Naruto

As Ruin and Naruto moved forward into the dark he had to push down on the Fox's hold on him. If Naruto wasn't careful, he could end up hurting Ruin. He would never be able to forgive himself for that. He clutched to Ruin's hand as they walked. The room they entered was shrouded in complete darkness. Naruto felt Ruin stiffen beside him and then her eyes were glowing with light, piercing the darkness.

"Ruin," he breathed. She then snapped her fingers and one flame after another flicked on around them. The room was square and in the center sat a book as thick and old as time itself. The book was on an alter made of the same gray stone but this stone was stained with a reddish substance. Naruto examined the walls as his eyes adjusted. It appeared that all over the stone walls in the room thousands of eyes had been carved, each one slightly different from the other. Some were open and some were shut but it appeared that each radiated with power. He looked over at Ruin, whose eyes had stopped glowing but appeared to be in a trance of some sort. Her hand slipped from his grasp as she moved forward to the center of the room. She placed her hand on the book. Her head flung back and light erupted from her mouth and eyes. A piercing noise ripped the air around them. A few moments later, the sound was gone. So was Ruin.

Naruto ran forward to the spot where she had been only moments ago. "Ruin!" he yelled. A closed eye opened. It stared at him and moved, following his frantic searching.

"You will not be able to find her."

Naruto's head jerked around. "Who is that?"

"I am nothing yet everything. I see all yet I am blind. I hear every sound yet I am deaf to that which I need to hear. I have no true name. I am all."

Naruto asked, "What do you mean?"

"This is my realm, human. This is my temple."

In an instant, every eye was open and staring at Naruto. He stood his ground. "Your temple?"

"Yes, I created it as a way for my people to find answers they sought."

"So you were a Messenger?"

"I am the Messenger. The Village Hidden in the Ruins was once my village in which my clan was able to live peacefully."

"Clan?"

"A long time ago, the Village Hidden in the Ruins was nothing but a place for my followers to stay. Each one of my followers shared a piece of my DNA. We were known as the Watchers. It was a word that meant much power to the surrounding villages."

Naruto could sense that something bad had happened. He knew that the clan this voice was speaking of no longer existed. He remained silent. He figured that the voice would continue without any badgering.

"A hundred years ago to this very day, two demons entered my village and killed off all but three of my followers. I was one of the ones who was killed. The three followers continued on with their lives but were not set about the task of recruiting more people to join the village. Now, only one family shares my DNA."

"That girl who just vanished, Ruina? She was a Messenger, too. She died about a day ago because her body couldn't handle the power. What can I do to save her?"

"You wish to bring her back? Well, no I understand why you ventured into my temple. She is with me right now. I am telling her everything she must know and more. I will cure her but first she must undergo a few tasks. The Messenger gene will never be awakened in the child that she will birth. I swear to you. But now I must go, human. Leave my temple and the girl will be returned to you within moments.

"Once she is with you, take her to the cliff. You two must jump off the edge without hesitation or you will die."

Naruto nodded, understanding what he must do. He began to sprint down the corridor. Ruin would meet him at the end and that was all that mattered. They could be together again.

Ruin

"What the heck is going on?" I demanded as I stared at a tall girl. She had piercing blue eyes and I felt exposed as she looked me over. She wore tight black capris with a short sleeve shirt over fishnets. Her hair was black and chopped in a way similar to my own but I could tell her style was on purpose.

She made a soft noise in her throat and said, "I approve."

I was startled by this. "Wh-what are y-you t-t-t-talking about?" Damn that stutter I thought I had gotten over it.

The girl extended a hand. "My name is Sumara. I come from the Village Hidden in the Dreams."

I shook Sumara's hand. I said, "I've never heard of that village."

Sumara sighed. "You're not the first," she said. "My village is quite small."

Suddenly, a voice boomed over head. "Enough of this idle chit-chat. Let me speak, daughter." Sumara stiffened then bowed to nothing. She sat down before me and seemed to be waiting for something.

"Ruina, my daughter, do not fear me."

I craned my neck around the black expanse I was in. "Um, who is this?"

"I am nothing and everything. I see all yet I am bl-"

Sumara interrupted him. "Meseru, stop with the cryptic speeches they make my head hurt." I heard the voice sigh deeply and the air around me wavered. A form appeared before me. He was tall, about as tall as a tree. The beard he had just brushed the floor as he stood there. His face looked extremely young except for the wrinkles around his eyes. The eyes were pale. He was blind.

"I am Meseru," he said in a deep voice. Sumara stepped in front of him and looked at me.

"He's so overdramatic. All he has to tell you is that your village was founded by him. Then the Elders came and wiped him and all the other villagers except for three out. Two left while one remained. The founder of my village is one of the three. The people in my village have a power similar to yours but we can read minds and a select few can walk in other peoples' dreams. I lost my ability to read minds but that has nothing to do with this. He's going to make you do some tasks and then if you make it you can live. You got that?"

I understood that but a question popped into my mind randomly. "What did you mean by 'I approve'?"

Sumara issued a dramatic sigh. "I met Naruto awhile ago and he was a good kid. A little bit wacky though, but still good at heart. So I knew that whoever his girlfriend would be she had to be good at heart too. That's you all over, Ruina."

"Ruin," I corrected. She smiled at me. It was warm and full of what was that? Respect? Maybe. I didn't really have time to find out.

"So I have to do tasks?"

Meseru nodded. "Three at the most, one at the least. Sumara you may return the Sand Man."

She growled as she started to walk away. "That's not his name! His name is Gaara and he's the Kazekage! Can't you at least have respect for that?" A second later she was gone.

"Now," Meseru boomed, "to begin your tasks!" Meseru clapped his hands together and the world around us burst with colors. We stood in the middle of a rainbow.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Tell me your deepest, most desperate desire."

I bit my lip. Was it to have love or to have a family? Or just to have a normal life? I couldn't decide. "I don't know, Meseru."

He nodded with understanding. "Look within the colors and see what could have been if the Elders had never ruined everything." I stared for a moment and then I saw my parents, happy and carefree. There I was, too. My skin had a light tan but my hair was still extremely white. I wore a peculiar outfit and a headband was tied around my forearm. I was a ninja. A flash of blond from the corner of the image went by and a moment later Naruto was leaning into me, kissing me. My parents looked away with pleased smiles. This was all that I had ever wanted, truly.

"Would you like this desire to become a reality?"

I glanced over at him, afraid to look away from the beauty of what could have been. "Could you do that?"

"Yes…and no. It is all up to you, Ruina. You can make some of this real."

"What do you mean?"

Meseru turned and stared into my eyes. "You could be a ninja and you could be happy with Naruto. Why don't you?"

I don't deserve him. I don't deserve a life like that. I wanted to say this but didn't. That made no difference.

"Why don't you deserve a life that is worth living?"

"I…" I stopped, my voice dead. I was stumped. Why couldn't I allow myself to enjoy life? It popped into my head an instant later. "I don't deserve it because I feel responsible for the deaths that I predict. I feel guilty for what I am, for being a tool used to destroy those around me. I don't feel worthy." When I said it, the words felt resounding and true. I really did feel that way.

"Then you are stupid," Meseru said flatly. "Be prepared, young Messenger. What I am about to put you through may scar you for as long as you exist. Are you ready?"

I was shaking so hard. I nodded my head, but he may have just thought that was from my uncontrollable trembling. "Ye-yes."

He clasped his hands together and the world wavered. The colors vanished. I was sucked into a deep abyss. I was gone, to where, I wasn't sure.