Bring the Hammer Down

1

Naruto sat on the ground beside his body and tried to keep the tears from flowing. He had tried so hard to bring Sasuke back for Sakura and yet nothing ever went right. Now here he was, dead or close to it, face down in the mud from a chidori to the heart. He hadn't been fast enough to dodge this time. He looked across the field to find Sakura helping along a limping Kakashi. His only regret was that he couldn't bring that idiot back for her. No, that wasn't true. He had other regrets. Never seeing his friends faces again, never eating ramen again, never training to exhaustion again, never seeing Baa-chan again. There was so much regret and nothing could be done. He watched as they picked up his body with no words exchanged between them. 'Guess in the end I wasn't even worth a few final words. Wonder when the shinigami will get here.'

A bright light seemed to engulf the field they were in and Naruto looked to see if Sakura and Kakashi had noticed it. They just kept walking, away from him and out of his life. He closed his eyes one last time and let the tears fall freely. His last hurrah had been a big bang at least. If he ever did anything right he took the fox with him. His lips barely turned up at the corner of his mouth and he opened his eyes to find pure white everywhere. No matter which way he turned it was white except for a fox shaped mark of black underneath him. Everywhere he walked the mark stayed with him, right underneath him.

"Interesting isn't it?"

He whipped around to find the source of the voice and saw a girl his age standing behind him. She didn't look older than seventeen and yet, she had a wizened look to her, like she had seen it all and done it all. An aura of calm exuded from her and Naruto felt at peace. If death included pretty girls like this one, he was okay with dying. He cocked his head and stared at the beauty in front of him, studying her. Her hair was black and hung in curls down to her mid back. Her skin was pale and yet seemed luminescent and warm. The smile that graced her face was almost...motherly in a sense and Naruto felt safe when he looked at her. Surely this girl meant him no harm.

"Who are you? Where is this place? Why am I here? Am I dead?"

"One question at a time young one. Now what do you want answered first?"

"Young one? I'm sorry miss but you look as old as me."

The girl laughed at this and it was melodious, the laughter seeming to hang and tinkle in the air. It was...enjoyable.

"You flatter me young man. My age cannot be measured in numbers. I guess you could say my age is infinity."

"Are you an angel?"

"Better. You mortals know me as Kami."

Naruto's eyes widened and the look that crossed his face caused Kami to look at him with distress. The orange clad ninja immediately fell to his knees and hung his head. Perplexed, Kami asked him what he was doing.

"Forgive me Kami-sama, I meant no disrespect. I am sorry, please forgive me. I am not worthy to be in the presence of one such as you with all the blights on my soul. Please pass judgement on me and let me be on my way to wherever you deem fit in hell."

Kami frowned at this. Was this what mortals did to each other in their spare time? Tear each other down until they questioned their own self worth and were willing to damn themselves for sins they never committed?

"Why do you say those things Naruto? Surely you don't believe that..."

"The spots on my soul are from the fox. I know this. It's been explained to me several times that I am bound to the fox and he to me. Our souls are bound together and therefore his sins are my sins. Nothing I could do would make up for his sins and therefore I deserve to be punished. Please Kami-sama, I deserve no less."