"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge." –Albert Einstein

---Prologue---

A tall man with long flowing silver hair could be seen slowly making his way down a garbage filled street. A large black cloak billowed about him in the late night breeze.

The night was silent, save for the soft tap of his shoes as he marched quietly down the degraded road. There was nothing left in this part of the world to disrupt the peaceful passing of time.

They had seen to that.

The tall man stopped in front of an old brick building. Looking up, he could see the still flickering neon sign, flashing the word 'Vacancy' on the small inn. Walking up to the door, he carefully stepped over the refuse rotting in the gutter.

The building itself was relatively clean, albeit a little shoddy. The tiles on the floor had long since been stained by blood that had been shed. But it made no difference to the tall man. This day was no different from the others.

He made his way through the entrance and towards the bar that was located in the back. Walking past the bar, a bright blue colored string of some fashion appeared from within his cloak and picked up a bottle labeled 'Tullamore Dew', and a tumbler off the bar. Without saying a word, he sat down at a small table in the middle of the bar and poured himself a tall glass of the strong Irish whiskey. Taking a deep draught of the inebriating liquid, he withdrew a small black leather bound book out from the folds of his cloak and began writing.

Amaranth's Journal March 7th 1953

I had the chance today to meet with the man who is arguably one of the greatest minds that this world ever produced. The mortal known as Albert Einstein was truly an amazing man. It saddened me that the order for destruction came through. But I feel that his words may have struck a deep cord with Mephistopheles. He has not been the same since he heard the man speak. He told us

'A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty'.

I admit, I was more than a little confused on what his meaning was. But he assured us that at some point in time, the two of us would come to an understanding and that maybe then this feeble battle will finally end.

With the death of the Russian leader, Stalin, two days prior, the USA and the remnants of the Soviet Union have launched an all out nuclear holocaust. I suppose we should be thankful to the two countries, they certainly have made our jobs easier. When I asked Einstein if he, like his associate Oppenheimer, regrets his decision to create this super weapon, he merely answered:

"The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking... The solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I would have become a watchmaker."

The man would have continued to write, but a slightly shorter man with long black hair and a bloodied rapier walked through the door. He wore an ensemble similar to the man at the table.

He walked up to the silver haired man,

"We're running late enough as it is Amaranth, you know the Lord's orders, we don't have time to sit here and mull over the words of a now dead mortal man."

The silver haired man, Amaranth, silently stood and placed the small book into a pocket of his cloak.

"Well then, Mephistopheles, let us finish this blood bath. I grow weary of this slaughter. I wish to take a long rest when this is finished."

The black haired man laughed,

"Rest? It has been nearly eighteen millennia since we began doing this and we have yet to have a break, what makes you believe that we will have one now? As long as these mortals are free to choose their own paths, they will always fall into darkness. So why would you ever believe that another world won't turn out the exact same way as all the others?"

Amaranth sighed,

"Because this is the last one left…"

-- The Dark Waltz---

A tall chuunin stood in front of a large rambunctious class of academy students. He was trying valiantly to finish a lecture, but with summer rapidly approaching the students were rebelling. Finally losing his cool, he yelled to the class,

"Sit down and shut up, you only have 5 minutes before you have to leave!"

Seeing the students finally calm down, he started passing around a stack of papers.

"Take one paper and pass the stack. On it is the outline of your homework assignment. I want you all to write a short, one page essay. Today we started talking about 'The Ancients' and the role that they played in the wars that ended about 50 years ago. Now, a lot of the older citizens in Konoha were around back then, so for your assignment I want you to go find one and ask them what they remember about what they remember about them."

Looking around, he could see that the classroom full of ten year old prospective ninjas were less than thrilled to have an assignment for the weekend. He smiled to himself,

'This should get their attention'

"The student with the best essay will receive a complete new set of kunai and shuriken for the upcoming exams."

The class broke out in excited chatter as the students began bragging about how they would surely write the best essay and win the prize. The chuunin broke into a small smile thinking about how easy it was to get the kids to follow orders, by just offering a small gift.

The loud bell that signaled the end of the school day broke through the chattering. Students fled quickly from their chairs, eager to escape from the daily boredom of school.

The exhausted teacher in the front of the room sat down behind his desk with a groan. Looking over, he could just see the last three students walking calmly out the door.

The first two were young boys, each with dark black hair than stuck up in the back; they were escorting their slightly older cousin. She was just turning eleven and had dark pink hair that hung pin straight down to her waist. She wore a bright red dress with a white circle on the back. Her name was Haruno Hananosei*, she was the heir to the powerful Haruno clan; she was also his brightest student.

The three children quickly made their way down the crowded streets towards the clan's compound. The people of the streets shifted slightly to allow the heir enough room to walk by. Many people even bowed their heads slightly in a show of respect.

The pink haired girl shook her head.

"It's pathetic how they show me so much respect for something that I didn't even do."

Her cousins turned their heads to look at her, as if they were confused by what she was talking about.

Hananosei palmed her face. She loved her two younger cousins dearly, but they weren't always the sharpest knives in the drawer. The two were identical twins, the older one, was named Akihiko*, while they younger one was name Akio.

"They treat me as if I was the one who saved the village, not Baa-sama. I haven't done anything to help or hinder any of them, but they still seem to follow my every move as if I were a walking saint. It's sickening…"

The two black haired children just shook their heads as they heard their cousin go off on another rant about how stupid the village as a whole was. They had heard it all before.

After a short walk, they finally found themselves at the gate to the large compound. The guard at the door bowed his head slightly as he opened the door. The three walked into the main garden that lay just inside the entryway. Hananosei turned to her cousins, I'm going to go find Obaa-san and ask her about those old people that we're supposed to learn about. Why don't you two try to find some others and see what they remember.

Her cousins nodded their heads and went their separate ways in search of a clan elder that may remember something about the Ancients. Hananosei walked across the garden and into the main building of the complex. This large expansive building housed the family's nobility. In other words, it housed her immediate family.

She made her way through the pristine corridors. Polished wood floors were gleaming in the light that streamed through the intermittent windows. She could hear her mother in some room nearby as she chatted with someone. Finally she reached the end of the long hallway and emerged into a smaller, more isolated garden. This one belonged only to the head family, more importantly it belonged to her grandmother. The rumor was that when her grandmother first had the compound built, it was actually built around this small swatch of land.

In the far corner stood a towering willow tree, its long vine like leaves swaying lightly in the afternoon winds. A small artificial stream ran through the middle of the grounds, feeding into a small koi pond. Along the western bank of the stream there was a small field of rose bushes, that come the end of summer, would bear bright orange flowers. Near the koi pond there was a small cherry tree in full bloom. On a small stone bench near the water's edge, on old woman in a light pink kimono sat quietly, staring absentmindedly at the falling petals.

Hananosei broke into a bright smile and ran towards the aging woman,

"Obaa-san!" She yelled happily, as she ran up and engulfed the elderly woman in a great hug.

The old woman was startled out of her reverie by the loud noise. After seeing who was making the loud racket, she smiled softly and returned the hug to the young girl.

"Hananosei, you aren't skipping out of class again are you? You know how angry your father gets when you skip and try to hide in my garden"

The young girl laughed,

"No Obaa-san, class is done for today. So I came to see you."

The elderly woman smiled and kissed the younger girls brow.

"Well I'm happy to see you here. It's always nice to be visited by such a beautiful young child. It always brightens my day"

Hananosei smiled and sat down on the bench next to her grandmother.

"I have an assignment for school that I was hoping you would be able to help me with Obaa-san."

The grandmother smiled.

"What kind of assignment could you possibly need my help for? You know I'm far too old to help you to train to be a kunoichi."

The younger girl laughed.

"Maybe, but I doubt that. I happen to know for a fact that father is still afraid of what you can do."

The old lady laughed,

"He's only scared of me because he remembers me as his mother, not because of anything I can do."

The young girl shrugged her shoulders.

"Well whatever the case may be, I could really use your help with this essay."

The grandmother looked over to the koi pond as she threw a few bread crumbs to the fish that were swimming about.

"Oh? And what kind of essay do you need this old woman's help with?"

Hananosei smiled as she pulled the paper that her sensei had given the class out.

"Well we're starting a new subject in our history class, and we're going to be learning about some old warriors from when you were younger. So Sensei is having each of us try to find someone to interview someone. Whoever writes the best essay gets a brand new set of shuriken and kunai."

The old woman laughed lightly.

"So this is very important then."

The younger girl nodded her head seriously.

"Of course it is. Everyone knows that Sensei's family runs the weapons shop, so they're bound to be good kunai."

The grandmother nodded her head.

"I see, so what's the essay on then?"

The young girl looked down at the paper.

"Well, do you remember a group that was called 'The Ancients'?"

"Leporello, Dante, Orpheo, Ramdas, Sapho, and…Amarius…"

She said the last name in almost a whisper.

The younger child smiled brightly.

"So you know who they are then?" She was obviously excited at the prospect of finding someone who actually knew what her Sensei wanted.

The grandmother however was not smiling, in fact she looked rather melancholy.

"I remember them very well, but if you want to hear their full story as far as I know it, you're going to need more than just this evening to hear it."

The girl nodded her head.

"That's fine Obaa-san, the paper isn't due till Monday anyways, so I have all weekend to hear the story and write the paper"

The old lady nodded her head.

"Well then, the story as far as I know it, started with a young child named Naruto, nearly 60 years ago…"

--Konoha Spring 984---

A young child was lying deathly. Around him was a bare cement walled tunnel, lit only by strange blue pipes that ran alongside the tunnel.

With a small groan, the blonde haired boy opened his eyes and sat up slowly. He was holding his head, trying to stop the incessant pounding he could still feel resonating off his skull. Looking around him, he tried to figure out where he had been dumped this time.

Seeing the bare walls and the ankle deep water had pooled through most of the tunnels he thought to himself,

'Looks like the sewer again…'

He stood up slowly, and tried to wipe some of the dried blood off his face.

'At least those stupid villagers are gone now…' Was the sad thought that worked its way through the child's mind.

The young blonde slowly worked his way down the small flooded corridor. The dim lighting wasn't helping his precarious situation. The only light that was in this particular section of sewer seemed to come from the odd pipes on the wall. The pipes were a strange blue color. They ducked and weaved all around the tunnel, like a deranged spider's web.

As he examined the walls and pipes he realized that there were a multitude of pipes of various sizes that meandered all around the multitude different passageways.

It was odd to him that he had never seen this particular section of sewer before. He prided himself for knowing much that lied in the belly of Konoha. The solitude the underground networks provided for him welcomed reprieve from many of the people above the ground.

He didn't particularly hate the villagers; he just wasn't fond of most of them. Being the village pariah wasn't the most loved position, but at least it got him noticed.

He continued walking for what seemed like ages, although time was impossible to tell. No one had ever taken the time to teach the poor boy how to read a clock, and there wasn't any light down in the tunnels for him to tell if it was even day or night.

He almost missed the small ebony door that was hidden by a massive pipe. It was the pipe that caught his interest in the first place, it was easily three times the size of all the other pipes, and it glowed exceptionally bright in comparison to the rest of the pipes. The pipe itself went through the ceiling just above the door, almost as if it continued towards something on the other side.

He turned his attention back to the brightly glowing tube that was running above his head. Whatever was in that pipe was amazingly radiant; it lit up everything in the hallway before it branched off into many smaller pipes that ran through the maze of passageways. The blue, as he began calling it in his mind was flowing, like water through a fast moving stream. The pipe seemed to originate from something that was behind the small black doorway.

His experience with sewers told him that if anything was being pushed through a pipe, then it had to originate from somewhere, and wherever something originated from, there had to be an access. So if he followed the large pipe it was likely that he would find his way back to the surface.

Slowly he reached forward and opened the door. It was dark inside, but the light from the hallway lit up the area directly in front of the doorway. Cautiously he made his way inside the room, but the moment that he crossed the threshold of the door, it slammed shut, locking out any of the light that had guided his way.

Immediately he spun around and reached for the door and fell flat on his face. He had overextended himself reaching for the door, but the door was no longer there. Instead the only thing he found was more of the all-consuming darkness.

Picking himself back up, he stepped tentatively forward. Slowly he stumbled forward through the darkness in an attempt to find a wall or something in the dark room. After what felt like an eternity he finally ran into something. It was large, curved, and felt as if it were made out of glass.

As he ran a hand along it, the point he had touched suddenly started glowing the bright blue that he had seen in the tubes earlier. Slowly, the bright blue light spider webbed out, until the light began to reveal the entirety of the space surrounding him.

The door he had come through was indeed gone. In fact, besides the sphere he was currently standing next to there didn't seem to be anything. Walking backwards, away from the now monstrous blue sphere, he looked more closely at it.

Though he couldn't actually see the top of the sphere, he could see that the very large tube that he saw earlier obviously connected to the top of it. Around the sphere there was a ring of a bright silvery metal, almost like a belt. The belt had some of the most intricately carved designs that he had ever seen. The inside of the ball looked like a massive typhoon. The blue, as the child had so aptly named it, was swirling madly around a focal point at its center.

Naruto stared closely at the dark blue focal point; walking closer to glass ball he placed his hand back on the pane of glass.

"There's something in there…" mumbled the confused boy.

The moment his hand made contact with the glass, a huge red eye with a slit like pupil flashed in the center. The appearance of the eye made Naruto jump and fall backwards onto his bottom.

He didn't know what was at the middle of the swirling blue vortex, but whatever it was, he was certain he wanted it to stay there.

As quickly at the eye had appeared, it disappeared, leaving only the blue spinning rapidly around. Slowly Naruto picked himself back up and looked around the open expanse again.

Suddenly out of the silence rang a loud, almost ghost like voice,

"Who are you?"

Stunned, the little boy had no idea who or what was addressing him, though he was quickly broken from his conundrum when the enigmatic voice sounded once again.

"Who are you?"

In fear and confusion the young one replied "I'm Nnnn…" He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, "I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto."

Immediately the voice asked yet another question,

"Is that the standard nomenclature for your organic being, or is it a personal name?"

Confused the blonde just replied "How should I know, that's just what I'm called."

There was a brief pause of complete silence, followed by the same resounding voice echoing throughout the expansive chamber.

"Why are you here?"

Now Naruto knew he should leave, anytime someone asked him that he inevitably wound up beaten and bleeding after being left for dead in some God forsaken alley somewhere.

In that split second he opted to run, he noted something of extreme importance, there was no longer anything besides the blue ball, the pipe, and him…there was no door.

Seeing he had no choice but to answer the voice, the blonde steeled his resolve and answered.

"I don't know why I'm here, I woke up in this sewer and the only door I could find led me to this room." Now the young boy began to sniffle lightly, then he lightly added, "All I want to do is go home…"

Out of the silence, that strange voice sounded yet again.

"Is there a reason for your meager existence or do you simply pass from one period to another?"

Again the child was confused; he was beginning to fear this blue thing that he saw. He determined that this must be what was talking to him because there was nothing else in the room.

Sniffling, the young boy only said,

"Can I please go see Oji-san… I won't come back… I promise"

Whatever he was speaking to though seemed completely unfazed by the child's tears, in fact its voice held no emotion in the slightest.

"Are your objectives instinctual or are they preconceived?"

Dumbfounded, the boy had no idea how to respond to these questions. Normally when people questioned him it was "Why did you kill them?", or "Why didn't he just kill you when he had the chance?" Admittedly, neither set of questioning made much sense to the young boy, but something here was different.

Then it hit him. There was no hate in this voice, it was merely asking. After calming himself the boy once again face the sphere and said.

"I really don't know what you are asking sir, otherwise I would answer."

He was only mildly surprised now when the voice almost immediately followed with another question.

"Are you capable of reason, or do you rely on instincts?"

The boy had heard these words before, he remembers Oji-san telling him once that a shinobi's greatest asset was not his instincts- any animal had those- but his ability to reason.

The boy then proudly responded,

"I have instincts, but I also can do that reasoning thing pretty well." He smiled to himself for that answer. He knew his Oji-san would be proud of him.

Then the voice seemed to change his direction of questioning a little. It said,

"What are you exactly?"

Confused by this new tangent, he responded,

"Well, I'm a person, a human being. Oji-san said that I was… no matter what anyone else called me…"

Calling out yet again the voice said,

"Is there a term given to your state, or are you undefined?"

After some silence from the blonde, whatever was talking to him must've realized his confusion and decided to press on.

"Why do you exist?"

Now the boy was once again beginning to question himself, 'why do I exist, I don't have a family, very few people will even look at me like I am to be loved. In fact it sometimes seems like I exist only so that no others will be hated.' Then it hit him that was his reason to exist. So he replied

"I don't know the answer to that."

Now it seemed to be the blue's turn to think, slowly it responds.

"What goals do you plan to achieve?"

Once again the child found himself thinking, he knew why he existed, but he still had nothing to work for, he had a reason to exist, but nothing to accomplish. A tool that no one seemed to have a use for…

Out of the silence the voice questioned a final time,

"What is the proof that you are?"

With that the room began to fade, darkness encroached on the blonde, but he was standing there shocked, staring at the blue sphere. Only one thought passed his mind.

'What is the proof that I am?'

"What was that Naruto-kun?" came the unexpected reply.

The blonde turned to his side to find himself staring at an unexpected sight, his Oji-san was sitting in a chair next to his bed smoking his pipe, hiding what looked to be an orange book in his side pocket.

Naruto looks around the room trying to gain his bearings. Behind the old man he could see a window that faces the Hokage monument. There was a small table next to the window that had some random bottles laying on it.

"Where am I?" came the confused sounding voice of the small child.

The old man replied, "You are currently in the private room of the Sarutobi residence. You have been unconscious for a few days, and I felt it best for your safety that you remained in that hospital as shortly as possible."

That brought back unwanted memories to the little boy. He remembered why he was in such a place as the hospital to begin with. He had been out for his sixth birthday, intending to go find his Oji-san to attempt to get a free meal out of him. As he was walking a group of four masked men dropped around him.

FLASHBACK

"Where are you going, Demon?" spat the first man, who wore a dog mask and had hair that seemed to defy gravity.

"I was just going to see if Oji-san was done working at the tower and see if he would treat me to some ramen" came the honest reply from the child.

"So you admit that you were seeking out the Hokage?" Asked the first masked man again.

Silently the young boy nodded his head.

"You all heard it, the Demon was seeking to kill yet another Hokage, as the defenders of our leader it is now within our rights to destroy this abomination."

As if on silent command all four cloaked warriors leapt upon the small boy, stabbing, hacking, kicking, and punching until finally the boy found himself pinned against the wall of an alley where a small mob seemed to of formed. The original four masked men suddenly disappeared, but the mob took it upon themselves to finish the job. Reprieve finally came when one of the drunken mob members crushed the top of his skull with a large club and everything faded to black.

FLASHBACK END

The old man saw the boys eyes slowly come back into focus after a short while. Suddenly the small child lunged at the old man crying profusely. After a while the sobs began to lessen and the child looked into the old man's eyes and asked the question that the man was dreading.

"Why do they hate me Oji-san?"

Sighing, the old man looked into the tear filled cerulean eyes of the mere child in front of him.

"Naruto, hear an old man out, I will do my best to explain this to you. You see, what people don't understand, they inevitably fear, just as one would fear the darkness. And what one fears, he will hate. But Naruto never forget, hate does not beget hate. Those people will test you they will seek to break you, but do not let them. Prove to them that you are better, that you are not to be feared. Give them proof, find something worth protecting, and hold onto it will all you have."

"But remember, not everyone hates you Naruto, whether you realize it now or not there are those who care for you greatly, and would do anything to make you smile."

The following day Naruto returned to his old apartment. The usual graffiti was present all over the walls. What he liked to call "angry words" such as "Die Demon" and what appeared to be a crucifix nailed to the wall.

Sighing to himself he walked through the splintered doorway, only to find that it his entire apartment was utterly destroyed, not one thing that he had was whole.

Panic filled the boy once again. He had only one possession that he held dear. Tearing into his room he let out a sigh of relief. While his clothes were burned, his mattress shredded, and even his walls were broken down. The small loose floorboard where he hid his favorite things remained intact.

Peeling back the oaken board, he removed a small box. Inside the box were two small items that he had owned for as long as he was able to remember. The two objects were small metal rings. The first, smaller than the second ring, was made out a white colored metal. It was always ice cold to the touch. The second was slightly larger and made out of a dark blue metal. The center of each ring had a simple flat spot where a unique symbol was engraved. The symbol was what looked like an 8 on its side, Oji-san said it was similar to an infinity symbol, whatever that meant. The only thing that Oji-san mentioned about the symbol, though, was that where the lines were supposed to cross over in the middle, they didn't meet. There was a small gap, making it an imperfect symbol.

Late at night, when it had been an exceptionally bad day, he liked to look at the rings and pretend that they had belonged to his family. Because at least when he could pretend, the world didn't seem quite so daunting.

Tears began to well in the boy's eyes again. No matter how many times his house was damaged, it was never easy. After crying to himself for a long time, his eyes fixed upon the forests in the distance.

"Maybe it would just be better for all of us if I left for a while. No one besides Oji-san will even notice if I go away."

After his short monologue to himself he packed what few clothes he had left, and left, not intending to return any time soon. But before he left he knew that he needed to see his Oji-san. He was the only one who was ever kind to him, it was only right that he returned the favor.

As he made his way towards the Hokage tower where his Oji-san works, he began a mental checklist of what he thought he was going to need. Food was obviously high on his priorities, but for a child such as himself food was difficult to come by. The only people who would even sell it to him were that Father and Daughter duo that worked the ramen stand.

'Hmm… Well if I plan on not coming back for a while then maybe I'll look into getting something that will tell me what I can and can't eat in the wild.' He sighed and continued the long walk to the tower, ignoring the painful stares as much as he could.

'If I plan on being able to protect someone, I guess I'll also need to learn how to fight. That shouldn't be too hard. Oji-san is as strong as they come, maybe he'll be able to give me something.'

He figured those two things would be a good place to start as he prepared for his inevitable escape.

As he approached the tower he was met with another conundrum, 'Even if I do get inside the tower without anyone stopping me, I still need to get past those two masked guys at Oji-sans door.' Then he remembered something, 'Last time I tried to sneak past them, I got my butt kicked, but maybe if I just make enough noise, the old man will hear me and come out…'

With this new plan of attack the young blonde made his way up the 258 steps that it takes to get all the way up to the Hokage's office. 'I can see why the shinobi just jump to the top landing, these stairs suck!' cried the young boy to himself.

Sneaking into the lobby outside the Hokage's office, he noted that it was empty. Well, empty except for the sleeping secretary and the two masked statues. Now was the perfect time to enact his master plan.

"Hey Oji-san!! I came to get that free meal that you owe me from my birthday!!" screamed the now hyperactive blonde.

The once sleeping secretary jolted awake and, upon seeing the yellow haired child, screamed.

"The demon is attacking! Kill him!!"

At this the Anbu on guard lunged forward, swords slashing down upon the young child. Then, at the last moment, a loud bang and a flash of white stopped them. There in front of them stood the one known as the God of Shinobi in all is might, a look of pure fury etched upon his face. Turning to the Anbu, he spoke in a low growl.

"What in the name of God are you doing, lower your weapons!"

"But Hokage-sama! The demon was attacking again, your secretary called for its death" said the now frightened Anbu.

"And who gives you your orders, the secretary or myself?" questioned the aged Hokage.

"You sir!" cried both of the Anbu simultaneously.

"And you will do well to remember as much. When I am done talking to Naruto you may consider yourselves removed of your position, report to the academy to help train the new students at 0700 hours tomorrow. I expect your masks on my desk by nightfall."

"Sir" cried the Anbu; they knew better than to question the Hokage. Old he may be, but he wasn't called the God of Shinobi for nothing.

"And you!" said the Hokage as he turns to his secretary, "Clean your desk out, you're fired!"

"B..b..But Sir, I've worked here for years! I only did what I thought was in your own best interest" said the distraught woman

"And that is the only reason I'm not having you jailed for breaking my laws. Ms. Haruno."

The now identified woman broke down in tears. With her husband dead from the Kyuubi attack, she now had no income to support her young daughter. With dark eyes she turned to the child.

"This is your fault child, twice now you've ruined my life and I will not forget it. Someday you will get yours…"

At this she stood up and stormed from the room.

Instantly the old man faced his young friend with a calm smile.

"Now Naruto, what have you come to my office for? I'm sure it wasn't just for ramen."

"Of course not Oji-san" said the mildly confused child. While things had gone to plan, it wasn't quite what he had been expecting. He never meant for these people to lose their jobs because of him.

"I actually came here to ask you for a favor. I was hoping you could tell me a spot where I could train away from people. Maybe you could even help me, if even just a little. I need to be strong!" said the now smiling child.

"Train?" said the old man, "why do you feel the sudden need to be strong?"

"I just want to make sure that this never happens to anyone ever again" answered the child simply.

"So you plan on being a great protector?" questioned the Sandaime.

"Exactly" replied Naruto.

"So do you plan on taking this job away from me one day, and protecting the entire city? It would prove them wrong about you after all."

"No!" cried the boy. "I will protect that which deserves my protection, I will protect everyone, even if it means the destruction of a…"

Sarutobi grimaced, he had heard those exact same words in the past, and he honestly hoped that he would never live to see this come to pass. He turned solemnly towards the boy.

"Naruto, where did you hear that? Did someone tell you that?"

The boy looked confused again for a moment.

"No, it just kinda came to me. No one really ever tells me anything."

Sarutobi looked straight into the boy's eyes and saw only honesty in them. He wasn't lying. He had honestly never heard that before. And that is exactly what worried the old man.

"Naruto what you just spoke to me is a direct quote from an order that calls themselves The Ancients" said the old man as he walked towards a small picture of the Shodaime on the wall.

Moving the portrait aside it reveals an old and complex looking seal. The old Hokage bit his thumb and smeared some blood across the seal, activating it. After the flash of light faded an old blackened scroll was lying in the Hokage's arms. Nothing was really remarkable about the scroll, just that it appeared to be very old.

"In here lies one of the few written documents about the Ancients. The Shodaime was given it, after being told that someday one of his successors may have use of it. It appears that we finally do…"

"What would we need some old scroll for? It looks like a piece of junk to me" said the small child.

The Hokage smiled sadly and said, "Within this scroll lies a story that has all but past from our world, few remember it anymore. This is one of the few written documents from the second coming of the Ancients."

At this the Hokage opened the scroll and began to read from for the aged parchment.

'Ten years ago, a shadow awoke in the dark. From the deepest pits of hell one of the last of the Fallen, Titus, returned to the earth. With him returned the demons of old, all taking various forms, each powerful in their own rights. They have set their sights to make earth their next conquest, but there were those who would stand against them.

From the shadows of the earth rose a second power, one that no one expected. They never named themselves, but the legends have named them 'The Ancients'. No one truly knows who they are or from where they came, but they alone seem to hold the power to stop Titus and his army of darkness.

After years of silent battle between the two powers of old, Titus and the Ancient named Amarius met on the battlefield. For days the battle raged, neither seemed to be able to destroy the other. Finally on the fifth day of battle, the partner of Amarius, Sapho joined the battle at dawn. Finally things began to turn towards the better for the Ancients. But not all was as it appeared.

Titus in a last ditch effort tore the land in two, creating a giant chasm where he sacrificed his own human form and his massive armies to an old god, and sent himself back to the depths of hell to summon a power great enough to destroy the two Ancients.

The land was free of Titus's armies, but scrawled across the canyon's wall was a note written in darkness. The exact note has long since been forgotten, but its message was clear, he would return with his nine demons to control the earth. Without the full force of the Ancients, there will be no stopping him.

On the day the darkness disappeared it was as if the Ancients went with them. For centuries none heard from them, and so they passed into legend, and much of what once was, was forgotten.

But, as the centuries passed a new shadow began to emerge. Nine different tailed demons, spawned from the depths of hell began to spread across the land. The second coming of Titus is approaching.

And lo, the first of the Ancients has returned, but only to announce the obligation of the Ancients…

Unto our dying breaths, we will defend those who deserve to live, even if it means the destruction of a brother. With every breath we shall hunt them down, till their blood rains from the heavens. Till the day that our obligations are fulfilled, we will never know the final rest. We will bind ourselves to them. We will be the flaming sword of God. And that shall be the proof that we were.

And again the Ancients passed into the shadows. All we can gleam from what little is known of them is that they do not die, at least not truly. One way or another the Ancients live on, at least until the darkness falls. Past that everything else is merely speculation'

"And that Naruto, is who you seem to be connected to in one way or another."

After hearing these words the Hokage noticed that Naruto's eyes had a glazed look to them again, as if he wasn't really there.

Flickering in front of the child was a glowing image of a man with unruly hair and eyes that were filled with concentric circles. The image started talking. The voice sounded like it was an echo from some far off place.

"You are wise beyond your years Sarutobi, and for that the Ancients will be forever in your thanks. Amarius is reawakening in this child, but do not fear he will forever be Naruto until his dying days, but we have use for him. In a few short moments the child will tell you of a revelation that he has had while talking with the force that lies within him, we expect you to back him fully."

"But do not fear old one. Know this, on the day of your greatest battle, when all seems lost, this child will return to your side to aid you in your last stand on that day. However until that day comes to pass this child will be in the care of the Ancients. He will learn to control what he will one day inherit, and on the day he first meets Amarius he will return to you."

"Look for his coming on the tenth day of the tenth month of his thirteenth year."

Naruto's eyes closed momentarily as he slumped down into his chair. With a jolt he jumped back up.

Scratching the back of his head sheepishly he looked at his Oji-san.

"Sorry Oji-san looks like I fell asleep there, that story must've been pretty boring. Anyways, I wanted to know if you would let me leave the village for a while?"

He turned his head towards the ground.

"I know it may sound weird, but I feel like there is something I need to do, and I don't think I can do it alone. Will you help me?"

The old man was astounded, never before had he seen Naruto act quite like this. It was as if he suddenly had a purpose. Remembering what was asked of him he grudgingly complied. He didn't like the idea of the boy leaving, but he knew that he really didn't have much of a say in the matter.

"You may not believe me now Naruto, but I do believe in you. I will help you to the best of my abilities, but grant me just one favor. When you do return, make sure that the trip was worth the effort on my part. I have a few scrolls on basic ninja techniques that you may have. If you ever need more just send word and I'll do my best."

Naruto, once more with a bright smile ran up and hugged the Hokage. After a brief thank you and goodbye, Naruto was gone.

The Sandaime stood at his window, watching the young boy traipse back down the street heading towards his apartment. As he walked away he couldn't help but think,

'With Naruto leaving, suddenly Konoha seems a little bleak.'

Somewhere in a small shack outside of The Village Hidden in the Mists, a young girl had just been forced to kill her father. Alone and confused, she wandered the snow-covered roads, close to death.

As she closed her eyes to take the final journey, a strange light met her. Focusing on the light she was surprised to hear it speak to her.

"Do not rest yet young one. There is one coming that will care for you till the second Amarius comes to take you to his side once again. But until that time comes, you must survive. Your life is now worth more than you may know."

The girl suddenly woke back up, feeling a strange urge to walk just a little more before nightfall and death claim her.

Walking down the road she saw what she believed to be a demon hiding in the mist, extending its hand toward her…

--

In a cave high in the mountains, four others sitting at a table with six sides began their long awaited meeting.

Black eyes suddenly redden and looked at the others.

"It seems that the second coming of Amarius and Sapho has finally come. In seven years they will begin to understand their destiny. At that time we will begin to move again. Titus has yet to expose himself. He is still at rest, but I feel that it will not be long."

A strange looking man, hunched over, almost looking robotic, looked to his peers.

"So far Titus's plans have been going unfortunately well. This will not be an easy victory for us, but there is a flaw in his plans."

A man with ringed eyes looked for up.

"Aye, I don't think he expected the shinobi of today to discover a way to stop his nine beasts of hell. This will not stop him, but it may cause enough of delay that it will finally give us an edge."

The red-eyed man started chuckling to himself. His shark like companion turns and looks at him.

Answering the silent question he informs the group.

"There is one last bit of irony here. Titus almost lost to Amarius and Sapho at the last battle. I wonder how he will fair, now that Amarius is slowly but surely destroying his most powerful beast. With that ingenious seal the Yondaime Hokage made, the will of all those who died that day are slowly draining the beast of his power. By the time Titus makes his move… The Kyuubi, his greatest general…will cease to exist…"

The man with ringed eyes chuckles, barely opening his eyes he looks upon the assembled group.

"Be that as it may, I believe I owe that old Hokage a visit. Orpheo, you will go, you have already met him in the past."

--

Kukukuku…

A sinister chuckle escaped the lips of Konoha's greatest missing-nin. Orochimaru had just successfully killed the last few remaining Uchiha. That damn brat Itachi had refused to join him. Saying he had something far more important than Orochimaru to deal with. So it only seemed fair that he repay Itachi's courtesy.

Itachi had long since abandoned his village, but he was not yet forgotten. No child prodigy such as him would be forgotten that quickly. He reasoned that since he could not take the young man, then he would just take what was left of the young man's family.

Hearing the patter of a child's footsteps behind him, he quickly reapplied the henge around his body.

Turning around he sees young boy staring at him,

"Aniki?"

With a groan the old Hokage opens his eyes.

'I am getting way too old for all this paperwork.'

As he rolled over to turn off his clock, which read 5 am, his eyes settle on the pictures of his family that adorn the table. Right in front is a small photo of a young boy in a bright orange jump suit.

The Hokage smiles, 'Naruto said he was going to leave early this morning. I'll have to find him later to give him the stuff he asked for.'

With a slightly happier outlook the old man begins his morning rituals, preparing for another day of paperwork and boredom.

Just before sunrise the Hokage begins to make his way to his office. As he approaches the door, he notices the light inside is already turned on. In a traditional office this may not be such a big deal. But no one got into the Hokage's office unless the Hokage had already opened it.

Sitting in front of his desk was what looked to be a teenager, with black hair and a large black cloak. He was listening to the most peculiar music, it sounded bold and dark, as if someone was being dragged to the pits of hell. The music was expressive to say the least. But it was being sang in a language that he had never heard before, it sounded very peculiar.

Suddenly the young man spoke, without turning around.

"Hokage-sama, it is good to see that you are well. Please take your seat. I feel that we have much to talk about. I assure you, I mean you know harm."

Slowly but surely the old man made his way to his desk. As he was walking to his desk the young man began to speak again.

"Do you like the song?" Without waiting for a reply he continued, "It is one of my favorite pieces, it is named "Don Giovanni", written by the late composer Mozart. It was first performed in the city of Prague, on October 29th, the year was 1787. I will never forget that performance. This is my favorite piece of the whole opera, it is where Giovanni is being dragged down to hell by a group of devils, who you hear singing in the background."

The Hokage was now incredibly confused, so he opted to voice his concerns.

"Young man, not that I mean to refute you but, there is no city called Prague, and how did you hear it in 1787, it's only the year 984?"

"All valid questions, however allow me to retort. Prague has unfortunately long since fallen into the seas, and do you honestly believe that your calendar is the only one to have ever existed. We are getting off subject. I came to talk with you about Amarius."

Now this had the Hokage's attention, as he looked up he was finally able to see the face of the man in front of him.

"Itachi?... Is that you?"

"I have been called that name in the past yes, however now I am normally referred to as Orpheo, one of the Ancients."

Now this most definitely had the old man's attention, Orpheo was recorded to be one of the more powerful of the eight ancients. However he was also said to be one of the more eccentric.

"I mean no disrespect, but Orpheo is not a common name, nor is Amarius. Where on earth did you get such strange names?"

Itachi looked up with a small smile.

"Truthfully our real names have long since been forgotten. Amarius gave this name to me. Actually, it was a nickname more than anything else. Orpheo was the first opera ever written, written by a man named Claudio Monteverdi in 1607. Amarius thought it was funny, since I have always had a passion for opera and oratorio."

The Sandaime had a confused look on his face, which Itachi found to be mildly amusing. 'Probably still confused about the dates, oh well, I don't really feel like explaining it to him again…'

The old man looked up.

"And what of Amarius?"

"That name was given to him by the powers that control the Ancients. He is far older than I am. Few know much about his origins, but he has fought Titus from the beginning, and swore to defeat him at all costs. He was among the original Ancients."

The Hokage sighed and thought to himself,

'Sure I'm finally getting some answers, but I really don't know anything. All I know is how they got their names, nothing about their goals or who they are.'

As if he was able to read his mind Itachi suddenly replied,

"I haven't told you our goals because as of this moment they don't really concern you. We just felt that we owed you a debt of gratitude for keeping Naruto safe."

The Sandaime leveled is gaze and replied,

"Then if you cannot tell me anything else, at least tell me what will become of Naruto."

Itachi smiled politely.

"Fate is a funny thing. You ask me the one thing that I am unable to tell you. It has yet to be decided what will happen to our young friend. Amarius is unique in that, of all the ancients, he is the only one whose future is still his to choose. Though I will warn you Sarutobi, before he can rise he must fall, and when he does the Naruto you know may cease to exist."

Sarutobi leaned back into his chair, deep in thought. He packed his ebony pipe with another small ball of the sweet smelling tobacco. As he lit it he began thinking to himself.

'Naruto, what will become of you?'

Seeing the Sandaime deep in thought, Itachi took it upon himself to show himself out.

As Itachi left he turned to look at Sarutobi.

"You know, you don't strike me as an opera enthusiast, maybe you'd prefer this."

Itachi places a small black object on the table and pressed a small button with a strange triangle on it. Instantly a soothing melodic tone of simple violins and a harpsichord filled the air. The Sandaime smiled at the bittersweet tune, it did indeed fit him well.

"Hmm, I do like this one, what is it called?"

"It's called Largo from the opera Xerxes, written by the great melodist George Fredric Handel. It's almost what one would call violin concerto. It tells the story about the simple beauty of sitting in the shade of a tree. While the opera itself was ill received, this piece, the aria became one of his greatest works. I'll leave it here for you, next time we meet maybe I'll bring along some Antonio Vivaldi. His concertos are among the best ever written."

With that, the mysterious youth walked out his door, not to be heard from again for many years.

As his shadow faded Sarutobi turned and watched the red dawn rise over the city he was sworn to protect. The music was indeed as beautiful as it was haunting. He could not deny the simply power that this "Handel" claimed over him at this moment. Sinking into his chair, the man suddenly appeared to be what he was, a simple old man with far too many burdens.

--

Already Naruto was far outside the walls of the city when the same red dawn began to encroach upon his hiding spot in a tree. Several drunken villagers had seen him leaving the night before and found it to be the perfect time to destroy the scourge of Konoha.

'Damn them! I can't believe the followed me this far out into the wilderness!'

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a strange black blur appeared in front of the enraged villagers. It stopped suddenly and all the villagers fell to the ground. Without looking towards the boy, the black clad stranger began to talk to him.

"You know Naruto-kun, all great warriors have a calling card of some sort. Something that sets them apart from the masses. It leaves their mark upon the enemy, so that they will never forget who they have crossed. What will the masses remember you by?"

As soon as the words left the strangers lips, he disappeared without a sound.

Quietly the small child crept from his hiding spot and approached the bodies of the villagers. He could tell they weren't dead, but they didn't look like they would be waking up soon.

Looking around, he spotted something shiny protruding out from under the body of one of the smaller men. Upon closer inspection it proved to be a small scythe, probably used by a smaller teen to help harvest grains in the fall.

Naruto suddenly remembered a story that he had heard many years ago from the Sandaime. Although the exact words he had long since forgotten, the story he remembered clearly. It was simply about an ancient evil, a reaper of souls sent by Kami to dispose of those who no longer had the privilege to remain.

It was with sardonic irony that he picked up the scythe. It was simple, a wooden shaft with a slight curve to it and a two foot long steel blade with a fine edge on it.

'They always said that one day the reaper would come for me, so now I will become that reaper that they fear.'

He turned and looked at the dark red sun creeping up over the Hokage Mountain in the far distance. A small sense of profound peace claimed the child's mind. For the first time in ages he felt at ease. Out here amongst the forest animals may be dangerous, but they do not lie. There is no deceit in the simple-minded beasts. There are no snares of witty silver-tongued snakes lurking in shadows waiting to strike. Here he was safe, for now.

--

Itachi reentered the circular room filled by his brethren. He looked at the ringed eyed one and said.

"It is starting earlier than we had anticipated. The memories of Amarius have begun to show forth in the child. Already he has picked up the first scythe of Amarius that I had placed for him. I believe that at some subconscious level he remembers being the reaper of old."

The blue skinned man next to him looked up as well.

"Sapho has awoken as well. She resides in a child and is in the care of an old friend of mine. She will be safe for the moment."

The ringed eyed man sighed,

"Then we wait, Titus has yet to make any formal movements outside of sending forth his demons. We cannot confront him unless Amarius rejoins us. It all rests on the child's will now. The moment he falls, we will make our first move. Until that time we wait, and observe."

--

Naruto felt the smooth wooden shaft of his newly acquired blade. The tool was old, but well cared for. Taking a few small practice swings with it, he felt a small piece of happiness converge upon him, as if he had found a long lost friend.

From the trees above a man dressed in the robes of a Hokage watched the child intently. Hiding is chakra carefully he watched the boy as he thought to himself.

'I know that Naruto has ever once handled such an awkward tool in his life, but now he swings it around as if he has been doing it for a lifetime.' He thought at the child made quite the amazing leap for a six year old, and cut a falling leaf

'Is this the power of an ancient?'

With that thought he quietly entered the small clearing and place a few scrolls upon the ground, as well as a package of clothing for the child. Once his delivery was complete he stood and watched the boy for just a moment more.

Naruto swung the blade around quickly. Even though his arms were beginning to ache, he was enjoying himself immensely as he fought against imaginary foes. With a final flourish of the curved blade he cut straight through a small log. Smiling to himself he shouldered his scythe and turned around to see his Oji-san smiling down at him.

"That was wonderful Naruto, but where on earth did you learn to use a scythe like that? No one in Konoha uses such a unique weapon."

The boy shrugged.

"I dunno, it just kinda felt right."

The old man smiled.

"I think I do understand Naruto." Pointing down at the packages at his feet the old man continued talking. "Now here is the rest of what you asked for. For the next seven or so years you are free to roam around the country as you please, but please stay out of trouble and keep in touch, I don't want you to forget about this old man here."

Naruto laughed lightly.

"I would never forget about you Oji-san."

The old man smiled widely.

"Fair enough Naruto, but remember that you have to be here by September in seven years so that you can join the academy's graduating class."

"I will."

With that the small child ran over to the old man and said,

"I'll miss you Oji-san, but I'll be back before you know it. I'll be stronger than ever."

The old man simply chuckled,

"I believe you will Naruto."

With that the Naruto picked up his packages, donned his backpack, re-shouldered his scythe and began walking down the small deer path that ran near the main road.

The Hokage smiled and took out the small black object that Itachi had left him. Resting under a large oak tree the old man pressed the triangle and listened to the soothing tones as they lulled him into a light sleep.

He didn't know what would become of the world, but for right now it was still peaceful, and he intended to enjoy every moment of it.

Author's Notes

*Hananosei means Spirit of the flower

**Akihiko means bright child, Akio means Glorious Hero

Well, I used quite a bit of the original, but I added the prologue and introduced the story a different way. I had to change around a few things, but I like it more this way.

Beta's Notes

Not much changed from what the author changed. Just a little sentence rearrangement and grammar fixes but otherwise fine.

"Now remember kids to eat your vegetables and get plenty of sleep."