I've really felt the urge to write again so here's an update. If anyone even still cares about this story, please enjoy it.

Also, once again, this chapter hasn't been beta'd.

I am Become Death

Chapter VIII – Sacrificium

Naruto and Sai returned to Konohagakure twenty-six days after disembarking on their mission to the Land of Waves. Sai, having suffered minor injuries to his right shoulder, spent a day at the hospital. Naruto, having brought back one of the swords of the infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen, was forced to turn over his "spoils of war" to the Hokage, who, he was told, would use it as a bargaining chip (whatever the hell that was) in future dealings with Kirigakure no Sato.

Kushina was happy that her son had returned. She knew he was never in any danger, but he was still her child. A mother never stopped worrying about her children—ever.

By a stroke of happenstance, both Kakashi and Tenzō returned to the village with their teams, meaning that all of Team Ro was once again assembled in one spot.

"So, I heard you two had an interesting time in the Land of Waves," Kakashi started, a gentle breeze running through the trees of Training Ground 3. "I just read your reports. You two did a great job."

Sai smiled, though it was decidedly lacking warmth. "Thank you, captain."

Naruto's smile was flawless. Not too much, not too little—a perfect combination. "Yeah, we were pretty awesome, weren't we, captain?" Even though his smile was more convincing than Sai's, it was even less genuine.

"Don't let it get to your head, Uzumaki," Raidō chided softly. He never did raise his voice too often, even when he was upset.

"Seriously. Bragging like a little kid isn't cool, you know?" Hinoko said, folding her arms across her chest.

"I wasn't bragging," Naruto said, glaring at the girl.

"Now, now," Kakashi started. "Let's all get along." He shook his head, exasperated. Teenagers… he thought.

"I feel sorry for the captain," Tenzō whispered to Yūgao, chuckling. "Thirty percent of his job is basically babysitting."

Yūgao laughed.

"You took the lead, right, Sai?" Kakashi asked. "You've been training a lot recently, and it's showing."

Sai nodded, not bothering to pretend to smile.

"Didn't you bring back a prisoner?" Yūgao asked, curious. "What happened there?"

Naruto opened his mouth, ready to tell the team all about the extremely pretty girly-boy they had captured, but it wasn't meant to be.

Instead, nearly as a single entity, all of Team Ro looked up. Above Training Ground 3, a hawk soared in circles.

"No rest for the wicked," Kakashi said cheerfully. "Let's go, team. The Lord Hokage beckons."

Once again in perfect sync, Team Ro placed their masks on their faces before vanishing into thin air.

The seven special operatives stood before the young Hokage, faces hidden behind porcelain. None spoke, each ninja awaiting their leader's orders.

Standing at his side like a cheerful, colorful contrast, was Uzumaki Kushina, the Hokage's assistant. Team Ro knew that, if Kushina was present, then they weren't about to be sent on a top-secret, classified mission.

A less common figure stood to the side opposite of Kushina, his form a virtual beacon of strength and unyielding will. Uchiha Itachi was the kind of man whose power was concealed underneath a young exterior. The man who stood at his side, his own father, Uchiha Fugaku, was the kind of shinobi whose power was on display for all to see.

"Most of you are already aware that the Chūnin Exams are fast approaching," Itachi began, onyx eyes examining each member of his personal unit. "We'll be hosting the exams in Konoha this year. This means increased security from every division."

The Chūnin Exams, while a useful way to promote cooperation and display village strength, was also a colossal hassle. Not only was security an issue, but there was always the possibility of starting an international incident. Offend the wrong person, or tread upon certain traditions—wars were started for less.

"Our borders have already been reinforced and the Military Police Force has already begun to step up village security," Itachi continued. "Commander Fugaku will explain the reason you've been assembled."

Commander Uchiha Fugaku, the Wicked Eye of the Uchiha clan. The current patriarch of the family was a main Hokage candidate, only second to Namikaze Minato himself (since Jiraiya refused the position and Orochimaru was under investigation). He was a veteran shinobi of no small talent, the kind of man whose presence alone demanded attention.

"I have MP's and secret police stationed all over the village," Fugaku started. "With such an influx of foreign ninja on their way, internal defenses are our main priority. The ANBU and MP Force will be working in tandem for the next few months, to assure village security."

The ANBU, while technically a spy organization, was mainly used outside of Konohagakure. The MP Force was almost entirely domestic and comprised completely of Uchiha. Something as big as the Chūnin Exams, however, demanded collaboration between both.

"We need Team Ro to take point in two critical areas: Hatake, Tenzō, and Namiashi will be on overwatch. The three of you will shadow the aspiring chūnin and their sensei during all three stages. You'll be working closely with my lieutenants."

The foreign genin weren't an incredible threat, but enough of one that they would be watched sporadically. The jōnin-sensei that lead the genin teams, however, were a potential problem and would need to be monitored from the moment they passed through the village gates.

"The rest of you will be placed inside the exams. Uzuki will take on the role of jōnin-sensei. Hinoko, Sai, and Uzumaki—the three of you will pose as genin and take the exams. Watch closely and report what you see."

Silence was Fugaku's response from Team Ro. They had received their orders—there was no reason to speak now.

Itachi looked at Yūgao, her cat mask framed by purple hair. "Yūgao-san," he said, the using of her first name a clear sign. The woman took her mask off, chocolate brown eyes clashing against black. "You'll have command of your contingent. Team Uzuki will report here first thing tomorrow morning for a briefing."

Yūgao saluted.

"Hatake-san, your contingent will report to the MP Force Headquarters immediately. Commander Fugaku will allow you three access to the clan compound. Coordinate with Monkey at ANBU HQ directly. He'll relay any pertinent information to me."

Kakashi saluted, though he kept his mask on.

"Naruto, Sai," Itachi started. "The two of you stay. The rest of you are dismissed," Itachi said. With a final salute, Team Ro, sans the two youngest, left the Hokage's office. "We need to discuss the guest you brought back with you."

The cells underneath ANBU Headquarters were some of the most secure in Konoha. Some of the most dangerous ninja to come through the village were held within. Made of stone walls and metal bars that could not conduct chakra, and over four dozen seals to both suppress chakra usage and encourage lethargy littered every inch of stone.

If a person was held within ANBU holding cells, they were not to be trifled with. It was a fitting place for the person Naruto and Sai had brought back as a prisoner of war.

"His name is Yuki Haku," Itachi started, his deep red eyes staring at the figure in the cell, shadows clashing against smooth, pale skin. "He's from the Land of Water, a descendant of the Yuki clan, and was Zabuza's partner."

Both Sai and Naruto, so unused to pity, felt nothing at the broken look of the foreign ninja.

"After learning of Zabuza's death, he seems to have lost his will to resist. There was no need for any Mindwalkers—he essentially gave up all this information," Itachi continued, the tomoe in his eyes spinning slowly.

Naruto noticed that the ninja—Haku—was broken. Not physically. He didn't know very much about skill level, but even he could see that the Mizu-nin was several times stronger than Naruto himself. Though, that wasn't saying a whole lot, since Naruto wasn't a shinobi and hadn't spent a single minute in the academy.

What was broken was his spirit. There was no happiness or even hate in Haku's eyes—there was nothing. He wasn't unhappy about his current situation. He didn't hate them for killing Zabuza. Naruto could understand the older boy's feelings right now completely.

The feeling of no feelings. A deep, dark void of nothingness. The numbness in a person's heart after dying one too many times, or a person forged into a weapon who had lost his purpose.

"We're unsure of what to do with him," Itachi said, voice almost somber. "He's committed crimes against his own nation with Zabuza. If we returned him, he'd surely be executed as a traitor. Keeping him locked up down here isn't ideal, either."

Naruto peered close, but no matter how much he looked, Haku's near-total apathy never wavered, never flickered for even a second.

"The Uzumaki will take him," Kushina, who had been silent until now, said, her violet eyes staring at the boy who so reflected her own son.

Itachi rose a single dark eyebrow. "Oh?"

"He has no purpose," Naruto answered for his mother, turning to Itachi. "We can give him one."

Itachi contemplated it for only a moment before nodding. "I'll release him into Uzumaki custody. He's your responsibility now."

Kushina nodded, making eye contact with Naruto for a brief second. And at that moment, they both understood what Yuki Haku's new purpose would be. He was already a weapon made flesh—and soon, he would just be a weapon.

Haku… was lost.

Zabuza-sama was gone, somehow killed by a child. His only reason for living was taken away, and now… now, nothing mattered, his own life least of all.

Being locked up in a prison cell, far away from… did he even have a home…? A prison cell meant nothing. If these people wanted to murder him, he wouldn't even care. Perhaps he would be with Zabuza-sama again, in the next life.

Spending his entire life in these cells wasn't a horrible option, either. There were no horrible options, though, because Haku didn't care about anything. His purpose for living was gone.

That's when the crimson-haired devils approached his cell, their expressions unreadable.

The woman was much older than the boy, perhaps his mother, Haku thought. Her eyes were violet and her hair reached passed her waist. She was pretty, he thought, beautiful even. The way she looked was inconsequential, though.

The boy, eyes as bloody-red as his hair, was staring at him with a predatory gaze, like an apex predator stalking a defenseless prey. If Haku wasn't so numb, he might have been a little worried.

"Your name's Yuki Haku, right?" the woman started, stepping into his cell and smiling at him with a gentle expression. When he didn't respond, her smile faded slightly.

"I understand," the boy suddenly said, sitting next to him on the uncomfortable bed. "How you're feeling."

Haku didn't respond, merely blinking at the cold, dark walls of the cell.

"I understand the numbness, the cold chill of feeling… nothing…" he continued, his voice so devoid of emotion that it actually made Haku finally turn to him. "You were Zabuza's weapon, right? You killed his enemies and that gave you purpose. But now, that purpose is gone."

Maybe, Haku thought, this boy really did know how he felt.

"And now, what else is left? What does the blade do when someone assassinates the assassin?" the woman asked, her gentle face shrouded in dark shadows, her hair a few shades darker.

Haku didn't respond, for he didn't know the answer. Did it really matter?

"Zabuza is gone, but you're still here," the boy said, standing up. "I can give your life meaning again." He held out his hand. "Become my weapon—embrace your purpose."

Haku blinked up at the boy who took Zabuza-sama away from him. He was silent for a moment, simply staring up at the odd boy. And for reasons unknown, Haku took his hand.

For the next month, Team Ro prepared for the Chūnin Exams.

Kakashi, Tenzō, and Raidō worked very closely with the Uchiha Military Police Force, setting up a base of operations inside the MP Command Center itself, the three non-Uchiha given free passage in and out of the Uchiha compound. Alongside Commander Fugaku's four lieutenants, they were capable of setting up enough checkpoints and surveillance bases to realistically host so many potential enemies.

Yūgao, Sai, Hinoko, and Naruto were assigned D-rank missions to complete, to better solidify their cover. To the greater public, they were merely a new team, and none of them particularly stood out.

In that time period, while Team Ro readied themselves and the village for the exams, Naruto and his mother prepared for something else.

Underneath the Uzumaki Shrine was a large secret room. Only the Uzumaki knew about it, for it was they who created it. Within that room, alight only with candles that cast long, flickering shadows, was a wall full entirely of masks.

These masks all looked similar, each one only slightly different than the others. Each was an Oni Mask, taking the visage of the god of death. All the masks were just that—masks. All but one, that is.

"This place was built by our ancestors when this village was founded," Naruto explained, standing before the Wall of Oni, his crimson eyes scanning each mask carefully. "The Lord First Hokage allowed his wife, Uzumaki Mito, to build a shrine in her new home so she could continue worshiping our God."

He was met with silence, so he continued.

"Unlike most shinobi people, the Uzumaki were very religious. We've kept our faith for centuries, worshiping one deity diligently all this time," he said, voice nearly monotone.

Haku remained silent, merely listening.

"The Uzumaki people have always been masters of fūinjutsu, the art of sealing. It was actually that mastery over the esoteric art that led to our near extinction, actually," he added, though without very much heat, as if he didn't really care. "The story goes something like this: The Uzumaki clan, in their never-ending pursuit of fūinjutsu advancement, stumbled upon something… larger than life." For the first time, Haku noticed a hint of emotion in the boy's tone, though he didn't know what it was.

"It started with a question," Naruto continued. "What is the limit of fūinjutsu? What can and can't be sealed? They'd been sealing inanimate objects for years," he said, holding up a finger. "Chakra? Check," he said, holding up a second finger. "A specific type of chakra, like a change in nature or shape? Check," he said, holding up a third finger. "What about something living, like a beast? Could something alive be sealed within paper and ink? The answer's yes, as they discovered," he continued, holding up a fourth finger. "And if a beast could be sealed away, then sealing a person away should also be possible.

"For years, the Uzumaki clan experimented with fūinjutsu, testing its limits and advancing in the uncommon art further than anyone else before them," Naruto continued to explain. "And when the world thought fūinjutsu couldn't go any further, the Uzumaki asked one final question: If people can be sealed away, then what about gods?"

Again, Haku heard a touch of emotion in the boy's voice.

"The world mocked the Uzumaki—belittled them for asking such a ridiculous question. But they were all deathly silent when we showed them the answer to that question—the Shiki Fūjin."

Haku blinked, brow slightly furrowed. He had never heard of the "Shiki Fūjin" before.

"The Uzumaki not only managed to make contact with a god, but tame it—or so they said," Naruto continued. "The truth is, the Uzumaki never made the death god bend to their will, but instead, we made a pact with it."

Haku didn't understand. Death god? Pact? What was this kid trying to say?

"A blood contract was formed. The Shinigami would allow a part of itself to be summoned, but for a price. A soul for its appearance, and a soul for its deed. The Uzumaki could kill anyone on the planet, but our god demands a steep sacrifice.

"That wasn't the end, however. The Shinigami demanded another sacrifice from the clan," Naruto continued, now looking right at Haku. "The world was afoul with powerful mortals like the Senju and Uchiha—mortals who had dared defy death itself. So, to ensure that men who would be God didn't actually manage their hubris, the apostles were created.

"Born from death and oblivion, the apostles brought their god to those who would defy it. They kept the order. Death is the natural conclusion of life; without it, life cannot exist. Balance in all things." It sounded strange for a twelve-year-old to talk about philosophy. "Apostles exist outside of that balance, in the breath between life and death."

"What does this have anything to do with me?" Haku asked, still confused.

"… I'm one of those apostles," Naruto admitted. "I'm still a novice, but my kaa-chan says I'm really improving." This time, his words were full of emotion, mostly happiness and pride, though Haku doubted they were real. "Anyway, to advance to the next level, I need to perform a ritual and you can help me with that!"

"I thought I was going to be your weapon…?" Haku said, now completely confused. What could he do to help in a ritual?

Naruto smiled. "You will be."

And then, without preamble, the blond turned around and reached up at one of the masks on the wall. To Haku, it looked like all the rest, yet also slightly different. Mask in hand, the boy stalked across the room to where Haku was seated on the floor, strange markings written in ink around him in a circle.

"Do you accept that?" Naruto asked suddenly, staring into his eyes. "Do you willingly accept to become my weapon—a blade of death?"

Haku didn't hesitate. "Yes," he said. Anything was better than this… emptiness.

Naruto nodded. "Good," he said. "Then let us begin."

Naruto placed the mask on his face and immediately felt the world shift. The warmth from the candles vanished, cold creeping into the air. A chilling breeze washed over his skin, and by the looks of it, Haku felt it as well. At that moment, when the light fled and the shadows of the room became darker, Naruto felt truly alive.

He maneuvered around the Kiri native until he was standing directly behind him, staring down at him through the eyeholes of the mask.

"And shepherds we shall be," Naruto intoned, swearing the oath his mother had made him memorize years ago. "For Thee, my Lord, for Thee," he continued, reaching out to place his hand on the back of Haku's head. "Power hath descended forth from Thy hand," he said, feeling something deep inside himself stir. "That our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command," he continued, that feeling inside him growing, like a hungry beast demanding to be fed, to be sated. "So we shall flow a river forth to Thee." He looked up, noticing that Kuro had come into existence without Naruto's input. "And teeming with souls shall it ever be." He finished the prayer, inhaling a deep breath before it happened.

Without hesitation, Kuro lifted one of his hands high up into the air, before he drove the pitch-black appendage straight through Haku's chest, right where his heart was. The arm didn't stop with Haku, however, and tunneled through the ice-user's back and into Naruto's own chest.

There was a brief silence that filled the room, so quiet that one could hear the sound of their blood trickling down their bodies.

Haku's eyes were wide, shocked. Pain had erupted in his chest and he didn't know why.

Naruto, so used to the feeling of pain, barely noticed it at all. Then, Kuro slowly pulled his arm back, leaving an open hole in both boys' chests. They each fell to the ground, life gone from their bodies.

Seconds passed, and then a minute before Naruto returned. He stood up and stared down at the motionless body of his weapon.

Naruto inhaled before reaching out with his hand, holding it over the dead body. Nothing happened at first, but eventually, it started.

Like his skin was fading to black, much like Kuro did after Naruto was done with him, Haku began to disintegrate. Before Naruto's eyes, his body turned to deep black ash, floating upwards into his outstretched palm. The process only took moments. An entire life extinguished and reformed in mere minutes.

Naruto watched the black ash slowly take shape. Within his hand, a pure, black hilt extended up, meeting an onyx blade that was longer than most of the katana he'd trained with. His fingers gripped the hilt and he smiled.

Every sword needed a name, and Naruto already had one in mind.

"Yuki," he whispered, eyes widening slightly in wonder as he noticed he could see his breath when he spoke the name. It seemed as if the entire shrine had dropped several degrees.

Fitting, Naruto thought.

Kushina eyed the blade with equal amounts of wonder and terror. The ritual her son had completed was a necessary one, but that didn't mean she had to be okay with it.

Sacrificium, her people called it. A sacrifice to Lord Death. By offering a soul, an Apostle was able to create more Invisible Black Matter, or IBM. Kushina didn't fully understand how IBM actually worked, but she knew that to create more, an Apostle needed to preform Sacrificium.

Once created, an Apostle can begin forging their armory. Kushina heard stories about modified Black Ghosts with wings or, in one case, a giant Black Ghost larger than a mountain. Those stories seemed less fictional now, as she watched her son's first creation slice through life itself.

Whatever Naruto cut with Yuki, as he called it, would lose some of its life. It was an actual, visible thing. She watched him slice into a tree, and everything the blade touched started to wither. Light brown bark turned black, seemingly rotting in the blink of an eye. When he shoved this blade into the ground, the grass around it shriveled and died, becoming dust.

The morbidly curious side of her brain wondered what would happen if he cut into the flesh of a person. Would they die immediately? Maybe only the surrounding tissue?

Not to mention the strange effect the blade had on localized weather. Whenever Naruto summoned Yuki, the air gained a certain chill to it. Cold would settle on the surroundings, and she didn't know why.

Could it have something to do with the sacrifice? Yuki Haku possessed an ice-based bloodline limit, which was linked directly to his DNA. Did that give the IBM an ice effect of some kind? Only time would tell. As of now, it only seemed to be a token of remembrance to the sacrifice.

Naruto performed his kenjutsu kata perfectly, wielding Yuki instead of the usual practice sword. Kushina, from the sideline, smiled at her son.

"You're doing great," she encouraged. She could see plenty of room for improvement, but as it was, her son was already a skilled swordsman. "Now, again."

Naruto smiled, and it felt like it got colder again. "Yes, kaa-san."

This was a pretty dark chapter. I'll admit that I thought about adding Haku to Team Ro. He certainly fits the mold. But I felt like it would just be another Sai situation, and we already have Sai. More of the same, and all that. So, he was useful in another way.

I wanted to state, as bluntly as possible, that Naruto and Kushina are kinda bad. Not evil! But definitely not good, either. This Apostle business is no joke, and most religions demand some sort of sacrifice, in blood or freedoms, eventually.

A little bit of lore drop at the end there, but most of that will be explained later once the next main character is introduced. You'll be learning about it all through their eyes.

And I swear, I wanted to make Yuki a scythe, but not only would it have been terribly cliché, but I was also already moving towards the katana path with all his sword training with Kushina is past chapters. So, I just decided to stick with a sword and I think it'll be pretty cool. Definitely more useful, I think.

Stay safe, everyone.