Understated { OP / Dark Naruto AU }

Death's Duty

Soaring through the sky, the wind whistling at Naruto's ears, he couldn't feel any more free from all his responsibilities that kept him on the cold hard ground. The exhaustion of being a Ninja, and a strong one at that, the death of Jiraiya, controlling the Nine Tails, just gone, dust in the literal wind.
After beginning to think about the Nine Tails though, Naruto couldn't get it off his mind. He kept wondering what would happen while carrying the beast and being the grim reaper. Would he have to struggle controlling it while carrying the burden of the duties of death?

Deciding to want to ask Death about it, he turned towards the winged man and asked for them to land.

"How do you land anyways?!" Naruto yelled over the rush of breeze as they flew.

"Get close to the ground, then face your feet downwards. After you've done that, flap your wings slower and slower till it's safe enough to land or drop down!" Death yelled back. Naruto, reluctant at the idea of getting close to the ground, especially since they were above the forest on the outskirts of Konoha, complied with the instructions given.

Though he got close to the ground, he failed to slow himself and in the end had to be saved by Death before he fell to his demise. After being plopped onto the dirt, Naruto brushed himself off, a tad irritable due to his inability to control his landing. Folding his wings behind his back, he set himself on a rotting log, unnerved when mushrooms and moss krinkled into death at his touch.

"I have a question."

"Another? This is getting quite annoying, but I understand." Death gestured for Naruto to continue. Naruto shifted uncomfortably, shivering seldom due to being shirtless in the frosty night.

"First, How can you wear a shirt with those wings?" Naruto pointed to Death's cloak.

"That's easy, it's a button down, on the back though, not the front, and there's holes for the wings. It doesn't hide them but it keeps me warm, I can grab you some if you want." Naruto nodded, acknowledging that he would indeed, enjoy some shirts to wear.

"Next, what's gonna happen to the Nine Tails inside of me? I'm not desperate for it or anything, I'd just like the info."

"Oh, that. Well, when I took you to the Underworld, then changed your soul, I took the Fox's soul out. It's dead." That struck Naruto full-bore. The Nine Tails was an issue for years. He'd struggled to keep it at bay for so long, he'd killed many of his emotions just to keep him and everyone around him safe, resulting in the happy go-lucky kid that everyone knew. Naruto didn't understand. What would he do without worrying about the Demon Fox? Would his life feel empty without a constant duty or job to do? The only reason he was holding on in the Ninja business for so long was because of the massive chakra supplied by the Nine Tails. What would he do now that he couldn't perform as he used to?

But of course, Naruto also obtained amazing abilities still unperceived by himself. He'd gained a purpose he couldn't even comprehend. I'd only been a day and he was already spiraling into unknown territory, the secrets of the very order between life and death. He couldn't feel too strongly, as in his sense of duty towards Death wasn't growing yet, but he hoped once he understood his duties, it would become some sort of full time job for him.

Then there was the issue of keeping it hidden. How would Naruto keep this from everyone, especially since he'd visibly changed overnight. Maybe if he told people about the wings, but not his new occupation, he could get by. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea to him, good enough as a stopgap for now, so he could at least leave his house.

Naruto hadn't realized he'd been so rooted in his own mind until Death shook his shoulders. Snapping out of his own mental trance he turned back to Death and smiled.