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Requiem
Akatsuki has won and Sasuke has extracted his bloody vengeance. Reeling under the iron fist of Uchiha Madara all that remains of the former Konoha are fragmented rebellions and a whispered name of forgotten hope… Naruto. (AU)
Prologue
"What was the world like before the Cleansing?"
It was surprising really, how just one question was capable of making years of carefully cultivated self control crumble. He had not even known when his body moved of its own account, of how his hand rose to silence the impertinent query or of how worry shone in his dark eyes.
"That is a very interesting question."
He froze, feeling the deep honeyed voice sweep over him like an oppressive miasma.
"Was it not Hajime sensei?"
He consciously repressed the shudder which crept up his spine as well as the bitter taste that suddenly flooded his mouth.
"It is an honor." His voice was neutral, as was befitting that of a teacher of the Academy as he turned to bow at the man who stood framed at the doorway. "High Lord."
The High Lord swept forward, his dark cloak trailing after him, single red eye resting on the cropped head of the child who had posed that unnatural query.
"Come here Child." Long white fingers beckoned the child forward as he settled himself on a chair. "And tell me your name."
The boy stumbled forward, fear and curiosity battling for dominance in his gray orbs.
"A… Atushi, my Lord."
"Don't be afraid, Atushi." The High Lord hoisted the child over his knee, his voice gentle. "And let me tell you a story."
Hajime stepped back, coming to stand at a respectful distance from the High Lord, schooling his features into indifference.
"The world wasn't always like this." The High Lord's voice was warm, like the gentle summer breeze. He now commanded the undivided attention of the entire class of future genins, eager eyes fixed on his scarred face. "It was a time of Chaos. The world stood divided, full of war and hate, a melting pot of a thousand ideas clashing with each other."
He paused letting his gaze travel over the children, the three tomoe in his eye spinning.
"I dreamt of peace and of unifying the world. Naturally..."
No matter how many times he heard it Hajime found the story as mesmerizing as the first time he heard it, many years ago.
"I was met with stiff opposition. To find peace, I had to make war."
The High Lord continued; white hand drawing soothing circles in Atushi's closely cropped hair.
"The greatest threat came in the form of the Demon of Chaos, He who not even I could tame. For a while it appeared almost as if he and his infernal band of Demons would crush my dream … But it that dark hour, a great Hero was born. He defeated the Demon of Chaos and brought peace to the lands. With the defeat of the Demon the morale of his troops were gone. Like whipped dogs they fled to the recesses of the Netherworld from where they had come. That, children, is what we now call the Cleansing."
There was an infinitesimal pause before the High Lord sighed again, his hands traveling down from the boy's skull to rest on his shoulders.
"Does that satisfy your curiosity Atushi?"
Atushi nodded vigorously.
"Do you know what curiosity breeds young one?" The thin lips curved upwards. "Curiosity breeds ideas and ideas breed... Chaos." There was a dull crack and Hajime tried not to flinch. "We cannot have the world descending into Chaos yet again, now can we?" He got up letting the limp body slip from his lap and lie crumpled at his feet. "Any more questions?"
Only Silence answered him.
"Good." The smile deepened. "You will do well to remember the moral of this story... Children."
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