"So are you o.k. Moka?" Yukari asked.

"I am fine," she answered. "I merely needed some time to recover."

"Are you sure you want to come with me to meet the Headmaster tonight?" Naruto asked.

"Certainly," Moka said. "If for whatever reason he refuses permission to deal with who you suspect I will convince him."

"You know if you're planning on threatening him that might not be wise." Naruto pointed out.

"A small amount of intimidation should be sufficient."

"So who is it you're planning to arrest?" Yukari asked.

"You know I can't tell you that." Naruto said as he ate his lunch.

Yukari looked unhappily between Naruto and Moka. "You two keep a lot of secrets from me don't you?"

"I'm sorry Yukari but it has to be this way." Naruto said. "I'll tell you all about it after it's over."

XXXXXXXXXX

That evening the two of them approached the Headmaster's residence to find the door already open. They shared an uneasy look.

"This can't be good," Naruto muttered. They quickly entered to find four men in black lying unconscious in the grand hallway. But much worse was the sight of the Headmaster himself lying at the top of the stairwell in a pool of blood.

"What the hell happened here?" Naruto ran up the stairs to check on the Headmaster. Not only was he still alive despite a gaping wound in his back, he was somehow still conscious as well. "Relax Headmaster; I'll get you to the infirmary right away."

"No," the man gasped weakly. "Forget me, you must stop him."

"My Naruto, you really are very persistent." Hokuto stepped out from behind a nearby column as Kiria stepped out from behind another. Naruto noted that Hokuto seemed to have a rosary in his right hand. "You really have no idea when to let something go do you?"

As the confrontation began a figure at the door way slipped quickly and quietly away.

"I'm not one for giving up, especially not when my precious people are involved."

Hokuto shook his head a bit. "You're a rude and vicious little man, but I must admit I admire your determination."

"Is this what you were after all this time?" Naruto asked. His body was surrounded by his three tailed demonic cloak. "Were you out to murder the Headmaster?"

Hokuto laughed slightly. "Kill the Headmaster? I admit the thought had crossed my mind, but what I want is so much larger." He held out the rosary clutched in his fist. "I had to defeat the Headmaster to acquire this, 'rosary of judgment.' This is the key to everything I have worked for."

"You have to stop him," the headmaster spoke in a rasping whisper. "With that he can undo everything." The headmaster shut his glowing eyes and became unconscious.

"What did he mean undo everything?" Naruto demanded.

Hokuto smiled. "I am going to deactivate the barrier that keeps this academy hidden from the human world. I am going to end this ridiculous and artificial peace between human and monster. They were enemies in ancient times and were born to hate and despise one another. I just want to return the world to the chaos that is its natural order. Humans will hunt monsters and monsters will devour humans; as it was always meant to be. And the very first victims of this new order will be this wretched academy and all its students. Youkai Academy will be the flash point that begins this glorious war."

"Fool!" Moka snapped angrily. "Humans and monsters are not natural enemies. Despite our many differences we can coexist." She glanced over at Naruto. "And even care for each other. All you will do is cause need less death and destruction."

"Yeah, but you have to admit," Kiria flipped his book shut. "It does sound interesting doesn't it?"

Hokuto looked over at his friend. "Keep them here for just a few minutes then get to the rendezvous point." Hokuto spoke a few words of magic and the floor around became filled with inscriptions and runes made of white light. He began to sink into the floor.

Seeing his enemy escaping Naruto rushed at him and so did Moka. Kiria was fast enough to block Moka but not Naruto, who dove into the floor and was swallowed up by the white light.

To Moka's horror the light vanished along with both Naruto and Hokuto.

"What happened to Naruto?" She demanded as she viciously attacked Kiria.

Kiria's right arm transformed into a huge scythe. He tried to cut her head off but Moka was just able to avoid the blow. Kiria was exceptionally fast and seemed able to match Moka move for move.

"It looks to me like he got caught up in the teleportation spell." Kiria answered good naturedly.

"Where did they go?!" Her fist smashed a marble column to pieces as Kiria only just ducked out of the way.

"I knew fighting a vampire would be interesting!" He sounded very happy. "I'll make you a deal, if you can beat me I'll tell you. And you better hurry; Hokuto will have to kill him before he can put his plan into action."

Furious Moka stepped up her attacks but Kiria managed to stay just out of her reach.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Why?" Hokuto demanded. He transformed his entire body except for his head into a series of razor sharp bones, changing his body into a hollowed out ten foot tall monstrosity. He slammed the bones of his right arm down; they smashed the stone floor but completely missed Naruto. "Why are you interfering with me?! You're not a monster, you're human. Why should you care if this place is destroyed?!"

"Some of my best friends happen to be monsters, and I won't let them be hurt by this pointless war." He ran through some hand signs. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu." Naruto had no idea where they were. Only that they were in a cavernous and darkened room. Wind jutsus were of limited value in an enclosed space, but fire would work just fine. The hundred clones he made launched themselves at his opponent. He was not surprised to see that even in his bizarre new form Hokuto was able to move with blinding speed and to extend the bones all along his body. He hit the clones with ease and wiped them out quickly.

"Whatever you do I won't let you stop me." He again extended some his bones to only have Naruto easily leap away and avoid them.

"Tell me something, why are you so determined to do this? What will you get out of starting a war between human and monster?"

"I'll get my revenge on this place." Hokuto said angrily. "You see I was a human, an ordinary human with no supernatural powers. I came here by chance and because I wanted to get away from my abusive family. I was stupid enough to believe that this school, so far away from everything, would give me a chance to start over." He let out a bitter laugh. "But because I was so weak I found myself suffering worse abuse than I ever had. I had to fight just to survive from day to day in this place. Then one day I finally realized that there was no place for me in this world or in the human one. So I decided to try and destroy them both."

Naruto actually nodded sympathetically. "People abused you for no reason except that they could, and you wanted revenge. I can relate to that. Hell, if we'd met under different circumstances I might have helped you. But that was before I found people I cared about, people I would die to protect. For their sake I'm going to stop you." He unleashed a mass of fire from both hands.

Hokuto dodged. Some of the fire clipped one of his legs but he seemed not to notice. "I won't let you stop me! I'll have my revenge no matter what!" He raced in from the side and turned his left arm into a series of spears. They caught Naruto near his ribs and slammed him into the far wall. Though caught off guard for just a moment he stood and ran up the side of the wall. He began running at Hokuto along the ceiling.

"And I won't let you hurt the people who matter to me!" He raced through more hand signs. "Grand Fireball Technique." Opening his mouth wide he spat out a dozen huge boulders of fire.

With the limited room Hokuto could not dodge them all. One of the boulders caught his extended right leg at the, 'knee.' The bone buckled and melted beneath the extreme heat of the fireball. Hokuto cried out in pain as he stumbled and collapsed. All his speed and agility were now worthless as he had only one leg now.

"I've got you now!" Naruto leapt down and tackled him. He wound up standing on Hokuto's bony chest looking down into his still human face. "It's over."

Though defeated Hokuto looked up at Naruto and began laughing. In his bony right hand he held out the rosary he'd taken from the Headmaster. "Do you know what the power of this rosary is?"

"You already said it would let you lower the barrier around the academy."

"True," Hokuto agreed. "But you see, its basic power is to create or dissolve any seal or barrier." He pressed the rosary to Naruto's cloak. Naruto felt the power that was filling him just go; it drained away in an instant. The cloak and all of the Kyuubi's power simply left him. Before Naruto could even react Hokuto's left hand transformed into a single massive blade. Hokuto drove it into and through the middle of Naruto's chest.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You'll never be able to defeat me!" Kiria mocked her as he again stayed one step ahead of her.

"Damn it you coward! Stand and fight me if you dare!"

"Why would I do that?" Kiria asked amused. "I only have to keep you occupied. Meanwhile your precious Naruto is fighting for his life somewhere." He was enjoying his battle against a fearsome vampire and thought he would be able to defeat her. That was when he suddenly slipped and went sliding across the floor. Ice?! Why is the floor covered in ice?

"What have you done with Naruto?!" A woman's furious voice demanded.

Kiria found himself ducking to avoid a set of razor sharp claws. Kurumu flew past him and then rose into the air. She was looking murderous and ready to come at him again. Before he could move his legs to escape they were surrounded by blocks of ice.

"Where is Naruto?" Mizore demanded.

"If you've hurt him you'll answer to all of us," Yukari said angrily.

Before he could do anything to free himself Moka was on him. "Cowardly wretch! How dare you try and keep me from the one I love! Know your place!" With a single ferocious kick she slammed him into and through a wall.

Moka hurried over to grab a hold of the now defeated Kiria. Even as she did so she sent an angry glare at Kurumu who was landing near her. "What are you doing here succubus?"

"I asked her and Yukari to come help," Mizore said. "I was stalking Naruto and when I saw what was about to happen I thought I should get them."

Moka nodded grudgingly at Mizore. "I thank you and I thank Yukari," she glared at back at Kurumu. "Your help is not required."

Kurumu puffed out her chest and stared straight back at her. "I'm here to help Naruto whether you want me to or not."

"Is this really the time to be arguing?" Mizore asked.

Moka snarled a bit, but decided to let it go… for now. With a single hand she shook Kiria back and forth. "Where did Hokuto take Naruto? Tell me right now or I will start snapping off limbs."

Kiria opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Well I guess you beat me, even though you needed some help."

"Where is Naruto?" She put her face dangerously close to his. "I will not ask you again."

Kiria chuckled. "I'll tell you, I said I would if you defeated me. He is in the basement of the academy."

Moka immediately threw him aside. "I am going to him; you three keep an eye on Kiria and get the Headmaster and his guards to the infirmary." She gave none of them a chance to argue. She was surrounded by black fire and then gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

Naruto felt the pain stab through him as the blood filled his mouth.

"For what it is worth I am sorry we had to be enemies." Hokuto said.

Me too. Naruto thought but could not say. The Kyuubi's power was completely gone, but not his own. With one swift clean motion he pulled out a kunai. He surrounded it with his wind chakra. Then with an easy flick of his wrist he threw it.

He took a certain satisfaction at Hokuto's look of surprise just before the kunai struck his forehead. Given they were only a few feet apart there was no way for him to dodge. The kunai went through his forehead with a, 'chop' and out the back with a, 'pop.' Human brain matter splattered on the floor beneath him. As Hokuto's body twitched his arm jerked out and Naruto pitched over to the floor next to him.

He was in the middle of a slowly expanding pool of blood. Naruto coughed out the blood in his mouth and managed to struggle for breath. His body was already growing numb and he felt cold. So this is how I die? All alone in the dark? Despite the pain he managed a small chuckle. Damn villagers will probably throw a party when they find out. He let out another rasping breath as the cold spread. I wish I could see Moka one last time.

And as though kami had finally heard one of his prayers she appeared.

"Naruto!"

He turned his head towards the sound of running feet. "Moka-chan," he whispered.

As soon as she got to him she knelt down beside him in his blood and pressed both her hands over his wound. "Naruto! You're bleeding! What happened to your healing ability? Why won't the blood stop?!"

It was strange hearing the adult Moka sound so panicked. He reached up and took a hold of one of her hands. "Moka-chan," he called to her weakly. "Thank you, thank you for making me so happy and letting me know what love was. Thank you for never leaving me alone, even now."

She stared down at him. "Do not say such foolish things Naruto."

He smiled up at her. Somehow dying didn't seem so awful since he wasn't alone. "Moka," he needed to say it. "I still love you. I could… never stop. Please… forgive me." It was hard to breathe now and things were getting dark.

She could feel his pulse growing faint and knew there was only one way. She got a hold of him and pulled him up to her. "I will not let you go my beloved. Take my blood and live." She bit into his neck and injected her blood into him. Please live Naruto, I cannot bear to lose you.

His wound was deep and fatal and she knew he was very close to death. She was not sure that even vampire blood could pull him back. But she poured it into him, determined to give anything if it would save him. She soon began to feel weak and grew faint; she had given him all that she could. She released her hold and carefully set him back down.

"Please… live…" she slid down on top of him and closed her eyes.

She entered the darkness not knowing if she would ever see him again.