#demon folklore

The nocturnal demon that wanders the countryside, his appearance is that of a wild man or troll.

The thing is, Naruto is used to weight. One prophecy and a village's desperate cry; 

save me, save me, save me.

The thing is, Naruto knows Legacy. Sasuke sneers that he doesn’t know what he never had but somewhere there is an island that calls his name, not Naruto, Uzumaki.  

But Naruto can’t fix death, and he can’t carry the weight of people who aren’t there. Legacy, though, is still an island. A slip of land between the decimated Kuno and Kiri.

His arrival is quiet, the waters all but placid with the stilling of Uzushio’s whirlpools. The first thing he notes is that there are still birds to chirp here, the second is that Zetsu has caught up to him.

The demon stands just shy of the barrier, the boiling ocean swaying beneath his feet.

“Why do you go on?” It asks.

“There is nothing to fix,”

And

“There is nothing to carry.”

Naruto stares into the steam, a thousand grinning mouths stare back, and turns away.