A/N: Shortie. I don't feel there's much more to be gained from this part of the plot that can't be done better in other ways after the fact.

"I don't want to," Naruto said sullenly, sitting on the hospital bed with his fingers curled around the edge of the mattress. The Hokage sighed.

"Naruto," he said patiently. "You have been awake for almost two days. You have to sleep." He could understand that the boy did not want to return, knowing what waited for him. But it was more likely that he was afraid of what he would find there. Or not, given the descriptions of his friend's condition. Whether the experience was real or not was immaterial, given the potential effects it would have on Naruto's psyche. The effects it was already having. Sarutobi was inclined to believe him, but belief didn't matter.

"I can't go to sleep with all these people watching me," Naruto complained. "Why do they have to do that?"

Sarutobi didn't reply. But the medic standing by to examine Naruto the second he fell asleep did. "Uzumaki-san," the man said, adjusting his glasses. "If we can examine this...process that you said occurs when you fall asleep, then we may be able to prevent it in future."

Privately, the Hokage doubted that was possible. If Naruto hadn't missed some important detail that showed otherwise, the entire affair was intrinsically related to the seal. That was something neither he or Jiraiya would tamper with unless there was no other alternative, and as callous as it sounded, Naruto's suffering didn't meet the bar. But he said none of this, and simply waited patiently for Naruto to concede.

It took a long while, but Naruto sighed and slouched. The Hokage nodded, laying a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Stay safe, Naruto-kun," he said seriously. "Remember, you will always come home." He removed his hand and nodded to the medic, then retreated from the room. Jiraiya was waiting in the corridor.

"I don't like this," the Toad Sage grouched, not unlike his godson a few moments before. "I've been over the seal. Uzumaki sealing techniques were always esoteric, but I can't believe that something this drastic would be an inference in the formula."

Sarutobi didn't reply, making a low contemplative noise as he walked along the corridor, ANBU silently clearing the way ahead of his measured stride. It was possible for very advanced and complex seals to produce effects not explicitly spelled in the formula, by exploiting the interactions between the singular parts of the design. But he was inclined to agree with his student.

"It has to be related to the Shinigami, rather than the seal," Jiraiya continued. "There are too many parallels. It separates Naruto's yin and yang energies. The Shinigami did the same to the Kyuubi. Then this whole souls thing…"

"How little we understand about it," Sarutobi murmured. "I had always been of the opinion that it was a matter of equality, an exchange of equal value. But here it gives Naruto little, but feeds on souls. Perhaps it was foolish to treat it merely as a force to be used rather than something with motivations and desires."

Jiraiya grunted. "Hopefully we'll be able to figure it out. Minato made the seal. He might know more."

"Ironic," the Hokage remarked, lighting his pipe with a snap of his thumb and finger. The one they would have liked to consult much was in the belly of the being that was causing them so much trouble. "We can only hope Naruto can learn more."

"He didn't seem that bright," the sannin mused. "I had a look at his Academy reports. He isn't much like either of his parents."

"I would not judge him based on moments of such inner turmoil," Sarutobi remarked, a faint smile creasing his lips for the first time since they had started talking. "I think he inherited more than meets the eye."

~Knight of the Sun~

Naruto kicked the bonfire in frustration, scattering a few of the delicate bones that made up its small pile across the floor of the cave. Roland was gone. He could still see the faint patterns and imprints in the loose dirt that had been tracked into the cave over the years. That was where Roland had been sitting - he could see the little ridge where the knight's heel had been and pushed up some of the powdery ash around the bonfire.

But the small traces didn't hurt as much as the sword discarded on the floor. The belt had simply been removed, leaving the longsword and the sheath just lying there, along with the forlorn strip of leather that had sat around Roland's waist, the edges notched and damaged by wear and tear. Naruto bent down and curved his fingers under the belt, his fingertips catching some of the white ash under his fingernails as he got hold of it. The sword clinked slightly as the cusp of the blade knocked against the metal mouth of the sheath, but a hand steadying the hilt stopped the noise with a suddenness that seemed...uncomfortably abrupt.

It felt like he was holding something that didn't belong to him. Naruto almost gingerly shifted the grip of his hand from the belt to the sheath itself, holding it steady as he pulled at the sword. For a moment it felt like it wasn't going to draw, then the metal came free with a rasp and the first half length of the gleaming steel sword emerged from the crude leather wrapping. It was such a difference in appearance that he suddenly realised that the scabbard didn't belong to the sword.

Naruto swallowed, trying to ignore the stinging of his eyes as he slid the sword back home. Roland-sensei...he was gone. The boy fumbled with the crude knot of his 'belt', the sword that he'd bought from Majula falling to the floor. In the few moments, the stronger and broader leather of the new belt wrapped around his waist, the tip of the scabbard brushing the ground. He put a steadying hand on the hilt, pushing it forward enough to clear the ground.

For the first time, Naruto wasn't sure if he should try to find Roland. The knight had left his medallion, his sword...and then just vanished. He didn't want to be found. Didn't want him to see the transformation from man to monster.

"You haven't given up, Roland-sensei," Naruto swore. "I don't believe you. I'm going to find you." The boy swallowed suddenly. "If I can't…" His hand tightened on the hilt of the sword, and he drew it clumsily. It had a different weight than the one he had been using, a different balance. It felt heavier towards the tip, too. Taking the bottom of the hilt in his other hand, Naruto relaxed as he felt the strain towards the tip vanish, his hands steadying. Suddenly, the sword felt like it was floating in his grip, rather than trying to fall away. "If I can't, then I'm going to take this all the way to the end." He bared his teeth, but there was no happiness in that grin. "That's a promise!"