Soon after Madara's exit Sei fell asleep due to her intoxicated stupor. She slept peacefully long into the next morning holding her pillow close to her chest. She woke up to a meowing alarm and peered up realizing it was Tobirama holding Kūrō. He placed the cat on the matted floor and sat next to Sei.

"You called for me."

Sei remembered it all, "By the gods, I'm the worse drunk ever."

He replied bluntly, "I have seen worse."

"You?" Sei sat up.

"Not I personally... The Senju clan were... legendary drunks... Especially mother and father..." He revealed a somewhat truth.

"Other families are no better. At family gatherings Hyūga become rather emotional drunks or aggressive say the worse of us. I bet my father met most of his wifes at the parties and arranged the nuptials of his children there as well. He must have been extremely drunk when he arranged mine with Yoshi's father." Sei alluded to with a droll grin.

He tried not to laugh, "As my parents conceived most of their children."

"How were you as a boy?"

"A child with a devil-may-care attitude... As you have perceived, That changed as I grew older..."

"You had younger brothers who died in the wars..."

"Yes, Before their deaths I protected them and at times Hashirama... Most of the time we only had each other... Though, The only one who did not step on the battlefield as a child was Aikiku. Who was very young and was not expected to live long. However that did not stop her from thinking she was useless. She dedicated herself to her art and joined an obscure occult temple... She did not understand the truth about battle. In hell there is no glory... After the deaths of my younger brothers a darkness entered me... Meeting her did quell my want for vengeance... Momentarily..."

"You mean the Uchiha woman?"

He nodded, "As you know."

Sei spoke about her childhood, "Like Aikiku, I did not meet battle as a child either. Witnessing the death of his first wife... My father excluded his second wife from battle. This forbiddance included the women and all the children of our family... We were trained as children but only the boys met battle. I was ignorant as a child... Living in my own mind and shut off from the world... My life before the onikage was uneventful always stuck inside but at least I had my mother and later Tora... Though with the onikage I found myself even more alone. Nothing but shadows, darkness and helplessness... I spent ten years with my sensei and now he seems more of a mystery..."

"There has to be a reason why such an entity chose you above other souls?"

"Yes, I agree... Soon I may find out. After my training... When I returned home I was perceived as a ghost or a stranger... My father nevertheless accepted me back in his fold. While he wasn't attending politics or war effort. My father developed five styles of the gentle fist and gifted his children with such knowledge. Your army is only as good as the one who leads it... I admire my cold hearted bastard of a father in that area. He may be old now but he was a needed tactical genius for a cutthroat time..."

"You wish to find a man like your father?"

"Oh Gods, No. I wish to find someone who is loyal and honest. Whom I can build a family and home with. I will not lie anymore... There is nothing I want more than peace, happiness and a purpose to live." Listening to her intently Tobirama lost himself in contemplation. Sei chuckled gleefully, "You mean yourself?..."

Ardent gazes met, He requested, "What do yoυ want? From me?"

"Contrary to what others believe I'm a rather simple woman... I wish for what any of my gender wants from a man... What I don't want above all is... I don't want you to suffer because of my inability and blunders." She said swallowing her pride before kissing him affectionately.

"There's no way you could make me suffer." He pulled her back into his embrace.

"Meowwurrr!" Kūrō meowed up at Sei and Tobirama interrupting them. He rubbed his face and side against Tobirama purring.

Sei giggled, "Kūrō always reveals my inner thoughts." She took a toy ball from her bag next to the bedding and threw it. To her dismay Kūrō ignored it continuing on with his loving behavior. Going with plan B she took out a special treat from her bag, "Your favorite sweet! Kūrō! Soul food!"

Sei threw the treat Kurō pursued eagerly garbling it up. There on he began to play with his shiny toy ball.

After witnessing Kurō's strangeness, Tobirama could no longer contain himself. "He is not a normal cat..."

Sei returned saying, "Yes, Kurō is not an actual cat. He is a morphic being from the shadow dimension. I can't explain his origin. It is hard to define what is not entirely possible to understand. Though, I believe his people are ancient and under an extremely powerful genjutsu curse that makes them eternally suspended in shadow. However, My sensei found ways to utilize them in a manner similar to the shikigami. Though only those with great discipline and will can command them."

"You do possess such."

"I believe your will power is stronger than my own... Must be why Kūrō likes you..." Sei pointed out tenderly on his behalf.

"He does?" He disbelieved.

"Kūrō spent the night with you? Did he not?"

Kūrō finally spoke up, "Sei, Stop it! I only stayed with him to make sure nothing bad happened between the three of you."

"Ah, You little fiend..." Sei pressed on his nose teasing Kūrō.

Kurō raised his nose up, "That I am... I'm going to scout out the area."

"Make sure no one is spying on me... Especially my family."

Tobirama cleared her doubts, "You are the only member of your family at the resort."

"That is good to know... My father sometimes sends agents tasked to shadow members of the family."

"Yes, I do the same for my little sister who has the habit of sneaking out at night. By her 'over talkative' intel I have learnt many things she refuses to tell Hashirama and I." He imparted onto her.

"Though with my father it sometimes carries overcautious paranoia."

He promised to scout the area however Kūrō had a secret mission. He traveled to the shadow dimension to receive a special item for his masters. He entered the dark palace of the onikage and made it down to the temple. There on the offerings alter he took two dark shards. The size of a human hand. He swallowed the dark shards quickly. Upon returning to the Temple gate he was found out by a larger cat the size of a panther. The shadow panther growled possessing a feminine tone, "What are you doing here? Small fry?"

"Just paying my respects to the master."

Receiving a telepathic message from the onikage the panther spoke; "Hmm, My master wishes to speak with you, runt. Follow Tsuki."

The larger cat showed the way to her lord's deteriorated palace. Enslaved shadows pursued behind them as if moths to a flame. Her lord sat unaccompanied in the throne room. Kūrō felt as if eyes were watching him when none could be perceived. Kūro stood unflinching before the humanoid figure who approached him. Ebon garments clothed the onikage's pallid slender frame giving him the appearance of a raven. The onikage's pale eyes shifted to the small cat in front of him. He chuckled moving his long brown hair from his bloodless facial. "Soo... Kūro has come to see me... Has mother been using what I taught her?"

Kūrō spoke briefly, "When she must... What do you wish from me? My lord?"

He explained his frustrations, "Mother has closed off her mind from me... Tell me about mother? What is she doing? How is she?"

"There is a dispute between her twin and herself over leadership..."

"Her relations?"

"She is no longer engaged..." Kūrō trembled.

"Good... And?"

"She has two admirers tempting to win her affections."

"They are?" He pressured as the panther Tsuki sat majestically at his feet.

"A Senju and an Uchiha..."

"Ah, Yes, An Uchiha... Good... A meddlesome Senju? No... Not good at all... Though, It will still go the way I foreseen..." He gently caressed Tsuki's fur with his cadaverous hand. "Kūrō, You must stir this in the favor of the first... What I seek is a soul kindred to my own... Sei will give me what I seek as payment for everything I have taught her."

"Are you at the end of life? My lord? You look pale..." Kūrō empathically bowed his head.

"You dare question my undying eminence? If you don't do as I say... I will have Tsuki eat you." Tsuki relished his words licking her chops.

She remarked intimidating Kūrō, "What a tasty treat... Veal for dinner..."

Kūrō lowered his body and tail to the colorless ground, "You cannibal!... Yes! Yes! My lord, Forgive me."

"Very good... Now go, Unruly kitten... I will be watching you."

Fearfully Kūrō ran as fast as he could out of the palace. He dimension shifted back to the real world and began his journey back to his beloved. He thought to himself as he scampered off, "Kiss my tail! You jerks! I will protect Sei and my friends no matter what!"

Upon arrival Sei's voice emitted from her room. "You stir my nerves by telling me why I should not choose Madara... And think by persuading my father will make a courtship to me justified? No. At least he has been more honest with me regarding his intentions. When are you going to trust me?"

Kūrō tuned in on their conversation, "Trust you? How can I trust you? if you can't trust yourself? I'm watching you so you don't do anything foolish. You are not alone and you will never push me away. I will stay to everything I have told you before."

"You are just like Madara! An unmovable mountain."

"You are wrong, Sei. I'm the river flowing forevermore and always in your way."

"I will just have cross you."

"Not during storm season."

Sei breathed deeply tempting to control her anger, "By the gods, I need to meditate..."

Kūrō's pupils dilated and his ears folded back. Mother's anger clouded his own emotions. He crouched down and listened to them. The sound of a door shifting signaled Sei's departure. After her exit Kūrō entered and faced Tobirama who kept his controlled composure in face to Seihana's former outburst. The cat puked up the shards and gave them to him.

"Here you go, Mr. Flying Thunder God! My gift to you! This material can't hurt the living but beings from my home world it kills." Kūrō displayed, his tail and ears perked up as he explained.

He patted his head, "Thank you, Kūrō. Have you learnt anything else?"

"My lord will never leave the shadow dimension because he is close to death, the essence of such a place has extended his life but now that is at an end and to regenerate his own life he needs a soul compatible with his own. He needs the life and soul of Hyūga and Uchiha chakra."

"Much obliged, Kūrō, How long does he have left?" Tobirama visually inspected the onyx like metal.

"I would say... five years."

"To lure him out... We might as well situate this in the way your lord wants... I would like to know more about your home world and your lord."

Kūrō further explained, "As you will, Master. The onikage is the self-proclaimed despot of the shadow realm for the past 940 years. He elevated himself to godly status so others from the realm would get in line. He weaves the emptiness into anything he wishes, summons spirits to do his bidding and possesses other wondrous powers. His companion Tsuki is from the same shadow kindred as me."

"Interesting... I would like to know the fabric of your lord's entity."

Kūrō revealed earnestly, "uh, He never spoken of his true name or his childhood... From what I can tell... He has the same eyes as mother."

"Very good."

Kūrō bowed, "Are you sure about letting Sei go? My master?"

"Concluding both Sei and Madara's circumstances their relationship may produce something beneficial and revealing. Now we have work to do, Come Kūrō. We will find out what exactly you are capable of."

"That sounds fun!" Kūrō followed after.

Author: Since this is an A.U fan fiction. I'm going to change a few things. So in the next few chapters I'm going to introduce cults dedicated to the tailed spirits who view entities like Kurama as immortal gods. (Even though I think Kurama would tell worship prone humans to screw off.) If there actually is something like that tell me. It will be kinda funny though.