"Uhhh.. I figured there would be more, I dunno, sulfur and hellfire maybe…?" Naruto gaped at the large skyscrapers and the demons in sharp suits rushing back and forth along the paved sidewalks, avoiding the trams and trolleys that zoomed past.

"A common misconception." Pride absently responded.

It felt like he had been sent through a portal to wall street not the netherworld. The massive buildings had no end as they towered over him. The monsters, if you could call them that, were all too busy walking and talking on their phones to notice the two that had just stepped through the raging portal. He would have mistaken them all for humans with the exception of the various demon eyes hidden behind dark glasses that didn't even glance his way. His momentary awe was soon replaced with panic. What just happened?

"Come, Keep up." The devil began to walk down the steps, off the platform and onto the sidewalk. The mortal scurried behind him. He turned back to see the station he just left. Six large platforms stood with massive portals behind, each one a different color.

"Those are the gateways to and from hell. The three on the left will take you out of hell the three on the right is where you return to hell via any portal. If something happens and I tell you to leave this realm take the gray portal to the very left out. That one will take you back to your dimension."
The sin began walking again picking up his pace and checking his watch.

"What happens if I take one of the other two portals? Does one lead to heaven or something?" Naruto mused as he rushed after his guide.

"Well demons got kicked out of heaven so, no. Public portals from hell can't take you there." He laughed at the question. "Besides compared to heaven we are actually the civil ones. Take my word for it, heaven isn't as enchanting as everyone tries to make it. Just trust me, you don't need to know where the other portals lead." He made a turn into a sleek building, as the doorman pushed open the set of dark glass doors which read 'Pride Inc.', and strode past an expensive looking lobby. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings and rich velvet chairs adorned the sitting area. Itachi's shoes echoed off the marble floor as he approached the receptionists.

He beckoned for her to follow him as he passed. "Ino my dear, cancel my afternoon meeting with the fates. Ask if they can reschedule for the weekend."

"Yes, Commander." One of the two tall attractive woman responded from behind the desk before grabbing a binder and following her boss towards the elevators.

"Keep quiet." Pride whispered and motioned Naruto into the corner of the small space and held the door open for his secretary to catch up.

The succubus read off her list as the elevator ascended to the top floor."Your husband called for you, and the Leviathan wants to know if you are able to meet informally this evening, said it was important. Baal also expressed some discontent that you vanished during his meeting."

"Ah, apologize to Baal for me. It was an unavoidable emergency… We can reschedule at his convenience." The devil rolled his eyes.

"Yes sir" the receptionist noted it on her list. Naruto watched her tuck a lock of long hair back behind her ear. The woman seemed normal enough except for the fact that Naruto had an overwhelming urge to kiss her at the current moment. This can't be happening… He took in a deep breath and forced himself to stare at the ceiling. She had to be a special kind of demon, he usually had a much better control on his physical desires. Please let this all be one crazy dream. The elevator stopped and let them out at the top floor. The succubus led the way into a sleek dark office. A long glass top desk stood at the far end of the room accompanied by a set of chairs, one which now was occupied by the secretary. The devil entered and drifted to the floor to ceiling window that provided a gracious view of the busy city. He stared out at the skyline before turning back around and addressing the lady in the chair.

"Let Levi know I can meet briefly before the opening ceremony, I'm sure he's freaking out. How are the preparations for tonight?"

Naruto had slipped into the office as the two talked. He angled himself into a corner against a row of bookshelves and stared at his hands. What the hell? He allowed his thoughts to catch up with him, still partially in disbelief that he wasn't still dreaming. He winced at the pain in his side as he breathed heavily. Nope, not dreaming. The blow from being knocked into a wall earlier left him sore and bruised for sure.

"Will your brother be joining the festivities this time?" Ino asked as she jotted down something in her binder.

Pride absently stared out the window. "I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.". A thought crossed his mind as he turned abruptly to his secretary with a large wicked smile on his face. "Then again, he may feel compelled to join us this time around. Make preparations for him just in case, and tell my husband I'll meet him at the arena." The demon took a side glance at Naruto who was still curled up hiding in a corner of the office slightly rocking himself, obviously still in shock. This would be the perfect reason for the long lost brother of the deadly sin of Pride to return.

"Shall I inform your husband of a chance for your brothers arrival?"

"Yes, but be discreet about all of this. You know how Madara is dying to get his hands on him." Pride shot a knowing look at the succubus. The receptionist nodded seriously. She had known the Sins brother since they were children, despite his constant rejections for her affections she could never make a move that would put him in danger. Itachi knew this as well.

"That will be all Ino." He dismissed his secretary and turned back to face the window. There was a few moments of silence after she had taken her leave. Naruto peeked up at the dark figure wondering if he would ever be able to get back home.

"Come, mortal. Take in the view of hell. You may be one of the few who sees it and lives." He mused as the man shuffled over to the window.

"Not what I expected, I'll admit." Naruto had his false bravado up. His smiles and jokes were always a cover for his anxieties. Right now he was on the verge of a mental breakdown but he resisted the urge to jump out the window.

The view was that of an enormous metropolis, dark sleek buildings and narrow sidewalks with crowds of people bustling through. Advertisements for various products he had never heard of before shown on billboards and on sides of buildings. The clean streets lined with twisted trees and sleek vehicles made everything look almost like earth, except it was too clean. No where on the face of the earth would such a large city be this clean. Naruto sighed to himself as he gave the demon a side glance.

"Where do you think mortals got their ideas and inspirations for society from? Demons have been whispering in their ears and manipulating the human race for millions of years."

"So home is like a mini version of hell, makes sense." Naruto nodded, thinking back to how much he really hated his life, but how he'd now give anything to be back on earth dealing with it right this moment. He had just begun to pull his life together, he was so close to graduating, and he finally had a place and roommates he enjoyed coming home to. He had friends that valued him and didn't see him as broken or pity him for what he had gone through. They'd panic when they realized he was missing, it's not like Naruto to leave without a note of some kind. His heart sunk to his stomach at the thought.

"Well of course we aren't the only ones that like to create extra trouble sometimes for mortal societies and whatnot. Honestly if it was just us, you'd live in a utopian setting for the most part." Pride frowned as he stared off in the distance letting that last remark hang in the air.

"Your secretary, what was she? And what happened to your horns and tail?" the mortal inquired.

"A succubus, it's a particular demon that feeds of sexual energy. They tend to unknowingly draw it out of anyone that's mortal or even part mortal. It takes a lot of skill to be able to control your emotions and shield yourself from it." Itachi considered the man, as he watched him process the information before continuing.

"Displaying one's horns and tail is a personal decision, usually they tend to appear when we've had a little too much to drink, on special occasions or if there is a release of large amounts of power. Otherwise most demons make a decision to show them or not. I personally find the horns mess up my hair and the tail gets in the way of my suit." He watched the mortal give a curt nod, satisfied with the answer before staring back out the window.

Naruto's curiosity was taking over as he began to wrap his mind around this world he had been dragged into. "What exactly do you do? Don't you guys just cause trouble, wars, drag people to hell and all that evil stuff?"

Pride snorted at the remark and began to explain. "The cardinal sins are in charge of maintaining a steady flow of souls to hell based on our influence on mortals. No one sin should gain too much power, so it is split evenly among the seven of us. As the leader it involves various extra tasks. I am the main voice of the seven, it's my duty to keep my colleagues up to date and help them hash out any difficulties they might incur, keep the balance of powers in check, and keep the Order off our backs. I am also in charge of speaking to the Order, the Hierarchy council and the powers that be if needed, which also means I receive the reprimand if things fall out of line. We are an influence of darkness on the humans but it must be balanced out by our opposing side, influence of light. Occasionally a human will tip the scale to a point of eternal damnation, throwing off the balance and being claimed as uncontrollable and a side steps in to take care of the imbalance."

"So you guys are more like moderators? Why do some tip the scale and not others? If it's just a dark influence then shouldn't it all be the same?" The mortal turned to look at the sin as he spoke.

Itachi quirked an eyebrow at the blunt curiosity of the man. "There are various levels and types of darkness. Any being that is mortal or was once part mortal carries a kind of darkness with them for the rest of their existence. What kind they have depends on varying factors, like how they were raised, past experiences, unfortunate events and the like. As mortals get older it will lessen and usually is not a problem if one can learn to 'make peace with their demons' otherwise it drives them to madness, depression, addiction, violence, obsession, etc. This is also partially where the work of the sins come in, of course. Every mortal on earth is assigned corresponding sin that would be their folly if they decide to give in. For example, Sloth breeds isolation and loneliness, So mortals assigned with the sin of sloth are more susceptible to fall into things like depression and other complications along the way which drag them down. Pride is paranoia, Gluttony is addiction, Envy is obsession, Greed is violence, Lust is self loathing, and Wrath is madness. Of course mortals tend to be unpredictable at times so they'll play into our hands and then have an intervention and head in the opposite direction..." He trailed off

"Then mortals have the capability of deciding their fate? We can choose to ignore the dark parts of our soul?" the blonde asked, trying to piece it together.

"It's more complex than most think. To answer your question, sometimes. There are times the darkness is a little off and you are condemned to a certain fate. Usually it's not an issue for mortals but when it is in a demon who was once part mortal then yes it can become a problem if not monitored. A WWII sized problem if you will." The sin sighed remembering the issue that had occurred a few decades past. It was the only time they appointed a new sin without waiting for the trials.

"WWII was a demon's fault?" He couldn't believe that one of the greatest historical world conflicts was caused by one demon.

"A demon who was the sin of Greed at the time. Kabuto neglected the darkness from his half mortal past and it cause an immense amount of problems. He became mad with power and greatly influenced the eastern dictators, we had a hard time fixing the mortal realm after the chaotic imbalance. He is now a prisoner in the lowest circle of hell kept under constant watch and we are closely monitored by the heavens thanks to all that." Much to Prides annoyance they had added a new level of stress to all of his colleagues.

"And to think the history books never mentioned all of that."

"Well in any matter, if you make it back to your dimension sane, you'll have experienced hell in all of its glory." The sin turned from the window and took a seat at his desk. Paperwork was arranged in small piles and files along the glass top desk. He reclined in the large executive chair and placed his head in one hand. The other hand rested on the glass, fingers drumming in a rhythmic pattern. He needed to think.

The chances that his brother would return in time for the ceremony were better now that he had some leverage by bringing the blonde here. However nothing was certain, and he needed to be prepared to compete yet again for the leadership position he was in. Not that it would be a great issue, Itachi had maintained his position as Pride and leader of the seven figureheads for the past 5 centuries. He had given up finding a replacement after the third century, all his previous nominees somehow never made it through the tournament alive, making him maintain his position by default. He had some speculation that a certain ancestor on the Hierarchy Council was to blame for that. Leave it to Madara to not want to release the pride position to someone who was not an Uchiha. Itachi rolled his eyes at the thought.

He had enjoyed his position, but after a few centuries it got old. He wanted something less stressful and less time consuming. Shisui made it a point to voice his frustration at never seeing his husband anymore. In all honesty that was the excuse Itachi made for himself. The real reason he wanted his brother to come home was something more than that that. Itachi knew he was so adamant about his brothers return because Sasuke could very well become the best Sin of Pride any of the Hierarchy has ever seen. He just needs to realize his potential, and know that he's more than capable of breaking free from all the standards set for him.

In reality Pride had minimal options regardless, if he did not want to hold his position forever. He only had two strategies on how he could go about relinquishing his title at this point. One, sire a child with a mortal and have him become next in line, however Shisui was possessive and would never allow it. Or two, have his younger brother return and take on the mantle. Unless Sasuke came back to fight willingly and claim the position Itachi had his hands tied.

The devil scrubbed his face with his hand and opened up the file of potential nominees for this years tournament. As usual, Pride and Wrath had not submitted any potential nominees and the returning figureheads would fight in the tournament, more for Itachi's leadership position than anything else as their positions as Sins were already secured. They also had an unspoken deal to try and kill as many nominees as possibles along the way. They didn't like newcomers very well, it became a trust issue and a hassle if they had to learn how to work with new team members, not to mention figure out their intentions. The sin delved into the paperwork until a chime from his desk phone broke his concentration.

"What is it Ino?" Pride glanced up to see the mortal had found a his bookshelf and was fully absorbed into flipping through the pages of 'Seven Deadly Sins: A History', oblivious to the phone conversation.

"I have your brother on the line, sir. Should I put him through?" Ino's voice came through the speakerphone.

A smile formed at the statement.

"Yes, please do." He picked up the receiver as an angry voice came through.

"Fuck you, Itachi. What the hell are you thinking?"

"I do have a cell phone you know." Itachi spun in his chair, facing the side wall of his office.

"Answer my question. Why in your right mind would you do this?"

"Little brother, I'm not sure I understand what you are referring to." The sin said smoothly, enjoying the growing aggravation in Sasuke's voice.

"The fuck you do. You took him to hell didn't you? Is he even alive?"

"Oh calm down, he's perfectly fine. If you're so concerned about him why don't you come see for yourself. I'm sure you haven't forgotten the way." Prides voice took on a bored tone. He knew exactly how to get his little brother riled up.

"HE'S A FUCKING MORTAL IN HELL!"

"Let's not make a big deal out of this. It'll only draw more attention. He seems to be quite entertained here and I've already got a plan. With any luck he'll be back soon without incurring any permanent damage." Itachi glanced over to the mortal who was now sitting cross legged on the floor surrounded by demonic literature, frowning as he was trying to make sense of what he was reading.

"You better fucking be there with him in one piece when I arrive."

The line went dead, signaling what was obviously the end of that conversation. Itachi placed the phone back in it's cradle and walked over to the pile of books on the floor.

"Enjoying ourselves are we?" The devil raised a questioning eyebrow, obviously displeased at the mess on his floor.

"I've never seen books like these before. 'History of Hell's Hierarchy', 'The Battle of the Seven Sins', 'Lineage of Lucifer"... Naruto trailed off as he skimmed another page that caught his attention.

"Demonic literature is prohibited in the mortal realm, but of course from time to time a few books are able to slip through by some means. Then idiotic mortals try to decipher them to do 'incantations' and end up possessed by lesser demons who have nothing better to do than fuck with mortal lives." Itachi picked up 'Demonic Warfare and Battle Tactics' from the ground and flipped through the pages. The books were in demonic script, no mortal should be able to read them fluently.

"Tell me what does it say here." Pride pointed to a random title on the page and allowed the blonde to read it.

"Chapter 8: Legions and Power in Numbers." Naruto glanced up questioningly at the looming figure above him.

"Interesting." Itachi placed the book back on the shelf. This was a definite complication. It appeared that there was more to this man than met the eye.

"You have an interest in literature?" The sin sat on the large leather sofa that was next to the bookshelf, trying to get a better idea about just who this seemingly mortal man was. He needed to figure out his next set of moves, and the Order would be hounding him with the upcoming tournament, if they caught wind of a mortal in hell there would be so much red tape regarding it.

"History." Naruto responded, eyes still fixated on the book before him.
"I'm going to school for a degree in history. I'd like to work as a curator for historical documents and artifacts at the Smithsonian some day. I mean if I ever get back that is." The mortal added dryly.

"Hnnn. I suppose that's a decent goal to have for mortals. What does your family think of your interest in history?"

"It doesn't matter to me what they think." Naruto said simply, as he began to re-shelve the books.

"You have no inclination to make your parents proud?" The devil pushed the subject, although it was obvious the blonde had no desire to further the topic of his family.

"None whatsoever." The young man stated without emotion. Naruto regarded his family and past as an off limit topic to anyone. He never even fully spoke to Sasuke about his mother, just bits and pieces before he shut down and purposely changed topics. In all honesty he did not want pity from anyone, so he refused to talk about his past. It was better for him that way.

"Hn. Well I understand your desire for privacy on your personal matters but you see, you shouldn't be able to read these books. So I'd like to know just exactly what I'm dealing with here."

"What do you mean, I shouldn't be able to read these books?" the man furrowed his brow at the statement.

"Take a look again, it's in a different language." Itachi rested his head in his hand and watched with mild amusement at the expressions that played on the mortals face.

Naruto opened the book he had been reading again only to find the letters were indeed a foreign script, yet he still perfectly understood it.

"I… Wait… What?" the mortal scratched his head and continued to flip through the pages as if expecting a different result.

"Exactly, so I know you might not want to talk about it but it might help us understand what's going on here if you can tell me about your parents." the raven haired man reclined back into the sofa waiting for a response.

"I guess... My mom passed away when I was ten. I never knew my dad so I really can't tell you much about him. Just some bastard who didn't bother to come back." The blonde shut the book and finally re-shelved it.

"Hn. You may just have the sight. Have you ever seen things you can't explain or have dreams and visions that came true? Perhaps you've been able to see people and instantly know things about them?"

"My mom was like that, she'd always be talking about supernatural phenomenons she experienced. She said when I was a kid I'd always be chasing invisible creatures. I think she called them fairies but I don't really remember seeing things." he was in deep thought wondering why that part of his memories always seemed to disappear when he tried to recall it.

A small knock on the door made Naruto jump. Pride pointed to a doorway that led to the adjacent conference room and shoved the mortal in its direction. He got off the sofa and strode over to his desk. Once the large double doors were shut he sat and inhaled, collecting himself.

"Come in." Itachi spoke watching the office door open.

A tall figure made his way into the room to join Pride at his desk. His round eyes gazed around the room as he moved, no doubt sensing the mortal in the next door with his exceptional predatory skills. He smiled at the sin, flashing his teeth, sharpened to points.

"Levi, it's been a while."

"You know I hate it when you call me that." The blue skinned demon mused as he sat in a chair facing opposite of Itachi. "It's just me, this meeting is off record today."

The raven haired man relaxed in his chair at those words. Kisame had taken on the role of the Leviathan, Liaison of the Order to the Sins. Lucky for Pride, Kisame wasn't too fond of the way his organization worked. It was easy to find an ally in him and he was able to stay a few steps ahead of the policing force that was designed to keep the sins and demonic influences on earth in check. They were always waiting for one of the sins to slip up so they could jump in and throw the cardinal sin dynamic into chaos and assume control of the mortal influences.

"Kisame, please tell me you have good news." he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"That depends on your definition of 'good'." The taller demon scoffed. "There are some tremors going on, someone's been fucking with the dynamics all across the board. I'm guessing your little side trip today wasn't coincidence." He motioned to the double doors that hid Naruto.

"Agreed." Pride continued in a more hushed tone. "My sigil takes a lot of skill for a mortal to be able to conjure, no one can just accidentally draw my symbol. Even when done deliberately I've only been successfully summoned once in my five centuries of working. It took a group of twenty mortals of high occult capabilities to accomplish it. There is something pulling the strings behind this situation." Itachi furrowed his brow as he continued his thought. "Also the mortal can read the blasphemous script, and his aura is a bit odd. He either is a rare mortal gifted with the sight or part demon himself." He drummed his fingers on the desk.

"Have you asked the boy about his family? If he tells us the name of his parents we can search the records and find out his bloodline from there." Kisame suggested watching itachi frown at the idea.

"He doesn't know his father, but his mother had the sight. He may just be barely unveiling it if he's gifted, although it's a bit late in age for that. I think my brother may know a little more about him however, we'll have to ask." He mulled over the thought of asking his brother for information on his ex- boyfriend, unsure how willing he'd be to answer.

"Your brother? He's back?" The leviathan asked with eyebrows raised in surprise.

"He's on his way." Itachi smirked knowingly and looked at his watch.

Kisame nodded in understanding. "And here I thought you were done meddling in his life. Yes, I'll make sure he gets to the arena in time. What are you gonna do about your mortal?"

Pride got up and made his way over to the doors that hid Naruto from view. "Naruto, come. I have someone I'd like you to meet" The sin pushed the doors open and beckoned the blonde into the room.

Kisame blinked as his vision began to turn red at the sight of the man now standing before him. This must have been what Itachi meant by odd aura. "Hmmmm… Well you sure are something." he muttered to himself. There was only one other being that made his vision turn in that way.

"This is the Leviathan. He's a friend of mine who's going to try to help figure out our situation and hopefully get you home soon." Pride crossed his arms as he spoke and watched Naruto take in Kisame's lethal appearance. "He won't bite as long as you don't provoke him." he reassured the blonde.

"Right… So, I was thinking." Naruto turned to Itachi as he spoke. "Can't we just make a deal right now and then I can be on my way back to where demons can't kill me as easily?"

"Deals are only valid on the mortal plane, and unfortunately I am a very busy demon with places to be. We don't have time for a detour to your home right now." Pride frowned at the mortals obvious frustration.

"All your rules kinda suck balls guys." Naruto sighed

"I assure you, we'll get this settled soon. I just have to be present at this event and then we will get you back tonight." Itachi moved to a coat rack and pulled down a black hooded cloak and tossed it to the blonde. "I'll see you soon Kisame."

"Be careful Itachi. Eyes are on you." The blue demon warned as the two smaller figures left the room. He made a mental note to visit with the Wrath Hierarchy. It was common knowledge that High Lord Wrath never had descendants, at least none he professed, but it wouldn't hurt to investigate if he ever had sired any halflings. There was something about that mortal that wasn't quite right. Kisame hoped for Itachi's sake it wouldn't become problematic.
_

Sasuke walked down the trash littered alley behind the small catholic church that was hidden amidst the apartment buildings and bustling stores in the middle of Chinatown. It had been a few decades since he had gone home, but he remembered well how to find the active portal that was was constantly moving to remain hidden in the city. He rounded the corner back onto the street and reached the entrance of a dilapidated storefront. Pushing open the glass door, he heard the tinkling of a bell and stepped into the dimly lit metaphysical shop. He pulled back his hood, turned to lock the shop door and changed the cheap hanging sign over to show it was closed. Silently, he moved into aisles of occult paraphernalia, waiting for the shopkeeper to show herself.

"Come in darling, and let me show you your fate!" A silky sweet voice came from the back room.

"Thanks for the offer but I'm already aware I'm headed for hell." The raven haired figure deadpanned as he inspected the shelves full of trinkets for sale.

"Oh, it's you." all persuasion had fallen from her tone as she pulled back the beaded curtain and poked her head through to see the familiar dark figure looming in her shop.

"Shizune, it's been a while." He mused as he pulled a deck of tarot cards off the shelf.

"Not long enough if you ask me." She turned back into her room beckoning him to follow her.

He passed through the doorway into her cozy private reading area and set the deck on the large round table next to the obscenely massive crystal ball.

"How's your brother these days?" She purposely asked, knowing the mention of his family drove him up a wall. She took her seat in a large maroon velvet chair, reclining backwards and resting her feet on the table.

Sasuke still stood, arms crossed over his chest."That's the reason I'm here, I need to pay him a visit. I came to ask for the location of the portal."

"Oh my god, you're being serious…." She caught no snide humor in his tone. "You know the opening ceremony is tonight right? If you go back now you're either dead or dead." The witch waved her hand dramatically.

"Not if Madara can't catch me before I am officially announced. Once I am named an official contender the High Council can't touch me." He finally sat in the opposing chair and folded his hands on the table.

"I thought you were gonna go back only on your own terms, when you were good and ready?" She mocked slightly.

"No better time than the present." He raised an eyebrow and challenged her with the statement.

She sat up properly, indicating she was ready to do business. "Alright. I'll help you out if it means I can go another few decades without seeing your smug face. Did you bring tribute?"

"Hn." The half demon reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a gold Romani coin, dropping it into her outstretched palm.

The witch rolled it over in her fingers and examined it thoroughly.

"It'll do. You might want to look at a map to find this one if you're unfamiliar with the area. I've put it in a more secure location at the request of the Order. Something about too many drunk mortals stumbling into the previously placed ones..." She trailed off, placing the coin into her pocket and reached over for a notebook and pen. She scribbled down a series of directions on a clean sheet of paper before tearing it out and handing it to the man across her. The half breed skimmed the notes she had given him.

He looked up displeased. "76th St. Station? That's an urban legend, there's no such thing."

"That's what the mundies think…" She gave in sing song answer

"So between Brooklyn and Queens then. Close to Ozone Park?" He watched her nod in response.

"Get off at the Euclid station and go from there. You'll be able to sense it, don't worry it's not that hard for your kind to find." She reassured, seeing his doubt in her instructions.

"Right." It had been a good while since he sought out a portal, the thought of going back still made him want to run in the opposite direction. He shook his head absently, reminding himself of why he needed to go home now. The last time he abandoned the blonde it had ruined their relationship. In all honesty he was tired of running from his fate, it was time to face it head on. He was firm in his resolve, he was going back. Naruto is in danger.

"On the bright side if you make it through the trials you'll be a full demon, a high ranking demon at that, capable of making your own portals and you'll never have to see me again." She encouraged as she watched him think, understanding that the being before her had definitely changed in the past few years or so. Maybe he unknowingly was more ready to go back and face his fate then he thought. Regardless of his attempts, this was his path and he could not avoid the destiny set before him.

"I was also hoping…." Sasuke pushed the stack of cards forward.

"...Really?... It's gonna cost you extra to use the Thoth tarot" Shizune insisted and held her hand out again.

"Figures. You haven't changed one bit, witch"

"I'm not the one who still needs to use a temperamental deck to get an accurate reading." the woman criticized and accepted the two vials of thick dark red liquid he handed her as payment.

"It's mine so don't do any forbidden magic with it. I don't want my blood tied to you when they come to arrest you for raising the dead again." he warned earning him a glare as she stood to set the vials in an ornate cabinet.

"Why can't anyone let that rest? It was three centuries ago. It was for medical purposes and they let me off with a "warning". Can't you see I have my lovely day job now because of it?" She sarcastically smiled.

"The Order pays you well for being the portal keeper of New York though." He offered and watched her eyes roll into the back of her head with frustration.

She slammed the cabinet doors shut. "I'm a highly skilled practitioner of the divine powers. Being confined to this is an insult to my abilities."

"Maybe next time, don't bite off more than you can chew and think you can get away with it. Magical prowess or not, those assholes aren't to be messed with." the half breed advised.

"Whatever, let's just get this over with. You have a portal to find."