Muki passed the test of mind with flying colors; she was as honest as she was fierce-looking. Kyuubi was pleased with her; she made a fine addition to the Sacred Nine. Upon being announced the new Hachibi, she had been asked her element. Yamato no Orochi had been of poison, after his clan; the Orochi snake demons were infamous for their toxins and venoms. Muki had chosen light as her element, to combat Nibi's darkness. Her choice was well-received by the others.

Kyuubi, Houkou, Shukaku and the dolphin demon bade farewell to the new Hachibi and other Sacred Nine, then soared back down to the human world, resuming their Sealed forms. They landed silently on the tower's roof.

Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, his mask twitching a bit – he seemed to be smiling. "Hey, kid, can I pick'em or what?" Naruto grinned.

"You sure can, Kakashi. You did well to choose Muki." Kakashi glowed at the praise.

"Yup, and-." The silver-haired Jounin was rudely interrupted by his stomach growling loudly. "Ah, I always forget. Our time is different from human time. Our meeting must have taken a few days if even this body is complaining."

"I'm hungry as well." Naruto looked up at the star-pricked sky and the watching moon. "But it's too late to eat. No restaurants will be open at this hour." Kakashi held up a finger, wagging it in a scolding fashion.

"Ah-ah-ah, Naruto, you're forgetting who you're with. Iruka and I have lived here longer than you, and we've made a few friends. We know a place that's open, don't we, Iruka-sama?"

"I think I know a place open all night in Upper City." Iruka said, glaring at Naruto for making a face. "Just because you don't like nobles doesn't mean you can't appreciate their food. Kakashi and I are friends with the family; they'll let you and Gaara in if you're with us." Naruto's stomach rumbled.

"Fine," He said. "But I expect the food to be good."

--

He wasn't disappointed.

On the outside, the restaurant was plain and comforting against the white stones of the surrounding Upper City, with wood and brick exterior. A worn sign proclaimed the restaurant to be, "Akimichi's". They went inside and were greeted by a heavy-set man with spiky reddish-brown hair wearing a chef's apron. He laughed loudly in a friendly manner when he saw Iruka.

"Iruka-san, my friend, you've been putting off your visit, haven't you? I've not seen you in quite a while. I'm glad you finally decided to come." He spotted Naruto and Gaara. "And you brought friends! Excellent!"

The man, Choza Akimichi, led them to a table at the back. He disappeared through the swinging doors of the kitchen. They waited for only a few minutes, enjoying the serenity of the almost-empty restaurant mingle with the muffled noise of the bustling kitchen, before a waiter dressed in black and white came to serve them drinks. Choza appeared again, both hands carrying a tray overflowing with plates of food. He set the plates down, pointing out each delicacy with pride. There were meals from different countries mixed in with those of native areas; it was as if every dish in the world had been prepared.

It was excellent, each morsel melting in the mouth, releasing an explosion of perfectly melded flavors and texture. There was every meal you could ever fancy or imagine. Roast meats like duck, rabbit and pheasant sat crowned on a bed of cooked vegetables, drizzled with a light oil sauce. Bowls of soups ranging from French onion to creamy herb potatoes to Italian wedding steamed pleasantly. There were even bowls of ramen, which Naruto quickly commandeered for himself. After the main course' plates were cleared away, smaller plates of cheeses were placed before them. Fruit, sliced in creative ways, was put in bowls near a plate of different sauces to compliment the flavors. The cheese and fruit gone, different flavored hard candies were brought out.

Naruto was familiar with a few of the candies; the lower class had access to the scraps nobles didn't want, such as mint and occasionally chocolate. But the most common candy of Demon's End was made of a tough root that grew easily with very little soil – perfect for the poor. The plant, Harmal, (1), had long, thin stems covered with sharp thorns. The stems were tipped with bright green bulbs that burst into yellow flowers come springtime. But it was the root that was valuable – the juices contained in the roots were used as medicine from everything from headaches to broken bones. The skins of the roots were boiled, and the water mixed with various ingredients so that it hardened into large sheets of cloudy-green. The sheets were then broken into pieces and sold for a copper a bag.

The candy made from Harmal was very bitter, so Naruto reveled in the expensive tastes of vanilla, and rosehips. He slipped a few of the chocolate flavored ones into his pant pockets, saving their sweetness for later; he was used to dark chocolate made from spoiling beans, so he wanted to keep the candies as long as possible.

The group left stuffed to the gills; even Naruto, a bottomless pit when it came to food, couldn't eat another bite, his pockets laden with stolen scraps and candy. When going out the front door, Choza gave them each a paper bag filled with containers brimming with extra food.

The Akimichi clan was a family of food-lovers who also loved cooking. They were ranked based on cooking ability, so it's head, Choza, was the best chef in Konoha. Naruto resolved to go back to Akimichi's if only to see Choza again; the man seemed kind, despite being a low noble. Perhaps not all nobles are rotten to the core. Naruto thought as he settled down onto his couch early that morning.

--

The summer passed quickly after that. Soon, Naruto was back in school and miserable. His birthday was only a few months away, and he would be eighteen, old enough to leave the village. As an inhabitant of Demon's End, however, he had little choice but to stay in Konoha; commoners were prohibited from traveling outside the surrounding lands owned by local farmers.

One difference at school was welcomed by very few: the arrival of two newcomers. The strangers, brother and sister, came from a village of the Winds nation, Sunagakure, and were the children of the current Kazekage.

The girl, called Temari, was seventeen, and had flaxen blonde hair tied into four bunches. Her short bangs were held away from her iron-grey eyes by a headband that matched her black, kimono-like robe. The robe had elbow-length sleeves, went down to her ankles like a dress, and was held to her waist by a blood-red sash. Temari wore fishnet tights and open-toed sandals, both black in color. When she was first presented at morning assembly, she carried two giant pieces of metal hinged together on her back by way of a thick leather strap. (2) She was only allowed to dress the way she liked because of her father's rank, the reason she could carry her weapon in the first place.

In the first week she was at the Academy, Temari gained the reputation of being a highly skilled analysis. Cold and calculating, unafraid of being cruel, Temari quickly became popular with the High Nobles - they shared the same attitude. The Low Nobles were less quick to suck up to her, keeping their distance. For good reason, too – her brother was a force to be reckoned with.

Kankuro, Temari's younger brother by a year, was hard to read. He had a very odd style of dressing. Next to his sophisticated-looking sister, he was downright weird. He wore a black hat with cat ears on it, which went down to his neck, so no one knew what colored hair he had; the cat ears only accented the purple markings all over his face. His mouth and eyes were outlined in purple, and he had purple triangles on his forehead and chin. There were strange, swooping marks under his eyes as well (3). Kankuro was paler than Temari, probably because he wore long-sleeved black shirts, black pants, and sandals that only exposed his toes. Like Temari, he carried a large weapon on his back, though no one could tell what it was. Wrapped in layer upon layer of white bandages, the weapon seemed topped with a bush of spiky brown threads (4).

Kankuro disliked kids – this was apparent every morning, when he kicked the youngest of the students out of his way. Like his sister, he was very cold and distant, rude when speaking to those of lower class, but impeccably polite when amongst adults. Kankuro was aptly named; he was cankerous, grumpy and sullen a majority of the time. However, as an honored guest in Konoha, he was allowed to do anything he wanted.

On a happier note for Naruto, Iruka had insisted that Gaara join school. Gaara had refused at first. But, in the middle of the second week, the redhead stalked into the middle of a computer programming lesson, schoolbag slung over his shoulder, a scowl crinkling his forehead. The surprised teacher had no choice but to let Gaara join the class: Gaara had a note recommending him by none other than Iruka Umino. Iruka was well-known for his ability to spot talent, and to turn away a child hand-picked by the scarred man was crazy. Gaara was directed to the seat next to Naruto. Naruto turned back to the lesson with a small smile on his face, his outlook for the school year a bit brighter. With Gaara beside him, maybe Sasuke would stop trying to pick a fight with him.

His good mood didn't last long. By the end of the day, bruises were blossoming all over his body. Just from a simple misunderstanding. He had bumped into none other than the newcomer, Kankuro, by accident. Kankuro took it as a personal injury and hurriedly settled the score with a lightning arsenal of kicks and punches. With a teacher nearby, Naruto had had no choice but to take the hits without complaint. Gaara had gotten involved when the blonde had cried out after having his feet knocked from under him. The fight took on a deadly atmosphere, murderous intent radiating from the gourde-carrying boy. One look at Gaara, and Kankuro had turned his back on Naruto and calmly walked off, a sadistic grin on his face.

The two boys, Naruto and Gaara, were currently waiting at Naruto's apartment for Iruka and Kakashi to arrive, both hoping against hope that Iruka wasn't going to break into a lecture the moment he set foot inside. But they had nothing to fear from the calm-tempered man. Iruka and Kakashi had discovered something they thought Naruto and Gaara would be interested by. Iruka sat down at the kitchen table, Kakashi leaning against the cabinets.

"What is this all about, Iruka-sama?" Naruto asked.

"You both know about the organization, the Akatsuki, right?" They all nodded.

The Akatsuki were highly-skilled men who were at ANBU level in terms of ability, but not part of the military itself. They used Aryan, religion of the nobles, as a cover for killing off the lower class. The Akatsuki first started the Cullings, which happened every New Year's Eve.

In the barely-operational hospitals and nurseries of Demon's End, almost two thousand elders, newborn babies and anyone who was ill were slaughtered, their bodies left in the beds and cribs for staff to burn in the morning. The Cullings were both terrible and a relief. A terrible tragedy because it caused heartbreak throughout poor families, but at the same time a relief because it meant there were less mouths to feed, less people to support. Wages were low enough, but to pay for hospital care on top of taxes and housing expensed meant that children often starved to death before the age of three.

Like ghosts, the Akatsuki were never caught physically committing the murders, but their symbol, a stylized red cloud, was usually cut into the chests of their victims. Lately, the Akatsuki had become even more violent, and rumors about abductions and torture sessions were spreading like wildfire throughout Demon's End.

Because the group used religion as a cover, the government didn't dare question the deeds of the Akatsuki. Some of the High Nobles open supported the criminals, while the more humane Low Nobles quietly protested. No action was taken to stop the Akatsuki, so the body count kept climbing. The most recent death was the daughter of a cloth merchant, which had caused a slight uprising in a few of the nobles. Merchants were invaluable to Konoha's growth. Miners brought back silver and gold from deep within the earth, but the natural supply was dwindling due to the sheer number of mines. The local farmers who worked on noble-owned lands usually had a surplus, as did fruit growers, so merchants exporting the goods were paid well.

"We have reason to believe that the killings outside the yearly Culling are not random murders. The Akatsuki are looking for something."

"What? They can't be touched by the government, they have High Noble support, and the fear of every person in Demon's End. What more could those bastards possibly want?"

"Naruto, control yourself!" Kakashi barked. Ever since the Council, Naruto had been quicker to anger than ever before, and had to keep clipping his nails, which were constantly growing into claws. Naruto took a deep breath, trying to slow his anger. Iruka continued.

"As you know, Konoha has grown more and more paranoid after the fox." Iruka said, glancing at Naruto. "Fear of another devastating attack is the constant theme of military politics. Especially after the 'Pet incident'."

Said incident was when a few High Nobles started the trend of having weak demons (one that could be controlled by electric collars and whips) imported as infants to become pets. The ten families who imported the demons had been exiled from Konoha, regardless of their high stature.

"Anyway, Kakashi did a little listening in on their radios, and they were mentioning something pertaining to demons."

"Get on with it." Gaara growled. "I still have to do that programming essay."

"You don't sleep, you've got plenty of time, Gaara-san." Gaara sniffed, sneering a little at Naruto's words, but said no more. "Go on, Iruka-sama."

"As I was saying, the Akatsuki kept mentioning 'vessels' and 'containers'. They also listed names. The girl killed just a few days ago, the merchant's daughter, was one of the names. The Akatsuki were confident that she was the human prison of a fish demon."

"So they tried to remove it, and it killed her." Iruka nodded.

"Yes. This can't go on. While demons aren't very common here, with the Festival of the Sea coming up in five months, there are going to be thousands of foreigners from different lands in Konoha. The Akatsuki will strike then, killing anyone they believe to have a demon sealed within them."

"And why does this really matter, Iruka-sama? Sure, the Akatsuki are dangerous, but they won't risk blowing their religious cover by mentioning demons."

"On the contrary, Naruto. Mentioning demons will actually help the Akatsuki murder more people. If the government thinks that the Akatsuki are killing off demons, then officials will support the group's every move. But it is much more serious than a few people dying. Zabuza and his army will probably use the festival to infiltrate Konoha and cause its downfall."

"Why start here? There are human lands closer to the Mist than Konoha."

"No disrespect, Gaara-san, but use your head. Konoha is a place associated with the downfall of a demon. While the sealing of the fox into a human is a completely false story, it has had powerful effects on the world. Other major cities, Sunagakure, for example, began the eradication of demonkind after they heard about the attack on Konoha. Konoha is the catalyst for the great demon Migration to the Protected Realm, the reason so many demons have died in recent years."

"Things were bad between demons and humans centuries before Konoha was attacked!" Naruto said, jumping to his feet and forcefully slamming his palms down on the table.

"Humans started everything! Humans tried to make us become dumb animals, to breed us into tameness, to rid themselves of beings more knowledgeable than themselves."

His voice got louder the more he recounted past deeds.

"They were jealous of the demons' closeness to the gods and the knowledge they thus gained! They couldn't understand why demons were the divine messengers, not humans, why demons knew so much, lived so long, had such power, and humans were only blessed with two legs and a working mind. Humans first invented slavery and began capturing us for their own entertainment. It was because of how humans treated their demon slaves that our kind began to thirst for revenge and blood. Entire families were ripped apart when humans stole our young and raised them in a world of cruelty and collars! It was the fault of humans, not because I attacked Konoha!"

He sat back down in his seat, glaring with red eyes, daring anyone to contradict him.

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Notes:

(1) Harmal: 'Syrian rue', is a bitter medicinal herb, and is unrelated to another plant called rue. The Harmal I am using in this fanfic is based on the real plant, but I've changed its appearance and uses.

(2) This is my description of Temari in her Part II outfit. The metal bits are her fan, but since no one at the academy has seen the fan part, it looks like she's carrying a metal club.

(3) Kankuro's face paint from Part I.

(4) This is Karasu, or 'Crow', Kankuro's first puppet.