I do not own Naruto that is the property of Masashi Kishimoto.

"I am big" God, biju, summon talking

"I am normal" Human talking

"You can't hear me inside my mind" Inner thoughts of a person

Chapter 1: A history

Fear and Greed, these two aspects of humanity have plagued the human race since its inception. It can drive a good man to commit evil. In this world these feelings have already left their mark.

The Uzumaki Clan was an old clan, existing before the time of the shinobi. They were also an isolated clan, taking up residence on the island of Whirlpool; they stayed there choosing not to interact with outside world, having no interest in the wars of man.

On this island the Uzumaki would establish temples, from which they would gain favor with the God of Death, the Shinigami, and the Shinigami would in exchange for their piety give them a gift. They would be given strong life forces, so that they may live longer. They would be given the power of healing, so that they may recover from their wounds. Finally, they would be given the ability to manipulate their spirit, and from this would be born fuinjutsu. These gifts also came with a price, for when an Uzumaki died, they would serve as reapers for the Shinigami, collecting the souls of the dead and bringing them before the God to be judged.

When Kaguya rose to power and ate the fruit of the Shinju, she enslaved the world and brought peace, but unlike what legend states she did not trap everyone in genjutsu, but only those that opposed her. The Uzumaki did not. When she came to them, asking if they would oppose her right to rule, the Uzumaki sensed her new energy, similar to the Shinigami, they declared her a Goddess, and accepted her as the ruler of the world.

When the Sage of Six Paths rose up in rebellion, the Uzumaki would oppose him, siding with Kaguya, and would eventually be defeated. From their defeat, Kaguya would recognize the threat of her son and transform into the Juubi. But the Sage would learn from stolen Uzumaki works, he would develop a chakra version of fuinjutsu, when he found he could not use the spiritual fuinjutsu the Uzumaki used, and with it he would trap Kaguya. With the war over, he would take a wife, taking an Uzumaki bride in exchange for peace, and secretly to bless his children with their power. But this Uzumaki would be tricky, she would never introduce them to the Shinigami's essence, they would never get access to the Shinigami's gifts.

Years into the future the ninja clans were established and the ninja arts of genjutsu, ninjutsu, and fuinjutsu, were spread. With the samurai arts of taijutsu and kenjutsu adopted by this new class of warriors, these new warriors were coined shinobi. The Uzumaki while still choosing to remain isolated would be declared a shinobi clan rather than a clan of monks due to their knowledge in the ninja art of fuinjutsu. It would also be during this time that the Uzumaki would change, with their defeat at the hands of the Sage many years ago and the rise of chakra users, they too began to train ninjas to guard their homes, but their first duty would always be to the Shinigami, and for this duty they would be rewarded the Shiki Fuin, a seal powered by the God of Death himself.

During the end of the Clan Wars, society would start to settle, the ninjas would seek peace. Hashirama and Madara would go to the Daimyo and declare their loyalty in exchange for the right to found Konoha, a ninja village. With this agreement, the world would once again change, shinobi would seek protection from themselves, and the safety and strength a country could provide. The Daimyo would now have a loyal force of samurai and shinobi to aid their countries in times of conflict. Once again the Uzumaki would be forced to adapt, they would break their isolation, they would examine the shinobi villages, and their high priestess, Mito Uzumaki, would become enamored with the idea of the Will of Fire, she would marry the first Hokage, bringing a much needed alliance in a changed world.

However, in Konoha not all was well; there were suspicions amongst the leaders of the new land. Upon Mito's arrival in Konoha she created the Uzumaki Mask Temple, a temple to the Shinigami. She would also never pay respect to any of the shrines for the Sage of Six Paths an individual's whose existence had become legend and had even become the God of the shinobi people. These actions would cause people to be wary but her husband would soothe their worries. His death and her subsequent visit to the temple for prayer would only make matters worse as the Shinigami was viewed as an evil entity.

Still these worries would be laid to rest, when she healed Tobirama's injuries after his fight with the Gold and Silver Brothers of Kumo. These worries would be further soothed when the Uzumaki came to their aid during the First World War, a war in which the armies of the daimyo and various hidden villages clashed for supremacy.

During this time Mito would work closely with Tobirama. He would learn much of the Uzumaki in these studies and through this knowledge develop new jutsu through her aid. Through her help he would learn of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, a jutsu that he would recreate, a jutsu that in its original form split the soul of the creator, not just the chakra, and thus would allow the user to learn what the clone learns. Through her knowledge of seals, both ninja and Uzumaki, she would help him develop the hiraishin. Her biggest contribution would be when things started to look bleak for Fire Country, she would introduce Tobirama to her connection to the Shinigami, and through this knowledge they would create the abomination known as the Edo Tensei.

Tobirama would be alarmed, he had always been paranoid of the Uchiha, but there was apparently a threat he had overlooked. The Uzumaki. A clan that was not part of Konoha, a clan that worshipped a different and in his mind, dark God, a clan that could call on the Shinigami himself for aid. He would start to observe the Uzumaki and make a contingency for if they should turn against his people. These thoughts and plans he would keep sealed in the Hokage's vault so that none but his successor could know of them.

However during the war, Tobirama's life would be cut short and he would select Sarutobi Hiruzen as the next Hokage. Sarutobi would discover these notes, he would see their connection to the Shinigami and he would feel fear. Tobirama had never told him of his fears and unlike his predecessor he only knew Mito in passing, in fact the number of Uzumaki he interacted with could be counted on one hand.

These worries would increase as during the war he had served on the frontlines against Kumo, and had the misfortune of meeting the vessels of the Nibi and Hachibi, spawning an interest in jinchuriki. From this knowledge he knew that you could only seal a biju into a baby otherwise the vessel would quickly die and the creature would be released where its vessel perished, but yet the Uzumaki were different. Mito, a full grown woman, had sealed the most powerful of the tailed beasts into her own body with little consequence; she had even outlived two hokages. And now he finds this is not an isolated incident, she had called one Kushina Uzumaki, a girl several years older than a baby to Konoha to be the next container. The Uzumaki, masters of seals, the very things that bind the biju to jinchuriki, did not need to be a baby to seal one of the tailed beasts into their body.

Sarutobi would then remember the God the Uzumaki worshipped, the Shinigami. He would not allow this power to be in the hands of someone outside of the land of Fire, and he most certainly could not allow a clan that worshipped death to have that much power. The world, his people could not survive if maniacs, loyal foremost to their family and the Shinigami, ever gained that power. It was on that day a plan was hatched.

Before all things people are greedy, this is especially true with shinobi and the daimyo, and for so long the Uzumaki had remained powerful on their island of mysteries, wearing fine robes for their worship. The shinobi wanted their power, their life force, and their seals. The Daimyo wanted their land and their treasures. So when Sarutobi came to his lord with the knowledge that the Uzumaki were a threat and worshippers of the Shinigami, he received his permission.

From there Sarutobi got in contact with his old friend Danzo and had him leak the defenses of Whirlpool. The countries that had fought the Uzumaki, wanted vengeance, while those who had fought alongside them envied and desired their power, it was not hard for an alliance to be struck. The greedy people of Lightning and the bloodthirsty people of Water joined together to assault the small island, while the forces of Earth would launch a group of raids on the western side of Fire Country, distracting the supposed ally of Whirlpool. Meanwhile Sarutobi ordered Danzo's root division to station itself near Whirlpool with orders to swoop in once the battle was over and seize the spoils.

The massacre of the Uzumaki would start the Second World War. The alliance spawned from greed would be dashed as the Uzumaki enacted a large scale Shiki Fuin to summon the Shinigami and send their invaders to his stomach while the Uzumaki would take their place as his servants. The survivors of the invasion, those who had already taken artifacts to the boats, would be set upon by Danzo, splitting the artifacts between the ninja forces of Kumo, Kiri, and Konoha. The interference of Konoha and the stealing of the majority of the Uzumaki's artifacts would cause the forces of Water and Lightning to declare war on Fire. While Earth cheated of their share of the prize would find itself declaring war on Lightning and fighting a war against Fire. Fire country, despite being the architect of this incident would be forced into the war when the alliance declared war on them and when the common citizen, those who didn't know of their treachery, called for justice. The war would involve every country, not even allowing Iron to maintain neutrality as they were forced to defend their borders, as countries found themselves battlegrounds, while others sought to take advantage. This war would be thought of as the most devastating of all wars.

Meanwhile, Whirlpool would be sealed, never to be set foot on for many years to come, the bodies unburied, as survivors would tell stories of watching from the boats as people dropped dead on the beach, as if they were puppets and their strings were cut. Its people would know of the treachery of Konoha, as those that managed to flee that day would see as their people were killed by Danzo's men and watch as they fought over the treasures of their family. They would flee away from their treacherous ally, going to countries like Rain and Grass.

As for why this is important, why the legacy of a near dead people affects the world. The Shinigami was not happy. As a God reviled by humanity, and diminished by the Sage of Six Paths, a demigod, he did not have many worshippers. In fact it was common for him to take a priestess after death as a bride for a century or two before moving on, as is the way of the Gods. He did not like it when he was summoned and saw the land of Whirlpool in ruins, did not like honoring the contract, killing his worshippers, though took much relish in taking the souls of the invaders. He watched as his followers fled across the world, how they still held firm in their worship and how they were persecuted. For this he ordered that all who were citizens of the countries that destroyed his worshippers' home would suffer on the battlefield, that even those who might have been saved to be collected by his reapers and sent to an early grave. This decision would cause Tsunade to gain her fear of blood as she failed to save her lover Dan and Orochimaru's obsession with immortality when his parents died.

It was after the Third World War that something changed. The Shinigami was being summoned, by someone he had not given his blessing to, but still he came if only because of curiosity. It is here that the world changed, a man was presenting an Uzumaki baby with blonde hair to him, asking him to seal the Kyubi into him, asking him to seal half of the Kyubi into his son. In front of the man, was amazingly another Uzumaki using her spirit, the same thing the Uzumaki used to power their seals, to hold the Kyubi in place, a worshipper of him, one whose soul was about to pass.

Now what should be known is that the Shinigami is honor bound to respect the rules of life and death, that his contract is binding. It should also be known that Gods are forbidden from interfering in the affairs of mortals passed a certain point. His policy on taking the souls of those close to death from the countries of Earth, Fire, Lightning, and Water, already came close to breaking these rules. While these rules are also what stopped him from smiting all who hurt his worshippers, his servants, if only to avoid a war of the Gods.

However, it should also be noted that the Shinigami Contract that summons him to this plane allows him to interfere in mortal affairs. It should also be noted that said contract has fine print written into it. He only had to answer the request of an Uzumaki, this man was not. So looking at the baby, he decided to interfere.

First he grabbed the soul of the Kyubi, the whole soul, and started to drag it from its body. It struggled of course, but it was just a fragment, a fifth of a fallen God, against a whole God it stood no chance, perhaps if he was doing as the mortal asked and split the Kyubi, it could have lashed out, but it had no time. Dragging the Kyubi's soul into the baby he sealed it, the Shiki Fuin imprinting on the baby' stomach.

"What are you doing? I said to seal half into my son." The blonde man questioned.

"Silence" He says annoyed with the interruption and with but a word the soul of the annoyance left his body and traveled into his mouth.

"Uzumaki… Kushina, you shall live this night." he says, pausing to remember the name of his follower before interfering once more, taking the ails of death from her body and allowing his blessing to heal her, while taking a small portion of her soul.

Despite the pain she inclines her head. "Thank you Shinigami-sama. I am honored for this chance with my child."

Absently nodding he approached the child, taking note of the blonde hair, he flicks his hand, the color turning red, removing all nonessential genes of the man that summoned me. The baby will be a pure Uzumaki, the Shinigami saw no reason to sully him with what he believed to be inferior genetics. Now to bless him.

"Young one, you have been gifted with a burden but it can also be a great strength. You shall walk with me in death and serve as a reaper once your time has passed. But here on this plane you are my representative, and by proxy as you shall support me in death I shall support you in life. This is my blessing, this is our pact." He intones, giving the babe the power of healing, the ability to use his soul for the special fuinjutsu of the Uzumaki Clan, and the longevity of his followers.

The baby glowed as his blessing sunk in. Still there was more to do. Gliding his hand over the baby's stomach he applied one more seal, a soul catcher, imbuing it with the soul of Uzumaki Kushina, so that if she should perish her soul will go to her son. She shall be with her son, regardless of the machinations of these treacherous mortals.

Feeling the air change he can tell his time is almost up. For the price of this contract he cannot stay long, already the Gods are noticing but that is fine, he will be done in seconds, only one last thing to do. Pointing his finger down he opened the babe's soul, laying it bare before him, and whispered to him. "You will come to the Uzumaki Mask Storage Temple when the time is right"

With those words he takes his finger from the baby's soul and leaves, fading back to his domain in the afterlife. The boy will go to the temple, the location engraved into his soul, he shall feel the urge to put on his mask, and he shall tell him of his clan and of the treachery of humans. He will be the Uzumaki resurgent and unite his followers once more, and if perhaps he shall desire revenge on those who harmed his family, then all the better.

With the baby, the female Uzumaki, Kushina, picked up her son as he began to cry. By her side was her dead lover, and secret husband. Leaning her head down, she nuzzles his face. "Its okay, Naruto, mommy's here."

I hope you enjoyed the prologue to my story. I am a long time reader of fanfiction, particularly Naruto fanfiction and this is my first story so reviews whether criticism or compliment are encouraged and helpful. Just some warnings I do not like certain characters and I will try not to have that bleed into my writing, so there will be no bashing (even of Sasuke). Also despite the intro involving a God this is not a godlike Naruto fanfic, he will struggle and fail, as well as succeed.

Pairings, couldn't tell you because I am unsure who would fit what I have in mind for him just yet, but there will be a relationship, but it will be gradual and may surprise even me. As I write feel free to write your opinions of who will fit this version of Naruto the best.

Finally, please pass along your feelings of this story, I personally will try to update often and can guarantee you something about once every two weeks, with either this length to double it each chapter. So let's hope this is a start of a great journey together.