A/n – So, I think I figured out why people rarely go past my first chapter; first person POV is a huge turn off for a great number of readers (myself included ironically). I tried to do it to be stylistic because that's the POV the Light Novels are in, but I guess most people stick to the anime (which isn't bad at all, but it means that the entire point goes over their head). So I figured I would basically write the first chapter over from a third person POV to attract a wider audience. I haven't changed anything story-wise, but there are some minor differences besides the obvious point of view. After all, I'm not a huge fan of ret-cons.

I'll say this now; this will be my only chapter rewrite for this story. I am proud of the steps I took in order to get to where I am now and each chapter shows my improvement. I like to call them my scars of battle. The fact that I'm doing this rewrite does pain me a little, but even I realize that it's unappealing and I'd hate for the majority of my readers to be discouraged from reading it because of it. So I'm biting the bullet and going through with it. Please enjoy it.

Chapter key;
"Talking…and other…things…involving speech…I guess."
'THINKING! BECAUSE THINKING IN CAPS IS A THING!'

I neither own Naruto nor Highschool Dxd, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Ichiei Ishibumi respectfully. I make no money off of my work and I write for the pure enjoyment of writing.

XxXxXxXxXx

Path To Peace: Devil's Advocate
Chapter 1: End of War

Naruto blinked his eyes rapidly as his sense of hearing slowly came back to him. A stray Bijuudama had shattered his ear-drum when it impacted near him.

"…to…Nar…to…" A voice called out to Naruto, but he couldn't make out what was said; the words had been muffled by the ringing in his ear.

Naruto shook his head to try to get rid of the noise and looked to the person who was trying to catch his attention. A hand reached down and pulled him up by the arm before he could get a good look at him.

"We…don…time…" The voice sounded urgent.

Naruto finally got a good look at the man and recognized the familiar shock of vibrant yellow hair. "…Tou-chan?" He mumbled in confusion.

Finally the annoying ringing in his ear subsided and he was assaulted by the sounds of war once again.

He could clearly hear his father's next words. "Naruto! We have to hurry! There's not much time left!" Minato said in a hurried tone.

Without waiting for a response from his son, he teleported them both to the edge of the battlefield using his Hiraishin. Standing in wait were the Shodaime and Sandaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama and Sarutobi Hiruzen respectively. Immediately after they arrived the Nidaime –Senju Tobirama, appeared in a similar flash of light with Sasuke in tow.

Seeing as the Hokage's were mere reanimations, they were almost completely unscathed, save for Minato's missing arm. However both Naruto and Sasuke were battered beyond belief.

"Saru, any news?" Tobirama looked at Sarutobi.

Whether intentional or not, Sarutobi straightened just a little bit. "As you could probably see, it seems that Madara is preoccupied rounding up the released Bijuu." Hiruzen gestured behind him where in the far distance Madara could be seen doing battle with a few of the Bijuu.

Tobirama nodded. He exchanged glances with Minato. "Then it is time we put that technique into play."

Hashirama frowned. He turned to Naruto and Sasuke and bowed lowly. "I deeply apologize you two. You have seen so much death today. All of your peers…"

Sasuke scowled. "Enough theatrics, what technique are they talking about?" He cut the bowing man off mid-sentence.

Naruto, having finally regained his bearings, frowned and crossed his arms. "Yeah, what the hell's going on here!?" He made a head gesture behind him. "Can't you tell we got a mad-man we gotta stop." He pushed the thoughts of his fallen friends from his mind; he couldn't use guilt and sorrow to fight. He had more important things to do right now than brood.

Hashirama stood straight and looked to Minato. "Yondaime?"

Minato sighed deeply. "It's a forbidden technique. Tobirama-dono had begun working on it before his death and I did a little bit of research about it while I was Hokage."

Tobirama's expression hardened. He bent low and picked up a stray branch. "Enough beating around the bush." He began to draw a complex formula onto the ground. "Tell them already."

Hashirama breathed deeply. "Put simply, we can't stop Madara."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What do you mean we can't-!?"

"Perhaps if this had happened while you were adults it could have been stopped, but the simple matter is we're not strong enough." Hashirama admitted. "I wasn't expecting him to awaken the Rinnegan, nor could I have predicted the combined powers of both eyes to be so powerful."

Tobirama continued to draw the formula but he grunted in agreement nonetheless. "You should have burned his body on-site, Hashirama." He chided.

Hashirama sighed. "Perhaps so, but now is not the time for regrets. Now is the time for action."

Naruto nodded. "I get that, so what's the plan to beat him then?"

Sarutobi shook his head sadly. "There is no plan I'm afraid." He took a step forward. "Naruto, Sasuke-kun…I have known you since you were both young children. You each showed some of the best qualities a Shinobi can possess. Talent." He looked to Sasuke. "Hard work." He looked at Naruto. "I see you both as my family, and I have failed you both time and time again, and for that, I apologize."

Naruto felt tears well up in the corner of his eyes. "W-What are you saying Jii-chan?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Sandaime, I have no need for your apologies. You did what was expected of the Hokage, nothing more, nothing less. Now, explain what's happening."

Sarutobi nodded. "Very well. From what Minato-kun has told me, the formula Tobirama-sensei is drawing as we speak is a complex, extremely difficult and potentially fatal time-space technique."

Minato stepped forward. "Allow me, Sandaime-sama." At Sarutobi's nod he looked at the two teens. "The technique will, put simply, rip a hole in the fabric of space and time and transport whatever's in the circle to another dimension."

Naruto's mouth gaped. "Another dimension. You mean like the Kamui?"

Minato shook his head. "No, Kamui transports an object into a very specific dimension unique to its user. Tobirama-dono's research implies that there are an infinite number of dimensions. This technique simply chooses the closest dimension to our own, going by the dimensional rift theory postulated by Tobirama-dono and myself."

"What does that mean for us though?" Naruto pressed, not really understanding his father's explanation.

"Usara-tonkachi, it means they intend on sending us to another dimension." Sasuke said coldly.

Naruto's eyes widened. He looked at his father to see him nod solemnly. "What!? We can't just leave! That goddamn monster is still there, and the log be damned before I give up on taking him down!"

Sasuke nodded in agreement. "I don't usually agree with Naruto, but this plan is one I don't agree with."

Hashirama stepped forward. "We don't have much choice. Almost all of the remaining forces of the Shinobi Alliance have either given up, or are dead. As reanimated beings, we're vulnerable to Truth-Seeking Balls and once he captures the remaining Bijuu we'll be all but useless."

"Then we just have to stop him from-"

"We can't Naruto! Can't you understand that!?" Minato raised his voice in anger. He then hung his head. He moved forward and pulled Naruto into a tight hug. He caressed Naruto's head softly. "We're not strong enough son, and both you and Sasuke-san are on the last bit of chakra left to survive. We, the last generation, have failed you." He pulled back, he was visibly holding back tears. "I wanted to see the Cycle of Hatred end and I was and still am willing to die for that dream, but not if I have to sacrifice my son."

Naruto glared at Minato through teary eyes. "Dammit Tou-chan! So am I! I'm ready to fight him!"

"Please, Naruto…allow me this one selfish wish?" Minato pleaded. "It's my wish that you may get to live long in a peaceful world, if the one you go to isn't such a place I have every confidence you will fight until it is one. I believe that you'll find peace. It's who you are and who you'll always be. So please Naruto. Go along with it."

Naruto hesitated, his eyes wander from face to face as he reads their solemn expressions. "But…but…"

"Seventy-five seconds until the array is complete." Tobirama announced as he worked tirelessly on the seal.

Naruto looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke stared into Naruto's eyes sharply. "Even I realize that I can't face Madara alone. If you leave I won't be strong enough to end him. If you leave…I'll have little choice but to go with you or die and I'm not going to fade quietly into the eternal night."

Naruto looked away and sighed. "…Fine."

Minato smiled in relief. He reached into his pouch and grabbed a small scroll. "Here Naruto, I managed to pick it up on the way over here in case I couldn't tell you about it. It contains things I know you'll find useful." He presented the scroll to Naruto.

Naruto grabbed it gently. "Thanks, Tou-chan."

"Oh that reminds me!" Hashirama suddenly said. He looked at Tobirama. "Did you-" He was cut off as a scroll was thrown at him. He caught it easily.

"I found it easily, you never did have good hiding spots." Tobirama said in monotone, never once deviating from the seal.

Hashirama managed a small smile despite the situation. "Thanks." He turned to Naruto. "In this scroll are some very advanced chakra control techniques I created and some of my theories on how nature chakra affects the body. It's not much, but I want you to have it." He handed it to Naruto.

Naruto accepted the scroll and nodded. "Thanks, Hashirama-Ojisan." He pocketed both scrolls in his pouch.

"Fifteen seconds. Yondaime, now is the time."

Minato nodded. He immediately moved towards the edge of the seal array. Tobirama finished the seal and tossed the branch aside. He looked at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Well, get in the middle." He said succinctly.

Numbly, Naruto found himself stepping inside the circle, accompanied by the ever stoic Sasuke.

When they reached the center Naruto felt a small shove on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Sasuke staring at him pointedly.

"Sasuke…"

"Get your act together." He said simply.

If Naruto didn't know any better he'd say those were words of encouragement.

Minato exchanged glances with Tobirama. "We're beginning now."

Naruto looked at his father. "Tou-chan, how are you going to use hand-seals when you only one arm?"

"I'll guide the chakra to make sure everything proceeds smoothly. Tobirama-dono will cast the seals."

"Ah…"

Without another word the two Hokage set to work. Minato crouched low and placed his forefinger and middle on the edge of the seal. The Nidaime began casting hand-seals at an impressive rate. In no time the seal began to glow a brilliant azure as chakra was being charged into it. The two other Hokage remained vigilant in case Madara caught wind of their plot. Luckily for them it seemed the Uchiha patriarch had deemed them as non-important at the moment, it seemed the Bijuu were putting up a stronger fight than expected. Naruto idly wondered if they had an idea of what was about to happen and were trying to keep him occupied for them.

The next few minutes were as equally tense as it was quiet and everyone was on high alert. More than once Naruto fired a kunai at what he thought was a strange noise only to realize it was the idle thrum coming from the seal formula as more chakra was poured into it. He quickly realized the phrase "Fool me once; shame on you. Fool my five times; shame on me" aptly applied to him right now. In other circumstances his face would have burned in embarrassment.

Suddenly the blue light became blinding. Naruto and Sasuke raised a hand to cover the eyes. If one were to look at it from afar it would seem like a radiant star of power.

Naruto exchanged glances with Sasuke. He then looked at his father. "How sure are we that this is gonna work!?" He shouted over the thrum of chakra.

Minato gave Naruto a sheepish smile. "About 70-30% sure. The biggest obstacle is the amount of chakra required to use this seal, but between Tobirama-dono and myself, the cost shouldn't be a concern."

"Yondaime!"

Minato's expression became serious. "This is it boys." He closed his eyes. Suddenly he was engulfed in a yellow flame-like aura.

The low thrum became a booming roar as the massive quantity of chakra the Yin-Kyuubi possessed was filtered into the seal. Naruto was forced to cover his ears. He saw his father mouth the words for Fuinjutsu but he couldn't make out the rest of what was said.

Naruto and Sasuke felt a pull that was nearly identical to the pull Kamui had when used. Their visions began to blur.

The last thing Naruto managed to catch was his father's gentle smile before everything was covered in darkness and he and Sasuke slipped into the cold embrace of unconsciousness.

Naruto wasn't sure how long they were stuck in between dimensions, it all felt like an instant to him, but he definitely felt when they were being pulled into their new dimension, and he definitely felt when he landed.

It was time to wake up and face this new world.

XxXxXxXxXx

A/n – There we are, the deed is done…I hope you're happy for what you've made me do…

Now if this is the first time you're reading this then awesome! Please review and tell me what you think.

Now if you're re-reading this chapter you probably noticed Sasuke isn't all 'we're best pals, yay!' with Naruto, he's more pragmatic than in the first iteration. I don't really think this will clash with how I portray him and will portray him in future chapters. Also the same goes for you guys too. Tell me what you thought, did you like it, did you prefer the original, review and give me feedback.