Disclaimer: Yeah, and I'm the King of Atlantis. I'm sure I wouldn't even have time for this if I was Masashi Kishimoto.

*&* = Scene change

~&~ or Italics= Flashback/ Mindscape/ Dreamscape

~*~= Scene change in a Flashback

Lord Hokage's Dog: Chapter 8

The days of the ANBU exam blur together in Sasuke's mind, so when the test is finally over he's still trying save strength for the next part—even though it's a simple physical exam.

'The fourth day…' he thinks with a sigh as his tired eyes take in the scene around him, 'we won't be finished before it's time to go.'

He and Coora are some of the few remaining examinees; the rest have fallen away due to exhaustion, death, and simple forfeit. Despite their strength, he and Coora are barely standing from the exercises, which tested their intelligence, teamwork, and abilities. Granted, their test was a bit harder than everyone else's; the chakra weights that everyone else put on the beginning of the test were never activated. He and Coora had their chakra continuously sucked out of them by the weights, which steadily became heavier as they pulled more energy. This last bit is not a part of the test, but all the same it's a trial to keep standing, to not slump under the blinding white lights of the physical examination, to not press oneself against the cold room walls.

Several proctors move about the room, checking the participants' vital signs, identifying marks, neural pathways, chakra pathways, on and on and on…

He's got his eyes trained on Coora, which helps for some weird reason, because she is a constant spot in a room that constantly spins, keeps him from giving into the ebb and flow. One of her fingers looks different than before; her lax stance lets him see the silver encased digit, which doesn't move as smoothly as the others. Sasuke wonders when that happened, because her hands looked completely normal before the exam.

Her heel taps against the floor even as she stands at attention to let the proctor put a light up her nose. Speaking of which, the proctor behind Sasuke is straightening his back, putting an ice cold hand between his shoulder blades and begins pushing in chakra.

The effect is immediate.

All the examinees are suddenly shocked awake with a sound crack, and Sasuke's examiner is trying to pull his body out of a crater in the adjacent wall with the aid of a few other practitioners, giving Sasuke a wide-eyed look behind his white ox mask. The others pull him to his feet, while a female in a raccoon mask curtly beacons Sasuke to follow her, leading him to a space on the floor where the chakra weights lie, crackling with power on a spread white sheet.

"That procedure is usually used to measure how much chakra your body can hold", she says condescendingly, simplifying the medical terminology for him, "If you think of your body as a glass and your chakra as syrup, the procedure is like dropping a straw straight down in the liquid. It goes straight through, usually, and with a little effort, you can pull it out."

Stooping to pick up a set of the weights, with no little effort, she placed them on his arm and released the seal, chakra flooding back into Sasuke's system as he gazed at her, somewhat annoyed. However, when she attempted to remove the weights they crumbled into powder. The proctor backed away warily.

"Your system displays symptoms of extreme chakra deprivation, but the amount of chakra that that you display says the exact opposite—chakra excess. To say the least, it's very concerning. Your chakra system—"A loud bang issued from a pair of steel doors opening, and the ANBU turned from him to look at the imposing figure there.

With a twist of his hand, Iruka steered his wheelchair towards Sasuke, his face hardened and curt. Sasuke's sword was hung around the back of the wheelchair, and Iruka's blanket looked haphazard, displaying a pocketed pant leg with an atrophied limb underneath.

"It's time for Sasuke to go," he spoke with a nod, "Gebhuza too" he said to the proctor, but his eyes never left the youth in front of him. The ANBU proctor shook her head, "He has a medical condition. I'm sorry; Umino, but I can't release him."

Iruka reached into a pants pocket under his wheelchair blanket, pulling out a scroll to hand to her. She opened it and read aloud in shock, "An evacuation, Umino? Isn't this a bit sudden?"

Iruka shook his head and pointed to the doors, "Orders of the Hokage, I'm sure you understand. Top secret, but everything is going according to plan."

She spared him a hard look, but turned to the rest of the group, nodding. They filed the rest of the applicants out of the room, Coora sparing him a look of confusion as they scooted the rest of the students out the door, but followed the group as they left Sasuke and her alone with a steely Iruka.

Reaching around his shoulder, Iruka handed Sasuke his sword, and shook his head, looking somewhat befuddled. He handed Coora a belt with several pockets, and she nodded in calm acceptance.

"You're leaving with Naruto today, I hope you're ready." The instructor said to Sasuke, adjusting the cloth on his legs again. Sasuke looked at him incredulously.

"I'm not. Uzumaki didn't tell me where we're going." Iruka frowned at Sasuke's response, but nodded comprehendingly, wheeling himself to another set of doors. Behind him Coora stretched languidly, gaining her strength back from a soldier pill she popped into her mouth; as if she had been expecting the odd occasion. Sasuke looked at her curiously.

"You two follow me; I'm going to tell you the basics as we go. For everything else, ask Naruto—although, if he'll tell you, I'm not sure." Iruka said, pushing a door open with a burst of chakra from his palm. "The basics, though, should confuse you enough."

Suddenly, Iruka froze as a body stopped the progress of his chair. In the corridor stood two figures, one of which looked sleepily at the three ninja; Iruka's eyebrows raised in surprise at the newcomers.

"Kakashi…" he said with a befuddled look, which quickly became a look of reserved question.

"Actually, my friend here would be glad to escort them to the Hokage, and Iruka, you can come with me. But…"

"It's recommended," Kakashi finished cryptically, "That you ask no questions."

*&*

"What's going on here?" Sakura yelled, slamming her hand down on Naruto's desk, cracking it in two. As the splinters flew up into her face, she whipped a hand clenched around a scroll to an open window, motioning to the hundreds of people migrating into the city streets.

"First Sasuke comes back with a full pardon, and you tell us that he and team Hawk are supposedly working for you, then you pull an evacuation to the Uchiha compound?!" She howled, sending flecks of spittle into his face. Groaning, she grabbed her hair, pulling at it dramatically until she sighed and let her arms drop.

"Naruto, what's with all this underhanded business? Can't you just tell me what you're doing?" She choked, "What's going on, Naruto? What's happening? Why are we being evacuated?"

Standing, Naruto smiled sadly at Sakura, and walked over to her, catching her in a bear hug. Catching his glassy stare and tight expression, she calmed herself, allowing him to hold her. Confused, she frowned slightly as he tucked his head under her chin and held her tight.

"Naruto?" She queried. "Naruto, what… what's wrong? What's happening?"

"S-Sakura… I'm gonna miss you so much… I'm sorry I… I—I lied. I'm sorry that I can't stay, but I gotta… I gotta do something really important, and I need you to trust me." He whispered, still holding her tightly.

He pulled away and she saw his bloodshot eyes. Naruto turned away, facing the broken desk and the sunlight from the windows touched his skin, but it suddenly turned a shade darker. Blonde hair grew longer; short, stout limbs took on inches in a matter of seconds, becoming whipcord thin and looking slightly starved. Sakura stared as he made his way back to her, taking in his weathered face and tired expression, her eyes dropping to stop on his chest.

Sakura sucked in a breath as she gazed at the spot right above his heart, and saw a ball of iridescent, glimmering crystal there. But the gem, fashioned to look like a real heart, was evidently broken, with a large, jagged edge ending the top.

"Can you trust me?" He spoke to Sakura, his voice a gravelly tenor as he held out his hand. "Can you trust me after I've—after I've broken my promise? After I've lied? Can you follow my instructions?"

Looking into his eyes, she shook her head and bit her bottom lip.

"That's not a jutsu, is it, Naruto?" She said, her voice falling flat; more statement than question. "I can't feel your chakra moving at all."

He shook his head and she closed her eyes with a frustrated sigh.

"Anything, Naruto; anything for you—just… Just tell me what you need me to do." She murmured loyally, one fist wrapped and shaking at her side.

"Go, Sakura. Go now." He said; his voice taking on another dimension, clogged with chakra and something else that weaved its way into Sakura's head, compelled her feet to move. Fighting the control, she struggled to keep her composure.

"What?" She looked around in shock, as her feet moved against her will, as her arms opened the door without her consent. "Naruto! What's going on? What is this?"

"Make sure the villagers are safe, Sakura, make sure that they all get to the Uchiha compound and stay there until it's over." His voice followed after her, still ringing with mysterious power.

"Until what's over? Naruto? Naruto! Answer me!"

"I… I'm not coming back Sakura. Good—goodbye..."

*&*

Hinata looked up at the evening sky, her face hard with worry. Neji stood behind her, one hand comfortingly on his shoulder as she stood on the roof of one of the Uchiha Compound's many houses. Down below, hundreds of villagers milled about, finding space in what was assumed to be a small compound.

It was not. Hundreds of hidden rooms and cabinets stocked with food and supplies had been found, costumed by thin layers of genjutsu.

And weapons—all sorts and sizes—were stocked up behind the walls of the new compound. Not old ones from the days of the Uchiha, either, no; new, sharpened, readied weapons, made personally to suit the style of each ninja within Konoha to bring out their strengths.

Sakura had closed the enormous gates of the compound with her massive strength. Once they had closed however, a transparent, glowing blue layer of chakra as thick as she was tall had spread across the entirety of the space, enveloping them. The crowd of villagers inside had erupted in cries of surprise and shock.

Their surprised calls quickly turned to frightened murmurs as the sky above the dome suddenly covered with dark scarlet clouds and a dense fog melted through the streets of the village outside. Ninjas covered the roofs of the Uchiha Complex, staring out into the purple-tainted fog, and genin to jounin searched the streets of Konoha with their eyes to no avail. Even Byakugan-enhanced eyes were limited against the thick, blinding menace.

Hinata looked to her right, her look of frustration softening to sadness as she looked to Sakura, whose jaw was clenched tighter than a trap even as her eyes watered threateningly. A young genin quietly made his way up to her and tugged gently on her arm.

"What!" Sakura snapped, whirling at the young man. He cowered in fear, raising his arms in defense until she calmed herself with a heated sigh.

"Sir Hatake is at the gate ma'am, I was t-told to inform you that he has Umino-sensei with him." Spoke the genin hurriedly.

"Iruka! I thought he was with the first wave of evacuees! Oh man! How are we supposed to let them in; the gates won't open back up no matter what we try."

"Th-th-that's just the thing ma'am; they're inside. Gai-sensei said that Hatake used some kind of seal--it's imprinted on his hand."

Hinata started at the chunnin's comment—if recent events spoke true, that meant that Kakashi may have an idea of what was going on.

And from the looks of it, Naruto might too.

Sakura looked up with an air of shock tinged with fear, then leaped off of the roof top. Sparing a glance to Neji, Hinata followed deftly, saying, "Tell the elders to meet me in the square in half an hour. If they doubt your authority, tell them that I sent you."

Sakura doubled her pace to the gates, and Hinata kept up without problem, skidding to a stop as Sakura recognized Kakashi's form standing behind Iruka's wheelchair. She at first looked relieved, but then her mouth twisted into a grimace of bared teeth.

"Kakashi," she bit through her scowl, "I demand an explanation." Sakura hissed.

The casual jounin gave a shrug of his shoulders. Iruka's previous smile dropped away as he

looked nervously to Kakashi.

"What—" she stopped and pursed her lips, closing her eyes. Kakashi seized the moment.

"Ah, Sakura—or should I say, Lady Hokage? You know, you really ought to clear that up, especially since today is the day that Naruto's leaving after all…"

Hinata started, and Sakura looked stricken. Other villagers had gathered near the gates to see Kakashi, and they began to murmur to each other, and some bowed to her. They knew that Hatake would not lie about politics; it was not in his nature. Sakura looked down and clenched a fist, roiling with anger.

"They're not leaving," she growled, her head down, "not without me. Not this time."

For the first time in a long time Kakashi looked—and felt—especially nervous.

*&*

The streets of Konoha were a maze in the maroon fog as Sasuke, Coora, and their guide made their way to their destination; Hokage mountain. Between the three of them, their steps were silent on the shrouded gravel path to the top of the mountain. Sasuke's forehead furrowed as he looked at the stranger in front of them.

'As much as I try,' Sasuke thought, silently frustrated, 'it's as if I didn't have the Sharingan at all. I know he has a genjutsu covering his form, but I just can't break it. But just what is he trying to hide?'

The outline of the stranger blurred against the dense fog as Sasuke focused his eyes, and the trio walked in silence until they reached a grove of trees, where Sasuke saw another outline.

'Is that...' his eyes widened with shock, 'is that Naruto?'

It is. It is Naruto in the woods surrounded by a grove of silver-grey trees that twist around and shroud a small circular clearing with a rune-covered stone in the center. It is Naruto who bears this weathered, beaten, tired form. It is Naruto who looks back at him with an expression of mixed surprise and disappointment.

"So he passed." Naruto says neutrally to Coora and Sasuke's guide, who nods. Naruto frowns when his eyes lock on Coora.

"She had to cheat." He says, part of a frown pulling down his mouth.

"Fate?" Speaks their guide.

Naruto nods and looks back at the stone. Sasuke's all together shocked because everyone else in the clearing looks like they were expecting this situation, this Naruto, and all the rest of this madness.

"I can't make the clues any clearer. Her agent's searching here too."

The guide remains impassive as Naruto bites his right wrist so hard that blood trickles down his chin. Holding his hand over the stone, Naruto watches as the blood trickles onto the rock. With a hiss, the runes glow violet and streaks of light rise up to touch Naruto's hand and wrap around his arm, forming a clawed glove. Memories take Sasuke in little floods as Naruto leaves the clearing, and they follow, going further up the mountain.

A flurry of blue-clawed strikes hits Sasuke as he tries to parry them with Kusanagi, whose blows fall like paper cuts on Naruto's skin. His sword can't block them as it passes ineffectively through the light blades that protrude from Naruto's fingers.

As they leave the clearing, the air in Sasuke's lungs catches in his throat as he looks up. The night sky has turned a murky red, swirling idly around a deep black hole that has appeared above Hokage Mountain, crackling dangerously with power.

"What…" a breath escapes from Sasuke's lips as confusion overtakes him. He looks to Naruto, who looks defiant as he stands atop the Fourth's head.

"Coora," calls Naruto, "you ready?"

Flashing a bright smile that reveals rows of white teeth, Coora nods and jumps to where Naruto is as the dark circle widens.

"She's almost here!" Naruto yells to the ground "I'll take her and her pet, but it'll be up to you two to protect the compound! The seal should hold, but make sure that none of them get in! Sasuke, you have full access; abilities and chakra!"

"Make sure who doesn't get in?" Sasuke asked his shepherd.

"Them." His guide said, pointing up to the sky. Sasuke looked to the black hole in the sky as he drew his sword, his mouth partly open in awe.

Issuing from the dark abyss above was the face of a giant wolf made of fire and bone, whose howl rocked the ground as it struggled to escape. Its eyes radiated with liquid fire as the hole grew and the rest of its mighty body breached the tunnel, the flames from its torso licking across the sky as one skeletal paw touched down, crushing a building under its weight.

Sparks from the creature flared off and became separate, smaller wolves whose howls echoed in Konoha's empty streets. They ran through the town, setting buildings aflame as they galloped through allies and archways.

"Oh." Sasuke said breathlessly, swallowing slightly, following the lead of his escort as he leaped towards the Uchiha compound. They slid to the ground with a stop once they encountered the domed Uchiha Compound upon which the wolves were quickly encroaching. Moving into an offensive stance, Sasuke poised his sword so the tip barely brushed the ground. His companion crouched into a taijutsu pose that Sasuke didn't recognize; with one leg slid out as the weight of his body rested on the other, his hands forming open handed fists.

"You're gonna touch those things?" Sasuke queried with an incredulous air.

He nodded slowly, eyes flickering to the wolves, which had slowed their pace. The wolves encroached hungrily, flame dripping from their jaws like spittle; falling to the ground like bursts of acid, turning the sand below to glass.

The air stilled but for the crackle of flames.

A howl echoed through the night, and all at once Sasuke saw wolves approach him from all directions. Hundreds of fangs and claws were upon him as he threw them back with strikes of his sword, scraping their bony bodies. Some howled as the sword made notches in their frames, others growled, snapping their teeth in fury as Sasuke whipped steel through the air, managing to keep them back from the building.

Snarling with frustration, Sasuke beat the fiends back with added fury, but with every chop of his sword the opponents came back; their efforts redoubled. The number of wolves grew and Sasuke was caught under a deluge of flame. His Sharingan flared, aiding him and reading their movements, but he was lost among the tumult as too many attacked with every swing of his blade.

"Sasuke!" He heard his name called through the roar of the flame and looked to his left, where his companion was making powder of the wolves with his bare hands. Sasuke tried not to stare in awe as a chakra covered palm came down on a wall of flame-shrouded canines, reducing them to fine ash.

"Use Naruto's chakra like you would your own! Quickly!" His marshal urged, "Drop the sword. It is of no use against these creatures."

Hesitating, Sasuke looked at his sword as he cut at another swath of wolves. One of the wolves, as it slid back from the blow, shot him a near sentient glare and growled low as the slice Sasuke had made with his sword slowly refilled. Gritting his teeth, Sasuke spat in disgust. He threw his sword to the side and charging his hands with his own chakra, closed his eyes.

*&*

Sasuke stumbled into his mind; a plane of white and black squares that floated through the air whizzing to and fro. Through the colorless landscape he searched alone, his urgency making his travel hurried.

'Where…? I know he's here somewhere…'

'Looking for me?' A voice murmurs behind him, and Sasuke whips around only to be caught in a pure blue gaze that erases the landscape around him, leaving him floating in dark blue sky.

'Yes…' Sasuke hisses of a prize found. 'Please…'

'Always', the voice responded benevolently.

*&*

A surge of chakra coated Sasuke's palms, gleaming with the force of a Chidori in either hand, glowing with the color of wine, bursting in streaks of light through the red of his Sharingan. He looked up to see that his guide had covered him while he had gathered his forces.

"I trust you know what to do," he murmured calmly while crushing the heads of two wolves together, his sleeves alight with flame, but his skin surprisingly intact.

Sasuke took off, making powder of the many wolves around them both, his hands a blur of light.

*&*

Atop the head of the fourth, Naruto looked into the eyes of the burgundy wolf, who howled its displeasure in thunderous calls, shaking the ground beneath his feet. Taking a deep breath, Naruto shook his head as he looked out on Konoha, but rolled a kink out of his neck.

"I am ready." Said Coora. Naruto frowned in response.

"You sure? I mean, there's gotta be another way that doesn't involve you…" Naruto paused with unease, "dying…"

Biting her lip, Coora looked into the abyss above, as Konoha's buildings began to break apart and rise upwards. She nodded and smiled at him.

"New journey, Ancients say, begin here for me," Raising a hand to the sky longingly, she continued, "For I am tool of Ancients."

Naruto looked away, cursing himself for her acceptance, but he was out of time, and there were no more solutions. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and pointed to the sky.

"No time. We must."

Clenching his teeth, he balled a fist tight enough to draw blood. Suddenly he drew her close, hoisting her over his shoulder like a weapon and holding her up with a hand on her stomach. She locked her legs around his arm, and in a motion like an overhead clap, she pressed her hands together, pointing her fingertips at the wolf.

"I'm gonna charge my chakra through you. It'll hurt. A lot." He said as he aimed her at the rampaging fiery fiend.

"I know." She said, almost chuckling.

He wanted to close his eyes, or look away somehow, but instead, falling to one knee, he let a tidal wave of his chakra pour through her, and she screamed as her technique took over. A spike of gold metal erupted out of her fingertips, and grew as metal seeped through her skin, poured out of her body. From her feet up, thin bands of silver metal wrapped around her, melting in place as they grew. The metal at her fingertips grew into a rod of copper-gold material and shot out at the wolf like an arrow, piercing the beast in its chest.

An earth piercing howl shook the sky as the metal spear struck the wolf in its heart, exploding on contact into a shower of purple and gold sparks. On the ground, a thousand flaming creatures fell to their sides, yowling and writhing in pain as the flames on the buildings extinguished, the flame that held their bones together now gone. Red-white ash and violet flame gushed into the air in one final desperate gasp as the wolf met its end.

Sinking to both knees, Naruto gently laid Coora's body down and turned her so her back touched the ground, wavering in a mixture of sadness and awe. Coora's body was completely encased in silver, her expression frozen in a tear-stained prayer. Her thin platinum braids tapped lightly together in the swirling night air.

Looking up to the sky, Naruto seethed as a licks of chakra flickered around his body. Long chakra blades emerged from his fingertips as he stood, scraping the ground.

"C'mon!" He challenged to the sky, "I know you're watching! Your precious pet just died by my hand! Now come where I can see you!"

A stream of lavender light and a haymaker later, Naruto found who he was looking for from his spot in the dirt.

Her.

Taking her in, he sees that her form for his world is different; lavender and ebony flames that wrap around the form of a voluptuous woman, her hair a black flare that moves like the tendrils of a bonfire, ashen grey skin, and eyes that are a singular burst of black, dead chakra.

"I'm right here, Naruto, and I've come to put you in your place." She growled, her fist still wrapped tight from the punch, shaking with anger.

Drawing himself up, he looked her in the eye and spat, drawing upon an unnatural calm.

"How dare you? How dare you turn against me after all I've given you?" She shrieked, whipping a hand out at him as it flickered with dark black flame.

Dragging the tip of his chakra blade against the ground, Naruto bared his teeth as a set of violet fangs protruded from his gums.

"If you open the gates to hell," he snarled, "Don't expect angels to come out."

The sky burst into deep black as trees and rock were greedily eaten up by the force of the vortex.

She lunged for his heart.

*&*

It took all of Sasuke's strength to cling to the ground; he closed his eyes, his arms shoulder deep in the ground as he clung for his life against the pull of the whirlpool beyond. The wind scraped against his skin and clothes, leaving streaks of red as the fog and the village disappeared. Light poles flew by, along with chunks of apartments and houses, and Sasuke ducked his head low as a mailbox flew past his head, but was not as lucky when a tree flew towards him at top speed.

Pressing his head to his chest, he waited for the impact, but a mighty jerk tugged him out of the way. He clambered for something to hold onto, when he realized that there was a strong arm pulling him in. It was his companion, hauling him in like the catch of the day, one arm carelessly wrapped around an exposed water main.

Sasuke looks around with squinted eyes, searching for some sort of stronghold because the water main they are gripped to gives pained groans as it is pulled from the ground. His eyes are blinded by debris and dust, but fix on something vivid pink in the storm.

'Is that Sakura?' Sasuke marvels. Sure enough, the pink haired woman is making her way across the pipeline, her fingers gripping into the metal like dough. She looks at them straight on. Sasuke sees her green eyes flash as her pace quickens. His guide looks somewhat surprised when she puts a fist through a wall of brick that flies her way.

"Sasuke!" She calls his name through the wind, voice choked with ash. Hooking her legs around the water main they cling to, she reaches for them both. The guide's hand cannot fully reach her proffered arms, and Sasuke hooks an arm around the arm of the guide and pushes off, just catching Sakura's fingers.

She pulls them both to safety as the main breaks, water spewing upward.

"What's happening, Sasuke?" She screams through the wind. Before he can answer, the guide grabs both their hands and clasps them to each other.

"Go with them." He says to her, his quiet command piercing the wind.

"What!" She shrieks to him—or maybe to Sasuke; Sasuke is unsure.

"No fear." He hears from the man, whose incredible strength holds them fast, even as Sakura struggles.

"What the—" She shrieked in shock, then her jaw drops in recognition.

'Who is he?' Sasuke wonders, frustrated, confused, and admittedly, a little frightened. He knows this man, he insists to himself. He knows him well.

"Trust me." Says the man, and without Sasuke's consent he and Sakura are flying hopelessly upward.

*&*

The lady in grey lunged at Naruto with jagged knives of black flame intent on splitting the stone heart that he protects. His arms are a mess from her blows, leaking blood and healing up shoddily as he focuses his attention on her.

She's a mess too though. For every blow she deals him she receives one in return, in the exact same spot.

Slicing an arc into the air, she spins to kick where she thought he was, jumping off of a chunk of floating rock. A blade of light comes down and connects with her shoulder, cutting deep. They both wince, each receiving matching wounds on the same muscle but Naruto recovers faster than her, and kicks off a hurtling tree to strike at her arms.

He misses by a hair and she ducks under him, pulling him down as she flies by, her hands clamber from his ankle up to his knee, before he forces her off with a solid kick to the head, connecting with a crack that sends them both reeling. Dazed, she floats helplessly upward, and as Naruto regains his bearings, she flounders to get control of her body back. He effortlessly jumps over to her limp body, and pulls her bodily out of the way of a flying power line.

Pressed to his chest, she groans and shakes her head, weakly trying to pull away, but her arms are not moving as she wishes them to.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, "why did it have to be this way? I'm so sorry..."

He quiets, and the roar of destruction around them escalates tenfold. Leaning her back, he brushes the flames from her neck as they float, and shakes his head. He looks her in the eyes and bites his lip as he stares at a small seal on her neck.

"First Door: Obedience! Open!" He commands through the cacophony, then pulling back his arm, he strikes; blades of light piercing the lifeless skin there. They both cry out, and her form begins to tremble as her skin crumbles, leaving only a dark glittering gem in his hand, ashes on his clothes, and a dark stain of blood dribbling down his neck.

Naruto gazed at the stone, trying to maintain consciousness. Between the kick and the injury to the neck, it's hard to focus his power into the stone. The world blurs and with a vicious hiss he lets his body hang limp, the air current pulling him into the dark whirlpool. With a desperate gasp he summoned a last breath, gritting his teeth.

"Final Seal: Stone of the Silent!"

Bearing down on the words, Naruto tips his head back as the stone erupts in a blaze of light and leaps from his hand to the broken jewel on his chest. The fragment steeps the gem heart in red before melting to finish part of its jagged edge.

Naruto breathes a sigh of relief before letting his body float upwards into the dark void.

To Be Continued

A.N.: If you enjoyed it, review. If not, then I'll just have to assume…

Oh and hey, I'm thinking about changing the title of this story. Any suggestions?