Here is the next chapter for the week. I'll be honest, I'm a little sad that no other SNS fans wanted to get a Christmas card from me this year, but oh well. Many happy season greetings to all you readers out there and dropping in to check this tale out.

Special shoutout to ESuri8, KitsuneJen, giuliadotmira and BadButt94 for sending me a review. It made me smile a LOT over my morning coffee! Virtual hugs for you all!

Onward we go!

==x00x00x00x00x00x==

Sasuke's eyes looked over the horizon, the sea becoming less and less, as he headed more north west, away from the sea that was in the east. It was almost dinner time, the sun almost at the edge of the horizon, and the foothills were only just forming. His horse lazily wandered through the long grass, Sasuke guiding his steed with his thighs. Familiar dips in the hills caught his eyes and he began to guide his horse alongside a larger hill and headed directly north. Finding more and more familiar sights, he urged his steed a little faster who snorted out in excitement and obeyed his master.

After several miles, Sasuke called out and pulled the horse to a halt. He stood in his stirrups and looked over the edge of a hillbank that had a most impressive slope and if someone wasn't careful, falling down could lead to some serious body damage. The area looked to be like a large bowl, steep hillsides on each direction and the bowl wasn't as large as some of the other hilly areas, and the way the hills peaked on each direction, Sasuke believed that someone couldn't see this gorge in the land unless they happened to wander within a few meters of it, just as he had done just now.

The land was familiar in many aspects, the few memories he had of him and Naruto running up and down these very hills were sporadic but brought a small smile to his lips now and then. Looking down into the gap, nothing sparked his memory in particular so he dismissed it as an area they may have never explored together most likely because it was further away from Naruto's homelands and as kids, they couldn't wander too far.

Looking down to the bottom of the gorge, he saw a small area of green and pink covering an area of the gorge floor that was in the sun most of the day. The flowering bushes seemed to reach up the side of the one hill, as if trying to touch the sun's rays as it passed through the day. The other areas that were not subjected to sun all day, only had simple brown grass that thrived in any type of area. There were various stones and rocks sticking out of the sides of the hill and a few that seemed to be buried in the flowers. Curious, Sasuke slipped off his steed and decided to go down the few hundred meters to the bottom of the gorge to take a closer look.

Leaning back and taking gentle steps on the steep slope, Sasuke found himself standing in the more shaded area at the bottom, his eyes going over the landscape. While catching his breath, since the slope was quite treacherous to climb down, he took in the rocks that were embedded in the hillside and then over to the greenery of flowers. They were pink, with white on the tips of each pedal and white in the centre that bled into each pink pedal. He stepped closer to the mounds of flowers and leaned down onto his knee when he got to the edge of where the foliage began. With his fingertips, he gently traced one of the flower stems and slipped his fingers to the green bulge that was below the bloom. There were at least two rows of pedals on a flower, each one vibrant light pink and white. Pinching his fingers, he plucked one of the blooms off and stood up, bringing the bloom head closer to his eyes. Upon closer look, the bloom's pedals created a star-shaped look, and the colour of the flower definitely had it sparkling while Sasuke twirled the delicate bloom between his fingers. The sun rays caught a few drops of water that were inside the bloom, and sparkled brightly when Sasuke twirled the flower.

He gasped suddenly and dropped the bloom. Grabbing at his bag, he pulled out the scroll, unraveling it carefully and quickly. His finger trailed the areas of scribbles of sloping lines and the scratches of small diamonds surrounding the childish writing 'pirate lay waste'. He held the paper up, his eyes blinking from the paper to the greenery and back again to the paper. Turning the paper sideways, he crossed his legs and fell to the ground slowly, the scroll in his lap. 'The line that makes it look like a bowl, the diamond designs, the words…' He frowned slightly. 'The flowers must be the diamonds, the whole area looks like a bowl, of course!' Sasuke felt himself smiling as he looked about, between the scroll, the flowers and the steep hills on either side of him. Was this somewhere Naruto had been? From what Sasuke could put together, it certainly looked like the thoughts of a ten year old. But of course, what did it mean? Because Naruto was a child, what could anything mean really but just the scribbles of a young boy with a wild imagination? Sasuke sighed out and rolled up the scroll. It was now getting dark, he figured he better climb the steep embankment and set up camp somewhere for the night. He would come back in the morning and think about it more, being that with the shadows now over taking the flowerbed, he wouldn't be able to see anything more anyhow, if there was anything else to see. He glanced again down at the flowerbed before heading back up the steep climb to his steed.

==intermission==

Kushina stood upon a balcony, situated on the highest floor of the Uzumaki castle, looking over the land and watching the sun set. The air was chilly, but expected for the time of year. She looked down at the lanterns that hung outside the small limited huts that were left on the lands outside the castle. She sighed loudly, her eyes taking in the settling sun, the colours of orange and red littered the sky, and sadness flowed through her. The colours reminded her painfully of her only son, though it had been 10 years, as a mother, there was still hope in her heart. Fates were against her though, whispers were always on the wind about how the Queen needed to move on. She would scowl in public and cry in the privacy of her own quarters, how the only child and love of her life had been lost to her. But there was a pull, something that tugged at her emotions, that gave her a sense of not to give up hope, but it was always just a feeling and nothing she could firmly grasp. The sting behind her eyes rose up once more, the frustrated feelings of helplessness and despair once again making itself known.

"Your majesty," a voice broke her thoughts and she knew who it was. It was one of her most trusted servants.

"Yes, what is it?" She responded, but didn't look away from the setting sun.

"A letter has arrived for you," the servant responded.

Kushina then turned around to see her servant bowing gently and holding out a sealed envelope. Taking it gently from her servant's fingers, she dismissed him and moved to sit in one of her arm chairs before opening it. She pinched her lips and frowned, seeing the royal seal and recognizing what kingdom it had come from. "Fucking Sound kingdom, what does that snake want?" she growled under her breath as she took her small dagger and sliced open the envelope.

Pulling the folded letter from the envelope, she unfolded it and a dried white flower fell onto her lap that was within the folded paper. She picked up the small frail bloom, looking at it before crushing it within her palm and flicked the pieces onto the floor. She flipped open the paper and scanned the letter...

Majesty Queen Kushina,

I will be arriving one month before our matrimonial event to assist you in the final details to ensure that all binding contracts are met. I am looking forward to our special day and having you officially as my Queen that very same night to seal our commemorative union.

Your beloved,

Lord Orochimaru

Kushina slammed her hands together, crumpling up the letter viciously between her palms. "Stupid fucking horses ass thinking he can get away with this!" Kushina growled out as her hands ripped at the paper over and over, until it was nothing but shredded bits of paper. She threw the bits of paper all over the floor, punching at the air and at the armchair while she voiced out curse after curse to release her frustration. Several minutes later she leaned back in her chair trying to catch her breath. She panted out heavily, her heart thumping harshly from the violent assault she completed on the letter from the Sound Kingdom. "Dammit that man! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" Tears streamed down her cheeks in anger before she buried her face in her hands, releasing all her agony through her sobs.

==x00x00x00x00x00x==

The morning birds began their calls at the first break of light in the sky. Sasuke buried his nose deeper into his sleeping wraps, refusing to acknowledge that morning had come. His horse let out a whinny and a huff, informing Sasuke that he was awake and most likely knew Sasuke was as well. Sasuke let out a sigh, bringing his hand up to rub at his eyes. He blinked up to see his small tent was definitely lighting up to the rising sun and if he didn't get up soon, his horse would most likely start stomping on his tent demanding his attention.

"Okay okay I'm coming," Sasuke breathed out while moving to sit up. The morning was chilly and he shivered briefly before finding his thick socks and clean underwear to slip on. Grabbing his bag as he got out of his small tent, he stood in the sun and stretched his arms then bent backwards slightly to pop his back. His horse nudged him in the shoulder, causing Sasuke to chuckle and give the horse a loving pat on his nuzzle. "Alright, breakfast it is," he whispered before sitting down and digging out his supplies.

While eating an apple, his steed over to the side pulling at some wild clovers, Sasuke pulled the parchment out once again and looked at the all to familiar drawings. The line that looked like a bowl, the diamond shapes and the words of pirates. 'Hmm, I don't think I'm missing anything,' he thought to himself, as he glanced down the steep slope at the foliage of pink flowers below. Perhaps he was thinking too much into it and it really was just the drawings of an active 10 year old boy. Taking the last bite of his apple, he threw the core to his steed who excitedly gobbled it up. He folded up the parchment carefully and placed it in his bag. Looking down to the pink flowers again, the condensation of the night created beautiful rainbow type reflections from the early morning sunbeams. His red lips did turn up to smile slightly at the beautiful sight that was most likely only visible this time of the day and year. A particular bright gleam caught his eye, that wasn't within the mass of flowers, but right by an embedded rock near the flowers. Sasuke tilted his head to the side, only to find that the gleam was gone, but when he moved his head back to where he sat, the gleam returned. 'Curious...what is that? It's too big to be a reflection of light off a drop of water…' He squinted his eyes to get a better look, but the brightness of it was too big to see exactly what it was that was reflecting off the sun.

Curiosity got the better of him, and Sasuke whispered to his horse he would be right back and started sliding down the side of the hillbank, just as he had done the day before. But this time, his eyes did not move from the spot where the sun reflected off of something. Even when he was in a position that the sun's beams did not shine on the area near the rock, he kept his gaze steady on that area.

He leaned against the hillbank where the embedded rock was. It was obviously a large boulder, but only part of it stuck out of the ground. Not uncommon for the area, since the foothills built up to the mountain terrain still several miles ride away. His eyes took in a small glint of something silver, in the ground close to the embedded boulder. It looked like a shard of metal, but when Sasuke reached for it, it wasn't a small broken piece, it was a piece of something larger that must be buried in the ground. Curiosity was at an all time high now as Sasuke attempted to push the dirt away from the object. The ground was hard, full of stones and Sasuke brought out his small dagger to dig away at the solid dirt. His aniki would throttle him if he knew what Sasuke was using his dagger for and he smirked, suddenly feeling the nostalgia of being rebellious when he was a kid.

After a few moments, Sasuke found that the piece of metal was indeed something bigger and he continued to chip away at the hardened dirt. Discovering along the way that the item was long and deeper in the hard ground but after a few more minutes, his heart thumped quickly, recognition flashing through his eyes. 'It can't be…' He sped up his digging, not caring that his dagger was most likely going to need a good sharpening after this, but when he was able to find the ends, he used his fingers to dig around all the edges. He then poked his dagger under the item and gently pried it out and into the sun.

Grabbing the small item, he quickly used his sweater to rub away the access caked on mud and dirt and held it out in the sun. There were still several areas covered with dirt that couldn't get removed without a finer instrument, but Sasuke knew what the article was. There was no mistaking it, he had seen it when Naruto showed it off proudly when he received it. The gift was from Naruto's father, King Minato for Naruto's 8th birthday. His father had presented Naruto with his first dagger, sheathed in this beautiful scabbard to signify his coming of age as a young man. Sasuke recalled the excitement in Naruto's eyes when he showed Sasuke the small dagger and intricate scabbard that encased it. The scabbard was made with a thick deep coloured leather, but had intricate metal pieces throughout and threaded through the leather. The leather didn't appear to be too decayed, from being underground for who knows how long but the metal ornamental pieces were rusted. Sasuke turned the leather scabbard around in his hands, his fingertips rubbing a metal plate near the opening, removing the layers of corrosion to the best of his ability. He knew what was on the metal plate, but he needed to see it as he rubbed furiously. His breath hitched when the engraving began to show. He stopped rubbing and instead trailed his fingertip along the engraved lines, following the familiar pattern. It was the Uzumaki crest. His finger followed the large circular trail that completed a circle and the waves that shot out around the circle. It was a simple design, similar to the Uchiha one, but the meaning behind the crest was the same for both families. Pride.

But why was this here? It certainly was an awkward place to find something so precious to Naruto. And how did this get here? Did he have it on him the day he went missing? Sasauke was certain Naruto had it up until then, seeing it the last time he saw Naruto in person, and alive. If it was under the earth, no wonder no one ever found it. How did it end up under the earth? Did it have meaning to the drawings that were on the parchment? Sasuke began looking around some more, pushing his dagger around the soil. 'Is the dagger here too?' Sasuke thought frantically but found nothing that would suggest it was here. More questions were flooding his mind instead of answers and Sasuke's frustrations rose. He pulled his black locks harshly to focus on the now. Taking some steady breaths, he sat on the ground near the flowers and thought about what he had thus far. After several moments, he grabbed his journal and made some notes. First the parchment, then finding the necklace in the area drawn on the parchment, and now this leather scabbard...finding another significant item of Naruto in another area drawn.

After writing all that he figured he could from his thoughts, Sasuke placed the scabbard into his bag along with the parchment. He glanced around him again, looking at all the areas that he had dug up, the flowers and the stone where he had found the scabbard. Thinking there was nothing else that he could locate, he began to make his way out of the deep chasm. Securing himself on his horse, he nudged his steed in the direction where the land began to lift and rise to the high impressive mountains in the distance. They are a few days' ride away, but Sasuke had no fear of the trip, he just kept his thoughts on what he had found so far and his eyes on the ground for any clues.

==x00x00x00x00x00x==

Itachi opened the next envelope, sighing in the process at the tedious task. To his left was the stack of letters from the people in the kingdom, asking for assistance and political ideas and requests from other kingdoms. There was always someone, some village, some political party and some kingdom, holding out their hands and begging for anything from food, stock and harvest up to asking for parcels of land. The requests were endless as a king.

He flipped open the neatly folded paper, lowering his eyes to the surprising delicate handwriting that was neatly scrawled through the entire page. Grabbing the envelope, he looked at where it came from, and surprised himself that he missed a royal stamp and signature. 'I must be more tired than I thought,' he thought to himself as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. Holding up the letter, he let his eyes roam over the words.

Your Majesty Itachi Uchiha,

I was close to your father, King Fugaku, as he was a long time good friend and ally to my family and kingdom. I was troubled deeply to hear of his and the Queen's untimely passing, and forgive me for not coming forward personally to express my deepest condolences at that time. Our kingdom had just fallen into war and though Fugaku was working with myself and my council to assist in offering the Uchiha army in aiding us, his untimely death led to his favour to fall through and our war going beyond what we thought. Please understand that I do not hold the Uchiha hierarchy responsible for the situation, I only wish to express my deepest condolences and inform you that I, King Yuki, still consider my kingdom and the Uchiha kingdom as allies.

The war that befell my kingdom is now over, thankfully, and our kingdom may have been the successor of the battle, but with great triumph comes a steep price. Many lives were lost, leaving orphans, widows and my lands in ruin that will take a great many years to recover. My people are working hard to rebuild what was lost, but it will take time. Until then, I am working with my advisors to build a solid plan to ensure that my kingdom continues to thrive for generations to come.

With this plan in motion, I ask you humbly, King Itachi Uchiha, to consider taking my child, who has come of age, as a bride. This union would and could unite our kingdoms, assist in building the strengths of our clans and most likely offer financial gain for our future heirs and kingdoms.

Again, I offer my deepest apologies for not being able to extend my condolences in person, as I would have liked to. Please accept this betroughed as a penance for my absence. Fugaku was a good friend, a good father, a good man and a great king with an ever caring and loving Queen. May they rest in peace.

I look forward to your response.

Your friend and ally,

King Yuki

The letter fluttered to the floor when it slipped through Itachi's fingers. Itachi's eyes didn't move as they stared blankly at nothing. The letter leaving his fingers did not even register. 'Bride...bride...' The word whispered through his mind over and over in his mind, the printed words blinking repeatedly in his eyes. Sounds of clinking swords and men hollering brought him back to the now. The guards were training outside, as they do every day, and he looked back down at the innocent letter on the floor. Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his temples. "A bride? For - me?" He spoke to no one in the room. Never had he considered taking a bride, his disability being the main culprit of his insecurities to be a fitting husband.

Deciding to take a break, he lifted himself from the chair, wincing slightly at the discomfort that his legs gave. He grabbed his cane and shuffled his way to the grand window. He looked down at the men, training in the vast green yard, practicing their moves with swords and shields, the captain yelling out commands. His thoughts wandered to his otouto, thinking about where he was at this moment. He had received word from Sasuke about the day he was beginning his journey into the vast area around the Uzumaki kingdom. He didn't have much to say, other than he would send a hawk every so often of his progress. It had only been a couple weeks, but time was of the essence for Queen Kushina. He knew that a year would pass as suddenly as a season, and knowing the reputation of the Sound King, he would most likely have other ideas or plans to shorten the time frame.

How much help could he be to Queen Kushina now? With King Yuki's kingdom requesting his hand to their heir, the political paperwork for this union would suffocate him from many other duties. He rubbed the bridge between his nose, letting out a tired sigh. Thinking of his options, declining the suggested union would be a dishonourable thing, not only for the Yuki king but for the memory of his father. His pride and honour struck through his chest like a broad sword, not able to move an inch. The destiny of the Uchiha clan laid upon strength in unions and heirs. He could not go against his ancestors that laid the foundation of the Uchiha clan to let it all go with a simple, no.

Deciding to forego his duties for the moment, he made his way slowly to the door of the room. He needed to consult with his own council and elders to go over this new turn of events. And of course think more in depth on what his own duty to his crown meant. A sit down in his private study room off his quarters, where sound was limited, the room was cozy and a warm soothing drink was waiting. He would consider the next step and all the outcomes that could fall upon his kingdom with his next decision.

==x00x00x00x00x00x==

The sun began to tuck away into the horizon and heavy dark clouds began to blow in from the east. The air was heavy with moisture and Sasuke knew a heavy rain storm was coming. Night was coming and the cold wind that picked up promised an evening of cold rain. Looking about, he was still in the open area of the foothills, with no real shelter available from the certain storm. Perhaps if he could find a rift in a larger hill, that could help shelter both him and his horse from the cold winds that would most likely be with the cold rain. He nudged his horse with his knees and clicked his tongue, getting his horse to trot faster across the hilly plains.

After several miles, the winds had picked up and had a sharp icy bite to the air. He pulled his cloak tighter around his collar and squinted his eyes in the distance. There! There was a heavy thick area of woodland, not as thick as a forest, but enough to provide more shelter than being out in the open could be. He clicked his tongue again and urged his horse to the small thicket of trees.

The setting sun was now completely hidden when the darkened clouds settled over Sasuke. The winds were blowing a light cold mist of rain across his face and dampening his hair. His gloves were thankfully leather that resisted the water but would only last for so long. He spurred the horse gently to pick up speed, for the thicket of growth was just a short distance away and the weather was promising a downpour at any moment.

They reached the edge of the woodland and Sasuke breathed out a long breath when the dark clouds began to release their swellings of water just as he and his horse ducked between the thick branches. Although he was still getting rained on, the overhead canopy of thick brush offered protection from the downpour. He pushed branches out of his face, so he would not get whipped by thin branches and urged his horse forward. The smell of burning wood caught his attention. He twitched his nose, to double check that his mind wasn't playing tricks, but he confirmed that there was an apparent fireplace burning in the area. "Seems like there may be a warm place to stay, wouldn't you say?" Sasuke spoke to his horse. "Let's see if we can find it 'ne?" He gave a warm pat to the steed's thick neck and his horse snorted in response. Sasuke trusted the horse to take the lead by releasing the reins and looking about the area while the horse turned slightly in another direction.

The smell became stronger, the rain still fell with the occasional crack of lightning and thunder. Both horse and rider were used to the noise of thunderstorms, therefore neither flinched at the cracks and flashes of light. But Sasuke knew that being under large trees was not always a safe place to be with the flashes of light, so he silently hoped they came across the location of the burning fire soon. Pushing the various branches out of the way while the horse walked through, he heard something through the sound of the rain and storm above. At first he thought it was just his imagination, but when a small glow began to appear through the thick underbrush, Sasuke ordered his horse to stop. Squinting his eyes through the haze of rain, he could see the soft glow of what looked to be a fire. Slipping out of his saddle to the ground silently and easily, he cautiously took steps forward through the thick brush, his eyes not leaving the soft flow of firelight.

The soft sounds of singing began to get louder the closer Sasuke got to the glow. His horse followed silently behind him, with the sounds of the rain drowning out any noises from the movement of the branches. Ducking behind a particular area of thick brush, Sasuke wiped away the excess raindrops from his face and looked at the figure that was sitting by the small fire underneath a canopy that looked to be human made. The canopy looked to be like a thatched roof, made of branches heavy with foliage. A small fire crackled and danced under the makeshift roof and the singing individual continued...

The mirror crack'd from side to side,

The door to another realm opens wide.

Shards raining upon the ground,

With a soft, tinkling sound.

The veil finally lifted,

As dimensions shifted,

From inside a rumbling came,

And the world would never be the same.

For within the mirror deep,

A dragon lay in cursed sleep.

Now woken in his shattered cage,

The beast let out a mighty roar of rage.

With beating wings he took flight,

And launched himself into the night.

As he made his way through the looking-glass,

Days of chaos came to pass...

"Who's there?" the soft voice called out over the rain. The figure stopped singing and looked out into the darkened area.

Sasuke held his breath, unsure of what to do. He knew nothing of this individual in the middle of nowhere, huddled beneath a rain shelter. He continued to watch quietly as the figure looked into the darkness.

"I am but a poor old woman, I have nothing to offer but a warm place to sit until the storm passes. If you are thinking of taking advantage of an old woman with nothing, then you are better off to move on." The soft voice called out through the falling rain. She turned back towards the fire and began humming instead of singing.

Sasuke stepped out from the thick brush of trees, his hand at the ready should this old woman be luring him in with the false sense of security. His steps were muffled from the moisture in the ground, but the old woman heard him and looked over at him.

"Well, that wasn't so hard was it?" she sing songed out. "Come boy, have a seat near the fire, where it is warm and wait out the storm." She lifted a frail hand up and pointed to the other side of the small fire.

Sasuke moved cautiously around the area, his eyes not leaving the old woman before ducking beneath the enclosure and sitting slowly by the fire, directly across from the woman. He took in her appearance, seeing that she was elderly, her face thick with wrinkles and skin seasoned dark by years in the sun. Her eyes were a dull colour gray, and tufts of silver hair poked out from around the scarf wrapped around her head. Her hands were covered in dark age spots, her fingers crooked from age with more deep wrinkles and she sat slightly slouched. Sasuke could see a small hump on the top of her back.

"Aren't you a cute one," the old lady chuckled deeply as she took a long thick branch and poked the coals in the fire. "If I was many years younger my lad, I would have made trouble for a good looking boy like you!" She cackled loudly and suddenly, her laughter echoing in the small enclosure and a snap of lightning shot through the sky.

Sasuke shivered slightly, but he wasn't cold, it was the whole concept of this night. The questionable woman, how and why she was here, the noise of the storm, all mixed together that was leaving him feeling unsure of this whole situation. He kept his eyes on the woman while her laughter quieted down to soft chuckles and she settled back into poking her stick at the flames.

"So young man, what are you doing out in an area such as this and in this storm?" The gray eyes looked up at Sasuke and gleamed from the fire light.

Sasuke said nothing.

"Come now, you aren't scared are you? I am nothing but an old woman just trying to make my days most pleasurable," she chuckled again before staring across the flames at Sasuke.

Sasuke tilted his head slightly, his eyes warily looking back at the old woman's figure. His instincts were jittery. The years of research he had done on various creatures and persons of the land taught him many things that had him cautious on who he should dare consult with. As the woman watched with her wide gray eyes and smiled at him with her pale lips, he thought about an answer.

"I am but on a journey to meet up with a friend." His response was smooth and uninteresting, or so he hoped.

The old woman's eyes widened a fraction more and she grinned, showing off what few teeth she had left, leaving Sasuke to inwardly cringe at the sight. She then nodded her head and hummed out an approval before reaching for her small satchel beside her. She dug within it, pulling out dried meat and offering one to Sasuke. Sasuke shook his head and politely declined. The woman shrugged her shoulders and began gnawing on the dried meat.

They both sat in silence for sometime, both watching the flames dance and every so often the old woman would throw another small handful of branches into the fire. The storm continued to rage on around them, Sasuke's horse had found a larger tree that was full of leaves to provide some coverage from the downpour of rain. The lightning lit up the area, followed by the rumbles of thunder. The storm did not appear to be over anytime soon, but both did not seem bothered by it. The old woman began to hum again, and Sasuke recognized the tune that he had heard the old woman singing earlier.

"It's an old song," the old lady suddenly spoke up. "I can see the question in your eyes." She smiled at him. "It was a song my grandmother taught my mother, who then taught me. Story goes that my grandmother was taught by her mother, who was taught by her mother, and so on." She waved her hand in a circle and chuckled.

Sasuke sat silently.

"The song apparently is from the time dragon's roamed our very earth, coming here through magical portals in mirrors." She smiled softly and looked down at the flames, poking at it with her stick. "But, there are many stories about dragons," she breathed out what sounded like a tired breath. "The songs created tell the stories the best." She glanced up and beamed a grin at Sasuke, showing off her little bits of teeth. "Are you interested in dragons young one?"

Sasuke shook his head no.

"Well well, isn't that interesting," she hummed out and nodded her head slightly. "In my experience, young strapping men like yourself have always appeared to have an interest in the supernatural magical beings to slay and then brag their victory to hoards of young maidens!" She cackled again, and ironically enough the lightning flashed right when she laughed, followed by a deep crack of thunder. "But then, I shouldn't be so judgemental these days eh?" She smirked at Sasuke and winked.

"Hn," Sasuke responded simply with a nod of his head, his eyes watching the end of the old woman's stick poking at the flames.

The pair sat silently again for some time, listening to the rain continue to fall.

The words of the song rang through Sasuke's head and curiosity got the better of him. "Does the song you were singing have meaning?" he asked.

"Hmmm...well there is some curiosity in there somewhere 'ne?" The old lady hummed out while poking the fire. She placed the stick down and took a deep long breath, rolling her shoulders and letting out a groan as her neck cracked. "Old bones yah know," she chuckled. "The song eh, well, it tells of how the first dragon came to our world and since this world isn't a place for a dragon, chaos ensued." She pinched her lips in thought.

"Was the dragon defeated?" Sasuke's interest perked a little. He had read in volumes about the history of dragons, their qualities, how dangerous they were and also the belief of magical abilities that they could pass onto other beings should they be slain or captured.

The old lady snickered, causing her shoulders to quake. "Oh there is always an ending to these tales, and in this particular one, the only way to defeat the dragon was to quell its heart." She hummed and nodded out.

"Easier said than done," Sasuke huffed out.

"Ah, there is always a way, but the ways that are foretold in stories aren't always the only way for sure," she chortled out. "Never just believe the only way is what you see with your eyes. Your heart can speak volumes."

Sasuke snorted out a laugh at such a preposterous answer. The old woman just shrugged her shoulders and returned to poking at the hot coals with her stick. Still, Sasuke was curious about the song that he had never heard before. An idea struck him. "Would you mind singing it again and allowing me to write it down?" He moved to grab his satchel, digging for his notebook.

"Anything for a handsome man like yourself," she giggled, giving Sasuke a large grin and a wink before she started to sing the song again.

==x00x00x00x00x00x==

Thanks for reading, see you all next week with the next chapter :)

Keep smiling everyone! Many virtual cookies for you! I'm on twitter and tumblr, inluvwnaruto is my handle if anyone wants to say hello :)