This is the story-wide disclaimer.
Prologue
Know that in ancient days there was war between all men, cruel and endless, and upon the fields of battle stalked a beast with ten tails. Mighty was the beast, and it grew fat upon the slaughter and carrion, and in it was embodied the evil of all men. All things hated and feared the beast, and it feasted upon their hatred. The skies darkened with its breath, the earth shuddered with its touch, and the seas were poisoned with its bile. Death was the soul of the beast, and amidst endless war, all men despaired.
Now it came to pass that a man was born with unclouded eyes, and as he looked upon the earth and its creatures he beheld in them a burning fire. In meditation he learned to wield this fire as a lesser man would a hammer and sword. Beneath his hand, flesh was knit, beasts were calmed, and plague was cast off. Too, wind and water danced for him, and earth and fire bowed to him, and the wonders of thought were made real by his willing, and he is called Sage. Wise was the man, and through his power and teachings he sought to end the war of all lands, and many followed him. For his deeds, and the purity of his heart, he is called Savior.
Now it was that the beast raged, and in his rage war and death were born anew. And so the Sage strove against the beast, and defeated it, and took its spirit within himself that it might be contained, and for this he is called Prophet. Yet such was the power of the beast that it could not be contained when the time should come that the Prophet must pass from the earth, and knowing this, the Prophet used his power to shatter the fire of the beast. And from the shattering arose nine lesser beasts. And taking the body of the ten-tailed beast, the Prophet shattered his own body, that his fire might consume the body of the beast. Now the fire of the Prophet was without measure, and as it consumed the beast it shone with the light of stars, and all men wondered at it, and it is called the Silver Sun.
Chapter 1
The knight dismissed the page quietly, finishing undressing alone. His armor hung on its rack nearby, gleaming in the soft candlelight of his private quarters. The sun had long since set, the hours of sparring and practice ending only after all light had faded. Now, the young man stood naked, enjoying the cool air that drifted through his high window and the weight of the armor at last lifted. A bath had been drawn up for him, but he delayed that pleasure for a little while longer. The first bell for the evening meal had not yet rung; he had time to spare.
At last sinking leisurely into the small wooden tub, he sighed blissfully as the hot water soothed away the aches of training. His Lord had drilled him hard today, but the knight did not regret the exertion. If he was to become as great a paladin as his father, he would need to endure trials far greater than a day sparring his Lord. He sighed again, sinking lower into the tub, and permitted his mind to wander, and his eyes to rest, just for a little while...
A soft knock startled him from his dozing, and he rose slightly.
"Sir Knight?" a servant called. "The second bell has rung. Our Lord has sent me to see you properly attired for the evening meal."
The knight sank back into the cooling water. "I can dress myself, faith," he laughed. "I will not keep you or our Lord waiting." He stepped out into the cold air, drying himself briskly and being extra sure that his hair was not wet before dressing in the clothes already set out for him: sable linen trousers and soft calf hide boots, and sable tunic, over which was belted a blazing orange surcoat bearing the arms of his household. He took a moment to straighten himself in the small bronze mirror nearby before striding out into the hall.
The squire bowed low, and the knight nodded to him politely. "Inari. It's been a long time. Faith, you're taller than I remember."
The squire smiled, still bowing. "Yes, Sir Knight." Inari was just reaching that age when boys began to grow more like weeds. The knight sniffed primly.
"I'm not sure I like it. You'll be taller than me, soon, faith."
"We can't have that, Sir Knight."
"No, we cannot." He sniffed again, keeping up the aura of pretension as long as he could, before grinning broadly at the young boy. Inari winked cheerily, and they both began to laugh. The knight hugged the boy fiercely, then held him at arm's length, looking him over. "University has been good to you, faith," he noted approvingly.
"Would you be proud to learn I have not been good to it?"
The young man grinned. "I should not be, but faith! You will tell me everything over the meal!" They began to walk down the wide passage towards the great hall, passing tapestries of bright landscapes and mythic heroes. "How was the journey? The city?" He grinned cheekily. "The women?"
Inari coughed, blushing. "I'm afraid that'll have to wait," he told his mentor as they descended a flight of spiral stairs. "I'm sure you'll be otherwise occupied this evening."
"What are you hiding, brother?"
But the answer came quickly. No sooner had they set foot in the great hall than the knight noticed three figures seated at the head table. One was dressed in brown breeches and tunic and wore a forest green surcoat, a silver mask hiding his face. The second wore a gown of emerald satin and a silver coronet that held back cherry pink tresses. But it was the third that held the knight's attention.
The raven haired man stood from the table, midnight blue tabard falling elegantly around him.
"Dunce," he said loudly, cutting through the noise of the hall, "you are late!"
The three had ridden in silence for many hours. Though they had not seen each other for nearly two years, much that might be said had already been said. Now, they rode in the alien illumination of the strange land.
"Myoboku is beautiful this time of year," Sakura murmured. Sasuke nodded absently, letting his eyes wander over the foreign landscape. Much of the land was covered in fens and marshes, and great wetland trees lined the road, surrounded by tall reeds and silver lilies glowing in pale moonlight. Fireflies drifted around them in multitudes, sparkling dragonflies of sapphire and emerald snatching up the odd gnat or mosquito. Strange vines with violet leaves hung from the swaying branches of the trees in vast curtains, bundles of teardrop seeds lighting the alien paths of the fens. All around was the steady chorus of uncounted frogs. "Is it not strange the fireflies are so numerous, considering the number of toads and dragons?" she asked.
Kakashi shrugged. "Myoboku is a sacred mountain. Many animals behave strangely here, and plants grow here that grow nowhere else in the world. Perhaps Lord Jiraiya can provide some insight. We are not far, now."
The two younger knights looked forward, and indeed, the land did begin to rise. Less than a league ahead the road sloped upward, switching back and ending in a great castle built into the mountain. Castle Myoboku rose straight out of the cliffside, four great towers joined by a wall nearly forty feet high. Behind this rose the keep itself, boring deep into the mountain, nigh impenetrable. While the sun had set on all else, the snow-topped mountain still burned with the fading light.
"It will be good to see Naruto and Lord Jiraiya again." Sakura sighed. "The Holy City seems empty without those two and their mischief." Kakashi hummed in agreement, and Sasuke smiled. "Are you planning on waiting until tomorrow to issue challenge, brother?" she asked.
"It would be best, I think," the raven knight answered. "No doubt he has worked himself to exhaustion in preparation. A knight should always fight his opponent on equal footing, is that not right, Master?"
The Paladin nodded idly, right eye drifting over the surrounding landscape. In truth, he would rather his two students not indulge in so strong a rivalry, but they were incorrigible. In the end, sparring was better than the destruction they would wreck in their frequent brawls.
As the three traveled along the road, a call went out from the watchtowers and the gates were made ready to open. Naruto paused in his training and looked towards the great portcullis with curiosity, when a shout from Jiraiya brought him back, just barely dodging a blow from the sage's great pole-hammer. The white haired man did not let up, and the young knight did not see who entered the keep before they were led away.
A page greeted the trio politely as they dismounted and released their horses to the stable boys. Traditionally a visit from a knight, and certainly a paladin, would have warranted a welcome by the lord himself, but such traditions had a tendency to be overlooked on Myoboku. Secluded, hundreds of miles south of the Holy City, the mountain held to its own traditions, and the friends of the Lord Jiraiya respected this. The travelers let themselves be guided to their usual chambers, where servants helped to wash away the dust of the road, and afterward they gathered in the parlor most commonly set aside for the masked paladin and his entourage, as they had done upon their first visit to the mountain castle.
"It has not changed at all," Sakura smiled, laying her hand on a velvet-covered armchair. There were four such chairs in the small room, arranged according to the peculiarities of their owners. Opposite the door was a fireplace, where a lively blaze helped ward away the cool evening that drifted through the open window. The chair reserved for their master was positioned in the corner behind the door, beside the window and facing the fire. The seat which Sasuke had appointed his own was in the opposite corner, and Sakura and Naruto had positioned theirs in such a way that she was on the raven's left, facing the window, and Naruto was on his right, before the fire. The company had spent many evenings so, too often audience to the heated quarrels between the Namikaze and Uchiha. Their subjects, at least, were varied and, in their own fashion, intriguing: fighting technique, military tactics, political history, and, as if of necessity, religious code. This last always proved the greatest frustration.
Sasuke gave a quiet "hm" as he lounged in his own chair. This castle - no, this room - was the only place in which he had ever felt at ease. Anywhere else in the world he was a knight, a lord, a representative of his Order. Yet here there were no masks, no pretenses; here, he could lounge if he wished to lounge, laugh if he wished to laugh, cry if he wished to cry (though this last he had never indulged). More than any room in his childhood, this high chamber, in its secluded castle upon its distant mountain, was safe.
Kakashi was silent, standing beside the window with his back to the fire. As ever, a polished silver mask hid his nose and mouth, and a ribbon of black silk covered his left eye. Even here, upon sacred Mount Myoboku, he hid from some unknown foe. The past, perhaps? Himself? If any knew, they were silent.
Sakura sat delicately, watching the fire and waiting for the summons to the evening meal. Her dress was a simple affair, forest green satin that hugged her maturing body quite flatteringly, belted at the waist by a silk sash embroidered with pink rosebuds. Her neck was bare, and her hands were easily hidden away in the long open sleeves that came almost beyond her wrist, their edges quite nearly reaching the floor. The servants had despaired over the length of her hair; she had never kept it very long, and it left them grasping for some manner of adornment. Yet quickly enough a twining silver circlet had been found to hold it behind her ears with suitable ornament, though she had refused flatly to wear either earring or necklace. The faint scars of hard battles were all that adorned her pale collar and slender neck, and these she wore with a silent dignity that shamed the fairest jewel.
There was a quiet knock at the door, and Sasuke stood to open it. In the doorway was a tall, brown-haired boy with fierce, laughing eyes.
"Lords, Lady," the boy said, bowing deeply. It seemed he was barely managing that much composure in his excitement.
Sakura laughed. "Little Inari! Do not stand there like a servant; come!" And she opened her arms to him. The boy's grin widened and he threw himself into her embrace as she laughed again. After a moment they drew apart and she kissed his brow before holding him away to look at him properly. "You have grown so much since we last saw each other," she noted. "No young ladies have stolen you heart from me, have they?"
The boy's eyes sparkled. "Never!" he declared. He turned to the others.
Sasuke's greeting was more reserved but equally heartfelt. The two grasped each other by the arm like brothers. "It is good to see you again," the raven said truthfully.
"And you, Sasuke."
The boy's hair was tousled suddenly by Kakashi, and the silver mask did nothing to conceal his cheerful grin. "I have been hearing things from your Masters at University," he said, and Inari flushed. "Yes, that manner of things," the Paladin nodded, knowing the train of the boy's thought. "Perhaps Naruto was not the finest choice of knights for you."
"The Order needs more men like Naruto," Sasuke said, his soft voice laced with uncommon force, and his eyes looked approvingly upon the young squire. Sakura nodded her agreement.
"I would not contend otherwise," Kakashi surrendered. "But my fellows compel me to chasten the knave and so," he struck the top of the boy's head lightly, "consider thyself chastened."
That was about as much as one could truly expect from the paladin in such matters.
"I had thought Naruto would have greeted us at our arrival," Sasuke said, more somberly. "Did you not have word of our coming?"
The squire shook his head. "I do not know. I arrived only late this morning myself. By then my Lord had taken the field with Lord Jiraiya. I spoke only briefly with the Lord Sage before coming to you." Even so, Sasuke and Sakura seemed troubled, and Kakashi's smile had faded. Inari looked between them, growing worried. "Do you have reason to suspect a messenger has been delayed?" he asked.
"We have reason to suspect worse," Sasuke admitted, his voice bleak, but he would say no more.
The echo of a distant bell brought them from their contemplations. Sakura struggled briefly to lock her dark thoughts behind a smile as Sasuke and their Master did the same. Inari, it seemed, had more trouble, but at a joking word from the lady knight the shadow left his eyes and he laughed again. Another servant came to announce the readiness of the evening meal, and the four followed him to the great hall.
The great hall of Castle Myoboku was a work of art, and unlike any in the world. To start, the entire room seemed to deny the concept of a straight line; even the floor was a maze of stepped depressions and walkways, though thankfully the road to the high table was clear. Forming the central aisle were two rows of stone columns, but without any seeming order; carved in the shape of trees, they ranged in size from saplings to giants, all clustered and scattered as naturally as any true forest, sculpted branches interweaving to form an arch of leaves stretching from one end of the hall to the other. Nestled amongst the roots were the subtle grooves and shelves where the household took their rest, twisting stone rising to form sinuous tables for each small grove. From one of the many mountain springs above, water flowed in subtle channels down the granite boughs to form crystal clear pools that drained into swift-moving streams, crossed by bridges of twisted roots, and emptied themselves beyond the walls. Every leaf was of brilliant colored glass - green, purple, blue, and white - that caught the glow of a thousand tiny crystal lanterns nestled amongst them. Instead of tapestries, the violet-colored vines of the fens grew, carefully tended, with their glowing fruits twinkling amongst the glass. And at the head of the hall, shading the lord's table, was a single ancient peach tree, boughs adorned in eternal crystal bloom.
Even after a lifetime spent ruling the castle, the old sage Jiraiya still managed to lose himself in its beauty. He sighed deeply, closing his eyes and letting the memory of peach blossoms wash over him. Some memories were painful, perhaps, but even they were a blessing. They strengthened him, renewed him, reminded him that he was not yet heartless, even after so long. Falling into absolute stillness, he allowed his spirit to reach out to those around him. Sensing Kakashi and the following of younger knights, he opened his eyes and stood to greet them.
Even without the tough leather hunting boots the old paladin always wore, Jiraiya was an imposing figure. Standing over six feet, he was taller even than Kakashi, and he towered over Sasuke, Sakura, and Inari. Having bathed and changed from his armor, he now wore a dark grey linen tunic that covered his arms to the wrist, and equally dark hosen. Over this was a green tunic that fell to his knees and reached just below the elbow, and finally a crimson surcoat with gold clasps along the front, belted by a wide and heavily embossed strip of dark red leather.
"Welcome, all," he rumbled. His was not an unusually deep voice, but after years as a commander of armies it had become habit for him to speak with volume. He did not shout; rather, it was as if the very stone of the castle spoke with him.
"Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi saluted, echoed by his students as Sasuke and Inari bowed and Sakura curtsied. Jiraiya laughed.
"Come, friends," he said, "we are far from the Holy City and its ceremony. The men of Myoboku do not bow to their fellows, and friends do not bow to friends!" He walked around the great stone table and spread his arms to them. Sakura embraced him happily.
"My master sends her greetings and well-wishes," she said quietly. Jiraiya's smile widened.
"Few words bring greater happiness to me. The blessings of our Lady are treasured." He released her and turned to Sasuke.
"Lord Uchiha," he nodded, laying a hand on the young knight's shoulder.
Sasuke returned the gesture. "Lord Sage. Your home is ever a comfort to us in these times of darkness."
Jiraiya nodded again. "May it be so until the end of days." He turned to Kakashi.
The two paladins did not exchange words, but rather two simple leather-bound books. Sakura looked away pointedly, but said nothing. Though the sage made no greeting to Inari, having already done so not an hour before, he nonetheless flashed the boy a smile and tousled his hair. A light chime rang from the kitchens and two doors swung open on either side of the hall. Jiraiya hurried them to their seats as servants slipped easily among stone trees, bearing the feast.
Sakura watched with barely contained excitement as the magnificent spread was paraded past. This had always been her favorite memory of Jiraiya's home. As a young trainee, she had been speechless when she had first been invited to the lord's table, and the extravagance of her first meal on the mountain had humbled her. She had been terribly jealous of Naruto when he informed her that every evening meal was so lavish.
Sakura was surprised that Naruto was still absent when Jiraiya led the evening prayer. Her mind raced with possible explanations. Was he preparing some trick to spring upon them? Had he been injured on the training field? Was he in another petty bout with his lord?
Sasuke seemed to be wondering the same, but rather than puzzling through the mystery himself, he simply asked the sage.
Jiraiya frowned. "No, I do not believe there is anything to keep him from the table, save perhaps weariness. Inari," he said to the squire, who was about to take a bite of lemon seared carp, "go and see to it that our wayward knight joins us."
"Yes lord," the boy said, looking at the simmering fish mournfully, though he managed to snatch a bite before dashing off. When he returned with the knight in tow, Sasuke stood and called to his old friend.
"Dunce, you are late!"
The insult hung in the air like mill-dust near a brand, and the entire castle seemed to hold its breath.
Yet the blonde knight's initial flash of indignation quickly gave way to a beaming joy that lifted the hall with its radiance. "Uchiha!" As Naruto strode towards the head table it was clear from the spring of his step that only the faint vestiges of dignity held him from a wild dash, the last two strides he covered in an easy leap as he embraced his friend. Sasuke, in uncharacteristic display, returned the gesture warmly. After a moment's time the two parted, and touched their brows together fondly as they locked their gaze. "I have missed you, faith," the younger knight murmured, his breath ghosting across the pale lips of the other.
"And I, you," Sasuke answered quietly. Naruto drew back, eyes bright, and turned next to Sakura, who he kissed lightly and embraced.
"It has been too long," the lady knight whispered in his ear.
"Truly." The young man released her, but kept one hand on her arm. The other he clasped behind the raven's neck to draw him closer. "Your letters were a blessing," he said to them both, "but - faith - I have wanted to see you with my own eyes almost the minute we parted."
"Your own letters sustained me in my times of doubt," Sasuke said, grasping the knight's shoulder. "Without them, I would be long lost."
Naruto's eyes shone, but a quiet cough from the side turned them flat and dull. He released his comrades and straightened, turning to the silver-haired paladin.
"Lord Hatake," he said coolly. "Your letter of account is late. I expect you to deliver it to me personally within the week."
The older knight froze, eye widening in shock and horror. "N-Naruto?" Dear, sweet, shining Naruto, speaking to him so chillingly, looking upon him so heartlessly, cruel and uncaring, for the sake of a tax account? In the two years since their parting, was there no affection left? Where had gone the warmth, where the joy, the excitement, the shared blessings of master and pupil? Where was his Naruto? What had the miserable paladin done to deserve so harsh a rebuke?
The man noticed the gleam in his student's eye and stilled.
"We are not amused," he said flatly.
"To the contrary," the gold-haired knight replied, grinning maliciously, "we are very amused!" With a laugh he swept his old Master up in a swift embrace. "You are like the father I never had, Master," he said truthfully. "I am glad you're here, faith." Kakashi returned the embrace gently. This was the young knight he had trained and fought beside. This was Naruto.
"I expect the account on my desk before Sabbath, faith."
The devil.
The evening meal was from there uneventful. Naruto bowed his head in private thanks before decimating the spread together with Inari, though how the knight managed to consume such vast quantities while still filling the ears of his companions was a mystery to all. At last he broached the question the others had been dreading since their arrival.
"But how is it you came before the messenger, faith?" he asked. "Surely you did not intend to arrive unannounced?"
Sasuke and Sakura looked uneasy, and Kakashi's eye was shadowed. "Perhaps such things should be spoken of amidst the privacy of strong walls," the paladin suggested quietly. Jiraiya took the meaning at once, though Naruto noticed only the distress of his friends.
"What is wrong?" he demanded. "Has something happened, faith?"
"Many things have happened, Naruto," Sakura answered soothingly. "But such things should not be brought to a feast of merriment and reunion."
"A feast, I think, nearing its close," Jiraiya suggested. He stood and clapped once, the sound ringing out across the stone and crystal forest. The great hall fell instantly silent as all eyes and ears turned to him. His voice boomed over the assembly as he spoke. "Friends," he said, "it has been a night of pleasant merriment, good food, and happy reunions, but the dawn waits for no man, lord or serf, and so I bid you peace and health until the morrow. Stay and feast as you wish; I and my fellows shall retire. Blessings and Grace upon you all." There was a final murmur of agreement before the company turned away, some excusing themselves as well, others electing to continue as they were. Jiraiya turned to the other knights, taking Sakura on his arm and leading them from the hall.
They did not retire to Kakashi's chambers, as they had expected, but Jiraiya's. His study showed more signs of use, predictably, with pages of parchment, pristine vellum, and other such necessities scattered across a large and well-appointed writing desk. A fire burned cheerfully in a small hearth behind it, though there was no window by which to allow the evening chill, nor need for light, as several small crystal lamps glowed dimly from the corners of the room. A small sofa and velvet chair sat opposite the desk, flanking the door, and at the desk itself stood a chair of similar make, though finer. In this last Sakura was invited to sit, the sage preferring to stand when discussing matters of import. The others were of similar manner, though Naruto once more began to feel the effects of his training and took his ease upon the couch. Inari, in an effort to remain unobtrusive, stood by the other chair quietly.
"Now then," Jiraiya began, locking the door to the study, "there has been a shadow upon your souls since before you entered my house. Let it be voiced here without preamble."
The three travelers glanced at Naruto before Kakashi spoke. "The Cult of the Dawn has begun to move again." The room was silent for several long moments as the others considered the significance of those words.
"So you did send a messenger," Jiraiya guessed, brow furrowed. The paladin nodded.
"I do not understand, faith," Naruto said loudly. "How could you have made better time? Did he get lost? Are the roads in disrepair?"
Sasuke's eyes were dark. "We guess it more likely he was killed."
"But - faith! - the sanctity of the Messengers!" the knight exclaimed.
"Such men as form the Cult respect only the sanctity of themselves," Jiraiya told him solemnly. "We must from now on act with the understanding that the roads are no longer safe. Messengers may be intercepted and travelers accosted. Even the knights of the Order cannot be expected to hold such a field against such a foe." Naruto seemed to shrink at these words. Jiraiya turned once more to Kakashi. "Where else have their forces struck?"
"Both the Kingdom of Winds and Kingdom of Storms have sent word of nether creatures harassing the peasantry. Their knights keep the enemy in check, but it is an unusually bold move from the Cult. The other Kingdoms are reluctant to send their own knights in aid, for fear of stretching themselves thin in the event of an assault on their own holdings." Kakashi shook his head. "Regrettable, but understandable. The nether is a powerful and relentless force to contend with."
"Powerful and relentless, perhaps, but not invincible," Sasuke said firmly. "Lady Tsunade contends even now with our king to send aid to the desert knights."
"Yet without the authority of an Arch-Prelate, the knights cannot act against the wishes of the kings," Sakura continued. "The Sunlit Throne has stood empty too long. We risk division and destruction."
"A risk long considered since my Master's passing," Jiraiya said pointedly. Sakura bowed her head in deference. "But the kings have forgotten the purpose of our Order," the sage went on. "To them, the Arch-Prelacy represents only an unwanted authority to which they must unwillingly submit. So long as the Throne remains empty, they are free to do as they will. They will never elect a successor."
"Which is why we must convince them otherwise," Sasuke said. "You must convince them otherwise."
The old sage offered a mirthless laugh. "I have no doubt I can persuade our dear king to call a summit, but what then? The others will not elect Tsunade. Her royal blood places her loyalties under suspicion in the eyes of the other kings." The three travelers turned to each other, a meaningful look passing between them, one which did not go unnoticed by the sage. "You do not intend for Tsunade to ascend the Throne," he guessed shrewdly.
"No, Lord Sage," Sakura answered, little more than a whisper.
Jiraiya was silent as he considered this. "So you would have me influence our king to elevate another Grand Master to the Arch-Prelacy," he said quietly. "Presuming my success, we would still command but two votes. What of the necessary third?"
"That depends upon the Grand Master in question," Sakura said. "Lady Tsunade urges towards Lord Aido."
"Aido would make a poor Arch-Prelate," Jiraiya argued at once. "He is a warrior, not a priest."
"And in times of war, which is the better to lead?" Kakashi asked pointedly.
"We will not always be at war." But for all his protests the sage seemed to be warming to the idea, striding back and forth across the chamber. "I can understand our Lady's purposes," he said, "and they are firm in their reasoning. You would have the king of Winds cast the final vote to our favor?"
"We believe Lord Gaara can impress upon him the importance of that, yes," Kakashi said. "So long as the king does not fear Lord Aido will favor the Land of Storms."
They fell quiet then as Jiraiya considered the matter. At length Sasuke glanced aside to the silent Naruto, only to find the younger knight had drifted from wakefulness. He moved quietly to kneel near his companion, watching the young man's face as he slept.
"He seems troubled," the raven noted to the others. Indeed, the knight's brow was furrowed, and his face lacked the trappings of a peaceful rest.
"He has had dark dreams, of late," Jiraiya answered. "I have felt the beast within him stirring for some weeks now."
"The seal-"
"Is well and whole," the sage assured him. "The prayers and blessings of his father have weathered the years better than could be hoped, but the power of the beast is like no other. I know not how, but it grows."
Sasuke touched the scarred face gently, brushing aside a few golden hairs as Sakura spoke. "I had thought the beast was to be purified," she accused. "How does it yet grow within him?"
"I can only guess," the old paladin admitted. "Even as we stand here, its power flows through Naruto's soul like a river, cleansed and untainted, yet still there are forces at work that strengthen it. Perhaps it is the darkness of the age; perhaps it feeds upon the nether drawn forth by the Cult of the Dawn; I do not know. All I know is that I have done all that can be done, and still he is troubled."
Sasuke rubbed a calloused hand across the man's cheek. "He is not the only one to suffer dark dreams." With a sigh, he turned to Inari. "Come, we will take him to his bed. If you would permit us leave?" he asked of the two paladins. They simply nodded their assent and watched as the raven lifted his friend easily and stepped from the chamber, the squire close behind.
The knight's stride was smooth and steady as they slipped through tapestried halls. Entering Naruto's chambers silently, Sasuke sat the sleeping knight upon the bed, resting the golden head on his shoulder as he motioned to the squire to remove his master's boots. Gently they undressed the young lord before laying him beneath clean linen sheets. The raven knight sat at his side for a time, pale fingers running through soft yellow hair as he watched his friend struggle with his demons, real and imagined.
"Can you help him?" Inari asked at length.
Sasuke seemed to consider this. "Perhaps," he said at last, quiet. "Perhaps not." His eyes did not leave the face of his beloved friend. "But I shall try."
Author's Note:
So ends Chapter 1. As you can probably tell, this is a High Medieval take on the Naruto setting, which I hope I can portray adequately. If there are any particular nuances that you think I fail to address properly, let me know, since I'm not exactly an expert on the genre. If you are or happen to know someone with experience in that regard, I am looking for a beta to help me improve the quality of my work and also keep me on track. This story will bear very strong similarities to the manga, but with a few important differences (most notably the setting), and as this is a Medieval European setting there will be little or no Japanese language. I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter. Please leave a review, even if it's only a few words.