Chapter 1
Rise of the Dark Sage
Beta: Old man of the mountain/Darklord331
In the land of Kusa once stood a massive structure. One that was heralded as the Blood Prison; a building so imposing that only the most ruthless prisoners were sent there for the highest of high crime. The place was known for the blood seal they put on people preventing them from using chakra.
The prison itself was heavily monitored and controlled and it was the center of Kusa's now infamous reputation. More so, the actions of the past were centered around this old facility. Fear was common when talking about the land and the prison but for different reasons.
The rumors flew that inside the prison was something so evil and heinous that all the other nations had made a pledge that if they ever discovered it in Kusa again they would forgo all fights and arguments to deal with it. Sadly, the item in question was lost over the ages and no one knew of the ancient items location.
Little did anyone know; it was inside of the prison and considered the worst fate a prisoner could face.
That was until now.
What was once a proud and intimidating tower is now nothing more than rubble. The ruins stained with the blood of all that was inside, and the remains of a shattered black box remained on the ground.
It was the scene of a horror movie with nothing standing and nothing alive for miles around. People strewed across and even mutilated in such horrific ways you couldn't even fathom.
But there was one lone soul sitting at the top of the rubble. He was just sitting there with a blank expression and looking down at the remains of the dark box that was shattered into pieces and the remains of the warden that he had slaughtered on the spot.
He is wearing nothing but a orange jumper bottom and his entire torso was visible to the world.
Once was marked with a seal on his stomach, but now gone for the markings that were now all around his body. Each one intricately placed in a way that it led up to his face and down to his legs. The markings were nothing more than just simple lines and small eye patterns tattooed on the back of his hand.
The person had dark blond hair and his hair was short and spikey. He had blue eyes that were blank with feeling or emotion and just staring at the remains of the place. He didn't flinch at the sight of the blood even though in earlier years he would have and it would have scared him to see such carnage.
But now? He couldn't give two shits about the people that were dead.
Naruto Uzumaki, former genin of Konoha and the former container of the Kyuubi. Many would wonder how he ended up in this position and what happened to him well, this took place almost 6 months ago.
Flash back
Naruto had just arrived at the prison in a state of shock.
He couldn't believe it.
He did everything that the village asked him, he completed his mission, and performed his objective without fail. But yet, he was still punished for his actions.
In the midst of the aftermath of Konoha gaining a new Hokage and the village dealing with some new found enemies in their mist, Naruto had been captured and tried by the council.
The civilians stated that he violated the laws and stated that his actions against Sasuke was unforgivable and that he wouldn't be allowed to see the light of day. While they wanted to execute him they stated that they were overruled in the end. So, the only option they had was to banish him.
Naruto pointed out that they can't do that without the Hokage's approval.
That is when one presented a document with the Hokage's stamp and signature showing that they can do such without consequences. Naruto felt his whole world shattered in an instance and the Civilians taunted him for his failures and the mistakes he made and how his parents would have been ashamed of him for being nothing more than gutter trash.
Naruto was so numb, they took the chance and applied a makeshift seal to his body which not only cut off his connection to the fox but also prevented him from accessing his own chakra.
Rendering him powerless.
This led to him being sent in a convoy out of the village at night and his mind just blank from what had happened. While being carted away he could hear the villagers talking proudly of his banishment and how they were finally free of him.
Naruto was destroyed by this and arriving at the prison things only got worse.
First, he was thrown into a cell where they told him how the blood seal worked and told him of all the work he would have to do to survive in this place and when he didn't respond he was beaten.
Shortly afterwards he ran into another inmate who quickly took the chance to 'initiate' the new member of the prison in how to 'pay your dues' Naruto still scrubbed himself clean after this.
Naruto over the period of six months had to suffer at the hands of the inmates that wanted him as their 'pillow buddy' while others beat him and stole his food and made his life just a living hell. If that wasn't happening then it was the guards doing it and making fun of him being nothing more than a stupid 13 year old idiot and how he should have died ages ago.
Over the course of six months he just became numb to the pain and didn't bother to fight back or argue and just wanted to endure it until he finally collapsed and died. That way at least he could say he didn't give in and he could finally see his parents again.
But yesterday, he heard the Warden call for him and brought him deep underground where he saw some kind of giant black box with faces on it sitting there in the middle of the room. The Warden didn't bother explaining what it was or what it did, he just shoved him to the box and he was dragged inside.
Inside Naruto thought he would see death but that wasn't the case.
Instead his shackles were gone and his pain was gone. His exhaustion had disappeared, and soon he found himself feeling better than he had in quite some time. The seals were gone and his body seemed to be just back to what it was before the council put the seal on him.
Looking around the box he saw nothing but darkness but soon after taking a step he felt something at his feet and looked and saw that it was water.
But he didn't understand. Where did the water come from? It shouldn't be inside of this giant box?
Could it?
Naruto soon saw the world around him light up; everything was dark red but he saw a large pile of bones leading up to what looked like a throne made of bones. Sitting on the throne was a red hair man with red eyes and marks on his face. He was resting his face on his knuckles and he looked on with a smile on his face.
"Well isn't this interesting."
Naruto raised an eyebrow,
"Who are you?"
"Hm, interesting question but I would have to say you pose a more interesting question of what you are."
The man appeared beside him and touched his stomach where the seal was.
'When did he-,'
"Ah I see so you have one of the Sage's little pets inside of you?"
Naruto looked at him,
"What do you mean the Sage?"
The man frowned,
"You don't know who I am do you?"
Naruto shook his head and the man sighed.
"Well it would seem I have faded with the sands of time like all living things." He shrugged his shoulders, "Oh well, it is what it is." The man turned from Naruto and appeared back on his throne sitting on it with his hand back under his head.
"Now then." The man smiled, "I think we should talk."
"Okay?" Naruto looked around, "Where are we?"
"Inside the Box of Eternal Bliss. Or as I would like to call it the Box of my Eternal Damnation."
"Huh, never heard of it."
The man raised an eyebrow,
"You, how uneducated are you?"
Naruto gained a tickmark,
"I didn't have advance education and was given the base minimum for most of my studies. The only thing I know how to do is train and use chakra."
The man snorted,
"That's funny because your control is shit."
Naruto frowned,
"Tell me something I don't know, by the way how the fuck am I not covered in those seals."
The man just waved his hand with one eye closed with a bored expression,
"Oh that, well it was quite simple really. I just willed them away."
"Willed them? How does that work?"
"Young one," He yawned, "When you get to be my age and spend eternity trapped in a box made for controlling you, you learn a thing or two over the ages." He waved his hand around, "Sadly the only thing I never figured out was how to escape this stupid box as it is tethered to my dark chakra."
"Dark Chakra what's that?"
The man's eyes widened,
"Wait you never heard of dark chakra?" He appeared in front of him, "Hold still." The man grabbed Naruto by his forehead and he felt a burning sensation racing through his head.
The man in question held him in place for a few seconds before releasing him and having nothing betraying his thoughts.
He just stood there; no emotion, no expression, and no sign of movement.
The man just stood there until he gently leaned upward and released a sigh,
"Hagaromo you damn fool."
"Who?"
The man turned to the boy and frowned,
"Your childhood was pretty shitty kid."
Naruto frowned,
"Yeah not by choice."
The man shook his head,
"No mostly not, but you could have challenged the status quo in a different way or actively tried to improve. Instead you goofed off and did stupid things like doing pranks. While it did help in some manner with your training and deception it did nothing for the areas you needed improvement in such as control and making moves of your own."
Naruto frowned, how much of his life-
"I saw everything child."
"Everything?"
Did he-
"No your just easy to read brat." He sighed, "But it looks like the world has gotten weaker since my time since there are almost no sign of practitioners of Dark Chakra. Without them there is no balance to power, Hagaromo you damn fool, you messed up everything for what? Your stupid little idea of helping everyone?" The man just rubbed his face with his hand, "Fucking idiot."
"Okay can you tell me what your talking about?"
The man turned to Naruto and smiled,
"Kid, what if I told you of a time where there was two forms of chakra? One that was called Light Chakra and the other is called Dark Chakra? What if I told you those that master both disciplines gained unimaginable power and can even extend their lives to the point of near immortality?"
Naruto frowned,
"I ask what the catch is?"
The man laughed,
"Good question brat and the right thing to ask." He smiled and held one of his fingers up and soon chakra materialized on it and started to ebb and flow without shape but soon formed letters. "The price of Dark Chakra is that you have to let go."
"Let go of what?"
He formed a skull,
"Everything." He smiled, "One that masters Light Chakra believes that one is only done by the righteous path but let me ask you something what is the right path? Who ordains what the world should be?"
Naruto had a question mark above his head.
"Um, fate I guess? Everyone seems to have some thought it does."
The man shook his head,
"Your wrong. The truth is there is no right answer." He formed a skull and soon held his other hand out and he saw fire form in it and take shape of the same skull. "The truth the world is that there is no such thing as the righteous path or the evil path. Good and Evil. Yin and Yang. Monsters and Saints. They are all concepts. Concepts crafted by humanity to justify its reasons and actions. They are just reasonings that one makes for themselves to justify everything they do in their life."
"For example: One that burns down a village for example. Murders everyone in the village. All because their village leader says so. What do this make them?"
"I don't know a loyal soldier and someone helping to strive for the betterment of the world?"
"Wrong. It is just someone justifying murdering another person. To kill people because you can and want to. No one can actually make someone else do something that they don't want to do no matter what is done to them. The reality is; there is only one person you answer to."
"Yourself."
"Exactly." Sukuna put the two skulls together and soon the energies converge and soon create a beautiful skull that floats in his hands. While the two skulls that he materialized with what Naruto guess was light and dark chakra were just made in chakra form, this was an actual skull. "Once you fully grasp this; one can truly find their own balance with both Light and Dark Chakra. One can attain a level of power that is viewed as godly."
"You attained such a feat?"
The man nodded and let the skull fall into his hand so he could examine it.
"It wasn't easy if that is what your asking it took a long time for me to come to these terms but in the end I managed to complete this goal without too much trouble. Once you know how to do the process and become in tuned with it, the rest becomes so much simpler." The man tossed the skull, "But back to the main issue you are facing. I'm guessing you were expecting to die when thrown into this box right?"
Naruto nodded his head.
"Well then you should have but when I sensed your chakra and could feel the energy inside of you I knew right away your different so I brought you to me instead of the demon. Especially since I know for a fact that you are an Uzumaki."
"What does that got to do with anything?"
He smiled,
"I'll tell you in time."
"Asshole."
"Thank you." He turned to Naruto and smiled, "The truth is, when I sensed your presence and your chakra and that," he pointed to his stomach, "I knew that this is a golden opportunity for the both of us."
"How so?"
"Simple you want to gain power out of this world and have a teacher that really teaches you and puts their faith in you right?"
Naruto nodded his head slowly,
"You also want to know more about actual chakra not the shit that they are teaching you that is half ass, although the Rasengan is probably the most innovative of the moves you know considering it is the greatest byproduct of pure light chakra." He smiled, "But you don't know the potential that you have with Dark chakra due to no masters using it."
"No I don't."
"Then you also don't know about the potential you have in front of you."
"So your offering to teach me?"
"Yes." The man smiled, walking up to him and putting his hand on his shoulder, "You're a tortured soul, someone that has lost faith in humanity and wants to finally start thinking about Naruto rather than Konoha." He then walked around him and hovered near his ear, "I mean that's been your whole life and look where it got you?"
Naruto clenched his fist.
"Yeah but what do you want out of this? Obviously you don't want to stay in this box but there is no way out like you said and that it is feeding on your chakra."
The man nodded his head,
"True. But at the end of the day, there is a way out thanks to that."
Naruto saw his finger was pointed at his seal and he frowned.
"How is the Kyuubi going to help us? All he has done is scream at me and taunt me for being so fucking stupid and how my parents were fools."
The man just sighed,
"Kid; what I'm wanting is to take the fox's place."
"How would you do that?"
He smiled before clapping both of Naruto's shoulders from behind.
"Simple; all I have to do is force myself into the seal while banishing the Kyuubi."
"You make it sound so simple; the Shinigami was needed to-,"
"Yeah I know that process." He came from around Naruto while picking his ear with one of his fingers. "The Shinigami is the only one that can release and seal the Bijuu blah,blah, blah," the man sighed "Everyone always says that but it is not true." He pivoted on his foot turning 180. "There is another way; I can release the Bijuu and send it back into the other world. Releasing it to be with the other half of its chakra. But in exchange we need something to take its place."
Naruto nodded.
"You."
The man smiled,
"You catch on quick." He clapped his hands, "Yes I would be the replacement; the good news is due to my chakra and power it would work. I might not be as endless as a Bijuu but my power is more than enough to have the seal recognize me as your prisoner. In exchange; the seal would just absorb me into you over time."
Naruto nodded his head but then his eyes widened.
"But why would you agree to a process in which you would just eventually die after a period of time there is no guarantee you'll get an after life if that is the case."
"Kid the after life is for those that care, I honestly don't. Anything beats this," he waved his hand around, "I've seen the same shit for more than 200 years, don't you think that I would take this chance now that I have it no matter the risk?"
Naruto thought about it. It did make sense. Why wouldn't he take the risk? If it was this or continuation fo this world, he would do the same.
"Okay so lets say I agree to this; how are we going to escape?"
The man smirked,
"Simple with you now as much host the box won't be powered by my chakra anymore and this will allow me to break us out. But probably run into a wall of resistance so I might have to get your body dirty."
Naruto shook his head,
"Do whatever you want this place means nothing to me; the guards are pricks, the warden is an asshole, and the prisoners are just going to get what is coming to them."
"Ah, I see, so killing them won't bother you?"
Naruto sighed,
"At this point what is the fucking risk? Do what you want but I better remain dominant in this relationship and you better not try and fuck with me as I will self-destruct the seal."
The man laughed,
"I knew I would like you kid! Okay I can agree to that but under two conditions," he held up one of his fingers, "One I can take control of your body when the time is needed and I can use your body if your in a situation you can't handle but I won't harm any allies you make in the future. Deal?"
Naruto nodded.
"Well then, lets get started. I the Dark Sage Sukuna, ruler of the Dark Arts, shall now grant you power out of this world and soon you and I shall make the world remember your name for all eternity!"
Naruto saw him covered in a dark aura and then he saw nothing but darkness.
Flash back ends
Naruto sighed, the tattoos on his body started rescinding and Naruto could only look up at the sky in boredom.
"So this is what it is like to massacre a large group of people?" Naruto looked at the slaughter, "Don't really feel anything if I'm being honest."
"Of course not, after all I did all the work and at the same time, none of this will mean anything to you thanks to the fact you didn't care for them in the first place."
Naruto nodded and stretched his hands over his head and groaned.
"Well no doubt people are going to hear about this so probably should hoof it somewhere else I guess. Any suggestions?"
"How the fuck should I know, I haven't seen the outside world in ages back then it use to be clan against clan, nothing like this world. Even with brief glances at a map from your memory I don't know."
"Okay sorry I asked," Naruto sighed. "Maybe I should go to Wave or something, might be a nice change of scenery and it would give us the privacy we need to start training a bit."
"Hm, that is the country you helped end a tyrant right? Should work as long as we don't run into any of your former colleagues right?"
"If we do then you can deal with them."
"Don't get cocky brat, your body is still your body. I can't use it as well as my original meaning we can still be beaten by superior and more experienced opponents. But if worse comes; I'll break out my more powerful moves but those will definitely draw attention since they tend to leave their mark on the landscape."
Naruto nodded and started on foot.
He had a long road ahead of him, who knows what he will run into while on his way to Wave?
Konoha
Jiraiya was furious.
No, that is putting it mildly.
He was beyond that; he can't even think of the word that it would encompass.
He was so mad he didn't even bother to peek on the hotsprings when he heard rumors that the hottest women were going to be there, he didn't even bother writing down material for his new book.
Why was he like this?
One reason; Naruto.
Apparently word got back to him when he came back to the village that he was gone. Where he didn't know and no one was telling him shit. But he got word from a drunk civilian that Tsunade had signed off on him having his chakra sealed and sent away to prison for his actions against the Uchiha.
Jiraiya heard him call his mother a whore and his father a piece of shit, Jiraiya cave in his mouth knocking out all of his teeth and blood dripping from his knuckles.
Stomping through the village everyone gave him a wide birth in fear of what he was going to do.
After getting into the tower he walked past Shizune and without hesitation kicked open the door.
Jiraiya the Kabuki white hair ninja glared at Tsunade who was sitting behind her desk.
Most would describe the woman as beautiful with her monster size breasts, her youthful appearance, the blue diamond on her forehead, and her shaply figure that just complimented her.
While normally he would make a lewd comment he was not in the mood and Tsunade had never seen her teammate this angry before.
"Jiraiya what the hell is this about? You do owe me a new door."
Jiraiya walked up to the desk and quickly threw it with one hand across the room.
"I'm in no mood Tsunade. Tell me; give me one good fucking reason why you did what you did and I might just understand but if you give me some kind of bullshit I swear on the name of my students and his wife, I will kill you here and now for treason."
"What are you talking about Jiraiya?" She looked on in shock and annoyance but seeing his anger she knew that he was not in one of his happy moods. In fact she never saw this side of him in the later years but now, she knew she was not messing with Jiraiya the Sage who does his dance, she was messing with one that is the strongest of the Sannin and the most dangerous for a reason.
"Why did you banish Naruto!?"
"Banish? What the fuck are you talking about the brat should be on a mission right now with his team. I mean yeah Sakura is still keeping an eye on Sasuke and Kakashi is just hanging around the village but the council assigned him a long term mission with some Chunin."
"Are you stupid?" He reached into his pocket and slammed a document in her face, "How do you fucking explain this? The whole village knows about it!"
Tsunade looked at the document and her eyes widened,
"I didn't sign this!"
"Bullshit it has your signature and stamp on it!"
"Jiraiya I didn't do this! I wouldn't, I just got done telling Naruto a few months ago how proud I was for him bringing back that traitor."
"Yeah well the village seems to be in the mood recently and I don't know about this bullshit mission your talking about but who was on that mission with him."
She went through the documents scattered on the floor and found it.
"It is some Chunin set-"
Jiraiya snatched it and read it before growling.
"Were you drunk?"
"Huh?"
"Tsunade this is fake!" He showed her, "I know every person in this village and the three names on this list aren't actually Chunin."
"But," Tsunade fell into her chair and her mind went out for a hundred miles a minute.
'I was busy healing everyone that I didn't have the time to really talk to Naruto. But then he stopped appearing in the village but I was told that he was on a long term mission and was given this form. I mean we were swamped with things going on due to the recent attack and damages and the new contracts and allies that I didn't, I didn't bother to really read too much into it. I haven't been leaving this tower in months it feels like.'
Looking at the other document Jiraiya showed her and she frowned.
"Jiraiya I swear on the name of my family, I didn't sign this. Someone else had to forge it, I mean I was so busy healing people through the hospital, dealing with the Uchiha, and other matters that I left most of the stuff to the council."
Jiraiya groaned in frustration,
"The council? Tsunade they have been out for Naruto for years! The only reason they never could get to him was thanks to Sensei and thanks to the Elders. While they might not like the boy personally and have their own beliefs of him they still see his value and try to protect him from the more radical groups. Even Danzo!"
Tsunade slumped in her chair,
"So, that explains why they were so eager to take over and help with some of the paperwork and even assign missions for Naruto."
Jiraiya frowned but soon saw tears running down her face, he saw real emotion out of her and part of him could sense it. She genuinely didn't know and from the looks of it, she never signed the document.
But then how did they get the Hokage's Stamp and forged her signature?
"Oh my god," Tsunade jumped to her feet, "Where is Naruto!? We have to find him!"
"Tsunade stop!" Jiraiya pushed her into a chair, "If you go around announcing what happened all this is going to do is start a panic in the village. The civilians will start messing, Naruto's friends might start finding out about his personal friend, and you know how the Elders will react. They might even use this a reason to have you removed and we can't afford that!"
"But we can't just sit here!"
Jiraiya nodded,
"Yes which is why we need to think. We need to find out how they got your signature and stamp; do you know where the stamp is?"
Tsunade frowned and rummaged through the desk and found it.
"Here."
He frowned,
"Was it sealed?"
Tsunade sighed,
"No I hadn't had the chance to do so after the mess that was started thanks to the Uchiha brat."
"I see then while you were busy helping and healing someone must have snuck in here and stole the stamp and after they used it returned it."
"Okay but what about my signature?"
He sighed,
"Good forgery? If it was shown to Naruto he probably didn't even know the forgery and probably took it at face value."
Tsunade sighed,
"Sounds about right."
Both Sannin fell to the floor and all Tsunade could do is cry,
"How is it I screw up with the people that are supposed to be important to me Jiraiya?"
"Hime,"
"No it is true. There is nothing now. Naruto is gone; banished and who knows where and I don't know who in this village I can trust anymore." She cried, "I wish, I wish I knew what to do."
Jiraiya hugged her and patted her back,
"He's alive. The toads confirmed that since his name hasn't faded from the contract. I know this for certain."
"Then we can still find him."
Jiraiya nodded but glared,
"But first we have some stuff to do before we can find him."
Tsunade wiped her eyes and glared,
"Yeah bring me the Elders for a private meeting it is time to fix Konoha starting with them and the fucking council."
Jiraiya smiled,
"Sure thing Hime."
"Also, take a look at the Uchiha brat's seal I want to make sure that Orochimaru can't influence him if we can avoid it."
"Sure I'll do that once we have this matter resolved."
Tsunade nodded and sighed,
"Naruto I hope you can forgive this foolish woman for being so stupid and blind."