Chapter Twenty Nine - Of Serpentine Descent

There is a story for everyone. A tale that tells of their worldly deeds, wither they be good or evil. Some stories tell of torment, of passion, of loss, and/or of triumph - and sadly the tale I am about to tell deals with them all.

Once upon a time, over a thousand years ago, there was a cruel man who had long possessed a goal of ruling the world. He was a cruel, cunning and unforgiving man, with powers that were far greater then the lesser man and there were few in the world that had ever been able to match him in strength.

To the Wizarding World who knew him well, he was Salazar Slytherin, the Son of the Serpents. He was known for his wickedness and the search for ultimate power that would inevitably lead to the destruction of the world itself.

It was all due to his belief that a race know as the Muggles, a people with forever dormant abilities, had no place in his world. He hated them because of he believed them to be 'imperfect', though while they did not possess a magic like his own, they could create marvels unlike any other race to come before them. That of course didn't matter to a man that was willing to commit mass genocide to accomplish his foul means.

And there were few that escaped his wrath, as he also believed The Muggle-born, those born with power to those who had none, he deemed tainted his perfect purity as well.

And for the pureblood wizards that fought back against him, they were no better.

Truly, he was someone to be feared.

But there was a time during his youth that he hid his other side. Although few knew it at the time, he was a 'god-blessed' child, an inheritor of one of the great Wizarding Bloodlines that had dwindled to few since the primeval wars. His was the gift of Parseltongue, the ancient language of the Snakes. Seeking those that shared similar talents, he befriended three others and together they would become the powerful quartet in Wizarding History.

Sadly though when one lusts power, the peace never lasts for long and is shattered turbulently. That was how it become that he abandoned his precious ones - his foster siblings Godric, Rowena and Helga as well as the school that had created together.

And so it was then that began to wander the world, thus leading him in his travels the forgotten.

But who were these forgotten people?

His travels would take him deep into Asia and it was there that he stumbled upon another race of humans - not wizards, but not powerless like the wretched muggles. He became one of the first wizards in many generations to survive an encounter with the very race that his own people had warred with many centuries before.

"There is no love and there is no hate - there is only passion. It is the driving force behind all our decisions, because with our passion, our destiny is determined. It is only a matter of those who cultivate their inner talents and use them for the purpose they were given - to create a world in which those with the spirit shall take back what has been taken from us. Those without passion do not deserve to apart of such a glorious design" - Dokuno Aiyoku

They were the Shinobi - prefect warriors with the incredible ability to wield the power of their own life-force. It was thanks only to one warrior, a young woman by the name of Dokuno Aiyoku that he survived. Like Salazar, Aiyoku also possessed the linguistic powers of the Parseltongue as well as an inborn snake-like appearance.

While she fooled her own people cleverly, Salazar wasn't one to be fooled by her cleverly fragile appearance. She was like him; a snake of the highest caliber possessed a serpent's immensely powerful and tyrannically strategically mind.

Never had he imagined that here he would meet such an ideal match. And with his offer of unimaginable power, she joined him in his quest to rule the world.

But it would however, never come to be.

Their goals cut short with the birth of their children, identical twins that they would name Brom and Nyoko. Although the boys appeared perfect in every way - a flawlessly pale raven-haired matching pair. Sons and heirs to their parent's legacy. The dream of ruling the wizarding, shinobi, and muggle worlds… was shattered by this simple birth.

One son was pure wizard.

The other son was pure shinobi.

Never before had there been anything like this. In the days after their arrival into the living world, it was discovered that their elder son Brom lacked chakra channels completely and their younger son Nyoko lacked a magical core. It would seem something of impossibility; after all, no human had ever been born without the set.

So it would be these two children that would change everything. Since it had been the hopes of Salazar and Aiyoku that their sons would be born with full access to both chakra and magic, they were devastated.

It had been a very thing baffled all the medi-witches and medic-nins that had over seen the birth of the Slytherin heirs (that is, before they were put to death for knowing too much). There was no possible way that a human could be born without both chakra channels and a magical core. What set the human race apart was that shinobi were born with their chakra channels open and their magical cores closed; wizards were born with their chakra channels closed and their magical cores open; and muggles were born with both their chakra channels and magical cores closed.

But no human to ever just have one and that was what made it so painfully clear…

It would appear that each child, although born within separate bodies, shared a soul - each owning nothing more than a piece.

Then the trouble began. Only weeks old, the boys had begun to harm each other - fighting for the simple reason that the other possessed half of what they were missing. Terrible as it was, it would seem that they were innocuously trying to kill one another in order to be reunited with the other half of their soul. It sealed their fate then and so it was decided that the twins had to be separated.

Distraught and enraged, Aiyoku took Nyoko and fled back to her homeland in the Elemental Countries, cursing her husband as she left Brom to be raised by Salazar. Safely the pair would grow, apart, but always seeking their other half.

And so they would forge their own great destinies, one as Brom Slytherin and the other as Dokuno Nyoko.

But they would always have that connection - that pure diluted twin bond - that one thing that told them that they had a rival. Years would pass before either boy, now man, would come to face each other for the first time in only days after their birth.

And it was a shame, because they had always been destined to do great things…

"I am a man of power. It is my destiny to purge this world of those who are tainted and unworthy. I will succeed in creating for myself the ultimate society and none that stand against me shall dare challenge my authority as I shall rule supreme over them all" - Brom Slytherin

It was inevitable that one day they would fight.

As the years progressed, they become exceedingly aware that they were not alone. Whilst one slept, he would be privy to a world unlike his own through the eyes of the other. It would be an experience they were unwilling to share with their respective parent, as they knew they could not trust them with such volatile information.

"I am a man of passion. It is my destiny to cultivate what others do not consider relevant. I will succeed in creating for myself the ultimate weapon and none that stand against me shall depart this world without knowing that I am the true master of them all" - Dokuno Nyoko

And yet as they years progressed and the older they grew, it would become apparent that they be beset by a terrible curse. Apparently bearing only a half a soul was devastating their mortal bodies. By they're twenties, their bodies had begun to self-decay and who soon leave them in hollow husks that would soon kill them.

It was, however, discovered by Brom, that the curse could be ended. Unfortunately, it meant that he would have to kill the one that was draining his life away.

"If I kill you, then I become more powerful then I ever imagined"

"And what gave you that idea?"

"Because once you are dead, your half of our soul will return to me. Once that is done, I will be the son my father always wanted me to be"

"Then that gives me even more incentive to kill you wizard-scum. Once I am complete, I will someone my okaa-sama can be proud of"

They would kill each other in the end, but such hate never rests. Through their children and their children's children, their hate would live on, and while each side hated one another, two pieces of a single soul would be waiting for the chance to fight again…

"Do you understand now?"

Harry, Naruto and Sasuke sat in silence. The trio had been listening avidly to the Basilisk's story for almost an hour now. It answered many questions into the backgrounds of their enemies.

"So you mean this has been being planned for over a thousand years now?" Harry asked, chewing on his thumbnail as he began to dread the implications this snake was providing.

"Very much so" the Basilisk nodded. "Why do you think that I am here? I am just as much of a pawn in this never-ending sibling spat as yourselves. You two curse-marked boys represent Brom and Nyoko's inability to gain immortality while the blonde Jinchuuriki a power they have always wanted"

Naruto gasped. "How did you know I was a Jinchuuriki?"

"I sense many things boy. Besides, all summoning creatures can sense both their godly and demon brethren, no matter what form they might be in"

"You said before that you were a pawn like us. How so?"

Sasuke suddenly had the attention directed to him.

The great snake cocked its massive head to the side, its eyes still closed. "How so?" it chucked. "I am bound by my predecessor's to serve the Slytherin clan"

"Can it be broken?"

"Such a thing is impossible. The first Slytherin decreed that the contract between his blood and mine should only become void once his blood no longer runs within the veins of a descendant"

"Is there any clauses? Every contract has a loophole"

They could almost see the snake's eyes rolling behind their scaly lids.

"Another impossibility. The only clause in my contract is being able to look into the eyes of the living and not kill them. As you see, that's impossible"

Sasuke frowned. He had look on his face that clearly revealed that he was thinking hard about something. Then suddenly his serious face lit up and he looked to Naruto and Harry.

"Both of you could try"

"What?" Harry yelped. "Have you gone crazy?"

Naruto nodded.

"Don't you understand?" Sasuke groused. "Both of you have a power that could sustain the effects of the Basilisk's killing stare. Remember what Ron was saying about you being immortal Harry?"

"Uh yeah, but that's only till Voldemort is dead"

"Yes, till Voldemort is dead. When he tried to kill you with the Killing Curse, it rebounded. You can't die until you've defeated him!"

"What about me?"

The dark haired boy looked at the blonde.

"Another perfect example. Harry isn't the only one to have survived the Killing Curse. You have too. Remember the Chuunin Exams? You defected the curse with your Boenkyou because it is the ultimate inborn shield!"

"I chose the scared kid"

The trio turned back to the Basilisk.

"Why?"

"If its true what you say, then I'd rather have it that the kid trying to release me from my binding isn't going to reflect my stare back at me and kill me"

Naruto shrugged. "He has a point"

Harry stood there, his mouth hanging open.

"You don't have to try it if you don't want to kid - I'll understand" the snake said, its whispery voice no more then a breathy hiss.

He looked back up at the snake. For some reason, he could almost feel the Basilisk's hope deflate like a burst balloon. It kind of reminded of him when he met that boa constrictor that time at the zoo with the Dursleys two years ago. Even though the magic had been accidental, he had save that snake.

"I'll do what I can"

The Basilisk's reared back in shock. "You're a Speaker?" it hissed. "Impossible! Only the Slytherins and the Dokuno have possessed that gift!"

"Yeah, it has its ups and downs. Turns out I got my Parseltongue as a 'parting gift' from Voldemort the first time I defeated him?"

"That name, Voldemort is it?"

"Yes"

"It seems that Brom has gotten creative in this life…"

"WHAT?"

Harry sudden outburst caused Naruto and Sasuke to nearly jump out their skin, and the latter to nearly drop the unconscious girl in arms.

"What do you mean Brom?"

"Weren't you listening to a word I said?" the Basilisk hissed, speaking in English as well. "The twins have been waiting centuries to be reborn. Since both the wizard and shinobi lines of the Slytherin clan have run down to the last two descendants, they have been reborn! Hasn't ever seemed a little weird? Thomas Riddle is the reincarnation of Brom Slytherin and Daishikon Orochimaru is the reincarnation of Dokuno Nyoko!"

"Oh shit!" Naruto cried.

"The Dying Ones!" Sasuke nodded. "It makes sense now! Dumbledore-sama said they were dying become those that search for immortally are always dieing - he didn't take into account that they'd already be dieing because of they only had a half a soul!"

"But if they want to kill each other, why use us?" Harry snapped.

"Because it has been all a matter of playing the game right"

The three boy gasped, whirling around to find the subjects of their conversation standing no more then thirty feet behind them.

Orochimaru smirked. "So you finally know how we really are"

"The centuries help to develop one's patience" Voldemort added. "If you be to hasty, you might loose"

The pair turned to each other and glowered.

"So aniki - are you ready to finish this?"

"Exceedingly. I'll relish the knowledge that you will be in Hell for many, many years to come