Myrmidon

by Ser Serendipity

With Naruto's encouragement and a solemn promise he'll take care of the children while she's gone, Hinata agrees to take a kind of vacation with her old team. Team 8 sets course for NGL, happy to be on a mission together once more, even if it is something as mundane as investigating insects. They have no idea what is waiting for them in the world beyond their own. Naruto/HxH

38. Chapter 38

Myrmidon Chapter 38

We Still Have Time To Say

Seven days after the King had chased them out of Peijing, Gon and Killua were having lunch in Ceoal at a restaurant with cheap food and cheaper seats. Killua was focused on his food, but Gon was watching the television mounted high on the wall behind his friend.

"Sixty-seven years after the armistice," a woman with a too-glossy face and a fake smile was saying, "the nations of West and East Gorteau will finally reconnect. Many thought this peace would never come, but today, the prospect of a united Gorteau is moving closer and closer to reality. Earlier this morning, the Chief Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Sun Hanya, said in a press conference-"

"Pretty weird, huh?" Killua asked, still picking at his food, and Gon looked down at him as the picture on the tv switched over to a tall man with a shiny bald head standing in front of a legion of microphones and cameras.

"What do you mean?" Gon asked, popping a french fry about twice the size of his thumb into his mouth. He normally didn't like super salty food, but there was something appealing about the food in West Gorteau, even if it wasn't good. There was probably some extra stuff in it that he hadn't had growing up.

"All this happened 'cause I knocked you out and ran," Killua said. He sounded a little strange, Gon thought. He was looking in instead of out, which Gon hadn't seen often. Killua had always been someone who looked forward; it was what had brought them together so quickly. "I ran away with you, and Hinata saw us, and that started this whole thing that led to the King getting defeated, and now this-" He gestured back at the tv and the proceedings as the bald man who reminded Gon of a turtle, answered question after question with a stiff, confident energy. "It's strange to think about it."

"I guess." Gon finished chewing his fry. "Why're you thinking about that?"

Killua frowned, picking at his food. "Because of Hinata, I found out about Ilumi's needle."

"Okay?" Gon was just getting more confused. Killua had been getting moodier and moodier since Hinata's husband had taken down the King. That wasn't bad; Killua was just moody sometimes. But this was something different. "What's wrong, Killua?"

His friend sighed. "Gon, I didn't tell you because of everything else we have to worry about, but I remembered something when I took out that needle."

"Remembered something?" Gon asked, taking another fry. "Like something you were supposed to forget?"

"Made to forget," Killua said with a frown. A killer frown. Whatever it was, it was really pissing him off. "I have a little sister."

"What?" Gon stopped, the fry halfway into his mouth. "Wait, you have a sister? I thought you just had the two brothers!"

Killua rolled his eyes. "That's why they made me forget, idiot. She's a secret."

"Ohhhhhh." Gon chomped down on the fry. The tv had switched back to the glossy woman. Was that just bad lighting, or worse make-up? Maybe both. Hinata never wore make-up. Neither had his aunt, now that he thought about it. Or Biscuit. Maybe some women just didn't think they needed it.

Or wait, did they, and it was just really good and he didn't notice? Gon lost focus, before shaking his head. Right, secret sister. Since he'd found Ging things had been weird. Slow, and kinda foggy.

That had been all he'd wanted for his whole life, and he'd made it happen. Now, he had no idea what to do.

"That's pretty cool!" he decided. "She must be pretty special, if your family decided she'd be a secret."

"Her name is Alluka," Killua said, swirling his fork around his plate. It was some kinda pasta dish with eggs in it; Gon hadn't caught the name. "She was locked up in my family compound. She probably still is."

"Locked up?" Gon asked, and Killua nodded grimly.

"Alluka has a power," he said. "She's always had it, since we were really young kids. Knowing what I do now, I don't think it's Nen. The way it works, it might be something else entirely."

"Something else?" Gon cocked his head. "Like chakra?"

"No, not even like that," Killua said, though his eyes took on a curious look. He might not have considered that, Gon thought. "There's more out there than Nen and chakra; there's things like Alluka. She had… something, inside of her."

"You mean like…?"

"A split personality, a parasite, something. That's just what my family called it. There's no other name." Killua leaned in, his voice dropping. "Alluka's special power was to grant wishes, but the something was what actually made them come true."

"Like a genie?" Gon whispered, and Killua chuckled and nodded.

"Sure," he said. "Close enough. If anyone made a wish to Alluka, then something would grant that wish. If you wished for a million dollars, it would just fall out right out of the sky. If you wished for someone to die, they'd just vanish right there."

"Wow." Gon sat back, blinking. "That's terrifying."

"My family was thinking of using Alluka on the King, before Naruto showed up," Killua continued. "They told me, right before Sasuke arrived. But now, I don't know what they'll do with her. She'll probably just stay stuck in that vault, forever."

"Why didn't they just do that right away, instead of showing up?" Gon asked, and Killua grimaced.

"The wish comes with a price. The bigger the wish, the bigger the price," he said. "Using something to kill a creature like the King, it probably would have incurred a price bigger than they'd ever imagined. If that was handled wrong, the whole family could have ended up dead." He laughed. "Actually, it probably would have been the whole family, everyone they met, and everyone those people had met, even. If my family had used Alluka like that and then messed up afterwards Gon, you probably would have just exploded like a dropped soda can, along with everyone who'd ever spoken to you."

Gon looked up, trying to do the math on that, and gave up after a moment. "That'd be a lot of people," he mused. "No wonder they're scared of her. Enough to lock her up."

"Yeah…" Killua said. "But I'm going to go get her."

"Yeah?" Gon asked. "I thought you hated your family though."

"Yeah, they're a bunch of bastards," Killua shrugged. "But Alluka… she was always kind. She was just a kid. She doesn't deserve to be locked up like that. They're just…" His lips curled up in a snarl and his hand clenched, totally crushing his fork's handle. Gon was surprised; Killua had seemed perfectly composed until the last second. He was even emitting a little hostile Nen. Someone coming out of the bathroom behind them stumbled, looking over their shoulder in a fit of sudden paranoia.

"Hey." Gon reached across the table and slapped Killua's hand, and his friend jerked, eyes going wide for a second.

"Sorry," he breathed out, and the Nen ceased. Everyone in the restaurant breathed out the breath they didn't remember taking. "Sorry. They're just… using her." He took another deep breath, blowing it out through his nose. "For some reason, I didn't mind when they did that with me," he said with a laugh. "But for her…"

"I get it," Gon said with a grin. "So, when are we gonna go get her?"

Killua's face dropped a little.

"What?" Gon asked, and Killua sighed, his features hardening.

"I don't want you to come, Gon," he said. Gon didn't know what to say.

"What?" he asked. "What… why? I thought-"

"It's not like that!" Killua said. He sounded a little desperate. When had Killua ever sounded desperate? Even when he'd gone off on his own as bait for the King he'd been calm. That desperation worried Gon more than anything he'd seen from the Chimera Ants. "Look, it's…"

"You don't think I can handle it?" Gon asked. "I got in the last time, and that was before we even did Nen training!"

"No!" Killua snapped. "I don't want you to die!"

"I'm not going to die!" Gon shot back, and Killua slammed his fist down on the table in frustration. People were staring; neither of them cared.

"You could," Killua said, his face twisting. "The Zoldycks have a rule: no killing family in any circumstance. Even if it came to a fight, killing another Zoldyck is totally forbidden. It's the one rule they'll all follow no matter what." He was trying to control himself, but his fist was shaking. "If I try to break Alluka out and fail, they'll punish me, but they won't kill me. But if you come along, they will kill you. Alluka is too important to them for them to do anything else!"

"So?!" Gon demanded. "We just won't fail then!"

"That's not an option!" Killua was actually getting angry at him. "You know that now! Look at what happened to Kite! Sometimes, we just fail." He leaned forward even farther, almost in Gon's face. "You're my only friend. I can't let you die."

That was true, but Gon wasn't willing to back down. "So tell a bunch of people then!" he said. "Take Hinata, or her husband! What could your family do?"

"That's none of their business!" Killua insisted. "And I don't want anyone else knowing about Alluka's power; even if we trust Hinata, what if someone learned about Alluka from her? With the kind of power my sister has, everyone will always be after her. That's just going to be her life! She's too important to let go! Even if I break her out, the Zoldycks will be chasing her forever!"

"If that's how it is, even if you grab her, where are you planning to go then? Where could you, that they wouldn't chase you?" Gon was getting confused now. "And if they were going to do that, wouldn't they just track me down and kill me anyway, to get to you? Ilumi knows we're friends; so does your dad. You're not-"

Something clicked in his head as Killua shifted back, and he blinked, a smile spreading across his face. "Ohhhhh. That's smart, Killua. That's really clever actually."

"What?" Killua grumbled. "Don't make that kinda face, you're not smart enough for it."

Gon stuck his tongue out at him. "Smart enough to figure out your escape plan, dummy. You're gonna go through the portal, right?"

Killua glanced away, and Gon knew he'd gotten a hole in one. He'd never played golf before, but he thought the term was pretty neat. "It's the safest place to take her. Since the shinobi keep such close watch over it…"

"They couldn't chase you without someone knowing," Gon finished with a wide grin. "That's awesome." He frowned. "But then why can't I come with you?"

"You can. In fact…" Killua looked awkward. "I'd really like it if you, uh, did. I don't wanna go to a different dimension by myself. Or well, just with my sister. It'd be… like another adventure, with you."

"Of course I'll come!" Gon said. "It'll be cool to see Hinata's home." He crossed his arms smugly. "But only if you let me come to help save Alluka."

"Gon," Killua groaned. "You might die."

"I've already almost died a bunch of times," Gon said with a grin. "Neferpitou almost got me, the King almost got me, and plenty of times before that. I'm still here. Plus, if something bad happens, you can just have Alluka fix me, right?"

"Maybe." Killua looked doubtful. "She can heal people, but I'd rather not use something unless I absolutely have to. That's not… it's not right to use Alluka like that."

"I know," Gon said, moderating his tone. "I was just kidding." He considered it. "Mostly."

He looked around; people had stopped staring at them. Just two teenage boys having an argument. The most normal thing in the world. Gon snickered.

"Gon…" Killua said, and Gon snapped his fingers.

"I got it," he said, and his friend cocked his head. "I figured it out."

"Figured out what?" Killua asked warily.

"Why I want to come so much," Gon said. "I didn't really know myself until just now, to be honest." He rubbed the back of his head and grinned. "Sorry for stressing you out."

"Okay…?"

"Killua," Gon said, feeling solemn. "Ever since we met up at the Hunter Exam, after I came to get you from your family, you've been following me around. We were just having fun, but we went to Yorknew, Greed Island, even to the NGL, just because I was looking for Ging, and you were following along. Because you were my friend."

He leaned back. "But I'm your friend too, and now, we found Ging. I don't know what to do next; I've got nowhere to go. You've been following me for two years now, so I think… how about I follow you instead?"

Killua blinked. For a hot second, Gon thought he might cry.

But then he smiled. "Tell you what," he said, digging into his pocket and pulling out a coin. It was a silverish fifty-piece, with a "50" emblazoned on one side and a mountain wreathed in flowers on the other. "We'll flip for it. Fifty, you stay, mountain, you go."

"Hold on!" Gon said as he placed it on top of his thumb. "You'll cheat!" He reached over the table, grasping at the coin. "Give it to me, I'll flip it!"

"Hell no!" Killua said, snatching the coin back. "You'll just cheat too!"

"Aha!" Gon leveled his finger. "So you admit, you were gonna cheat!"

"Okay, okay," Killua grumbled, looking around. "We'll just pick a random person to flip it."

Gon shook his head. "No way, that wouldn't stop you from cheating. You could use one of your weird assassin tricks to make it land right for you."

"Well I could do that for anyone!" Killua said with an exasperated grin. "If that's the case, who could we even trust to flip it?"

Gon pondered the problem. "Someone who could see everything," he said after a moment, and Killua facepalmed. He pulled a hundred dollars or so out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table. He wasn't sure how much the food was, but it was definitely less than that. "C'mon. Let's go find her."

###

"My, he's turned you into a polite little boy, hasn't he?"

Meruem, former King of the Chimera Ants, regarded Netero, former Chairman of the Hunter's Association, with an amused look.

"And you into a harsh old man," he said, and Netero laughed. Meruem glanced at the Hokage, walking between them. "He really is a destructive force, isn't he?"

"Hey, that's rude," Naruto said with a grin. "You wouldn't say that to a real force for destruction, would you?"

"Most likely I would," Meruem said, shrugging, and the Hokage laughed.

"Well, best to be honest," the shinobi said. The three of them were walking through the wilderness to the west of Ceoal; much like Peijing, the industrialized city was surrounded by mountains, forests, and plains, instead of the vast sprawl of more civilization that the King had so often seen on his journey from the NGL to East Gorteau. Naruto and Mereum had been walking alone, before Netero had joined them.

They'd done that a lot in the last week. When Naruto wasn't with Hinata, he was with him. Meruem did not even know how to begin to approach that topic, and the Hokage apparently did not either, since he rarely brought that up. Meruem was grateful that Naruto had given him a second chance despite the terrible damage he'd done to his wife, but sometimes he found himself wondering just what kind of person could do that… and why Hinata was okay with it. Could he ever endure the company of someone who'd hurt Komugi?

That was probably why the Hokage had defeated him. There was something to that, he thought.

"I sought you out to tell you what's coming," Netero said, and Naruto focused on him, leaving his back to the King. Meruem didn't even feel an urge to strike while the Hokage was distracted. He'd thought a week before that the man would make him into a slave; his past self wouldn't have understood the gratitude that stayed his hand. The King had only understood that feeling in reference to Komugi, and even then only in a twisted way.

He missed her. Meruem felt his heart twist as he watched the two humans talk. He hadn't seen Komugi since driving her out of the palace. Naruto hadn't let him see her; maybe he'd been using her as a kind of bait, though probably not so consciously. Every day that passed, Meruem ached more for her company. He couldn't describe the feeling beyond invisible pain and lethargy.

"Is that so?" Naruto said, smiling as he usually did. "Well, I've got no reason to stop you. Though it won't be ready for at least two weeks."

"Oh?" Netero asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Well, I suppose I should thank you for that. Fighting my way to the portal would likely be an irritating journey."

Meruem hadn't been paying attention to the conversation, but he'd still heard everything. He wasn't a human, who needed to focus on something to comprehend it.

"You may not find any challenges in their world," he said idly, and the former Chairman watched him with a lackadaisical grin. The man had transformed after his tremendous battle with Naruto. He reminded Meruem of himself. He'd made a joke about Naruto being a destructive force, and he was, but he was also a transformative one. The paradox was strange and enticing. It was like the paradox of a blind girl who had utterly defeated him

"That's possible," Netero said, scratching his chin. "I may be just as bored there as I was here. Maybe even more so." He frowned. "I have been thinking, which I haven't done in quite some time."

"Oh?" Meruem asked, echoing the human, and Netero chuckled.

"Violence is a transformative force," he said, and Meruem's paradox was instantly resolved. The Ant blinked at the simplicity with which his conundrum had been cut down. "But it's one that often has no reason attached to it. Violence turned me into the man I am today." He gestured around. "It formed this whole country, and every other country in the world, and now, it's bringing it back together, but that was all a happy accident."

He grinned. "That was why I was so alarmed at the conclusion to your fight," he said, speaking to both Meruem and Naruto. "That was why I tried to convince Hinata to end your life, before I realized the alternative would be more interesting. Chakra allowed you two to come to an understanding through violence, which I perceived as impossible. You can't improve something with destruction, I'd thought. You can only build something on its ashes."

"I'm familiar," Naruto said, a little glumly, and Netero chuckled again.

"But that's what's made me think," he said. "If you could bring over such an impossibility, embody the fantasy of violence, perhaps I can find something worth my interest in your world, Hokage." He looked off into the distance. "I was unhappy, longer than either of you two have been alive, so perhaps I simply need to try something new." He stuck his tongue out mockingly. "With the added benefit of age and tremendous strength, so you have no choice but to listen to me ramble as you would any other old man."

The Hokage laughed. "You shouldn't joke about that," he said. "You're worth listening to. Where I'm from, people rarely made it past sixty. Hinata told me you're more than twice that. You must have seen a lot."

"Hmm," Netero said. "Maybe." He looked past Naruto to Meruem. "Though some things were still beyond my expectations."

"You expected me to die?" Meruem asked, and the man nodded.

"You were a creature of hatred," he said. "Now… now I don't know what you are." Meruem didn't know either, so he couldn't take issue with that. "You and all of the other Ants."

"What will happen to the other Ants?" Naruto asked, and Meruem realized he held a distant, academic interest as well. He'd completely severed himself from the creatures he'd been meant to rule; their fate and his no longer intersected.

"Bah." Netero made a disgusted face. "I have no interest in that."

"But I do," Naruto said mildly, and the older man grimaced.

"I've left them to Ging and Morel," he said. "My last act as Chairman. One of the Guards, Neferpitou, has vanished. Sasuke Uchiha was the last one to see her. Youpi remains. He swore himself to Ging's service."

Fascinating, Meruem thought. He'd sensed that Youpi was developing a personality after the failed assault on Peijing, but to think that one of his former Royal Guard would grow independent enough to actually put a human into authority above them? He really had been an idiot, to not see all that potential.

He hadn't looked inward or outward as the King, Meruem thought with a tinge of disgust. What a waste of time his life had been. The only worthwhile thing to come out of it had been meeting Komugi. The rest had been, as Netero had put it, a happy accident.

"Do you trust Ging with a Royal Guard?" Naruto asked, sounding amused, and Netero shrugged.

"Ging has always been his own man," he said. "Unpredictable. But he has no desire to rule or to conquer. Only to explore. Of all the men who could gain the loyalty of a Chimera Ant, he is perhaps the most fitting."

They fell into silence for a moment after that, considering Netero's words, before the man spoke up again. "He has been guarding your Gungi player," he said, watching Meruem carefully. Meruem didn't attempt to hide his reaction: he twitched, pinning the Hunter with wide eyes. "He told Ging it was your final order."

"It was," Meruem said. He felt himself growing subdued. "Surely you felt it."

"I did," Netero acknowledged. "It was impossible not to. I believe that was the moment your life had a chance of being saved. You forced Hinata to acknowledge there was more than cruelty to you."

"Too little, too late," Meruem said. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. Bitterness, sorrow, regret? All familiar emotions, but mixed in a new and agonizing way. "And rightfully so."

Naruto didn't say anything, just watching him with a pained expression. Was that pity? Meruem couldn't stand the notion.

"May I see her?" he asked suddenly. "Komugi. May I see Komugi?"

"Hmm." The Hokage crossed his arms; they'd come to a stop. "I'm not the person to ask."

"Of course you are," Meruem said. "You're my warden."

"And Menthuthuyoupi is hers," Naruto said; he looked irritatingly coy. "He's the one to ask, not me."

Was this a test? Was the Hokage trying to see how he'd deal with his former subordinates? Meruem had enjoyed their time together, but every second of every day he was fully aware of what this was, remembering Hinata's final words to him. Her husband was both his teacher and his executioner.

'If they can't learn, they die.'

"Where is he, then?" Meruem asked, directing the question at Netero, and the man rolled his eyes.

"So single-minded." He paused. "Well, I suppose I'm not one to talk." He made a vague motion towards the city. "Ging has purchased an island that he's setting aside as a reserve for the Ants that aren't interested in living amongst humans, or who fail their psychological evaluations." He sneered. "Silly things, but that's what I get for giving the responsibility to Morel. He's an infuriatingly practical man."

"So Youpi is already there?" Meruem demanded, and the man clicked his tongue.

"No," he said. "He and Ging are still in Ceoal. Though I do not know or care where."

"Can we seek them out?" Meruem asked Naruto, and the Hokage shrugged.

"You seek, if you'd like." He put his hands together and two clones popped into existence. "I'll follow." He smiled. "Now, if you'll both excuse me, I've got a date."

He disappeared, leaping away so fast that not even Meruem could perceive his sudden movement; all that happened was that the Hokage was suddenly absent. Netero looked back towards the city and made a disgruntled noise.

"I'm not a babysitter," he grumbled, eyeing Meruem. "What an infuriating man."

"You don't have to stay," Meruem suggested. He wasn't sure if he wanted the man to leave or not: the former Chairman was a fascinating human, the only Hunter who'd managed to defeat him even in part.

"What else is there to do?" Netero said bitterly. "I'm in no mood to meditate." He perked up a little. "Ant, tell me. The Gentle Fist, Hinata's martial art: you managed to harm my Hundred Type with it. Her husband did something similar. What is the method behind that?"

As they made their way towards Ceoal with Naruto's clones in tow, Meruem told Netero the secrets of the Gentle Fist.

###

Hinata was waiting in their hotel room when Naruto found her.

"Sorry I'm late," was the first thing he said when he stepped through the door, and Hinata smiled. Since he'd become Hokage, it seemed that was Naruto's verbal tic.

"It's no problem," she said gently, and Naruto slipped down beside her on the couch, wrapping one arm around her. The Hunter Association had been generous enough to rent them out one of the suites in a top end hotel in Ceoal, and everything in the room was extremely modern. Not to an uncomfortable degree, Hinata thought; it was a good blend of sensible and stylish.

"What'd you get?" he asked, and Hinata lifted the covering off the plate in front of her.

"Steak. I wanted something hearty."

He grinned at her and even after more than a decade of marriage, Hinata felt her heart jump a little. "Good choice."

They ate their lunch in silence. Naruto knew what she was thinking, Hinata was sure, but he didn't seem to want to broach the topic. It was nice to have meals together like this; that had become less and less common as his duties as Kage had expanded. In a way, this was a vacation for her husband, the kind she hadn't gotten.

"How's he doing?" she finally asked, and Naruto looked at her with a bit of surprise.

"You sure?" he asked. "I mean-"

"Naruto," she said patiently. "I want to know how he's doing."

She'd sacrificed parts of herself, here in the Mitene Union, in this world beyond her own. She was still putting the pieces back together. Hinata wanted to know it had been worth it.

"It's going well," Naruto admitted. "He's a quick learner."

"He is," Hinata said, trying not to think about how she knew that. "And one who's eager to."

"Yeah. Really, he's the ideal student." Naruto scratched his chin, looking out the window. "Maybe too ideal. He's not tricking me, but… it's only been a week, and he's already made so much progress."

Hinata frowned. "Back when we connected," she said. "When I realized what Komugi meant to him, I thought the King had enormous potential. For good and for evil. I thought he was doomed to follow his current path." She sighed. "That's what helped me make my decision."

"It's interesting," Naruto said. "I don't know what we'll do, when it's time to leave him alone. Sasuke volunteered to keep watch over him, but I don't want to put more on him."

Hinata let out a little laugh. "Maybe he's not thinking of it like that. I'm sure he sees something familiar in the King."

"Maybe," Naruto chuckled. "Maybe he's thinking he can train him. I didn't ask."

"But you trust him. That's what matters."

"Yeah." Naruto shrugged. "Yeah. I'll guess we'll see. He finally asked to see Komugi."

"She's an interesting girl," Hinata said. "She'll notice the change in him, I'm sure. What happens from there should determine what you do."

"You think so?" Naruto asked, and Hinata firmly nodded.

"Alright. I'll pay extra attention." He grinned, leaning over, and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Thanks for staying safe," he said, his voice soft, and Hinata leaned into him.

"Of course," she murmured, pressing herself into his shoulder.

"I couldn't dream of not coming home."

They stayed like that for several seconds. When Naruto dipped his head towards hers, there was a knock at the door.

Her husband's face scrunched up in frustration, and Hinata laughed. "I'll get it," she said, sliding off the couch and leaving Naruto behind. He watched her go with an amused expression. Feeling as put together as she ever had for the last several weeks, Hinata opened the door.

"Hey!" Gon chirped, and she looked down at him, suffering a severe bout of deja vu. Killua was standing beside him; different room, same scenario. He looked past her to Naruto on the couch, and gave her husband a casual wave. Naruto waved back with a small grin. "Do you mind if we come in?"

"Of course." Hinata smiled at him; it was impossible not to. Gon exuded nothing but energy and happiness. He wasn't someone who let things weigh him down: now that the danger of the Ants had passed, he was doubtlessly just looking forward to another adventure.

It was a light existence, and Hinata was surprised to find she envied it in some small way.

Gon and Killua trooped into the room. She couldn't help but notice that they kept a respectable distance from Naruto. They put on a brave front, but they were still both experienced Hunters. Her husband was an enormously powerful man, even if he was on their side. They would be stupid not to treat him with respect.

"What's this about?" she asked, closing the door behind them and moving back into the room. To her surprise, Killua shuffled his feet. She'd never seen the uncertain motion from the boy; it was endearing.

"We need your help with something," he admitted, and Naruto leaned forward with interest.

"From Hinata?" he asked, and Killua gave him a very formal nod. Hinata almost laughed. She'd seen how enamored Killua had been with the fight between the King and her husband: it wasn't any wonder he was acting so stiff.

"Gon and I are trying to decide something... and I need to ask you something else," he said.

"Well, what's the first thing?" Hinata asked, and Gon produced a coin. It was one of West Gorteau's, tin stamped with a number and a mountain. She gave it an inquisitive look.

"Normal coin, right?" Gon asked, tapping his temple, and Hinata understood the motion, activating her Byakugan and looking over the coin for any imperfections.

"Yes," she said. "A normal coin. Should it not be?"

"No, that's perfect," Killua said. "It's not weighted towards any particular side?"

"No more than any coin is," Hinata said, not admitting that the mountain's side was perhaps a tenth of a centimeter or so thicker and so probably weighed infinitesimally more. She wanted to figure out what this was about.

"That's good enough, I guess," Gon said, glancing at Killua. His friend nodded, and Gon grinned. "Alright!" he said, thrusting the coin out towards Hinata. "I call tails."

"We need you to flip it," Killua supplied in response to Hinata's amused glance. Naruto chuckled, leaning back and watching the proceedings with a grin.

"Flip it?" Hinata asked, and Killua's face froze for a second.

"They... flip coins where you're from, right...?" he asked, and Hinata laughed.

"Yes, of course," she said. "Alright, I'll flip it." She plucked the coin from Gon's hand. "But only if you tell me why."

"I can't trust Killua not to cheat!" Gon declared, and Killua stuck his tongue out at his friend.

"Same goes for you!" he grumbled. "You can't trust Hunters with anything. They're all a bunch of cheaters."

"Well... I guess that's not wrong," Naruto said, scratching his chin. "What're you flipping for?"

"... That's private," Killua said after a moment. Hinata was surprised he hadn't answered the question. Gon elbowed him, frowning.

"Hey," he said. "You can't say that and also planning to be-"

Killua grunted, lowering his head. Gon watched him carefully, and Hinata did the same. She wasn't sure what was going on, but whatever it was had Killua moody.

"There's something I need to take care of," he said after a moment, and for some reason the words made Naruto narrow his eyes and cross his arms, watching the boy closely. "We're flipping to decide if Gon gets to come with me."

"What?" Hinata asked. "Why wouldn't he come with you? He's your friend."

"I know that!" Killua said, bristling. Hinata wasn't impressed, crossing her arms. "But what I've got to do... it's really dangerous. I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"It's got to do with his family," Gon said, looking to Killua for permission. "He doesn't wanna tell you everything, which I kinda get, but basically the Zoldycks have a rule that they can't kill family. So they might beat Killua up, but they won't kill him. That wouldn't go for me, or anyone else who tried to help."

"So you think you've gotta take care of it yourself?" Naruto said, and Killua turned to face him in surprise. He nodded, and Naruto frowned.

"I used to think like that," he said, and both Gon and Killua gave him a surprised look. Hinata just watched; even she wasn't entirely sure what Naruto was about to say. "That I had to take care of everything myself. It's a bad habit."

"But you could take care of everything yourself," Killua said in confusion, and Naruto laughed. "You took care of the King yourself, even. This really is something that only I could do."

"That might be the case," Naruto admitted. "Sometimes people need to do things on their own. But don't get it mixed up: I couldn't have beaten the King without Hinata softening him up." He smiled up at her. "She made him strong enough to surrender in the first place."

Hinata felt herself blush, and Gon grinned at her. "That's a weird thing to say," he said. "But you're definitely right."

"Doesn't matter," Killua grumbled. "If it were up to me he wouldn't be coming. But he won't leave me alone, so we're flipping for it."

"Alright," Hinata said. "In that case..."

She placed the coin atop her thumb and flicked it into the air. Killua and Gon watched it with focused, cat-like eyes as it whirled through the air. It spun countless times and then landed solidly in Hinata's palm, not even bouncing. At the last second, Killua flinched.

The coin came down with the mountain facing up. Tails.

"I didn't see anything," Gon said after a second. "Did you?"

"No." Killua clearly wasn't happy about it, but after a moment he dropped his head and grinned. He was shaking, just a little, Hinata thought. Maybe in fear, maybe in relief. Probably both. "You didn't cheat, did you?" he muttered.

"No," Hinata confirmed. "I didn't cheat. I left it to chance."

Killua sighed, blowing out a half-breath. "Alright," he said. "Fine. If it's chance, you can come."

"Awesome!" Gon said. He grinned at Hinata, and then turned to Naruto, looking back and forth between them. "In that case, we uh, have a request."

"Oh?" Naruto said, leaning forward once more. Gon couldn't seem to decide whether to focus on him or Hinata.

"Well, we're gonna be stealing something that the Zoldycks think is really valuable," he said, and Killua nodded, his face grim. "And they're definitely gonna be after us afterwards. So we were wondering if we could, uh..."

"Become refugees," Killua said with a hint of humor. "My family has spies all over the world... but none in yours."

Hinata blinked. "You want to come back with us?" she asked, and Gon nodded.

"I didn't really think of it," he admitted. "Killua did. But he's right; the Zoldycks are really strong, and they won't stop chasing us after we do this. The safest place we can go is back to where you came from." He grinned. "So I guess we need like, permission."

"The portal won't be operational for another two weeks," Naruto said, standing up, and both Gon and Killua were obviously taken aback by his height for a moment. "But you guys are friends of Hinata, so that means you're my friends too. If you need somewhere to hide out, we'll be happy to help."

Killua blinked. "Thank you, Hokage," he said, and Naruto waved him off with a grin.

"Naruto," he insisted. "If you get this thing done within the week, you can just come back with Hinata and me: Sasuke is going to take us directly. If it takes you longer than that, you've got my permission to take the portal. You'll have to go with Netero, most likely."

"Netero?" Gon asked, obviously surprised. "What do you mean? He's going too?"

"Yes," Hinata said. "I'm sure you both already know that Netero resigned as the Chairman."

"Of course," Killua said.

"What?" Gon asked, and Killua slapped him on the arm with an annoyed look.

"How did you not see that?!" he demanded. "We watched the news about it together!"

"I don't watch the news!" Gon declared.

"You were doing it this morning! You were staring at the tv in the restaurant!"

"That's the news?!" Gon asked. "I thought that was like, a show or something!" His eyes went wide. "Wait, does that mean that Gorteau's actually gonna get back together?"

"Are you... what...?!" Killua gave Hinata a helpless look.

"Well, Netero decided to resign, Gon," she said, trying to hold in her giggling. Right now, she missed her children more than ever before, but this was at least a partial substitute for the real thing. "Partly to shield the Association from the consequences of not killing all the Ants, but mostly because, as he put it, he was bored." She gestured to her husband. "He sought out Naruto for a fight, and afterwards, requested to travel to our world. He seems to think that there aren't any challenges left for him on this one."

"Dude's old as dirt," Gon said thoughtfully. "Actually, probably older. Maybe he's right." He tilted his head and looked at Naruto. "Wait, you and him fought? Was that the-"

"Thunder, yes," Hinata said. "The Chairman was always a strange man… I still can't understand what made him do that. Just boredom couldn't be enough."

"Who knows," Killua said. "It doesn't matter." He gave Naruto a slight bow, at which Naruto could only shake his head in exasperation. "We'll take up your offer, if that's alright."

"I'm the one who made it," Naruto said wryly. "Give Hinata a call when you're done within the next couple days: we'll be leaving by the end of the week."

They couldn't afford to stay any longer than that, Hinata thought. She and Naruto needed to get home; Boruto and Himawari needed their parents, and the village needed its Hokage. It was as simple as that.

Killua and Gon headed for the door, Gon waving goodbye. "Thanks!" he called. "We'll see you soon!"

Then they were gone, and with them, some of Hinata's energy. She sank down on the couch, suddenly tired, and Naruto gave her a concerned look.

"Okay?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Perfectly fine," she said, and he slotted into her side once more, wrapping his arm around her protectively. She relaxed, warm and safe. "I'm a little worried for them. The Zoldycks are... dangerous."

"Really pale," Naruto said matter-of-factly. "Pale people always gave me trouble."

"I was pretty pale, when I was young," Hinata said with a smile, and her husband blushed.

"Some pale people," he corrected. "You want me to do anything about them?"

"Help them?" she asked, and Naruto nodded. "I didn't consider it," she admitted. "They're both incredibly capable. When we were hunting the Ants together, they rarely needed my help."

"You can still get unlucky, and no matter how good they are they're still just two kids," Naruto frowned. "I'll tell Sasuke to keep an eye on them; he knows how to lay low. If they need help, he'll give it. If not..."

Hinata considered. "That would be good," she said. It would break her heart for Gon to survive everything that had challenged him, including the King, and get killed by Killua's family. It wouldn't be fair.

"Well, I'll put Sasuke on it." Naruto grinned. "He hates having to follow around kids, it's gonna be hilarious."

"Ha." Hinata snuggled into her husband's chest. "How does he feel about being the King's chaperone then?"

"Hard to tell," Naruto admitted. "But I think he's a little excited." He laughed. "He might be stuck with him for a while though."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked, and Naruto shook his head.

"Nothing," he said. "Nothing right now, anyway." He smiled. "Let's finish our lunch."

###

By the time Meruem found Ging and Youpi, Netero had wandered off in search of something more interesting. He entered the building they were staying in, a large auditorium of some sort crowded with Ants and the humans studying them, flanked by two of the Hokage's clones. The humans who were in the building gave way before him like a tide; the Ants regarded him with a mixture of fear and caution.

It was disgusting, Meruem thought, that the creatures that should have been his subjects could only look at him like that. He really had been an utter failure. Anything but a leader. At best, a figurehead. The thought brought him shame.

"Well." He recognized the man who confronted him after about a minute, as he watched both Ants and humans scurry away from him. "Well well well." Ging Freecss came to a stop before him and the Hokage's clones with a smug look. Even Meruem could see no sign of the terrible injury he'd dealt the man a week before. The Hunter was sturdy even for his kind. "Well," he said one last time. "What brings you here, King of the Ants?"

"I've given up that title," Meruem said, and Ging raised an eyebrow, giving a nod to both the Hokage's clones while keeping his focus on Meruem. "And I've come to see Komugi."

Ging clicked his tongue. Behind him, Menthuthuyoupi entered the room, and gave Meruem an unreadable look. He began lumbering over, moving to stand at Ging's side.

"Komugi, huh?" Ging said. "Well, it's not like we could stop you."

"I would not force you," Meruem said. The admission was painful for him; he didn't want to imagine what he would feel if he turned away, but to simply push past Ging would be to return to his former self.

That couldn't be allowed to happen. The King did not deserve Komugi's company.

"Well, that's generous of you," Ging said with a grin. Youpi finally reached his side, and the Hunter glanced back at the towering Ant. "He came to see Komugi."

"I heard," Youpi said simply, looking Meruem over. "I'm glad you are safe, Meruem."

"Meruem?" Meruem asked, a little surprised, and Youpi ponderously nodded.

"Meruem," he confirmed, and Meruem wondered just when Youpi had realized the King had perished, or was doomed to. "We followed the King's final command: Komugi is safe."

"I'd like to see her," Meruem said, and Youpi nodded thoughtfully, crossing his enormous arms.

"Yes," he said. "I believe she would like to see you as well. Would you like me to lead you to her?"

"More than anything," Meruem said quietly, and Youpi nodded again. He turned his back on the former King.

"Come."

Meruem followed, both Naruto's still in tow, as Youpi led them through the building's twisting halls and the masses of humans and Ants. The huge former Royal Guard effortlessly created a wide path to follow.

"We've decided to become human," Youpi said after some time, and Meruem looked at the Ant's back, wondering what he meant. "That was Ging's condition."

"I didn't leave you much choice," Meruem said. "I imagine it was that, or die."

"Yes," Youpi said. Meruem marveled that they had all ended up in the same situation, soldiers, commanders, Guards, and former Kings alike. "But it is not a difficult task." An eye grew on Youpi's back, regarding the King placidly. "Many of the Ants remember their past lives. As humans. For them, it is simply a rediscovery."

"Past lives?" one of Naruto's clones asked. "Whadya mean?"

"The humans that were consumed to create the Chimera Ants live on within them," Youpi said. "For some, it is more apparent. As a Royal Guard, I was created to be as pure as possible. But that is not the case for the rest."

"That's pretty incredible. They can remember who they were?" Naruto asked, and Youpi nodded. "Then the ones who died…"

"Were denied that chance," Meruem said. The clone glanced at him.

"Yeah," Naruto said. "I guess so."

Meruem's gut twisted. As often happened lately, he didn't recognize the feeling; this was a new and painful one, similar to guilt but more acidic. He filed it away.

"Here." Youpi stopped, gesturing to a closed double-door. "She was given a room to herself: she did not enjoy company."

Meruem glanced back at the cones. "Do you mind if I go in alone?" he asked. One of them shrugged.

"No problem," he said. "Take your time."

Meruem gave him a thankful nod, and Youpi pushed the door open for him. He stepped through, and it shut behind him with a distinct click.

It was a small room with a single bed, a table, and a gungi board.

Meruem's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't reached out with his chakra inside the building. He hadn't wanted to alarm anyone. He hadn't been totally positive Komugi was here.

But she was. Komugi was there, sitting in the center of the room, pondering the gungi board, her face twisted up in contemplation. Her head jerked up at the click of the door, and for a moment she stared at him, blind and startled.

Meruem took a step forward, not sure what to say. At the sound of his step, Komugi's lip wobbled.

"Meruem?" she asked, her voice barely audible, and Meruem felt his heart sink at her tone.

"Yes," he said, just as quiet, and Komugi sniffled.

"You're still alive," she said. "Mr. Youpi told me that, but I wasn't…"

"I'm alive," Meruem confirmed, still slowly approaching. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to handle this. It was one thing to apologize to the Hokage for trying to eat him. It was another entirely to show Komugi the regret that was tearing him apart.

"Did you win?" she asked, and Meruem laughed, a short and pained bark.

"No," he said, and Komugi sniffled, on the verge of tears. "You were right. I lost. It wasn't even close."

"You're stupid," Komugi muttered, her voice hitching. "I told you. You're so stupid. You lied to me."

Meruem resisted the urge to lie down and die right there.

"I did. I was." He got within five feet of her and sank down to his knees, trembling. "I broke my promise."

"I almost wanted you to die," Komugi said, hardly able to get the words out. "You promised, and then you broke it. You can't break a promise like that. I just wanted you to…" She sobbed, shuddering and leaning forward over the board.

"Komugi," Meruem said. "I've done many things that can't be forgiven." He dropped his head, closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" His voice froze up. Tiny words couldn't possibly convey what he was feeling. It was completely impossible, but with her, it was all he had to work with. "I'm so sorry," he said, his whole body shuddering. "I betrayed your trust."

Komugi was actually crying now, barely able to speak through her weeping. "Why didn't you…" She struggled to get the words out. "Why didn't you trust me?"

"I was a fool," Meruem declared, feeling his own poisonous words work their way down to his heart and settle there, heavy and painful. "I thought I knew best. It's as I said. I was stupid."

Komugi just sat and quietly wept, and once more Meruem was left with no idea what to do. After twenty seconds or so, he gingerly reached out, ready to be slapped away. His hand settled on Komugi's arm, and her whole face scrunched up. She curled up, wrapping her body around his arm.

"I thought you were gone." She cried, squeezing his arm harder. "I hated you, but I didn't know what to do."

"I'm sorry," Meruem said. Why couldn't he say anything but that? He really was an idiot. His mind was whirling, but no matter how much he thought he couldn't see a way out of the situation, find a solution that would make Komugi happy. He was trapped in a sorrow of his own making. "If you'd like, I can leave."

"No!" Komugi jerked up to face him, her blind eyes frantic. "No! You can't leave!"

"Then I'll stay," Meruem said. "I… I don't know what to do."

"Just stay," Komugi said, closing her eyes. "Please, just stay for a while, Meruem."

So, unable to refuse anything Komugi asked of him, Meruem did. He sat there with her clinging to his arm for nearly ten minutes as the girl loudly wept, feeling a loathing for himself grow stronger and stronger with every second that passed.

Eventually, he could no longer bear it.

"Komugi, I-" he started to say, and then the girl jerked his arm.

"Let's play a game," she said, her voice thick. "Please. Let's just play gungi."

"Alright," Meruem said. "If that's what you want."

She shuffled over to the board and Meruem followed her, placing himself on the other side of the board. This felt natural; it was a rehearsal of refreshing normalcy. This was how he and Komugi had created their relationship from the beginning, opposing one another over the false battlefield of the gungi board. It was a safe place for the both of them.

He set the board, and gave her the first move. She destroyed him in less than twenty.

"You got worse," Komugi said, sounding a little mad at the ease of her victory, and Meruem couldn't help but smile.

"I'm out of practice," he said, though that wasn't physically possible for him. Komugi gave him a determined nod and Meruem reset the board.

This time, she beat him in twenty-two, which was slightly less humiliating.

"What happened, after you made me leave?" Komugi eventually asked, several seconds after Meruem reset the board for the second time. Meruem regarded her cautiously, unsure of what she was looking for.

"My enemy arrived," Meruem said. "A man named Naruto: he was Hinata's husband."

"The assassin?" Komugi asked, and Meruem made an affirmative noise. "Was he one as well?"

"No," Meruem said, mulling over the question. "If anything, he was the opposite." He called out his moves as he spoke, the gungi board constantly shifting like the tide. "We fought, and he defeated me without much effort. He asked me to surrender, so he wouldn't have to kill me."

"And you did?" Clack, clack, clack. Meruem was coming closer and closer to defeat once more. It was difficult for him to focus on the game, and he was sure Komugi could tell. It didn't lend her moves any mercy.

"I did. I thought…" he hesitated, wondering if he would name himself a hypocrite.

No, it was too late to worry about that.

"I told you we would finish our last game. I didn't want to break two promises in a row."

Komugi froze mid-move. He'd never seen that before.

"I didn't…" Meruem wasn't sure how to finish that sentence, but something compelled him to spit it out. " I had lost everything else. I didn't want to lose you."

Slowly, Komugi finished her move, placing him in check. Silently, Meruem conceded and cleared the board, resetting it once more.

They played most of the next game in silence but for Meruem calling out his moves, until Komugi spoke once more.

"Everyone around you thought you were cruel," she said, her voice quiet. "Your guards, and Hinata, they all believed you were a monster." Clack, clack, clack. "But I never felt that in our games. You never treated me cruelly. When I told you that I staked my life on every game, you didn't laugh, or try harder than ever to beat me. You just accepted it."

"There was nothing to laugh at," Meruem said. "It was your life."

Komugi sniffed, and Meruem flinched, wondering if she was going to cry again. "No one else ever did that. They all told me I was a fool, or tried to beat me so I'd kill myself. Most of them told me that. They wanted me to die, because I was a dumb little blind girl, and I'd beaten them." She moved a general up, pincering his pieces. "But you just wanted to play. Maybe I'm stupid, but because of that I could never see you as cruel."

"I was cruel," Meruem said after a moment. "But I couldn't be to you. I saw you as an equal. I was cruel to those who I thought were less than me. Which was everyone."

"And now?" Komugi whispered. Meruem frowned.

"Like I said, I was a fool," he said. "You overcame me. Naruto overcame me. He killed my cruelty; the creature that was the King."

"I'm glad," Komugi said, before blushing. "Oh, that sounds terrible! I didn't-!"

"Go on," Meruem said, making what he was sure would be his third to last move of the game. Komugi confirmed his suspicions by destroying his hidden shinobi the next turn.

"I'm glad that happened," Komugi said, sounding horrified at admitting it. "Because maybe that means… that other people will be able to see the Meruem I saw. The one who's not cruel."

"I was cruel to you too. I controlled you; I broke my promise," Meruem said, pushing back slightly, and Komugi huffed angrily.

"Yes," she said. "But you were trying to keep me safe. You were just an idiot, so you did it in a stupid way." She closed her eyes, putting him in checkmate. "I forgive you."

"You shouldn't."

Komugi's eyes snapped open, and Meruem saw in them something he'd never seen manifested in the young girl before: fury.

"You can't tell me that," she said, her voice clipped and harsh, totally unlike her normal timidness but just as frank as always. "It's my forgiveness: I'll do whatever I want with it."

Meruem stared at her for a moment, shocked at her assertiveness. "You're right," he eventually admitted. "My apologies."

"Good," Komugi declared, obviously irritated, and Meruem almost laughed at the look on her face. She was pouting, but it definitely wouldn't be appropriate to laugh.

They played another game, and Meruem lost once more, this time in forty turns. Without talking to focus on, he performed slightly better.

"I'm frustrated," he admitted as he cleared the board, and Komugi made a curious noise.

"Because you lost?" she asked.

"No, loss is a chance for improvement." Meruem decided to go for a more aggressive strategy, bringing up far more pieces than was necessary. "That was the first thing you taught me."

"Then what is it?" Komugi asked, responding with just as much aggression. The board quickly transformed into a pitched battle, dozens of pieces lost on either side.

"I feel like..." Meruem said slowly, trying to articulate the feeling as best he could, "that I cannot fully communicate with you. I can tell you I'm sorry, as any human could, but I don't think that's sufficient for the harm I've done." He moved a soldier back, conceding the battle but not the board. "I've felt that way about everyone. Everyone I've hurt, I mean. That no matter how I apologize, how much, how fervently, I couldn't possibly make them feel the truth of it."

Komugi nodded, putting him in check. "Everyone feels that way," she said, and the thought brought Meruem a deep sorrow. "If you hurt someone, it's impossible to truly get rid of that hurt no matter how much you apologize." She frowned. "Some of the people I beat couldn't handle it. Maybe because I was blind, or young, or a girl, or all of them, or none of them, but it hurt them really deeply, and I couldn't make that go away. I couldn't take away my victory." Meruem escaped the first check, and Komugi smoothly placed him into another. He conceded. "It's the same for you, Meruem," Komugi muttered. "You lost in the end; how could you make up for your victories?"

"I don't know," Meruem admitted. "I truly don't. I can only guess at the method."

"What's your guess?" Komugi asked, and Meruem sighed as he reset the board.

"I saw..." He mulled it over, trying to decide what to say. "I don't know how to tell you what I saw."

"What do you mean?" Komugi asked, and Meruem looked back at her, away from the board. He stared at the girl playing him, taking her in in her entirety. Her Nen was radiant, beaming out from beneath her skin and lighting up the gungi table with a faint pearlescent sheen. Even in this casual game, she was pouring her entire being, body and soul, into the pieces in her hands, developing hundreds of new strategies by the minute.

She was, without a doubt, the most marvelous creature alive.

Somewhat entranced, Meruem reached out, his hand gently settling on Komugi's own. He wanted to tell her what he felt. He wanted her to feel what he felt. If Komugi could just know, in that moment, how she looked to him, the sense of complete and total admiration and

love

It wasn't impossible, he realized with a jolt. His hand made contact with hers, and a shock jumped between them: Komugi snatched hers back in surprise, looking up at him with blank eyes.

"Meruem?" she asked, and he reached out once again.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, his hand settling on hers, and Komugi looked down at it. She didn't shift away; she was just staring. "Even after what I did to you, do you trust me?"

She didn't answer for a moment, and fear began to devour Meruem from within. But after that moment, her mouth moved in a quiet whisper.

"Yes."

"Okay." Meruem started shaking, the fear morphing into terror. He was being stupid. Selfish. Truly foolish. But he couldn't stop himself. "Okay."

Slowly, with infinite caution, he began to mold his chakra in his core, sending it up his arms, through his hands, and into Komugi.

The girl stiffened, feeling his energy play over her. Meruem didn't force the connection, like he had before. His chakra suffused the air around Komugi, drawing around her like a gentle embrace and dancing across her skin in countless small embers.

"What's happening?" She didn't sound frightened. Just fascinated. Maybe she should have been frightened, Meruem thought. What he was doing wasn't natural. "What... is that you, Meruem?"

Chakra was more complicated than the sum of its parts. Meruem had learned that the hard way. The last time he'd attempted anything like this…

He remembered the hallway splattered in blood, and Komugi felt him shiver.

"What are you doing?" she asked. To his astonishment, her Nen reached out to him, pushing itself into the cloak of chakra forming around the both of them. Her shining energy interlaced itself with his aura, like two hands wrapping around one another. "It's okay."

That was it. The realization struck Meruem like a thunderbolt. He couldn't force any part of this. Trying to create a chakra system directly led to explosive consequences; it forced the energies of humans and Ants together with such ferocity that the chain reaction blew them to pieces. It was impossible for him to manage it, at least in someone who was already fully developed.

But maybe, if they were gradually pushed together, not forced but put into a partnership, the result would be something new.

Komugi's Nen and his chakra rolled together, circling the both of them and producing a chorus of soft sounds, and Meruem focused more than he ever had before. He had to be gentle, impossibly gentle, but purposeful. Komugi's eyes grew wide.

"What…" she whispered. He whispered.

Meruem realized the sound had come from them both. He bent forward, his forehead making contact with the board, pressing into the wood, cool and smooth.

Komugi.

I'm so

Sorry.

Everything Meruem had felt, all of the impossible feelings and words he hadn't been able to force out, slipped through with the thought, dissolving and mixing in with the expanding current of chakra and Nen. His gratitude, sorrow, regret, fear, horror, shame, doubt, it all poured out in a medley of Sorry. Komugi stiffened, feeling the apology run over her, almost a physical sensation.

I'm so sorry.

Komugi reached out, one hand slipping under Meruem's head, and gently raised him to face her. She was crying, her tears slipping down her cheeks and whipping away in the current, swirling around the both of them, dozens and hundreds of tiny glittering pearls. Meruem began crying too, her sorrow and forgiveness striking him like a punch to the gut.

"It's-" Okay. Komugi smiled, still weeping, her whole body shaking with joy and uncertainty and fear and forgiveness. It's okay.

I understand.

I see you.

She could. Komugi was still blind, would always be blind, but here, now, she could see him.

You're weird looking. They both laughed, swept up in the feeling, the electric connection drawing their souls closer and closer together. Meruem tried to stay focused, to keep his mind on the way their chakra and Nen danced together, modulating the link, but it was growing more and more difficult. So are you. I guess that's true.

His chakra wasn't overcoming her aura. They were just growing more intertwined.

Let me show you what I couldn't tell you.

The sun and the rope. The Rasengan, hands cupping one another. The demon leering from behind the Hokage. Surrender. Trust, terror. There's no reason to be scared, Meruem. I accept you. You're not going to blow me up. Cheetu's phantom blood splattered the both of them, and Komugi smiled.

You could never hurt me. But I don't know what I'd do if I lost you.

Everyone dies. Meruem's weeping intensified, but to his shock, Komugi reached down and picked up a gungi piece, restarting their game. He fumbled, the connection still imperfect and raw, and tried to begin anew as well. I bet my life on this game knowing that truth. The only thing every human will definitely do is die. Some of us aren't even born before that.

It's too terrible to comprehend. Meruem shook his head. The only reason I'm alive is because of you, and I don't even deserve you.

No one deserves anything. Was that him or her? Naruto had told him something like that. Their aura was growing near inseparable.

I don't believe that. I think that's naive. Maybe humans can think that, since they all disappear, but I was created to never go out. I'm more than a star. With all that time, I must be worthy of something. I must make myself worthy of you.

There was nothing but gungi. Their words shifted back and forth on the board, capturing one another and discarding others. Meruem felt as though he were drifting away.

Ah, Komugi thought, the soft realization echoing through his head. It's like a liberty. You surround, bind, and transform it. It's that simple.

Suddenly, as though gravity had reversed, Komugi's Nen flipped, swirled into itself, a million black holes all around them swallowing up the glittering light of their auras. Meruem blinked, blinded for a moment, as blind as Komugi, trapped in the utter darkness that was her sight since the day she was born, and when he opened his eyes

That's impossible. That's not possible.

It's simple though. You couldn't do it? I saw it in you.

The Nen embracing the both of them had transformed into something just like chakra.

It wasn't the same. A human like Komugi was physically incapable of producing chakra. But the transformed Nen linked together with Meruem's chakra perfectly, drawing them both closer together.

His liberties, her liberties, the difference became academic. The game continued, black and white standing together and falling apart in a million different patterns.

I don't want you to leave, Komugi thought. I wish we could just keep playing this game forever.

I've never been this happy. It was the same for both of them. I've never been this loved. I was so stupid. The world, gungi, it's just because I wanted this. That's all anyone wants, surely, this feeling I've never…

I know. But I have to let you go. I need to live without you. Even though that's the most painful thing in the world-

It would be selfish to hold onto you forever, to never let go.

It would be selfish to never let you, to hold onto you forever.

Sometimes apart, but forever together. This isn't a normal bond. This connection we've made, it's bound us up, like a rope that will never come apart. Even if one of us dies, we'll always be there for the other. That's what a partnership is. And you'll always be my partner. In gungi, in life, in everything. We'll always make the other stronger, kinder, fuller.

Right, Meruem?

Right, Komugi?

I don't deserve you, and I don't deserve you. But you need to feel that you do. I understand that. Even if I don't think that, it's important that you do. We're not the same person: you've always been like that, caring about what you think of yourself. If you need to make yourself something that can be with me without reservation, that's what you need to do. I can't hold onto you forever.

I wish I were simpler. I wish I could accept myself, like you. More and more liberties were vanishing, white coming to dominate the board. The game was coming to an end, and the connection was ebbing as well. I wish I'd always been like that. Maybe I wouldn't have hurt so many people.

That King is dead. Meruem only ever hurt me, and I've forgiven him. Let it go. That's what a partnership is. Improving one another.

The last cluster of black pieces were surrounded.

Oh. I lost.

That's the first time I've ever lost.

You didn't lose. Meruem swept the board. I was black. You were white. That's how it always was.

Komugi smiled. I couldn't tell the difference. For a second, there… I thought you really had beaten me.

But it didn't feel so bad.

…

You have to go.

Eventually. I have to go make amends. I don't know how, but I do know I have to stay by Naruto's will. He's making me someone worthy of you. I won't dare follow him home; I couldn't do that to Hinata. I'll have to find someone else with his will.

Sasuke? What a funny name.

Sasuke, indeed. But until then, we can play another game.

Will you play another game with me, Komugi? Even if I need to leave eventually, it's all I want.

You are the most spectacular and valuable thing in the world, and you saved it and me from something horrible. It's presumptuous, but can we play another game.

Of course.

Komugi was crying again.

Until the stars go out.