Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. I am merely basking in its glory.

A/N: I'm sososo sorry for the super long wait ::ducks the thrown veggies::... but like I said b4.. junior year has started and it's pretty much killing me. I get on average, 4 hrs of sleep daily. x . x

The Legend of the Thiasa

Chapter 7: Breaking Point

"Iruka!" Naruto shouted. He knelt quickly beside his fallen father and placed a hand on his shoulder. He shook the dark haired man vigorously, but to no avail. "Iruka!!" He sweat-dropped a little. He didn't think Iruka would take the news this badly.

His mind wandered to the past month. He had met with Sasuke many times, almost more times than he could bear. But neither one could help it. Naruto recalled with a grimace the first night, not long after the island incident, when he had awoken panting and groaning and clutching his heart. The sharp, insistent pangs of emptiness in his chest grew steadily stronger throughout the night. Through their link, Naruto knew that Sasuke was awake and experiencing the same time. After talking to him for a while, they both realized that it was the separation that was causing the pain and had made plans to meet again the next day. A month had passed in similar fashion. If they did not see each other for more than two days, the pain would intensify from a dull, forgettable throb, to the wild aches of need.

Naruto sighed in memory of those weeks. But thankfully, now the pain was easing away. They could spend more and more time apart, and when the pangs did come, they were much less severe. At least it didn't make him nauseous and his vision tinted with black anymore.

They had talked a lot during the time they spent together. Even though neither one put their feelings into words, they both could feel respect and trust growing within them for each other. They had reached a point where they almost enjoyed the other's company. Almost. The last couple of weeks, they had discussed intensely whether it was time to tell an adult about their bond or not. Sasuke had been vehement in his protest of it until Naruto eventually wore him down by saying that they couldn't possibly hide this forever and that it would be better to reveal it to a trusted few now than risk being exposed to all later. Sasuke had grudgingly agreed to tell one adult.

Iruka stirred underneath Naruto's hand, jolting him back to the present. "Iruka! Are you ok?" Dark brown eyes flickered open and attempted to focus.

Iruka groaned. What had happened? Why did his head hurt so much? Abruptly, he remembered Naruto's news and his eyes widened as he stared upward at his adopted child. A half of him raged and wept at the mere thought that his baby was all grown up and bonded, but the other half was numb in shock at the fact that it was to an Avian. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply a few times, trying to regain control of his thoughts. Iruka reopened them and struggled to sit. Immediately, Naruto was at his side, helping him and supporting him.

"I'm ok, Naruto," Iruka said shakily. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Worry shone in Naruto's azure eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure. Do me a favor and go hang out with your friends, ok? I need some time to think."

Naruto hesitated, unwilling to leave his father alone. Iruka waved impatiently at him, urging him to leave. "Go, go. I need to think."

"...Ok." Naruto rose and helped Iruka up as well. He turned and left the room with one last backwards glance. When he was gone, Iruka sank into a chair and released the breath he had been holding. His eyes grew distant as he recited the familiar prophecy softly.

"When the moonlight drowns,
Caught between the wrathful waves,
Saving strength shall be crowned,
And healed shall be the races.
A hope shall be drawn to anguish,
Born of the blood winged curse,
Betrayed, vengeance's narrow miss,
Light, devotion to heart, seeks first.
Evil shall fall from the chill above,
Forked lies that bind the enemies,
Blood shed for the sake of love,
Breaks free from the unborn seed."

Iruka sighed and closed his eyes lightly. Yl Thiasa Fyoerian – The Peace-bringer's Destiny – was as ingrained in his mind as the night of Naruto's birth. He had pored over it many nights as a young shinobi, fascinated by its implications and numerous layers of meanings and symbols. It had never occurred to him then that his interest in the prophecy would bring him to where he was today. His brow creased as he focused on the second stanza.

"A hope shall be drawn to anguish, born of the blood winged curse..." Iruka muttered to himself. It had made no sense before, no matter which way he looked at it, but now he saw clearly that it told of Naruto's bond to the Avian boy. As to why the boy would be likened to anguish or a blood curse was beyond him still.

He had to inform Tsunade and Jiraiya. Iruka opened his eyes and stood up. Quickly, he walked out the room and toward the Grand Residence. He took two steps and broke into a run.

Sasuke glided smoothly through a wide window high up in the Royal Tower. He landed and after making sure there was no one in sight, shifted smoothly back to his human form and stood up. He had been flying for hours after the last meeting with Naruto, trying to calm his nerves and work up enough courage. There had been no doubt in his mind as to who he would tell. In many ways, Kakashi-sama had been more of a parent to him than his real ones and Sasuke was sure he could trust him.

He heard running footsteps to his right and stepped slightly back to allow the person room to pass. But, upon reaching him, the footsteps stopped. Sasuke turned his head to see the slightly out-of-breath guard standing at attention next to him.

"Thank Kyarae I found you. The Maari requested that you report to him immediately."

Sasuke inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Thank you." Kyarae had certainly made it easy for him to meet his mentor. He walked past the guard and headed toward the Royal Room. It disoriented him every time he heard Kakashi-sama's formal title. It was hard to keep reminding himself that the grey-haired man was the leader of their entire clan, something akin to a king. There was no Maara to lead beside Kakashi-sama, a point the Avian people found very disgruntling. For some odd reason, he had never decided to bond. Sasuke had questioned him once about it but had only received the answer that he would be told when he was older and more mature.

Sasuke reached the intricately carved doors and entered with a loud knock or two. Slipping in noiselessly, he glanced around the empty room with a puzzled expression.

"Sasuke," the sound of Kakashi-sama's voice made him start, "Have you ever taken the time to really look at the stars?" Locating the source of the voice, Sasuke walked over to the small balcony that was situated to the right of the throne. The masked royal was there, sprawled undignified in a corner, his one visible eye turned upward toward the heavens. Sasuke gripped the rail and tilted his head back as well. Millions of small sparks of light greeted his eyes and he drank the sight in hungrily. He had almost forgotten - he had done this often when he was a child. He let the immensity of Creation wash over and soothe him. He released a breath he had not known he was holding and felt for the first time in many weeks, truly at peace.

"Where were you today?" Kakashi's smooth voice slid effortlessly through the night air. Without turning to face his teacher, Sasuke could detect the slight undercurrent of worry in his words. It was a perfect opportunity to tell him, a small whisper flickered across his mind. The raven- haired boy breathed deeply a few times to calm his nerves before speaking.

"I need to tell you something." Silence followed as Kakashi waited patiently for Sasuke to continue. "I – I've been bonded." Even though the king did not speak, Sasuke could sense the surprise radiating from him. He thought dryly to himself that he hadn't even come to the most shocking part yet before he let the truth spill out of him.

"When I was fighting in that surprise Canis attack, I came across a boy about my age. I fought him and ... somehow, we accidentally performed the bonding ceremony. So yes, I'm bonded to a Canis boy." Sasuke waited for Kakashi's reaction, a little afraid of the outburst that was sure to come.

"What's his name?" the question caught Sasuke off-guard.

"Ah – Naruto."

A long period of silence fell. Sasuke turned to face his king and saw that he was staring thoughtfully into the night sky. He was about to open his mouth and interrupt the stillness when Kakashi spoke.

"Being bonded to a boy is unusual, but not unheard of. But being bonded to a Canis boy... now, that's a first." The Maari turned suddenly and stared at Sasuke intently. "Do you love him?"

Immediately, blood rushed to Sasuke's cheeks. "No! I mean ye- no! No, of course not!"

"I loved a man once," Kakashi's voice grew soft and tender and his one grey eye seemed unfocused as memories overtook the ruler. "His name was Iruka and ... Kyarae... he was perfect. He was a Canis too, you know. We would sneak out and meet secretly all the time, anywhere, everywhere." Kakashi drifted off and after several moments of silence Sasuke prompted him once again.

"What happened?"

"We wanted to be bonded but in the end, too many things held us back. I was next in line to be Maari, and it was a very high possibility that he would be chosen to be one of the Canis' High Shinobi. A bond, a relationship... would not have worked. We agreed to never meet again but leaving him was the hardest thing I ever had to do." Kakashi's voice shook slightly as he allowed memories to come to him, memories that he had been holding back and trying to forget for the past 25 years.

"But," Sasuke said in a quiet voice. "It's already been more than 20 years. Why haven't you forgotten him?"

Kakashi turned and Sasuke saw in his grey eye a multitude of emotions. Compassion, seriousness, sympathy – all layered with a softness that the king rarely showed. "Sasuke, love is never temporary. I loved Iruka then and I love him now. Someday, you too will meet the person who will make your life complete. Maybe then, you'll understand."

Sasuke watched him, amazed and humbled that Kakashi-sama would share this emotional moment with him. Mixed expressions played across his face. It was hard to believe that the reserved ruler had that painful of a past. Sasuke felt an odd sense of relief, that he was not the only one to have associated with a Canis boy. Vaguely, he wondered what would have happened if Kakashi had tried bonding with this Iruka guy. Where would the two of them be right now?

"Sasuke, go home, it's late," Sasuke opened his mouth to protest but Kakashi silenced him with an upheld hand. "If I remember correctly, you have patrol very early tomorrow and then a training session, right?" Sasuke nodded, defeated.

"Good night then," he said softly and bowed low and stayed there a second longer than usual. Turning, he exited the room as noiselessly as he had entered. When he had left, Kakashi sighed and leaned his head back on the cool stone wall. Staring aimlessly at the myriad of stars, he let the ancient prophecy run through his head. It had been passed down from king to king for generations and it told of a time when there would be no more fighting, no more bloodshed. He knew from Iruka that the Canis clan held the same prophecy in high regard and that they spoke reverently of the Thiasa, the one who would bring peace, the Mähkgre in the Avian language.

Cki Pgnaarylmähkgre. The Peace-Bringer's Destiny. Kakashi sighed again and closed his eyes, losing himself to memories of warm brown eyes and tender kisses.

Iruka arrived panting at the great double doors. Ignoring the odd glances he received, he pushed his way through the crowd that had gathered for the afternoon public session. It was a bothersome but necessary thing, these public sessions. Any citizen could come during these times and present their problem directly to the queen. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was almost time for the session to end.

As if on cue, a loud voice announced the session's closing and slowly people began to shuffle out. Eternity passed before the room was finally empty. Iruka emerged from his corner and walked briskly to the throne in the center where Tsunade sat, eyes closed and thumbs massaging her temples.

"Hey, you!" a guard called out. "You're not supposed to be in here!" The burly man started towards Iruka. Tsunade opened her eyes at the sound and catching sight of Iruka, hastened to call off the guards.

"No, it's ok, I know him," she said. "Could you give us some privacy, please?"

"Of course," as one, the guards bowed and exited the room.

"You look tired," Iruka said sympathetically as soon as the guards had left. "You need more sleep – you'll kill yourself at this rate."

A wry smile crept across Tsunade's face. "Thanks, Iruka, but I'm Thymera – I can't just take naps whenever I want to." She forced a laugh before turning serious again. "But obviously, you're not here about me. What's wrong?"

"It's Naruto," Iruka hesitated for a long moment. He HAD promised not to tell anyone and so far he had never broken a promise made to Naruto. He struggled silently before deciding that it would be for Naruto's benefit to have Tsunade know.

"Naruto... he's been bonded –"

"WHAT?!?!" Tsunade sat straight up on the throne and leaned forward urgently. She gripped the chair tightly, slowly turning her fingers white. "How did this happen? Are you absolutely sure? When – "

Iruka held up his hands defensively. "Hold on, hold on. One thing at a time!" Slowly, he proceeded to explain the situation to Tsunade. When he was done, she sat back in her throne and for once, she was speechless. Iruka waited a few moments for her to digest the information before beginning again in a soft voice.

"This bonding was all predicted in the prophecy, Tsunade. And although it is shocking that Naruto is bonded to an Avian boy, what we need to focus on now is what the prophecy points to next." Iruka saw that he had Tsunade's full attention now, so taking a deep breath, he quoted from Yl Thiasa Fyoerian.

"'Evil shall fall from the chill above, forked lies that bind the enemies' – I've studied the entire prophecy many times over and I can tell you with complete certainty that this is warning of an enemy that will come from the north, beyond the forests."

The queen sat, contemplating Iruka's words. When she opened her mouth, her even voice betrayed the chaos she felt inside. "What do you suggest I do?"

"Tsunade..." Iruka said. "If I were you... I would prepare for war."

"As if we haven't been in a war for as long as we can remember..."

"No – this time it's different. The prophecy clearly points to a greater evil than what we're used to. Think of the war with the Avian clan as practice compared to what is about to come."

Tsunade let loose a tiny sigh. "Iruka, I want you to come to the next High Shinobi meeting next week. You'll discuss this with them. Also, if what you're saying does come true, I'll need you to be prepared to reclaim a position among the High Shinobi. You'll most likely be replacing Kohana, the Third – her baby's nearly due and I don't want her to be around here with all the stress."

Solemnly, Iruka nodded his consent and with one last bow, turned and left the room, leaving behind a confused and frustrated Thymera.

Cool night air filled his lungs as he soared high above the treetops. Momentarily, Sasuke allowed himself to relax and enjoy the sensation of flight. No matter how many times he flew, he never got tired of it. His powerful wings beat lazily as he glided through the darkness toward the Uchiha family tower. All too soon, the dark outline of his home rose in front of him and he reluctantly descended and returned to his human form.

It was too quiet. He knew it and felt it the moment he landed. His gaze swept his surroundings and it confirmed the fact that something was wrong. Things were knocked over, thrown, and left in disarray. There was no one. He began to walk faster and faster up the pathway that led to the tower, not trusting his voice to call for the people he knew should have been there. He reached the heavy oak door and slammed it open. His eyes stared incredulously at the splashes of blood that decorated the walls.

He glanced to his right and his heart halted. It was Naka, one of his distant cousins. Her once laughing eyes now stared blankly ahead, the brilliant green now faded and glazed over. Blood covered her everywhere. She was supposed to be on guard duty tonight.

He tore his eyes away and broke into a run. He fought the Panic that rose in him and clawed at his throat. A frightening silence pounded in his ears, his mind, chilling him and tightening around his chest. Fear made his hands shake.

Running up the circular ramp, Sasuke came across more and more bodies. An aunt there, an uncle here, part of a cousin there – his mind grew numb to the destruction and eventually he no longer remembered their relation to him. He knew only of the eyes – the blank and staring eyes. Their gazes bore into him and pleaded with him to do something, to remember them.

His family! The thought of them struck a pang of fear into his chest. Faster and faster Sasuke ran, until he arrived panting at the highest room where his family lived. His heartbeats blurred with the ache of trauma and panic as he threw open the doors.

The scene before him burned itself into his eyes. For a few moments he stood there, not comprehending what his vision was telling him. Slowly, he took in the blood – so much blood, too much red splattered across the room. His eyes focused painfully on the small heap in the middle of the floor. Sasuke stopped breathing when he finally recognized the features of the two bodies.

Mother.

Father.

The burning feeling in his chest forced him to breathe again. He stumbled forward and tripping, fell to his hands and feet. Immediately, his pants became soaked with sticky red but he barely felt it as he crawled. Sasuke's vision blurred and tears began to drip down his pale cheeks. He drew a long shuddering breath and whispered hoarsely.

"Mother... Father... "a hysterical sob began to rise in him but before it could break free, a dark figure stepped out from the shadowed corner. As the person drew closer, Sasuke caught sight of the dull gleam of a katana dripping with blood. Finally, realization struck and his gasp caught in his throat.

"Itachi," Sasuke managed to choke out. "What have you done?" He barely recognized his own voice – it sounded hollow and torn to his own ears.

Cold red eyes contemplated him with an intensity that sent trembles of fear through Sasuke's body. Itachi's expression remained detached and emotionless as he spoke. "What have I done, little brother? I should think it would be quite obvious."

Calmly, Itachi closed his eyes and breathed. "Mangekyou Sharingan!" His eyes flew open and Sasuke found himself caught in a gaze of crimson red. It was different from the normal Sharingan – there was an extra wheel circling the pupil. These thoughts barely formed in his mind before the full effect of Itachi's power overtook him.

Unwillingly, a scream was torn from his throat, raw and wordless. He saw and did not see Itachi with his deadly fast katana, killing emotionlessly his own kin. Sasuke relived his parents' last moments. He heard their pleading, their screams of pain. He felt their warm blood splattering on his face and yet beneath it all, memories of their smiles and their love remained, making it all the more painful.

When Sasuke opened his eyes once more, he saw the harshly rough ground. His throat burned from screaming and he felt a weariness seeping into his bones. Still, he struggled to lift his head enough so he could speak.

"Why?" it came out weak and hoarse but Sasuke no longer cared.

"To see if I could."

Rage stirred within Sasuke and burst into flame, filling him with its heat. "Is that it?! To see if you could?!"

"Yes."

His anger pulled him to his feet and drove him forward. "You bastard!" Abruptly, he heard the sound of flesh striking flesh and the ground rushed up to meet him. The pain followed seconds later, yet it still could not match the pain he felt in his heart. Sasuke felt rough hands pulling him up and to his dismay, he found himself looking into Itachi's eyes. Terror struck him then and no matter how he fought to keep it down, it overwhelmed him with its urgency.

Cold amusement filled Itachi's gaze. "Are you scared now, little brother? Hate me then, for killing our family. Embrace your bloodlust, your destiny – only then can you bring it to its full potential - only then will you be worthy enough to seek revenge." Itachi dropped Sasuke cruelly and watched him crumple to the ground. "Our family was wrong in trying to fight it."

The taller man walked slowly to the open window on the opposite side of the room. "Our bloodlust is a gift, remember that." He turned his crimson gaze back one last time, sending fresh waves of fear through Sasuke. "We were meant to enjoy killing, little brother." With that, Itachi was gone.

Sasuke lay where Itachi had dropped him, shaking with terror and pain. His eyes flickered wildly around the chaotic room. Something inside him broke under the pressure and the emotions he had been holding back flooded forward in a numbing wave. All the barriers in his heart and mind faltered and fell to the onslaught of feeling.

Throwing his head back, he screamed a wordless scream, putting in it all his pain and anguish. He felt it reverberate through his body and echo through the thick night air. Sorrow gripped his soul.

Preview:

"Naruto! Where have you been?! You just ran out in the middle of the night and I-"Iruka halted abruptly when he saw the visitor emerge through the doorway. "Oh!"

"Who's –"His brown eyes narrowed as his intuition told him that the boy before him was not a Canis, as he appeared to be, but an Avian. Naruto nodded slightly and the stranger changed out of the transformation with a little poof. In place of the short brown haired, blue eyed boy, there stood a taller, darker Avian. His black hair hung silkily, framing a face sharpened by pain. Obsidian eyes hid wells of emotion behind a cold mirror. Iruka stood unsurely.

Naruto took a deep breath. "Iruka," he began. "I would like you to meet my bondmate, Uchiha Sasuke." He shot an uncertain but gentle glance towards his partner before returning his gaze to his father. "He's going to be staying with us for a while."

Ghostninja85: thank you so much for emailing me!! I tend to get so caught up in all my other stuff that I'll neglect my writing – which is, of course, very bad. So yes, you have my eternal gratitude. ï