Disclaimer: The anime series, Naruto belongs to Mashima Hiro and the video-game, Okami developed by Clover Studios.

Written By: Moon's Phantom.

Rating: Ages fifteen and up.

Warning: Gore, violence, crude language and death.

Setting: Alternate Universe.

The Struggles

Book One: Awakening

Chapter Three: Appearances

Konohagakure

Emerald eyes filtered with pain, briefly shinning under the ghostly rays of the moonlight as they observed his little female student walk off, her father and grandfather flanking her sides – their laughter craved wide grins on their strange features and their linked arms swayed lazily. Villagers they briefly passed smiled and offered amused greetings – their tiny family was adorable. It was so cute that the Uchihas that passed grimaced at them in disgust, turning their heads in distain expect two. He knew that they were too formal and non-affectionate to understand the joys of family while he, himself…well, he mourned a loss.

"Daddy! Daddy!" A pair of twins yelled, their arms stretched toward him as they ran. He crouched, easily catching and embracing them with a tired yet happy grin. He chuckled as they squirmed and silently fought each other in his embrace, scowls crossing their tiny faces. Sakura gripped them tightly, earning squeals as he lifted them and raced through their house's front door whereabouts a beautiful blond awaited, a motherly smile lighting her face.

A longing sigh escaped his lips as he turned and moved towards his rented apartment. Those had been the days…then it had all been wiped away, he thought with a sorrowful grimace and missed the sneering eyes judging him.

"That's your sensei, Itachi?"

"Yes, brother."

"You have a weak team. You and your teammates are pathetic and all of you come from such powerful clans too. I wonder what the council will say when they find out?"

"You know they don't care about such things, Sasuke."

Itachi simply continued to walk, ignoring his older brothers' now bleeding glares and frightened gasps of the civilians. His two brothers were constantly arguing with one another and at rare times when his eldest brother's control slips, the clan ends up having to pay bills of damage. The Hokage is often displeased with their behaviour because it puts the lives of many helpless people into danger; he had to agree with the Hokage's disproving punishments and lectures. He could still vividly remember the little girl they'd accidently killed; one moment she'd been running for her life and the next, she just suddenly stopped moving.

He hoped he would never be like his brothers…or their father.

"You have the Hyuuga on your team. Little brother, I would like to meet this girl. She looks…interesting."

"Don't waste your time, Obito."

"I'll spend my time the way I want to."

He grimaced when his temples began to pound – he felt a headache coming on. It hurt to be the most mature…and he was younger than them by years.

Unknown Nations

A loud crackle echoed through the scared silence of the forest's deeper parts causing creatures of all kinds to jump in fright even the most demoniac, the bravest however lingered on the edge of the white clearing and gazed on in curiosity, always moving toward the lashing aura. The red-blackish aura glowed darkly yet quite clearly in the area unstained by colour, slowly reaching out to the watching demons like a seductress and gracefully danced into their minds while its master approached the mystical Door of Spirits.

It's strangely craved stone beckoned to her like a siren did to sailors and it played with her greed for power, sending thrills of excitement up her wicked spine.

"Let me go wrench! Do you know who I am?"

"Be still, bug or I'll squash you."

"I'm no bug, witch! I'm the legendary swordsman, Ishaku and I'm a Poncle! Ho-"

His shouting immediately stopped when her feminine hand tightened around him, squeezing the breath as well as his voice out of him and he could only helplessly watch as his helmet fell to the snow covered ground. She giggled when he wheezed; his face slowly turning blue and stared in sarcastic glee when he fell unconscious then placed him in her flat palm. She carefully reached for the small pin at his side and growled when she did nothing but pinch a few of his ribs – breaking them. Sighing dramatically, she gazed off to the side and waited until he came to.

Her son's crimson constellation danced above and among the stars, guarding her back. If any deity had to catch her, he'd be there to ward it off or kill it depending on how powerful it was…or who it was.

"Wha…w-where-"

"Poncle, open this gate." She demanded; he started and whipped his head towards her. His aura quickly changed from a dull orange to a burning red which continuously flickered with shades of pink.

"No. When Amaterasu hears of-"

She sighed again before interrupting him, "Your deity is dead, bug and I'll make sure your grandson joins her if you don't open this gate."

His aura faded into a sickly grey colour as he took in her words, he then slowly agreed by nodding and bounced from her hand to the forest floor. He paused before reaching to his side, unsheathing his trusty companion and leapt from the ground towards the stone gate. He embedded the weapon into the stone and pulled, he slid down the gate showering area with golden sparks afterwards he sheathed the weapon and backed away, allowing the door to open.

They all watched in amazement as a pure yet dazzling light shone at them, wounding their eyes for the moment before they adjusted to the brightness and they were able to gaze into the gate – the only thing they could see was light. It never allowed a person to see where they were to go if they went through and it never allowed a person going through, to go to where they wanted to go. It had a mind of its own and would send you to where it wanted you to go. The only way you could control this gate was by being one of its creators – the gate had four or by using the Shakujo – a staff wielding great power, greater than that of this gate.

She didn't know who the creators of this gate were or where the staff was but she did have the key to unlocking a great darkness – and they were simple words. No blood required.

"I, Izanami No Mikoto release the all-powerful god of darkness, Tokoyami No Sumeragi and bound him to me forever as my slave until I feel he can be freed. Now, Gate of Spirits give him to me at once!"

Her black eyes watched in glee as a figure fell forward onto his hands and knees, coughing. Long, Persian indigo strands draped to the snow like a dark waterfall and a thin limb wiped them back to reveal dark eyes similar to her own. Markings of straight, triangular and square-like patterns covered his body while shades of yellow, turquoise and green slowly danced within them like shifting water. With her help, he ascended the ground with an expression of puzzlement and observed his surrounding, instinctively glaring at the creatures watching him in the clearing's edge. He growled at them; a deep rumble of annoyance similar to that of a lion's and huffed in satisfaction when they raced away in fear.

"Tokoyami, I've released you from your cage and you're now bound to me as a slave. You now do as I wish." She explained, pulled back from him and levelling him with a stern glare of command.

He only bowed.

A/N

Naruto Characters: Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Obito, Hyuuga Hinata, Momochi Zabuza and Haruno Sakura.

Okami Characters: Ishaku and Okami Amaterasu.

Original Characters: Izanami No Mikoto and Tokoyami No Sumeragi.

?: Hokage

Thank you!