Thank you for the reviews.

But, who is the Queen?

Do you know?

What did the Queen do to our lovely Uchiha brothers?

Let's find out.

"Make haste, little brother, we must see how Mother is," says Itachi while jogging home. Sasuke is hot on his heels as they make their way to her room. Gently, they open the door and see her in bed, sweaty from another restless night filled with nightmares. She opens her eyes to reveal beautiful obsidian orbs, clouded by disease.

"Itachi?... Sasuke?..." she whispers with a small smile. She sits up and places a hand on each of their hands. "How was school today? Did anyone bother you?"

"No, mother, today was fine," says Sasuke, kissing his mother on the cheek. "How were you? Did you get enough rest?" She nods and smiles.

"Mother, you can't keep living like this. Your health is declining and it will only be a matter of time before-"

"It's fine, Itachi," she says with a sad smile. "An old woman like me will have to die sooner or later."

"Mother, we've only lived for a couple of centuries! There is no reason your health should be declining so drastically!" hisses Sasuke while glaring dangerously at the wall. "It's all that damned Queen's fault. She was the one who ordered your damnation."

"Calm yourself, little brother, you will upset mother," says Itachi, scolding his younger brother.

"It can't be the Queen, she is the purest of us all," explains Mikoto. "She is the reason why we are able to survive the way we did. Because of her evolution and adaption to that which used to harm us, we have been able to live all these eons. Please, don't hate her for this," she says, giving each of their hands a squeeze.

"Whatever, mother. I won't let go of the Queen's neck until she pays for what she's done to you," says Sasuke coldly. He kisses her on the cheek again before making his way out.

"He may seem cold but he means well, mother," says Itachi in a smooth tone. "You should rest, you'll need your strength." He holds his fragile mother in his arms and kisses her forehead. Oh, how he would give anything to rid his mother of this meaningless pain.

[…]

Months go by and Mikoto's condition worsens. She is still plagued with nightmares of sin and sadness. Each night, her strength leaves her already fragile body and causes her immense pain. Her soft pants and whimpers could be heard from the two brother's room and each night, they scold themselves for making her live like this.

"Brother, you know mother doesn't have much time left. We have to kill the Queen and take her blood before mother dies," says Sasuke. He knows he should hate her but he is reluctant. How could such a small and fragile looking girl be the Queen of them all? It was preposterous in his eyes, clouded by revenge and hate.

Itachi says nothing as Sasuke rants about the Queen. His thoughts are all occupied not with the Queen or even his mother, but with Sakura.

'There is something strange about her,' he thinks. 'I must have seen her before but where?' He tries to recall centuries worth of memories and just couldn't put his finger on it. Where had he seen this pink haired girl before? Her friends, Naruto and Hinata also seem familiar to him as well... There were more questions than answers and he didn't like that. But how strange, for her to caress his cheek like that. And for him to blush?! Itachi mentally kicked himself for doing such a foolish thing. 'Who is she?' he wonders. How could she have such an effect on him? [Don't think too much into it, Itachi, you'll hurt yourself, dear. ]

"I will back later," says Itachi, making his way to the door. "Get some rest, Sasuke. There is much to do tomorrow." He gently closes the door and with that, he merges with the shadows.

[The Crypt]

There is no sunlight where the cursed are; there is only bloodshed. The underground crypt was where it all happened. When the night is young, and the damned are restless, in need to quench their thirst, they go to the Crypt. Once there, they gather around the arena, awaiting their gory prize to be given.

"Fight!"

"Fight!"

"Fight!"

"Fight!"

"Fight!"

The spectator occupy the outer ring, where they are close to the action and most importantly, the blood. The crowd goes wild, as always, as the bloodshed continues.

A man sits atop the Crypt, smirking as he sees so many of his kin attend this ghastly event. He raises the wine glass and sips the rich lifeline of some lowly human. The taste of absolute satisfaction fills up his hunger, calming the beast that for now, lay dormant inside him.

"Soon, my Queen, soon you will submit to me. When we become one, I will seize the throne from your foolish hands," says the man. The wound on the right side of his face throbs as he recalls the night the Queen scarred him, forever marking his flesh with incurable madness.

"My lord, the Queen is here to see you," says his most trusted servant with a bow.

"Ah, speak of the devil. Send her to me, Sai," says the man, waving at his servant.

"Danzo! What are you doing?" hisses the Queen as she stomps into the room, her menacing aura leaking out of her body. "The Crypt was to be closed off centuries ago. Why do you constantly disobey my orders?" she walks up to him and grabs his collar, their eyes meet. "You should know well enough what happens when you disregard my orders."

"Yes, yes, Milady. But I had no choice," says the man, attempting to talk his way out. "Our kin have been forced into solitude and their final death by none other than the humans. Why should we not be able to provide for them with the blood of our adversaries? You are foolish to think that I will stand and let my people die a useless death just because their Queen refuses to take a few lowly humans on the street to feed on!" he hisses. His ideals were absolute and did not waver in front of the Queen.

"I will give you one more chance to end this, Danzo, or there will be dreadful consequences. You will obey my command and there will be nothing else, do I make myself clear?" she says, throwing the man back into his throne. A trail of blood escapes his lips as he breaks the throne, shards and remnants embed themselves into his back.

"This is not the way to live, Milady! We have been sought by the humans and hunted because of what we are. You may not care for our kin, but I will do everything in my power to take them off the streets," says the man, glaring dangerously at the Queen.

The Queen glares back icily at Danzo. Her aura increasing drastically, shaking the Crypt.

"We will continue this soon and by then, if activity in the Crypt has not stopped, I will see to it that you face a final death, by me." She walks out of the room, leaving the hurt man to himself. As he feels her aura fade, he gets up and dusts himself off.

"I will prepare another set of clothing for you," says Sai with a fake smile on his pale features. He leaves Danzo to himself.

"Tch, make no mistake, Queen. You may be the creator of us all, but you are more susceptible to a final death than any of us kin," says Danzo ominously. The fragments embedded into his back fall to the floor, stained with his blood. The wounds on his back have already started healing, lessening the his discomfort.

Figure out who the Queen is yet?

What is Danzo plotting?

Hehe. B)