsutsuki Clan have to do anything with the matters of shinobi?" Naruto queried in confusion, losing his calm exterior. Takeshiki sighed at the young boy's dilemma but decided to be patient and explain everything to Naruto. It certainly wouldn't do him any good if he couldn't even see to the survival of his own descendent.

"Do you know what the moon and sun symbol on your hands mean?" asked Takeshiki.

"From what I understand it represents the yin and yang half of my chakra. But…" Naruto stopped midsentence when he saw the elderly man put his hand up as if to stop him from talking. That was when he noticed, the same symbols on the man's hands too. Yet again he couldn't keep the shock from being displayed on his face.

"You are partially correct. Although, essentially the moon and the sun symbol on your hands represents the fact that you are a member of the Otsutsuki Clan's main family. There are very few of us left…" answered Takeshiki Otsutsuki with a hint of sorrow in his voice. The fact was that Takeshiki was the last member of the Otsutsuki's main family left other than Naruto and Minato. Naruto noticed the tone the elderly man took but did not interrupt him, his own curiosity about the ancient clan multiplying.

"You are a descendent of Kaguya Otsutsuki. The main family of our Clan resides in a different space-time compared to your world and we search around the different dimensions for the Shinju that was scattered in the beginning. Our Clan has existed since the beginning of time and space itself." Explained the elderly Otsutsuki as clearly as he could. Meanwhile, Naruto listened to the man before him with a relatively calm expression now as he understood the meaning behind his words.

"So, why show yourself now? From what little history I know, the only people with the Otsutsuki name to have lived in this world are Kaguya, Hagoromo, Hamura, Indra and Ashura. I'm aware that I'm a direct descendant of Kaguya Otsutsuki. And that Hagoromo and Hamura battled the Juubi and Kaguya, eventually sealing her away in the moon. That's all I know." Naruto stated earnestly. Takeshiki nodded his head, already having figured out the extent of the young boy's knowledge.

"There are dark forces working in the shadows, young prince. For the survival of your family as well as that of our clan, you need to be prepared. You are the only one who can stop them. Chakra was never meant to be shared with anyone other than the members of our clan. But that all changed when Kaguya appeared in this world. The main house of our clan has been divided for quite some time now and there are factions that believe the knowledge of chakra should remain within the Otsutsuki Clan, at all costs. In time, there will be people who will be coming to this world seeking for you. You must be ready for that time." Revealed Takeshiki further surprising Naruto.

The blond barely uttered a word even after Takeshiki had finished speaking. It all sounded so unbelievable to him that he really did not know what to say. But judging from the man's attitude, Naruto knew that he wasn't being deceitful. Furthermore, if what he heard was right, then the shinobi world would soon fall into a greater danger. And based on the overwhelming power he sensed from the man earlier, he wondered if he could ever hope to reach that level. But there was one thing, he knew for sure. He wouldn't let anyone lay a hand on his precious people. Takeshiki noticed a sudden change in the young boy's eyes and wondered if this was what emotion was. He was never too good at expressing those himself. 'Humans… such an interesting species, so fickle yet they have so much potential… I'm beginning to understand why Kaguya came to this world.' Thought Takeshiki interestingly.

"I still don't quite understand why you've decided to show yourself before me. Why would you wish to help me?" Naruto questioned yet again, looking at the man before him firmly. Seconds ticked away but he received no answer. Suddenly the images of three men standing atop a mountain flashed through his mind and his eyes widened, ever so slightly. For the past two years, disturbing visions of three people surrounded by death and chaos always barged into his dreams. He never spoke of them to anyone but knew it wasn't just a mere occurrence that he began having such visions since his rinnegan awakened.

"Does it have anything to do with the visions I have been having regularly?" asked Naruto, hoping to get some sort of answer. Lately he had began having feelings that he didn't know himself all too well.

"In time, you shall learn the entire truth, young prince. Those eyes of yours will witness a great deal of grief as your power grows and it will be your choices that will bring about either life or death around yourself. You still have a lot to learn. The future has untold possibilities, but out of the countless ones lies only one right path." stated Takeshiki sagely. Before Naruto could say anything further, he saw the man turning around and walk in the opposite direction as his body began to fade.

"We shall meet again, young Naruto. Heed my words carefully…" were the last words Naruto heard before Takeshiki completely faded out of his sight. He noticed that the surrounding around him had returned to normal and for a second wondered whether everything that had transpired was a dream or not. It was just so much of information to take in. His young mind wasn't prepared to handle the gravity of all of this, but he tried his best to keep himself composed. From all his years of training he had learnt that nothing could ever be accomplished with a troubled mind. He somberly looked up at the moon in the night sky and wondered why his life must be so hard. All he ever wanted was to live peacefully with his family. Alas, he knew that was only a wishful thinking.

"I will have to look into this matter myself… the Otsutsuki Clan huh?" Naruto whispered as the words simply drifted along the wind in the forest. Shaking his head slightly, he once again turned around and began making his way back to Konoha. Based on what he heard, he realized there wasn't any immediate danger to Konoha from the Otsutsuki Clan. Even so, the matter couldn't be just left alone. Chakra. which is the fundamental source of power in the shinobi world today had after all originated from the Otsutsuki Clan. Or that's what he believed. He couldn't even begin to fathom how strong the clan would be. And learning that the Otsutsuki are incased in an internal conflict doesn't really help him all that much. Despite being highly suspicious of the person who greeted him earlier, he was relieved that the conversation did not escalate to any fighting.

Deep within Naruto's seal, Kurama lay on the ground with a somewhat speculative look on his face. He wasn't certain as to what transpired in the last ten minutes, but he was sure Naruto was approached by someone questionable. There weren't many things that alarmed the age old bijuu, but this incident certainly put him on guard.

Amegakure

"What about the Kyubi jinchuriki?" asked Pain with a straight face.

"Orochimaru is planning to attack the Kyuubi brat with Danzo Shimura and Iwagakure's aid within the span of next two months. I had Zetsu keep an eye out on Orochimaru after he betrayed Akatsuki. Also, there's been some disturbing news that has been travelling around the Elemental Nations regarding the Kyuubi's host." Replied Madara. The purple haired woman standing beside Pain, narrowed her eyes slightly at the masked man before her. She never truly trusted the intentions of the man and found it hard to believe his claim of being Madara. But, she never voiced her opinion in front of him. She subtly glanced towards Pain, unnoticed by the masked shinobi.

"There's no need to worry about the Kyuubi yet. Even right now, the Gedo Mazo isn't ready for the sealing of the bijuus. And the Kyuubi must be sealed at the end." Replied the orange haired man stoically. Pain very well knew about the identity of the Kyuubi jinchuriki- Naruto Namikaze, son of Yondaime Hokage. "I hope, this won't be sentimental for you? The fact that the boy is your grandson is of no consequence to me or my group." Emphasized Pain. Madara narrowed his eyes behind mask but immediately relaxed his features.

"Not at all… I was merely going to suggest sending Kisame to observe the battle. I have no doubt that Konoha will come out on top in the little skirmish Orochimaru constructed. Naruto is a rather interesting person if I must say so…" mused Madara as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Oh? What are your thoughts of him then?" questioned Pain rather keenly.

"He had awakened the rinnegan in his right eye two years ago when Danzo fled the village. And his power has grown tremendously ever since. And the Yondaime Hokage's power is no joke either. I dare say, the two might be a match for you too…" Madara stated with a smirk, knowing full well of the reaction he might get. However, he was slightly surprised by the lack of reaction. Yet, Pain as well as Konan were highly intrigued by the revelation. He was told by Jiraiya long ago that the rinnegan only manifested itself during time of great chaos and was only awakened by the Rikudo Sennin before. He also wondered if there was a relation between him and Naruto but did not let his mind think much into the matter. He would make sure to build a world of peace and go through any obstacle to see his plans become reality. He was after all a god.

"Is that so? He too shall know pain when the time comes. The Elemental Nations has danced on the idiotic whims of five great villages for far too long. Naruto Namikaze, Jiraiya and the Yondaime Hokage are just another shinobi who shall be dealt with when the time comes. In the meantime, you and Kisame should keep an eye on the Kyubi. I shall very well like to know how strong the Kyubi jinchuriki's rinnegan is." Pain replied with an air of finality before he and Konan walked off leaving Madara all alone. Just when the two were out of sight and hearing range, Zetsu rose from the ground beside the orange masked shinobi.

"I didn't think you were going to tell him about Naruto's rinnegan at all. But, why didn't you tell him everything about the Kyuubi jinchuriki?" stated the black half of Zetsu, followed by his white counterpart.

"Considering how strong the boy has become, he could become a threat to my plans. But, I have seen how strong his emotions are. I'm sure Naruto himself has sensed the darkness that lies within him. It was a shame that I couldn't get Itachi to join our little group. If I can get Naruto to join me, there would be no one strong enough to oppose me. But its still quite a few years before I can even approach Naruto with my offer. However, there's also young Sasuke. He is a different story altogether. I wonder how he'll take the news about the truth of Uchiha Massacre…" mused Madara. He had kept a close watch on Konoha since his failed attempt to kill the Yondaime Hokage twelve years ago. He had to commend the fact that Konoha had some interesting students in the academy but none of them caught his attention like Naruto and Sasuke.

"It will be easier said than done. So long as he's surrounded by the likes of Yondaime Hokage, Jiraiya, Shisui and Itachi, he will be hard to capture even if the whole Akatsuki were the go after him. Despite that too, his rinnegan is powerful. Much more powerful than Nagato's…" warned the black half of Zetsu.

"I have plans for them too. That is, if Orochimaru doesn't get to them first. His obsession with the sharingan is unhealthy, to say the least. Once we capture the other bijuus or at least half of them, we can move onto the Kyuubi then. In the meantime, I want you to keep an eye on Ohnoki and Orochimaru's movement. The moment they make a move on Takigakure, I want you to inform me. I wouldn't want to miss the show after all." Madara replied in an authoritative voice. Zetsu simply nodded and sank back into the ground to follow the wishes of his master.

'Time to see how my little pet in Kiri is handling the business.' Thought Madara before swirling away into the vortex originating from the eyehole in his orange mask.

A few weeks later

It was almost eight in the evening and most of Konoha was still busy with their daily works. The streets were filled with people as the village was covered in a relatively cooler weather. Over the past couple of weeks, winter had slowly begun to roll its way to the Land of Fire. Since the Fire Nation is in the middle of the Elemental Nations, the summer was quite hot in these lands. Although the summer wasn't as bad compared to Kaze no Kuni's, it was still hard for a regular person to stand directly under the sun for more than a few hours. The arrival of winter meant a busier schedule for the populace of Konoha due to increase in tourists as well as mission demands.

At the edge of the Hokage Monument, Naruto sat quietly as his eyes gazed at the glistening sky filled with countless mysteries. Over the past years, Naruto had made it sort of a habit to spend some of his free time on top of the Shodai Hokage's stone face and simply observe his friends' train during the morning while in the academy. Those were the times when he most wished if he was a normal kid- maybe then, he too would be in the company of his friends. He wasn't delusional enough to cling to those thoughts or wishes for comfort, but he had been rather stressed over the past few weeks. His meeting with the man named Takeshiki Otsutsuki had pushed his mind into a frenzy of questions, to which he had no answer. He did not even know where to start looking for them. He had decided to discuss the matter with his father once both Jiraiya and Itachi were in the village and thus hadn't told anyone else about it. Naruto knew he could discuss this matter with his father alone too, but considering the amount of work he has been under lately, he figured it could wait. He was certain Jiraiya's experience and in-depth knowledge about the Elemental Nations would be an immense help in gathering information about the Otsutsuki Clan. However, since both Jiraiya and Itachi were away from the village, he had to wait until their return.

As his eyes lingered towards the moon, once again he found himself wondering about his friends in the academy. It had been a little over two years since he had spoken to anyone of them except Sasuke. His heart pained a little as he thought about Hinata and Sakura. Those two were the first in his age group to accept him as a friend and understand him. He chuckled dryly as he realized how he had broken their trust. 'huh... some friend I am…' thought Naruto. But, he also knew it was for their own good. Considering his past, he never wanted to put his friends' life in danger just because of him. He wanted them to become stronger, so that they could defend themselves and Konoha in the face of powerful enemies. Once again, his eyes looked over the peaceful village and saw the illusion that most of the villagers were under. All the great villages were at odds with each other and the temporary peace which had reigned over the Elemental Nations since the last Shinobi War looked more fragile with every passing day. Naruto was certain a storm was heading their way soon enough, one that would bring about a revolution in the Elemental Nations.

"Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha created this village with the hope to shelter the young kids from war, to stop the unnecessary bloodshed. But, in the end all it did was give rise to more wars. I wonder what they might have to say looking at the current shinobi world..." Naruto muttered to himself.

"Madara lived for the thrill of battle. I doubt whether he would be surprised. From what I know, it's the same with most of the Uchihas. All of them seem crazy to me." Kurama snickered. A small smile formed on Naruto's face hearing Kurama's words.

"Well, maybe I should arrange you a reunion with him?" Naruto questioned tauntingly.

"I will rip that Uchiha to shreds if I ever see him again." Retorted Kurama loudly as his massive tails swung wildly behind him. Naruto smirked when he heard the irritation within his friend's voice. It amused him to know that even after so many decades, the animosity Kurama held for his grandfather hadn't dwindled even a bit. Then again, he mused would be quite mad too if someone made him act against his own will.

'I doubt you will…' Naruto said to his partner telepathically. And the ironic part was that Kurama knew that fact very well. Even if he wanted to kill that despicable man, he couldn't. Not unless he wished to make Naruto furious. There were times when Kurama too was confused by Naruto's line of thoughts. He had noticed as Naruto grew up, his curiosity and questions regarding the shinobi world only grew more complex with no one to provide him an answer for.

"You should talk to them sometime, Naruto… You've been working a lot in Anbu the past couple of years." Kurama stated. Yet again, Naruto's face became quite soft upon hearing those words. But, he did it all for the sake of his friends. His hands were stained in blood while his friends' were as innocent as the day they all were born. And he wanted to keep it that for as long as he could. No one knew the burden that he carried on himself and no one could even begin to understand the responsibility he felt towards his village, his country. It was because he was willing to protect from the shadows so that his friends could bask in the light when the time comes.

"When the time's right, my old friend." Whispered the blond shinobi to his partner.

Deciding to go home and rest for a while, Naruto got up from the edge and began making his way through the forests at the back of the Hokage monument. Unknown to him, a small white snake followed his every footstep from the shadows.

A month and half later

A lone shinobi stood before a large waterfall, with his face covered under a white hood. On the other side of the waterfall, stood the proud village of Takigakure, home to the jinchuriki of Nanabi. It was early into the dawn and most of the people were still asleep in their bed peacefully ignorant of the danger lurking right on their door steps.

"The time has come… for all of it to end." whispered the man as he brought forth his hands and placed his palms together, thereby calling out the name of his jutsu menacingly.

"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei no Jutsu"

Author Notes- Well, this arc is almost at it's finishing stages. The fight between Konoha and Iwagakure becomes inevitable as Ohnoki makes his first move in order to draw out Konoha, especially Naruto and his group. This fight will provide a major turning point in Naruto's life as a shinobi and how he'll perceive those he cherishes. I doubt Akatsuki would be involved much in this fight. Their only interest is in gauging out the strength of their targets, which is essentially Naruto and Fu.

The next arc will revolve heavily around the 'Konoha 11' which will include Naruto's friend's graduating from the academy, their missions, Chunin exam and how the war between Konoha and Iwagaukre will affect the Five Great Nations. And I know that there hasn't been much of Naruto-Hinata moments, but rest assured, the next arc will feature their relationship properly.

Please do follow, favorite and review the story! I will really appreciate the feedback!

Until next time!