Kyuubi, while pleased to see the other Sacred Nine, was also apprehensive about the meeting. Each powerful being knew in his or her mind why they had been called. Kyuubi looked at each Sacred Nine in turn, starting with Shukaku.

The tanuki was more sober than he had been in years; living as a child had curbed his taste for alcohol somewhat. Nibi was just as proud and terrible as she had always been, her eyes glowing with suppressed bloodlust. Sanbi seemed guilty, his trio of tails twitching nervously; appropriate for a traitor. Yonbi had stopped his fog, making the holes in his gigantic orange-toned shell even more noticeable than his four green-scaled tails. Houkou looked stronger than before; he must have been using the Sharingan of his human form to memorize more jutsus during missions as the ANBU 'Hound'. Perhaps the Sacred Nine with the deepest sense of honor, Rokubi, an enormous black weasel, promoted from Lord of Thunder to one of the Sacred Nine, sat with a rigid back, as serious as ever, his six tails gleaming like polished onyx. Shichibi, affectionately known as Mujina, the seven tailed badger and only other female of the Sacred Nine other than Nibi, nibbled delicately at a heavily clawed paw, trying to remove the last grains of her charka-laden clay wedged between the beige talons; the white of her head contrasted sharply with the storm-cloud grey of her body. The glaringly empty spot where Hachibi should have been served as a reminder of the meeting's cause.

Kyuubi turned his garnet-hued eyes to the center of the horseshoe council place, where the eight-tailed snake was, sinister ambition and dark instinct glittering within its slit pupils, ringed within a sea of hazy blood. Coiled like a wound spring, his deep lavender folds, ringed with black, were wrapped around themselves to contain his huge mass within such a limited space. Hachibi's expression was a sneer, as unpleasant to see as the day he had been born. Rumor among the fearful underlings of the demon snake-lord was that Hachibi's mother had sensed the awful power within her son and had offered herself as a sacrifice.

Kyuubi watched Hachibi flick out his overly long tongue, pretending not to care what was about to happen to him; Kyuubi saw it all with disappointment and anger mixed with a touch of pity. Hachibi knew his time was short, yet still put on a mask of cold indifference. Hachibi's uncaring attitude reminded Kyuubi of the human boy, his schoolmate, Sasuke Uchiha. He shook of his thoughts as a column of light encompassed Hachibi, an invisible force making the snake ascend into the air.

The Destroying ceremony had begun.

The Sacred Nine, brothers and sisters in supreme power over the fates of millions of lives, servants of a greater lord, watched as one of their mightiest, Hachibi, the eight-tailed demon of the Orochi snake clan, writhed in midair, his many coils twisting as agony wracked his great body. Horned head thrown back, cavernous mouth gaping open to expose venomous fangs, tongue curling over itself in a silent scream, Hachibi endured this hell alone. One by one, his black-ringed tails were stripped from him; Hachibi's soul shattered along with his body as flesh was ripped apart, bones torn, blood spilling wildly as he flailed, helpless as a newborn human, to do nothing more than endure the pain and pray for death. But death would not come for a long time.

Finally, it was over.

The former Sacred Nine fell onto his pale belly, panting heavily, eyes barely able to stay open. The pain was just as intense as it had been during the Destroying; it would never fade, and from now on, each moment would be spent in pure wretchedness. No drugs could make the stabbing, tearing sensation fade, no jutsu could remove it; to be Destroyed was to be cursed with a pathetic lifetime of suffering, no end in sight, not even death. Not until he had served out his exile as a cursed wandered, would the death-god find him and drag him into its stomach to endure an eternity of suffering. Inch by inch, year by year, Hachibi would slowly be digested, each cell in his body screaming for release.

Kyuubi was the first to speak above the harsh breathing of the bloodied snake.

"My brothers and sisters, we of the Sacred Nine, protectors of the two Realms, are gathered to dispose of one…unwanted being. One of our own, Yamata no Orochi, has betrayed our very reason for existence: keeping the balance between demons and humans. Today, we are here to formally declare him Destroyed, and name a new Hachibi." Kyuubi paused a moment; when he began speaking again, a new hardness had crept into his voice.

"But first, I am bound to declare his sins before you. Yamata no Orochi, known to the humans as Orochimaru, is guilty of committing acts of unspeakable cruelty to human children. He had experimented on innocents to further his own ambition and unquenchable thirst for power, as well as bring about the destruction of all humans. His plans were to use the DNA of humans to construct a virus that would destroy anyone it was injected into. I cannot let these plans be realized. We must announce this filth, this traitor, Destroyed. I, Kyuubi, lord of fire, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed. What say you, my brothers and sisters?"

Yamata no Orochi turned his head to Shukaku, silently pleading for his life. But Shukaku looked back into the snake's eyes, and said, "I, Shukaku, lord of wind, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

Nibi spoke without looking away from Yamato no Orochi.

"I, Nibi, lady of darkness, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

"I, Sanbi, lord of water, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

"I, Yonbi, lord of metal, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

And so it continued with each of the Sacred Nine, each proclaiming the snake guiltly by their words.

"I, Houkou, lord of illusion, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

"I, Rokubi, lord of lightning, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

"I, Shichibi, lady of earth, confirm Yamata no Orochi Destroyed."

There was a ringing silence before Kyuubi spoke again.

"It is done. Go, Yamato no Orochi! Leave this Realm and begin your exile." The snake vanished like a Summon, in a puff of white smoke. "The Destroyed is gone from sight, burned from memory. Disgraced, his existence will be tolerated until our lord decides his time's end. Now, a new Hachibi is to be made. Houkou, our lord has selected a potential candidate. Bring him forth." The wolf disappeared for a moment, reappearing in the middle of the horseshoe beside a massive eagle.

Kyuubi surveyed the eagle with bitterness in his heart. He and Yamato had not always seen eye to eye, Yamata's way clashing with his own, but they had been brothers, if not by blood than by a common goal: harmony between the Realms. But Yamata had betrayed them all, just as Sanbi was plotting to do. The broken bond hurt, and now a new demon was to replace Yamata just like that? While it stung him to do so, Kyuubi knew it had to be done. For the Sacred Nine to be complete, there had to be nine of them. The title of Hachibi could not go unfilled.

Despite being female, the eagle was very powerful looking, a deep mahogany brown in color. Her chest was a black-speckled white, puffed out to show pride in herself and give off an air of confidence; zigzagging patterns of black striped her vast wings in a jagged fashion. Impressive talons curled under armored toes of yellow. Strikingly yellow eyes watched Kyuubi apprehensively; those orbs were the only things giving away the eagle's nervousness. Behind her, her tail was fanned out to its full expanse.

"What is your name, honored guest?" Kyuubi asked.

"I am Muki Tsubasa (1), my lord, Kyuubi-sama." Muki said respectfully. Kyuubi's lips twisted into a smile. The eagle knew of honor and loyalty. Unlike Orochimaru, who had flaunted his powers when chosen to claim the title of Hachibi, this bird demon was aware that she was in the midst of being more powerful than herself. Muki was wise to be so humble.

The Entitlement process took a long time, even by demon standards. A candidate, when chosen, was first observed, tracked in secret, in an effort to see any underlying evil. If the candidate passed the observation session, they were rigorously tested to measure power levels. If the candidate passed again, more tests of an academic style were given to prove wisdom. Having completed all three parts of the Entitlement trial, the selected demon was brought to the gathering center to undergo one last test, the one that would decide whether or not a new Sacred Nine would be named: the test of mind.

The test of mind was the ultimate choice. To choose an existence in which you were a being of supreme power, spending your years in service those who would see you bend to their will and follow their wishes, to choose that over a life where you controlled each aspect and changed it to your personal liking. The sacrifice of your dreams and hopes to protect those of other people was not a decision to take lightly. Muki would have to prove that she was fully willing by undergoing a most disturbing test: her mind would be invaded, and all her thoughts laid bare for eight deities to see.

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Notes:

(1) Muki Tsubasa: Muki is the Japanese character of mi meaning "beautiful", combined with ku for "sky", or ku for "long time". It can also come from a nanori reading of mirai for "future". Tsubasa means "wing" in Japanese.