Kyuubi looked at the place where moments before Naruto had sat. All that remained was a patch of glass where the sand had melted when the Phoenix fire enveloped Naruto

Take care of yourself kit. The darkness is mounting, and the denizens cry for release from the deeper realms. I fear that you may be the only thing standing in their way.

With that last thought Kyuubi disappeared in his usual puff of flames.


Hinata was beginning to get worried. Her Kaiten Had blown the bandits back, but not nearly as far as it should have. Even worse was the fact that whoever these twisted cretins were they had to have some kind of High level Gen-jutsu user, because what ever those false wings covered, was hidden to her eyes, even with the Byakugan activated she could see no charka holes.

"What do you want from me?"

"Take a wild guess girlie."

"I have no money, and I refuse to be taken as a hostage, now leave me be before my friends come looking for me."

"You don't know!" The shadow demon looked past her at his partner "She doesn't know!"

He gave a vicious laugh, and unfurled his wings.

"Give us the key child and we'll kill you quickly"

Hinata was inwardly shocked.

O...Oh SHIT those are REAL wings? NO! That's not possible this can't be anything more then a High class Jutsu. OK Hinata, focus…deep breaths… remember where the points are.

The demons were both amused when the Human refused to back down. The humans they remembered were little more than slightly intelligent animals. Of course they hadn't been able to enter the primary plane in more than fifty thousand years. In fact both of them were mildly impressed at the stick houses that this pathetic race had managed to create. None of it came close to the Halls of the palace of Chaos of course, but not bad… for humans.

"Child, give us the key, and we may even spare you. You're courageous… for a Human of course."

Hinata getting annoyed, the whole 'Superior Race' thing was getting on her nerves. She had run into arrogant Ninjas before but these two were probably the worst. Hinata had never liked people that considered themselves better because of heritage (even though she was considered a member of a 'Superior bloodline' herself) attempting to follow Naruto's path had only re-enforced this feeling. Therefore Hinata was, for once, in something similar to a battle rage. Therefore she was nearly shaking with rage when she demanded, not requested, Demanded to know what exactly the key was.

"That necklace you're carrying child. Give us the key and you can go."

Hinata took out Naruto's Necklace

"This?"

The eyes of both demons glowed.

"Yes child" hissed the second in a sickly sweet voice "Give us the key"

Hinata turned lifted the necklace… and put it around her own neck.

"If you want it, Come and get it."


Naruto was just a trifle worried. After Kyuubi's odd ceremony he had been in to much pain from the feather to pay much attention, but now that he could look around Naruto knew that he was Definitely in trouble.

"I have come…"

Naruto was cut off by the Phoenix in front of him

"So we see. HOW have you come? No living Mortal has known the correct incantation, nor had the correct components to enter here in several thousand years."

"I Have Come" Said Naruto raising his voice "To collect the debt that the Phoenix owes to the Uzumaki clan. By blood right I demand to speak to Monato Siame, keeper of the eternal flame, and lord of the phoenix."

"and how do you intend to prove your blood?"

"Wa? PROVE my blood? Why should I need to do that?"

the white phoenix ruffled his feathers.

"I knew it, this is an imposter that has somehow gained entrance through trickery. No Phoenix would DARE bring an Uzumaki here… Destroy him."

Naruto looked around in dismay. The moment the Phoenix had finished speaking flames of several different colors had begun streaming toward him, in the background he heard several voices squawk out 'Angel's flame' Seconds later there was only a charred patch were he had once stood.


Sasuke stood back panting…

"Shikamaru you BAKA, will you stop attacking me long enough for me to speak?"

He flipped backward and jumped from tree to tree for a bit trying to avoid the shadow bind.

"Never."

The word came out more as little more than a growl as Shikamaru strained to get his shadow to stretch just a little bit further. The end of it stopped a tantalizing two inches from where Sasuke was standing.

"Look, I just came to apologize."

Shikamaru withdrew his shadow, but his eyes lost none of their killer intent.

"I shouldn't have attacked the Dobe, he was my teammate and my friend"

Shikamaru said nothing, he didn't even blink, Sasuke was growing slightly nervous, and he couldn't see the white part of Shikamaru's eyes anymore. Shikamaru on the other hand could feel his anger rising, he felt a heat that seemed to start just behind his eyes and travel all the way down his body.

"Most importantly, he was a shinobi of leaf."

Sasuke dropped his eyes, he really was sorry, but part of his mind couldn't help but try to calculate the effect this would have on his former friend. After all it was a rare thing to see an Uchiha bow his head.

"What I did was rash, and it was Naruto that paid the consequences for my actions."

He risked a quick glance up.

Is it just me or does he seem cloaked in shadow?

Shikamaru was nearly quivering in anger. Did Sasuke really think that he was so simple minded? No Uchiha would say things like that. It would be like gravity deciding that it wanted to reverse it's self for a while. No, this was just an elaborate act… The heat from his anger seemed to increase.

Nope it's defiantly not me, I can hardly see where he ends and the shadows begin… what is he DOING?

Sasuke began slowly backing away Looking for an escape if it became necessary.

"There is no way I can take back my actions" He continued "I would if I could, and I would ask Naruto to forgive the unforgivable if there was a way to do it. Sadly the past can't be changed."

Sasuke had written out a long elaborate speech earlier, full of flowery phrases and exhortations on how he ment to change. From the first kunai to the current situation he hadn't been able to remember a word of it.

It's time I wrap this up and get the hell out of here, this shadow thing is getting kind of creepy.

"All I can do is hope that you will give me a chance to redeem myself in your eyes… that you will let me work to re-gain what honor is left to me."

Sasuke was about to add a phrase somewhere along the lines of I'll leave you now to let you consider' when Shikamaru started to speak, he was still clouded in shadows.

"An interesting proposition you've laid before me. You want me to forgive and, you hope, eventually forget. That might be possible if Naruto were still alive. I could take a cue from him as to how to act. But, as you so elegantly put it, 'Sadly, the past can't be changed'. In my eyes you are lower than dirt, lower than dung. To be honest I would welcome Kyuubi himself with open arms if it was a choice between him and you. In fact the old legends of the village proclaim him a guardian."

Suddenly the shadow's cloaking Shikamaru seemed to travel up his body and concentrate themselves on his Right hand. Sasuke could only stare as a three foot square shadow opened in the air on the right side of Shikamaru. Sasuke was about to leave with all due haste when his hair was grabbed from behind, and his head pulled backward. With a start he looked straight up… and into Shikamaru's eyes, they were jet black, from the center of the pupil to the farthest edges.

What the HELL? It's like he's managed to reverse a Hyuuga's eyes!

"But asking Naruto isn't an option anymore."

Continued Shikamaru, as though this was a common occurrence. Sasuke shifted his eyes sideways and saw his body arched backward through a square Identical to the one that he had watched Shikamaru create.

"You are a missing-nin. I don't care if the Hokage recinded the order, you don't deserve life, and I really doubt that anyone will blame me."

Sasuke was attempting to think coherently,

Ok, he's using some weird jutsu the best thing I can do is to get my head back through this… WHATEVER it is.

"I'd tell you to say hello to Naruto for me" Continued Shikamaru "but he went to a better place, you will go to a far FAR worse one. Goodbye Sasuke, have a good time in hell."

Sasuke did NOT like the direction that this conversation had gone, and jerked his head forward as quickly as he could. His eyes watered from the additional strain on his hair. Just as he moved Shikamaru whispered"

"Shadow Guillotine"

Sasuke stared at Shikamaru. Once again they stood more than fifty meters apart. Shikamaru looked annoyed, and Sasuke raised a trembling hand to the back of his head. When his hand came back around it had several drops of blood glistening wetly on the fingertips. Sasuke fled in terror.

"That was Impressive."

Shikamaru whipped around to Chouji standing nonchalantly with his back against a tree nearby.

"When did you learn that move?"

Shikamaru looked wryly at the handful of hair he still held, His attack had missed, Sasuke had pulled back quickly enough that he lost only a very small patch of scalp.

"I didn't. Family history indicates that my family once had a shadow related bloodline rather than just the affinity we have now. Oddly it hasn't surfaced for more than two hundred years."

"Looks like you might just have it."

"Looks like it. 'sigh' so Troublesome. Tell you what, if you help me inside I'll tell mom you're going to stay for dinner."

"Why do you need help inside?"

"Cause I'm as good as out of charka I attempted shadow bind, and that combined with… whatever it is I did, used all my stamina and most of my charka."

Chouji snickered and then went to help his friend into the house.


Hinata was in real trouble. She had tried both the Kaiten and the sixty four point attack. The Kaiten only worked marginally, and the sixty four point attack hadn't even slowed the one she hit down.

Why? I know that I couldn't see the points but I know them well enough to have hit at LEAST one… and why the perpetual twilight? The sun should have been up almost thirty minutes ago. Where are the villagers? (There are none, this isn't your world little human)

"WHAT THE HELL? HOW ARE YOU SPEAKING IN MY HEAD?!?"

"Speaking in your head?"

The demon shook its wings slightly, as far as Hinata had been able to discern that was the equivalent of laughter.

"Our master put us in… well I supposed your kind would call it a pocket reality."

Hinata, panting gave the demon a questioning look

"It's really such a bother explaining it, but since we've decided to kill you anyway we can take a moment." Said the other.

"Basically the High Lord froze time for the three of us. Once one side or the other is victorious we will be dropped into our respective realities. This is as close as we can get to your world at the moment."

The other demons wings shook again

"But not for long. Once we get the key from you the Dark Lord can scry it out and pull both it and us into the primary plane… 'your world' if you prefer."

"Then" continued the first one "we unlock the gate and your world becomes ours, your puny race our playthings."

"And now" finished the second "it's time for you to die"

Both demons suddenly launched themselves at Hinata. The last thing she saw was a flash of bright white light.


"Another cliffhanger?" you ask me? But of course, I strive hard to keep my story's interesting. Hopefully that makes me a better writer. Do any of you know how hard it is to end every chapter on some form of cliffhanger? Well OK, I admit it. The primary reason I leaving most of them on cliffhangers is because I love watching all of you squirm (evil grin). Besides it makes for much more interesting reviews. On top of that, you keep reading just to find out what happens. Mwaahahahah now you are all cought in my trap... (stop and blink) did I just tell all fo you my neferious plot? Oh well, I hope you all keep reading anyway. On to the Reviews!
nonengel:
Thank you

boedathome:
-D Yes, Yes I did.

Miyata:
No, actuly it was a reference to Tsunade's younger brother.

Sleepy Kitty:
Indeed? (shrug) I've been reading the Magna, so an ending doesn't help me much if your talking about the Animation.

Sirus 183:
But it's so much fun! :-)

Dragon Man 180:
who says she needs his help? ;-)

RyokoTenchi:
Insanity can be fun D. To be honest, from my observations I'd say when women dress up it's to attract only certain peoples eyes, and they then to get annoyed if the wrong person notices. (sigh) I wouldn't know from expirence, I've always been more of a 'shoulder to cry on' guy. I could never enter a serious relationship with most of the women I know because they can only see 'underneath the underneath' on rare occasions. The effort they put into attracting the attention of jocks really gets on my nerves. (For those sportsfans out there, not all athletes are jocks, and not all jocks are athletes, it's a mindset.)

To Everyone: Thank you for all the reviews, Sorry that I didn't get this up last night, but I hit a minor writers block (AI: I didn't feel like writing) But I think that I'm over it now. So, what do you all think? was this chapter worth it? Any particular challenges anyone would like to give me? Thoughts? Comments? Corrections? Correlations? (hehehe 4 C's) if there are don't hesitate to send them.

Sincerly,
Manatheron

PS. I was tempted to add the line 'and so ended the reign of man' But I figured that'd just be cruel