Chapter 8: Seal of the Death God

As dry as the wind that swept through the wilderness; Aota's throat had gone. He knew that telling lies to buy sometime for him to escape was ill advised and absolutely stupid. He watched Saido, taking a seat on one of the protruding rocks, a gesture of self-confidence and assurance that there is no way he (Aota) can break out.

"What do you want to know," at last Aota asked. He poised himself into a more comfortable position sitting on one of the rocks to hide his anxiety but to no avail.

"Oh, wise decision—very smart indeed," Saido, nodding to his fellows, amused himself upon seeing Aota's helplessness before them. "Well, well, let's see—you killed your master didn't you," as flatly and frankly, he asked the ever growing anxious Aota.

"No I didn't," Aota helplessly denied in defense to his now tattered reputation. " I was merely accused of doing it since the Defense department would not acknowledged their mistake!"

"Mistake you say? And what was that mistake," Saido asked. His curiosity aroused and his eyes told it so. Beaming with a certain degree lust for blood.

"They forced Master Suyate to capture the beast despite his heed that he hasn't master the technique for the capture yet--" Aota narrated and paused to look at Saido. He stared at his eyes and understood that there was a certain degree of greediness in him. But shoved away the idea at the back of his mind and continued on. "…He said he needed more time to study. But they wouldn't listen. They said that if he wont do it, our Country will lost and it will be all his fault and he shall be convicted and executed for the crime of treason."

"Are you saying that your master succeeded in capturing the beast?

"Yes he did." Aota said softly remembering the agony and pain his master suffered as the effect to his attempt. "Although he succeeded, the Kyubi got away a year after its capture."

"Yes, yes, go on," Saido encouraged Aota or induced him to go on with the story.

" Obviously, the master having not mastered the technique suffered the consequence. The kyubi was so powerful and a totally in defiance to his human cage—"

"What do you mean human cage," Shida cut off. He is now more curious than ever. He went nearer to Aota to listen to this story closely. Having caged a number of people in his life and being caged for a time in his life, he is familiar with cages, but the idea of a human cage for a powerful demon was totally new to him. He cannot comprehend despite his wisdom and ingenious.

Aota was startled with Shida's movement started to step back, however, a sharp pointed object slightly pierced his back neck causing him to stop on his track. He quickly realized that this was junta with his sword mutually telling him not to move any further.

"What is this cage? Tell me," Shida commanded Aota to answer.

"Yes—," Aota complied. "Master performed a seal which made his body a living cage for the demon. However, while the demon was inside him, Master said that there is something lacking in that technique. In other words, his seal was not strong enough to hold the demon."

"What was lacking then," he asked. He was then wondering and curious of the seal, which failed to imprison the demon beast. He

" Unfortunately, I don't know—"

"What do you mean, you don't know!" Shida roared in anger. He clenched his fists, ready to punch Aota and knock him dead. If one of his men did not stop him, he could have killed him that instant and the answers will be forever gone.

Aota who was covering himself in defense to what could have been his death slowly gathered himself together and continue to explain. "I was not able to know because while we were in the process of solving it, the monster have already escaped and devoured my master's body. I hid myself and did my best to cover my chakra flow." Aota paused for a moment reminiscing that dreadful night. The night his master was cut into pieces right in front of him.

"What was this seal then that your master used?"

"The Seal of Hades. However, not even the seal of the dead could imprison the demon," he narrated and paused to see if his audience is still interested to listen. After seeing it that somehow they mellowed a bit, "It is a demon after all."

End of flash back

The room was quite and no one moved except for the curtain, which was swaying as the wind blew through it, after Etsuya related the story. The stillness created an eerie feeling, one, which may cause death, to say the worst.

He looked at the Hokage and felt that the hokage was not satisfied despite the story being genuine and true. He then realized that he forgot to mention one thing. "I was then Aota. After that incident I change my identity. I was afraid that they'll come back for me.."

"What you saw with Naruto, was that the same way the demon fox come out of your master's body," Tsunade inquired. Her voice cannot deny the truth that she was afraid for Naruto's life.

"Almost the same but not entirely—"

"What do you mean not entirely?

"With my master, the demon literally came out because its body was captured then caged inside. But with Naruto's…" he trailed his memory of last night's event and take into account every useful details he observed. "I guess with Yondaime's technique, he captured the demon's soul and sealed it inside the boy's body, am I right?"

"Yes—"

"Now I understand, the Kyubi's soul was molded together with Naruto's soul creating in Naruto a dual personality," he exclaimed. "This is indeed a work of a genius. Yet, this is too risky—" his voice left him as a thought deemed into him. His eyes widened and his heart beat pump faster. He stood behind the window and looked Tsunade who now seemed to understand what is going on.

"Are you saying that the Kyubi have taken the form of a human," Tsunade asked.

"Yes, but as of now the kyubi haven't attained it yet. But we must take precautions, Hokage. Etsuya exclaimed as he faced back Tsunade.

Tsunades' face flustered with anger. Yet behind that angry face, was fear and care for Naruto who has grown on her more and more as years went passed by. And now, after all the hardships she and Naruto had faced and dealt with, a new one comes to them and this time its comes with graver danger.

"Tsunade hime, what was the seal used on Naruto?" The question brought Tsunade back into the room her mind drifted back to the years she first met Naruto.

"What… Yes… I mean the Seal of the Death god—" The answer brought Etsuya down to his knees. He knew that of all the Forbidden Seals, the Seal of the Death god was the least to be trifled with. The death god asked for the soul of the sealer in exchanged for the object to be sealed, yet there is a curse that goes along with the seal; he who has the seal shall die by the seal.

Tsunade as intelligent as she is cannot really fathom the in depths of the divine forbidden seals. However, the action of Etsuya tells her that something sinister is about to happen.

"What is going to happen Etsuya?"

"There is a curse that goes along with the seal; he who has the seal shall die by the seal," Etsuya answered. His face was still on the floor. "This means that, if the Kyubi will succeed in taking over Naruto's body, he will die. The Kyubi in him will devour his soul and the Naruto you know will never come out again."

"But it happened last night, Naruto defeated it!" Tsuande answered back, hoping that she was right.

"Yes it did. But the kyubi didn't understand it yet. It was trying to come out as it came out of my master's body. It didn't realize that he was a soul—"

"Are you trying to say that after last night, the Kyubi might have realized it by now?

"Most likely, the Kyubi should have understood by now why he failed last night as we have come to understand it too. Most likely if the Kyubi takes the form of a human, then it becomes the most powerful and the most evil human being alive in this world… more evil than your colleague Orochimaru…"

Tsunade understood the dilemma they were in, knowing the evil of Orochimaru and the idea of Naruto being more evil than him; she knew what Etsuya wanted her to do. He want her to order the death of Naruto. Yet despite the fear and anxiety that enveloped the Hokage's heart, she found hope. Again trailing the words of Naruto when he faced Kabuto, a ninja way advance and stronger than him, he said, "Unless I become a Hokage, I will not die." Tsunade rose up from her sit and unexpectedly smirked at Etsuya that left him bewildered.

"I know what you want me to do Etsuya, and from the likes of you, that could be the only right thing to do and I would not blame you for that. But here is my resolve. I believe in him and I put my faith unto that boy that even the seal of the deathgod cannot break that will of the boy. I can assure you that." Etsuya was left with no words to say except a series of stammering.

A knock ended Etsuya's gawping at Tsunades faith on the boy as the nurse came in. She noticed that her intrusion had somehow disturbed of what seemed to be serious discussion she bowed apologetically and referred to the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama elders have requested your audience as soon as possible along with patient Etsuya and Naruto."