Hello, and welcome to my story for ShelbySabaku's contest! I tried a new approach when I was writing this, so I hope it comes out alright. Feel free to send in critiques; I appreciate any and all help with my stories ^-^ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own Macbeth, Naruto, or Linkin Park

Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion to death- Coco Chanel

It had been ages since she had last seen her husband, and she was grateful for his absence, for it denied him the chance to seen her descent into madness. Every night, when she attempted to flee to the safety of her dreams, she saw them, and the rivers of their blood coated her hands as their eyes burned her with their hatred. They were led by the late King Sarutobi, still clad in his nightclothes, spattered in his own blood and skin paled by death. He was followed by a worn looking Minato, that, upon closer inspection, looked upon her not in anger, but in disappointment, and resolve. And perhaps worst of all, was her dear friend Mikoto, and her two boys, their clothes, once magnificent and ornate, replaced with paltry mungo soaked in their own gore. They haunted her in her dreams, chasing her down and tearing her apart piece by piece, to destroy her life just as she and her husband destroyed theirs.

And as she awoke every morning, coated in cold sweat and shaking in fear, she lost herself a little more to the dreams. She knew that her time was short, that escape from these wretched spirits would be soon impossible, and she feared what would happen when the walks to the cloister for a prayer would no longer soothe her manic pulse.

At first, she hoped the steady support of her dear husband would keep her strong, and yet, he was unreachable. No matter which page she sent to find him, the oaf would return shortly after, unable to approach the man and deliver her pleas. And, as time continued to pass, and the good doctor simply watched and waited passively, she gave up that hope for rescue; even if her husband did appear, it was too late to help her now. Instead, she sought the comfort of the mirror, to watch herself waste away every morn, and turn into the weak, mild creature her husband had personified. It was ironic really; she had been the strong one once, and a voice in the back of her head constantly attempted to remind her of that time so long ago. Now, her husband had stolen away all of her confidence, sucked her dry of her very essence, and left her a husk, without the fiery passion for life she once embodied. What did he ever see in this reflection? Courage perhaps? Strength? Beauty? I see a monster. Gone were those brilliant emerald eyes, filled with joy and hope; now that sat glazed and dulled to a sickly grey. Even her vibrant locks seemed to lose their shine; she no longer enbodied life, but lived with her sickness shadowing her very soul.

So as she held the innocent looking purple blooms in her hands, Lady Macbeth thought back to the beginning, to when she pushed the daggers into innocent hands, and started a chain reaction that tainted her husband and turned his soul black with greed and madness. The very same madness that made Naruto into an orphan, and the very one that left Fugaku without a family to return to.

"In this farewell, there's no blood, there's no alibi, because I've drawn regret from the truths, of a thousand lies" she murmured to herself, listlessly twirling florets in her hands as she continued " I have seen what my meddling has done, so let mercy come, and wash away what I've done." It made sense, in her scattered, tattered mind, to speak these words, to expel the truth from her body as she sat on her death bed.

She took one last look around the room, then at the phantom blood on her hands, and swallowed the flowers and their fruit without hesitation, filling her mouth with the sweet berry juice before it began to effect her system. She lay down on her bed, and spoke softly, once more, as the convulsions began to shake her body, and her voice began to falter.

"I start again, and whatever pain may...come..To-" the words were lost in her throat, and the world began to blacken, all the tension beginning to fade from her body. She tried again though, pulling some of her long forgotten stubborn nature back to her fading life, "Today this ends..." And with that, Lady Macbeth slackened onto her bed, and left the world with the ominous echo of her final words.

Today this ends...

The King of Scotland found himself feeling invigorated by the Weird Sisters predictions, for though they claimed Minato's brat, Naruto would claim his throne, he could not be killed by a man whom a woman bore; his success was indeed at hand. Not even the troops Fugaku had managed to commandeer would be able to pull him from his fortress! What good fortune he had, that he could be so invincible; surely the wretch would be unable to wrestle the throne from his hands for awhile yet, and by then, it would hardly matter.

"Your Highness..."

He drew his attention to the before him, Kabuto if he remembered correctly. He wasn't particularly pleased with the doctor, for he was unable to help his ailing wife, and his darling Sakura seemed so in pain...and he was becoming a useless nuisance to have snooping around these walls.

"Have you brought news of my Lady, Doctor?" He could hardly believe the doctor would have bad news; with all of the good fortune that was in his future, his wife must surely be recovering from her illness as well. He would be able to see her shining radiant and lovely again, with her lovely eyes sparkling with good humor, pushing away all his worries and malice towards his treacherous subjects; his happiness gave way to his anger, and his rage almost made him miss what the good doctor had to say.

"I have, My Lord, though the news is not good; the lady is dead, by her own hand, as it seems. I truly wish I could have been" the doctor continued to offer his condolences, but Lord Macbeth was no longer listening to the man. Though his face remained unmoved by this revelation, his mind was overrun with shock. Dead? It echoed through his head as he stood there, uncomprehending. My Lady...my Sakura, little Blossom...is gone?

"Sir!" A page came running into the room, wheezing and gasping for air as he frantically interrupted the doctor's droning. "The woods, My Lord! I do not understand how..but the woods are approaching the castle!" These words snapped the King into action. He began to put on his armor, and ordered the page to ready the soldiers as he swept himself from the room.

He was to lose his kingdom, it seemed, a lot sooner than planned. Without his Lady, though, he had no one; his subjects wished for his blood, and his own servants stayed with him out of fear. Who would be left by his side in the end? He would put an end to this, clean the slate, and follow his wife into the afterlife. As he mounted his horse, Lord Madara thought of his wife, and urged his steed into battle, so he could be reunited by his pink haired angel once more. It seems the sisters' predictions were correct after all; Macbeth would fall when the woods came to the castle, but by his own choice.

Forgive what I've done love

For I did as much for you.

Hm...this was honestly supposed to be a two-shot, but the story decided it wanted to be a one-shot instead. Sakura killed herself with deadly nightshade, if anyone was curious; I read somewhere that the real King Macbeth (not Shakespeare's) poisoned wine with nightshade and gave it to enemy soldiers, so I thought it seemed appropriate. I didn't use to much descriptions, but I'm satisfied with the present product at this point. I'm sorry if this confused anyone...but I was reading Macbeth rather recently, and it bothered me that it never resolved Lady Macbeth's suicide, so I decided to do a back story. I might come back and change the end line, but it should stay basically the same...maybe a little less dramatic... anyways, if anyone needs character clarification or anything, drop me a message and I'll attempt to fix it. I'll try and update my other stories pretty soon, as soon as I have some time :) Peace for now!