Oh Beloved.

This is only the beginning dearest. The beginning of an end we have both seen coming, an end much like the beginning. It will start and end with the void, with the empty from where I came. If that is the path you choose...then that is the one we shall tread, hand in hand, together into the abyss.

It is coming- something beautiful, something wonderful, something all consuming and relentless. This end. It will come as it always has, as it always will, as it must. And here I am waiting with arms outstretched, for you to hearken to me. How I long for the moment when I will hold your warmth close to the chill of my blood. How I long for the moment to finally, finally- taste you with my lips. Dearest! Beloved! My voice will grow wild with laughter, with triumph, with joy! How this dark heart will swell, filled with nothing but thoughts of you! How could it be Hinata? How can I long for you anymore than this? How can I hunger for you anymore than this?

But that moment- how I long for that moment!

When I will take you.

When I will have you.

And finally- finally!- you will have me.

So let me ask you once more...Dearest...Beloved...

Are you prepared?

Have you steeled that fragile, fickle heart of yours?

Have you strengthened your resolve?

Do all these things...and wait for me, as I have waited for you. Wait for this end I will give you, this answer you have longed for since you first drew breath. Because the time is coming to lift the veil, to see clearly the fruits of the seed you have planted. Fruition- The time is coming to bloom beautifully, wonderfully, as I knew you would, as I knew you could.

The time is coming. Day by day. Hour by Hour. Minute by Minute. Second by Second. The moment I have been waiting for, since the time I came from the darkness and first held your hand in mine. I'll show you a dream till then. A beautiful, wondrous, magnificent dream. Everything I ever promised you- you shall have all that and more. Fret no longer, agonizing in the dark of what I will do.

Trust that no matter what, it will all be for you.

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She stands before the large oak doors of his study.

She sucks in a deep breath, trying as always to calm her rattled nerves before she enters. Thinking once more, of the words she knew needed to be said- but still- unable to grasp them. 'Be strong.' She releases another shallow breath, wondering at the chill running down her spine. She imagines she feels him, and the echo of his laughter, ghosting through her shadow. She shudders, feels the goosebumps breaking out along the bare skin of her arms. ['Are you afraid Hina-chan?'] There was a special sing song way he would say her name, the way he would roll his tongue over the words just enough to make her shudder. Hina-chan. He was the only one who addressed her so casually, so familiarly, as if he knew her well. He always said it with confidence, as if he was the only one who owned the right to call her by that name, as if it belonged to him. And as if- by extension- so did she.

She can imagine the way his brow could furrow, his expression turning into one of nearly comical confusion. ['Eh? But why?!] But she knew how quickly it could shift, how quickly his expression could transition from one of boyish charm to something else. Something smug- overwhelmingly brash and confident in its power. He would pierce her to pieces with the blue of his eyes, scorching her with that bright, knowing smile that she knew so well. [C'mon now Hina-chan! Don't you remember? As long as I'm here- as long as I'm yours- there is nothing between heaven and earth that you need fear-]

"Hinata-Hime." There is the icy chill of his voice rupturing the dangerous edge skirting in the dark corridor of her mind, following the one running down her spine. She turns quickly to find him there, his tall proud form coolly assessing her. For a moment- the sudden sight of his form stuns her. There are times when the similarities between their appearances seems almost striking. Sometimes his face feels as familiar to her as her own- if his expression were softer- or if hers was colder, was harsher- they could easily have been mirror images of one another. Perhaps it is not so strange in the end- their blood was pure, strong and true. Perhaps such a thing was not so uncommon. But all of that rises and passes in a moment she dares not articulate.

She has been standing, motionless before those ornate doors, pale hands wringing themselves painfully before her. She knows she must appear a specter, her pale eyes hinged with shadows, an icy pallor to her skin. She...felt exhausted, as if her sleep had been fraught with nightmares and intrusions. She couldn't- get warm. There was a chill she couldn't shake, that nearly makes her teeth chatter. It is a restless anxiety, an unfounded fear. 'No...not unfounded...' She thought with another untimely tremor as once more she could see the black of his shadow, spread before her.

"N-N-Neji-san." She manages to stammer out half heartedly in reply, hurriedly giving him a bow in greeting. He does not return the gesture with one of his own. "Hinata-Hime. I trust you are well. You did not attend morning meditation." He stated curtly, his face always one of cold condescension and accusation no matter whose company he shared. She was no exception.

She swallows harshly, her eyes finding their way to the floor as they had done countless times before. "Ah…p-pardon my r-rudeness…I j-just...went t-to m-meditate alone. I d-did not l-leave the estate."

His sharp gaze assessed her carefully, probing her intently for any sign of deceit, but she kept her eyes far removed from his gaze. His cool eyes stripped her, assessing her with that calculated superiority for which he was known. Before him she felt naked, exposed- suddenly ashamed at the way her lips trembled and the heat found its way to her cheeks. Even his gaze was sharp and pointed, filled with unspoken accusation.

She wondered if he gained some pleasure from watching her fidget nervously before him. But finally- "Good. That would have been foolish." He stated, pleased perhaps to find nothing amiss about either her demeanor or appearance. He did not mean the words to bite as much as they did, but they cut her nonetheless. "Perhaps you have heard. There has been much speculation that some wayward demons have crossed through this area. It is probably baseless garbage- that would be nothing short of foolish to do so so close to the capital- even for the most ill tempered of creatures. All of the most powerful lineages hail from here. I find it hard to believe any creature could be so short sighted." He continued, his tone still filled with the smug arrogance that could only come from one consistently assured of his own prowess.

"Nonetheless…it is best to be careful. You are still too far behind in your combat training to ever hope to be able to handle such danger by yourself...if rumors prove true. But just because it seems implausible does not mean such a thing is impossible. At any sign of danger, you know to either seek me or shelter."

"Ah-y-yes…" His words…were not meant to wound but they always seem to cut deeply to the heart of her fragile being. They were words she had heard countless times before. 'You are foolish. You are weak. You are-' [You're the strongest girl I've ever known.] But he- had said the words with such conviction. As if they were and had always been true. As if she were truly-

"…I did not mean to deter you. If you are here to speak to the Clan Leader, you may proceed. He is within. There is a matter I would like to discuss with him as well." Neji continued, rupturing her thoughts as he motioned to open the massive ornate doors before them. They swing open silently and he proceeds her, so that she is forced to walk in his shadow as they enter. She follows anxiously in his wake, her restless gaze drifting to her father.

He is standing before the cold panes of the wall length window. As always, he was solemnly surveying with cold disinterest the land of his estate spread out before him. In all ways her father was a imposing figure. Broad shouldered, dark haired, with eyes the color of a frosty sky. His expression was always unyielding and rigid, cold as if he had been born with ice in his blood. Within is silence- save for the somber ticking of the clock on the mantle above the cold ashes of the immaculate fireplace.

For as long as she had lived these two things had never changed- the cold lines of her father's back before her, and the ticking away of the odd clock on his mantle. She had always thought it beautiful, the dark wood from which it had been carved, black as pitch. It was...an odd thing. In this house of rules, of commands, of decrees and absolutes- it alone defied any and everything. It did not seem to tell time. By any account it seemed broken. It would at times move forward, others would show it going backwards- but without fail it was always wrong. She wondered why he kept it, a man who had easily tossed useless and broken things to the side so many times before with out thought or care. He was a man of such absolutes- that it had always seemed unusually striking that when it came to this...he allowed it. She did not know what significance it had for him...and she always been too frightened to ask. Even now her eyes skim it briefly, anxiously- before her gaze returns to her father.

She bows before him, meekly, with the same quiet, unspoken awe as always. "Lord F-Father." She addresses him respectfully, not surprised to find that he makes no motion to turn and acknowledge her.

"Hmph." He stated gruffly to her greeting, his cold eyes staring out with focused intensity out over the landscape. Against herself, against the decision she had already decided upon- the words settle in her throat as if they were lodged there. "L-Lord F-Father…" She begins again, gulping harshly, feeling her hands fist into the material of her skirt. "A-Ano-"

"You will state your request clearly and directly, or you will not speak to me at all." The chill of his words whipped her into anxious silence. Her lips begin to tremble, feeling the same cold distance between them as always. Miles and miles of unsurmountable distance. "I-I-" As if the sight of her struggle is one he was already weary of, Neji steps forward, cooly cutting her off with that same cold edge of command. Whether he does this to aid her and spare her further embarrassment in his presence- or to hinder her request- she does not know.

"Clan Leader." He begins, and the man turns his head briefly, assessing him with a look of cold acknowledgement. But nonetheless it is more…then he has ever given her. Neji continues, his voice curt but powerful- commanding. It is so…different from her own. She remembers suddenly in this moment the reckless way Naruto would grab her hand, how he drag her along and do as he pleased. The way he would look at her with such blatant adoration and awe. She does not know why he suddenly fills her mind, the sound of his laugher echoing in her head. Her heart wrings painfully in her chest.

Neji reaches into his pocket and slowly- pulls out a black card she immediately recognizes. Her entire body stiffens, grows rigid with anxious fear. She feels her blood chill- but she should have expected this. The same blood ran in their veins, the same birthright. But against herself- 'He….he received one too?' She remembers the mocking way Naruto would call him 'senpai. 'B-But w-why…? What…what is he after? What does he want?' She remembers the flash of red behind the blue of his eyes, like a burning sunset overtaking blue sky. 'Naruto...what...what were you thinking? What is your goal?' She thinks with a brief note of panic, her hands wringing tighter, her knuckles pale as snow.

["You should finish what you started."] She feels sick- anxious, nauseous once more with the weight of this moment. What...was she doing in this moment? What had she done that had brought her to this? She feels as if the entirety of her world shifts, blurs our of focus as she stares at the black invitation in Neji's hand. In that moment she would have given anything- anything- to make it disappear. 'This is wrong.' The thought nearly rattles her with its force. 'I- we- shouldn't go. That's what he wants. But why- why does he want that-?' She is crippled with this feeling of indecision, of trepidation- but it means nothing to them. Neji does not know of how her blood chills, the very essence of her being trembling where she stands. She can almost feel the ghost of his presence- a laughing, wild wind- drifting through her shadow.

"This is an invitation. There is to be a ball held every eve this week by a young noble attempting to acclimate himself to society, the one who purchased the old Izanami estate." Neji is speaking- she sees his lips move- but as if struck, struggles to process the implication of his words. "I believe it would be in the best interest of the clan if I were to attend as a sign of good will and possible favor. He has invited all of the other heirs and heiresses of the other more reputable lineages as well. It would be rather unusual if a representative from the Hyuuga clan did not attend. With your permission, I will be attending on our behalf." The sound of his laughter. Sick- she's sick as she finally begins to understand. "Hmph." The frigid reply from her Father.

"The old Izanami estate…? What is the name of this noble?" She knows, remembering how something within her had seemed to rattle, to shake in that moment when she had quietly voiced it to herself. She mouths the name now with a familiar dread. Kurama. She had not realized it then- but now it finally strikes her. The character with which it was written Kyu. Nine. Her own naivety stuns her in this moment.

"The invitations were addressed from a Lord Kurama. Aside from details concerning entry, that was the only other information provided. Despite my best efforts, no one seems to know anything else about this lord- neither where he hails, from whence he came or how long the estate has been in his possession."

Of course. He had always done as he pleased, as he wanted. He had waltzed into her life and planted himself there so thoroughly, rooted himself so deeply it seemed as if he had belonged there. And no one could ever quite seem to recall when Naruto had made himself known to them. For them it seemed, as it did for her, as if he had always been and would always be.

["Oh Hina-chan...I have had many names." He had admitted truthfully to her in that moment. She remembered how the weight of the words had hung there, darkly, between them. She had cowered before him, frightened of all that had still gone unsaid. But somehow knowing- "But yours…" -how sharp his blue eyes had flashed in the dark of morning! As the beast in his shadow smiled. "-None has ever been as precious to me as yours..."]

She is not watching her father's face- so she misses the odd, unusual look that appears in his eyes. She is instead fighting it- this strange, restless, all consuming anxiety that renders her immobile. It is only a brief moment- but Neji alone recognizes it curiously for what it is.

"You are…familiar with this Lord?" He inquires after a moment of reflection, cautiously analyzing her father's face with focused intensity. She feels her stomach churn with apprehension, with restless fear as her eyes immediately jump to his form. But her Father says nothing- has turned his head once more to survey the landscape before him. By the time her gaze has found his, he has already killed what little there was to be found there. Eerily, she remembers Naruto's words from that night long ago, when everything had changed. The moment that had solidified her future, this end that she could still feel coming, had denied and been running from for so long- [-He's frightened of the shadow he left behind-]

"No…it cannot be so." He stated icily, as if the very idea were preposterous, absurd. But she feels the words- are a moment too late. She watches him carefully now, with a troubled, measured gaze. "It merely sounded familiar for a moment." She can feel it- something in the air between them- something restless and bitter. His back seems colder than before- but something within her wants to tremble anew as she lets her gaze rove over it. But she can feel it in the chill of her blood, echoing in the dark of her mind, his words from a night long ago-

[That silly old man hates you, as he hated the one who came before you. Hated her, because he hates himself. Hates himself because- Ha! Well it's actually kind of a funny story Hina-chan! One day- you will be strong enough to know, to finally understand-]

But the truth of this feeling alludes her. She can neither voice it nor describe it, conscious of nothing but the way her hands quiver as she wrings them before her. Then- even now- she found she could draw nothing from the words save the murmur of a truth she refused to acknowledge. 'What...did you mean then...when you said those words?' Narutocould say things so clearly and without pretense- so forward in their truth that she could do nothing but bare them. And then he could say things so curiously, so veiled and constructed that it was hard to discern truth from deceit. But what was this odd, restless energy that seems to hang heavily in the air? Is she imagining it? Or is it, again-

"So you wish to attend on the clan's behalf?" She does not have the time to dwell on it. The moment carries on as she knew it would, continues forward despite everything- despite the bitter lump lodged in her throat. In this moment as always, her will no longer mattered. Her desires were irrelevant. As always- this moment would unfold exactly as he desired it.

"Yes. You can rest assured I will do so while maintaining the clan's impeccable standards." Neji stated with such confidence that one could not doubt it. But she is a pale, forlorn shadow behind him, her eyes cast pitifully to the ground. The words are still there, hovering feebly on her lips. And despite how much she ached to speak them, her will betrays her.

"That goes without question. You have my permission. In return Neji- there is something I would ask of you. But we will discuss that later this evening. It is a matter of the utmost importance."

"I understand." She lowers her head, feels her face flame. The source of this warmth- is the staggering tremor of emotion, of feeling brewing within her that yet renders her immobile. It is the same feeling of always- of someone cast aside, overlooked. This pathetic coward that she was, this foolish girl who had yet to find her voice before them. She does not realize it but Neji's pale gaze finds her again, surveys coolly the downcast eyes that mirror his own. He watches her for a brief moment- whether in compassion or pity is hard to determine. But nonetheless-[-not yet, not yet. He smiles as he thinks of The Promise, echoed within the worn pages of the book he had given her. But soon- soon...]

"Clan Leader." He begins again. She pauses, lifts her eyes to catch his own. He turns away abruptly- "There is one more matter if you will permit me." She knows. The man she calls Father eyes him carefully at this. "You may speak."

"I believe it would serve Hinata-Hime if she were to attend as well." He stated, and her eyes flew to his once more before flying to her Father's. The words stay on her lips. She can think of nothing but the sound of his laughter. Her Father says nothing for a moment- but his back feels colder than before as he returns his eyes to the land beyond his window. Unperturbed, Neji continues.

"We are betrothed." Hearing the word aloud pains her, makes her grasp her chest as if she has been stabbed there. She feels her heart, her blood, thrumming, pulsing beneath her palm. "I believe it is time for us to allow ourselves to be...officially recognized by society, regardless of a more formal declaration. I can think of no easier way to make our intentions clear aside from amore formal declaration. And we are blood. It is only fitting that we attend together."

She feels as if she is caught in some hazy nightmare- 'Is this real? Is this really happening?' Even though she knows the answer to both. But she cannot draw her gaze from her father, who still refuses to see her in the same way he always has. What does he think? What would he say? But the latter was pointless, merely a matter of course. She knows. But still she waits with breathless, anxious hesitation regardless as he says-

"Inform your retainers. They will see to it that you have the proper attire." That was all he said, all that she needed- thanks in part to Neji more so than her. But she can't help but feel sick as they bowed before him, fought back the wave of nausea that rose to her lips as she said- "T-Thank you, L-Lord Father."

She doesn't know if she is relieved- until the end she had almost hoped for a callous refusal. But he had submitted, had permitted this...a man who did not trust her to make public appearances, who did not believe she was capable of conducting herself in the proper manner in any outside setting. As long as Neji was there to mind her- perhaps he thought surely she would have no room to cause the clan any further embarrassment. But even so...things had gone exactly the way he wanted. She had told him that her Father would never allow it- and his only answer had been- 'You will.' and 'Your Father is not the old fool you think he is...'

She wants...to know. To speak on these things dark and forbidden, these secrets buried along with her mother, a past long forgotten. She wants to know why he hates her so. [He hates you- because of the one who came before you, because of me. But that's how he's always been.] She hadn't had the courage to ask then or now. How Naruto...knew so much.

She knows she has to go to him- to finally get an answer- to finally know the truth her Father would not tell her. 'How...does he know you Father? Because of the one who came before me...Mother? And how did she...know where to find him? How did she know that if you go to that place-'

That you could meet that strange, formless creature born of shadow. And that if you only wished it, if you only desired it...would become everything you had ever wanted, had longed for. There is a truth she feels, that had been hidden long before they had covered her mother's corpse, gently, as if she were only sleeping. There is a truth she feels, hidden in the dark of her Father's shadow, words that would forever go unsaid. She wants to know. She wants to ask. But coward that she is- foolish girl that she is- she has long known that the truth would never come from her Father.

Oh Beloved. The look on his face. How his gaze would delicately, fondly, trace the outline of her form, with a heat that she cannot match. She had always refused to acknowledge it, to find any solace or comfort there. But then...his expression would be open, pained in a way she could not understand. There would be such a...look of sweet, bitter agony etched into the lines of it. The moment where he seemed to be all that he claimed to be, all that the sweetness of the words written in the book had promised her. How his rugged cheeks became flushed, warm, his blue eyes tormented.

'Oh Hina-chan...' He would sigh-

Hearken to my voice, as you always have, as you always will.

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She knows that of these things he would never speak. What she did not even once consider- was that he could not.

But her Father refused to acknowledge her. Right up until the moment when the oak doors closed behind her.

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"Damn you." Murmured quietly into the dark of the chamber as solemn as an oath. "Damn you!" Violently slamming his fists down onto the desk, sweeping everything from its surface with one haggard motion filled with barely contained fury. Its contents clatter to the floor and he turns his back, pacing before the window with anxious, frantic motions. The man who seemed to be born with ice in his blood, a man of steel and winter- trembles.

It is the clock- that damned clock in his ear- solemnly ticking away as it always has. Running backwards- running forward- adding time, taking it away in one agonizing exercise of torment. Counting down-up- to the moment-

"It's you…isn't it?" Words filled with hatred, the blackest of loathing as he thinks of that bitter smile filled with fang. "So the time is nigh then? You have finally decided to make your move? For all of the agony you have brought to this family- you would dare show your hand with such boldness?! Such reckless abandon?! Are you that assured of success? Of this end? Are you that confident? Or am I-" A snarling sound of agony, or pain as he grinds his palms into his face, feels the sweat against his brow, the trembling- 'I must not falter- I must not-'

But who would right them, these bloody sins? Who could be redeemed in the terrible onslaught to come? This clan of his had been built on blood, on the corpses of those who had fallen in the hopes that it would one day reach fruition. Centuries of strife, of angst, of sacrifice and suffering- and here they stood in the end, at the very pinnacle of all clans. Revered, respected, their bloodline was one that yet stood the test of time where many others had fallen. They yet were applauded as the clan whose bloodline would see to the continuation of the capital, their legacy one that held true and would through ages to come. This clan had produced heroes, men and women of valor and strength who had gone on to become men and women of legend. The capital spoke of the Hyuuga clan in hushed whispers, with admiration and awe. But it had not- been without sacrifice.

They had gained. They had gained and prospered far beyond the wild, reckless dreams he had longed for in his youth, while still a young man filled with rage and ambition.

They had gained. But what was lost-

There is something bitter, black like revulsion in his chest, caught in his throat like a scream. It is the taste of hatred- pungent and strong. Nostalgia.

Is is the vow, the contract, the dark secret of their truth yet unearthed. And so it was to be- hidden, covered by all the Clan leaders that had come before him and all who would come after. Without beginning or end. But in his mind he imagines the whisper of cruelty echoing in his smile.

["Your clan got what they wanted." The sharp flash of fang. "Isn't it time I get what I've wanted-?"]

Cold hearted man. In this moment he trembles.

As he remembers a time from long ago.

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He is in his study, seated before his large mahogany desk. It is covered in documents that demand his attention, and his gaze is intense, focused as he surveyed them. He is alone with the dark echo of his thoughts. He thinks of nothing save the tasks before him. The air of the study is sobering, quiet save for the roar of the fireplace, casting dark leaping shadows against the walls.

The thing had finally been done, and formally placed in writing. She was to be wed.

Neji, the son of his deceased brother, was a boy of strength, steel of will and mind. Despite his bearing- his brother had once had a fleeting fancy for a young maiden from a branch family- he had yet proven himself a capable warrior. It was a far better result than she could have ever hoped for, as the boy was even within her age range to make such thing more bearable. Despite her youth, he had already been propositioned by many clans and families on her behalf. All lineages were eager to adapt Hyuuga blood into their own bloodlines, willing to pay any price for such favor and honor to be thus united. But he would not hear of it- their bloodline would remain as it always had. Pure. Strong.

The other clans did not know that she alone was their sole failing, their shame. She was weak of body and will, far removed from the other women of valor that had belonged to the head family. But she would yet serve some purpose. In this way perhaps, she could redeem some of her failings. And in the dark tremor of his thoughts, perhaps- her mother's as well.

She had seemed obedient enough- but she had quietly disappeared during the clan meeting, slipping away into the dark of the forest. Such behavior...would not be tolerated. She knew this- had it imprinted firmly into her mind many times before. And yet she had still seen fit to show the depths of her selfishness. Such ungratefulness-! After all that had been given to her- this life of luxury, servants at her beck and call, the best tutors- and still-!

She had long known this was to be her fate, had been groomed with such purpose. She was far too timid. Weak willed and soft spoken. Frail of body. The very notion that she would inherit the title of Clan Leader was blasphemous, despite her blood. She would never be a strong warrior, would never be a great leader. But she could yet bare children, pure of blood. Surely she could never hope to be any more than this- a necessary vessel to assure their line continued. It was foolish to expect that a child born from her mother's weakness could ever be more.

It causes a darkness to fall over his brow. Neji would tend to her, would bring her to him. It seemed her training had not yet been harsh enough, if she still believed she had the allusion of choice. He had watched the boy disappear like a white spirit into the dark of the forest surrounding the estate to find her. She had fled to the wood, a reckless habit formed by the woman who had birthed her.

'The same old weakness,' he thought with a black scowl. Despite all things this clan- as if stuck in an endless cycle of beginnings and endings- always returned there to that forest. To that place-

"Woah look at those wrinkles! You've been working too hard eh? What are you working on so seriously?" A voice asks curiously, and his pen pauses in its work. He cuts his eyes- and seated there on the corner of his desk is a youth, wild golden hair and bright blue eyes. His tone and expression are curious, his fingertips splayed against the wood as he leaned forward, swinging his legs idly. Imperceptibly- his own gaze narrows.

'A child…?' His eyes drift to the yet closed door of the chamber- shift back to the boy- but he has not been mistaken. Despite his age, his senses were yet impeccable, his degree of perception the tale of legend yet. It was impossible for him to have missed the entry of the child. Not even Neji- a progidy in his own right- was capable of such. Even the most trained of hunters were incapable of such a absurd degree of stealth. It was impossible to reason that a boy of this age was capable of the same. He carefully lowers his pen as pale eyes grow as frigid as a frozen pond. The boy's expression is one of almost comical regret as he waves off the look in his eyes.

"C'mon now don't look at me like that!" The boy adds with a bright note of laughter. It is a filled with mischief and glee. His voice is childlike, mirthful as he speaks. But beneath that is- "How rude! Did you really forget about me? C'mon now Hiashi-san! Aren't we friends?"

Darkly- something rises in him like the echo of a dream he had long ago. A dream he had buried in the dark of his being, had killed when he had put the bitter man of his past to rest.

["-Come now." The dark spirit had asked him then, with a wild bark of laughter. "Are we not friends?"]

There is a pout marring the boy's childish features as he sighs regrettably and shrugs his narrow shoulders- "Well I guess its ok, it's been a long time after all hasn't it? And the last time we met- I guess I looked pretty different eh?" He added with a wide grin, swinging his legs wildly through the air. "Bigger for one! Way taller!" He emphasizes by stretching his hands upward, to illustrate. "And I had this red hair didn't I-?"

[It is a startling clear memory. A clearing filled with wild flowers. His wife, pale and forlorn, crying in arms that were not his own. A man with hair the color of flame. A sardonic smile filled with fang, as eyes the color of hellfire met his. Feeling the entire world shift out of focus, as if he were standing, staring into a dark abyss-]

It is in that moment- that he feels the telltale chill, the tremor. He leaps from his desk in one fluid motion, strikes a mighty blow on its surface that rends it in two. The solid mahogany crumples around his fist easily, sliced cleanly in two in response to his strike. Its contents clattered harshly to the floor, the documents fluttering wildly into the air like birds. The boy laughs, lightly dodging his blow, spinning triumphantly on the tips of his toes to plop down onto the carpeted floor. "Haha! Still too slow I see-!"

['Too slow-' The man with hair the color of flame had smiled, a thing of hatred and torment as he stood over the body of she who lay dying. 'But it's always been that way eh? How like you-' As he had placed a clawed hand over her sightless pale eyes, hiding them from the world. They would not open again. 'Haven't you always been a moment too late-?']

As it had done countless times before. Its form had changed. Its appearance had changed. Its demeanor had changed. Its reason had changed. But it is the same mocking, sardonic grin. The same expression of dark amusement and pleasure lurking in the depth of its gaze, now colored the blue of sky. It is impossible to describe it, the depth of this crippling hatred, this groundless rage that threatens to burst in his chest in this moment. It is overwhelming. It is agonizing. It is the same old weakness, the same callous reminder that he is not faultless. He is not innocent. He was no different than all who had come before, and all who would come after.

His gaze is tight, cold, ablaze with fury. But there is a cold chill running down the spine of that proud back. But he fights it, steels himself with a unbreakable resolve, the iron will for which he is known. It would serve no purpose here, such weakness, to be swayed so easily by such wild passion. He could not lose himself in the bitter heat of this moment. Survival rest on the back of he with the will of steel.

"So it is you." He stated coldly, with accusation, with barely restrained loathing. But beneath that was- 'Do not waver. Do not weaken. The moment you lose your resolve- the moment you lose your will-' The boy's eyes twinkle knowingly. 'You will fall.'

"...It...is impossible! The moment she left this world-" It goes without saying. The damned beast should have returned to the void, to the black nothingness from whence it had come. That black shadow should have once more been bound, held captive by the laws of its cursed realm.And yet here it was yet again, in a new form, a new face, a bright new being given form and purpose in this world.

"Who...could have possibly...?" He asks again, the words scathing with condemnation, with anger. It is the same old weakness, the same bitter truth right before his eyes. The failing in their blood, their achilles heel. It was impossible- she alone had been the exception to the rule, the only unforeseen addition to the contract. 'Aside from her- their could be no others! None but-'

The boy merely laughs, rolling upright and deftly crossing his legs beneath him, rocking on his haunches. He looked for all the world like the youth he appeared to be, wild and carefree.

"What!? You really thought you had seen the last of me?" He stated, an incredulous expression on his face."Oh no Hiashi-san! You and I have business yet don't we? We have history you- and I- and this clan! Wonderful history." His smile is taunting, mocking- sickening- on the youthful face on which it is placed. Because he can see it there, lurking beneath those laughing blue eyes, that wide grin. That same unfathomable darkness, that same black shadow-

"But to answer your question...well..." His brow furrowed almost thoughtfully as he sheepishly raked his hand through his golden mane."It's a funny story you know? I was going to keep it a secret, my being here- you know, make it a surprise!"

In times past- it had kept its form hidden, had blended into the fabric of its surrounding with improbable ease. Then the only time it would reveal its truth- was when it was far too late. Once- by the time the creature saw fit to reveal its form, what was precious...had already been lost.

'Is that it then?' He thought to himself, ice eyes grim. 'Is that why you have revealed yourself so soon? Because you have already won? Because something precious...has already been lost? But...it cannot be so...'

The creature had surely not been long in this world. And yet...it had revealed itself, and to a previous contractor no less? It went against the rules it had set, the game it so enjoyed. The beast preferred to live in secrecy, hiding it's true nature until the bitter end. It was to be expected after all- it was an Archdemon of the blackest pits, a creature of legend and lore. To slay such a beast was the lofty goal of every hunter, to fight such a creature and take it's tails for their own. Even a single tail in the hands of man could grant him improbable power. But beyond that...the creature had a talent that was far more dangerous.

It was a precarious game the creature played- wearing mortal skin, walking boldly through the capital without care. It stood to reason that it had always amused the creature, to live so among them. Perhaps it was merely a passing fancy that had brought it here, that had made it decide centuries ago to form a contract with the very first Clan Leader. But even so- never before had it revealed it's form so easily. And when it finally did...

He remembered the hate in his heart when they had covered her, had drawn the white sheet over her. He had sworn then. Never again. And yet-

There was something hot and bitter on his tongue, pungent and black like hate. '-Foul creature- what are you thinking?' But even that question had no merit. A mortal could never understand these beasts, these wicked, black hearted creatures.

Here it was in it's newest form, speaking openly, candidly. Partly from the arrogance that came with power. But there was more that was even more telling. The beast could not create it's own form. It lacked the imagination to do so. Instead, it relied on others- on its contractors- to give it form in this world. In many ways, its form was a direct result of the desires of the one who had called it into being.

It had many different forms throughout their traitorous history. It had been beautiful women, broad shouldered men, decrepit old men- all with dark eyes that glimmered like flame. But never this. Never a child. 'And at that...a child that is so...'- the word was foul on his tongue. 'Innocent.'

'The contractor is surely young, naive.' He thought with ice in his veins. 'Inexperienced. Clearly one who has no idea what they have done, what evil they have once more called to this world. A child...of pure blood. Those are the only members of this clan that the beast will answer...and yet...few know of that place...where the boundary between their world and ours is weak, fragile. Aside from...her, poor fool...only the previous Clan Leaders were entrusted with that knowledge. I lowered her into the ground myself! If not her...then-?'

But the beast's smile is knowing as it surveys him with sharp blue eyes. He had allowed himself to forget.

Before this creature, not even his thoughts were sacred.

"I met Hina-chan."

The man froze. Something like a winter's chill touched his blood. His expression did not waver- it is one of steely eyed composure- but within- something stilled. It is a strange wordless feeling. It is impossible to understand or define. He knows not whether is is fear, rage, disappointment or resignation- all he knows is that the beast smiles seeing something change in his eyes. His expression is coy, mischievous.

"Oh wow Hiashi-San!" The boy murmured admiringly, whistling low beneath his breath as if impressed. Derailing his thoughts with natural ease. "Even though it's been awhile- you're still really good at this! Man you didn't even flinch! I guess I can't really be too surprised though, you couldn't call yourself Clan Leader if you made it too easy for me!" He added with a laugh.

He knew the folly of rising to such provocations. One had to be calm, to endure- he could not afford to fall here, would not fall here. One had to be calm- to strengthen one's resolve, one's will. Otherwise it was easy for them to get in. And once they had gotten in- your mind was child's play, a toy for their amusement. They could make you see what they wanted you to see. Make you believe what they wanted you to believe. Make you think what they wanted you to think. Those words...could mean nothing. Those words could be the blackest of lies. Or...they could be...

He thought of the girl. Small. Pale of skin and eyes. Dark haired. Shy, timid, creature. He did not want to believe those words could be truth. No- it was improbable- surely the creature was merely goading him, toying with his mind. It was not possible.

'For that girl- no- it could not be so...This is merely another trick. Another fabricated delusion.' He thought grimly, eyes steeled against the child. 'This damned creature- is surely testing my restraint.'

But he was no longer the same hot headed youth he had been. He had devoted decades to strengthening his mental fortitude, his resolve. The seal on his mind was virtually impenetrable. But even so- perhaps it was indeed already to late. He had fallen prey to the creature's temptation once before. No matter how prepared he was now in this moment- perhaps it was of little use. He had already let the creature in once. How could he ever hope to barricade himself from it's deception when he had already given the creature a key?

'Have I truly...gotten so weak?'

Or had the being before him always been this powerful? Despite the extent of his sight, a talent unique to those trained in the Hyuuga bloodline…no longer could he see the child's form for what he truly was. Even his shadow was that of a child. He could not see…the beast…that foul presence, that monstrous shadow, black as pitch. But the 'boy' continued, as if impervious to his feeble efforts. But they both knew the creature was well aware.

"-She's cute as a button now isn't she? She will be a great beauty one day. Just like Hitone-Hime was. I think...she'll be even more beautiful! Aren't you proud Hiashi-chan? That she didn't inherit your wrinkled old mug?" He grinned. "But...it's a shame..." Quieter, softer- those blue eyes blazed. "That Hitomi-Hime won't ever get to see it-"

[She who would no longer open her eyes. Pale eyed woman, a frail shadow in his memory. The same old weakness-]

"How dare you speak her name." He stated tonelessly, struggling to maintain an iron grasp on the fury threatening to make itself known. This unending hatred threatening to rupture his composure, his calm. But he knows the folly of this- no- 'Do not rise, do not be goaded-' he further strengthens his resolve, his will. The creature was one who fed on such things, amused itself with such things. He would be a passing amusement no longer- "Ehh Why not?" The boy's expression was open, curious, as if baffled.

"We were good friends you know?! She was better than you anyway! And we-"

"So says the demon that took my wife's life." He stated coldly in reply, words bitter, black with remembrance. But the boy merely arches an eyebrow over his bright blue eyes curiously in reply, pursing his lips at the words. He pauses, surveys him.

"Hmmm…still holding on to that eh?" He throws his head back- laughs. But it is an odd thing, more disheartening than joyous. "I didn't kill her Hiashi." He stated pointedly, as if his words were truth and not the blackest of lies. Pointing, aiming, right at his heart. "You did."

[-Covering pale eyes that would not open again. He watches. It is the same old weakness. The same old curse.

The creature would take. Take as it always had, as it always would. It and all of its kind.

They only knew how to take. But in exchange-]

"How dare you-!" The words come spiraling from between his lips before he could even think to contain them. Suddenly there they are, clouding the dark of this moment, fouling the air between them. As somewhere, in the depths lurking behind blue eyes, a red eyed creature smiles.

"-you really shouldn't scowl like that!" The boy laughs. "You're going to start showing your age! You're still such a stuck up old fart about it eh! But why? Tell me why! A deal is a deal. You both got what you wanted." Ticking them off on his fingertips as if to help him keep count. "You- became clan leader."

[[A passing, fleeting memory.

When the news had broken that his twin brother had died. Slain in battle. It had quietly resolved the tension within the clan of whether or not he had truly been better suited to be the Clan Leader in Hiashi's stead. He would never forget the look on her face when he had told her. Until then he had been selfish- he had truly believed that her betrothal to Hizashi had been a matter of business, a marriage she was duty bound to accept.

But her expression then- had been one of such torment, such misery that it had nearly torn his heart in two. For her it had never been a marriage for the sake of prestige, for favor, for duty. She had truly loved him- as a woman loved a man- as a wife loved a husband.

That was the moment...that had broken her. She had placed her hands on her abdomen, feeling the pulse of life there- and had let the tears run down her porcelain cheeks.

But even so, even so- he could not- bury the feeling when she had allowed herself to be taken in his arms.

He had embraced her. And for the first time, the last time, felt complete. In that one single moment- nothing else had mattered. What had been done- and what would come-]]

"You wed the beautiful Hitomi-Hime, took your place as her husband in your poor brother's stead-"

[[A passing, fleeting memory.

The last time he had remembered feeling clearly the warmth of his blood, his heart as she had come to him, clothed in white. By then she had lost the child in her grief, the last bond she had to the man she had loved. She had been sorrowful. Resigned. But even so in that moment still- despite all she had endured- so very beautiful.

Not even then had he regretted it. Not even then had the truth started to pain him, to torment him. Then he could not help but think that there was nothing to regret. All he had desired, he had. The title- the beautiful woman he had hungered for with covetous eyes- and soon-]]

"She gave you the heir you so desperately wanted-"

[[A passing, fleeting memory.

Feeling sick as he stared down into the face she held up for him to inspect. The child had been born while he had attended to manners abroad, and with restless anticipation he had returned to her. A daughter they had told him. He went to her. Her eyes had been knowing, sad even though she had smiled. Many years hence he would come to realize by then that it had already been too late.

Because in that moment he had not seen the face of his daughter, of the one who would carry their blood line into the future.

He had seen another face, echoing in the delicate lines of it. The face he saw when he stared into his daughter's face as she grew, as she blossomed, was one that had made his heart beat its bitter last in his chest.

It was not Hitomi's face that he saw reflected there, not his. The face he saw was-]]

Something within him is ripping, is tearing. It is a decade of guilt, of hatred, of agony. It is too much, this swell of feeling. This overwhelming feeling of revulsion, of fear, of hatred, of anger, of more beyond his ability to bare.

But the boy feigns sadness, shaking his head with regret- mocking him in his pain- "Poor Hina-chan!" Those damned blue eyes coolly assessing him, with childish candor. "Did you ever love her?" Words hurled at the heart of his being with straight forward ferocity. Blue eyes are sharp, cold like blades.

"Hitomi-Hime risked her life to give you an heir you know?! She wanted Hina-chan so badly- even knowing that her body was weak- even knowing that it would kill her. And despite all of that-" The boy bares his fangs- is it a smile or a scowl?

"You cast her aside so easily! What a shitty thing to do- wouldn't you agree? Or maybe not eh?" Blue eyes filled with mirth, with sardonic amusement. "But man! And you cast cute little Hina-chan aside too- for some nameless clan whore? " The words are somehow harsher, sharper coming from the mouth of a boy even though he knew the creature was far from innocent.

"After everything I did for Hitomi-Hime- you just decided to go off and sire another whelp eh? What a ungrateful bastard you are! You're really a shitty old man you know?" The boys words were mocking, exaggerated as if in jest as he threw his hands up in exasperation- but blue eyes are hard and cold.

'Do not waver. Do not fall. Fortify your resolve- speak clearly, without passion. The truth is your own, whatever you will it to be. Not his to twist and bend to his will. Your truth is your own-' He fights it, wills to the dark depths of his being those passing, fleeting memories of what he had been. The words are torn from somewhere deep inside of him, rising to the surface.

"Hinata...was born with her mother's weakness." Do not waver. "That girl only exists...because her mother was weak. Because her mother allowed herself...to believe a demon's lies. To fall prey to a demon's temptation. Such a sin cannot be forgiven. That girl...is no child of mine. Because her mother.."

The ghost of her smile, haggard and pained. But always- beautiful. Do not fall. "Her mother-" He could not look his eldest in the eyes, could see nothing in her face but the echoes of a dream, a shadow that still haunted him to this day. She had...the same gentle eyes. The same soft, quiet expression. Staring into her face was like staring into the face of the man whose death still haunted him, down to this very moment. The words were pulled from somewhere black, somewhere deep, some place dark and bitter and filled with a decade of hatred. "-was nothing but a demon's whore! Hanabi was not born from the same weakness!""

The very air shifted. The fire in the hearth burned black, vanished with an angry hiss as it cast the room in darkness. The room grows warm. He can feel sweat on his brow. Blue eyes flickered, burned red so fiercely in that moment that he tasted tar, smelled the bitter tang of sulfur in the air. Even in the dark the boy's eyes gleamed, burning like flame. He can almost feel the approaching death, feels something weighted and formless that nearly throws his body to the floor. This feeling is ice cold terror, that makes his resolve waver, that makes his blood chill. But hatred gives him strength to fight it, hatred stills the fear that makes his hands tremble. It is a baseless, groundless, formless hatred.

The dark vanishes abruptly as the fire sparks once more in the hearth, burning brighter than before. The boy sits still, legs crossed and his small hands gripping his legs. Gold bangs cover his eyes and for a moment he seems deep in thought, as if pondering the words. He murmurs wordlessly under his breath, looking up after a moment to reveal his eyes. They are blue again, assessing him carefully. Whatever had overcome him in that moment had passed. He gulped harshly, swallowing the knot lodged in his throat. Even that was telling. The beast had shown few emotions in its time, for as long as he had known it. Mocking amusement, sardonic pleasure- but never...whatever that had been.

'What...was that...?' He thought coldly, feeling the true horror of that moment come full circle as the sweat continued to dampen his brow. The air was still warm, thrumming with energy and intent. But the beast's eyes- the boy's eyes- were unreadable as they watched him. But he knew it for certain, had felt it.

'Just now...you wanted to kill me...didn't you?' He swallowed another harsh breath, hears the sound of his blood, roaring in his ears. 'But you won't...no..." Foolishly smug as he felt his own lips become a equally mocking grin as he remembered the vow. "You cannot. For as long as that contract between us exists...'

"Ah...I see...I see!" The boy remarks easily enough as if barely conscious of the moment that had just unfolded between them, clapping his hands together to emphasize the words. This new form of his was curious- restless and exuberant in a way it had never been before. The boy was bright and boisterous again- the thought is nauseating, sickening. He knows all to well that beneath those bright blue eyes is a creature of nightmare and suffereing. "So that's what you're calling it Hiashi-san? Weakness? Hmm..." His brow furrows again, as if he is deep in thought.

"...Well you were such a terrible shit to her! In the end..I guess it's no wonder she was lonely, that she wanted someone to save her." That childish grin, deepening, darkening- "That someone was me."

'You damned hellspawn.' He fights it, even when he knows the truth. Fights it even when he knows it is unjustified, irrational, unmerited. He has never known for certain what it was Hitomi had asked of the creature- and the truth forever lay to rest with her. All he knew was the reality of the girl of his 'daughter' staring him in the face. He fights this bitter tide, threatening to sweep him away. The callous reminder of all he had done and all he would yet do. He was far from innocent. He was far from righteous. He could no longer be redeemed. He could no longer be saved. But even so- despite knowing the whole, wicked truth- he lashes out at the beast.

"-So this is the form you've taken this time then? This wide eyed young whelp? All so you can defile my home- this clan's legacy- once more? So you can take even more-?! What more can I give you?!" As if the sleepless nights weren't enough? As if the endless torment wasn't enough? As if the constant reminder of what he had done, seeing it every time he looked that girl in the face- wasn't enough? As if being haunted by shadows wasn't enough?

"What more do you want?!" It is a roar from the pit of his being, filled with all of his lament. His resolve wavers, lost in the tide of emotion that threatens to sweep him away. But the boy only scoffs, waving his hands dismissively even though those sharp blue eyes miss nothing.

"-From you? Nothing. You don't have anything I want." He tossed his hands behind his head, still rocking on his haunches. His expression was thoughtful. "Besides...We never did agree anyway. You thought the things I took from you weren't precious. You thought as long as you still had this clan, that was all that mattered. So Hiashi-san-" That damned grin, mocking in its truth. "Were you right?"

But the creature doesn't give him time to answer, as the boy leaped smoothly to his feet, bouncing idly on their tips, as if with restless energy. "And you've got it all wrong again! You know that this is the form she gave me. The truth she gave me." Something solidifies for him in this moment, clicking in the corridor of his mind. The creature had said...that it had met Hinata...but quickly in passing, as if in jest. But the reality of the truth he did not want to believe came full circle. There were three children currently who had the blood, the right to be Clan Leader. Three children who had the right to call upon the contract, to make their own with the beast. Hanabi. Neji. And her.

'No...this could not be- must not be- ' There is a cold tremor of revulsion, of disgust in his heart. He bites his tongue, tastes blood- again- again- the weakness of their blood betrayed them, as it had countless times before. But this time- he thought of the dark haired girl, already broken. 'Foolish- how foolish!' She could not- could never be forgiven! It was there again, the same callous rage as before. Against her that damned child- but more so than anything else- against himself-

The boy's expression shifts as he turns away, casting blue eyes towards the flame. It grows warm, doting. "Shall I…tell you the name she gave me too? It's Naruto. Isn't it great?!" He stated with exuberance as he turned to face him again, his grin bright with happiness and pride.

"She is a lot better at this than you or Hitomi-Hime! When Hitomi-Hime first called me she didn't know how to give me form or name for awhile- but cute little Hina-chan is awesome! She did it without even trying! I did kind of like being Kurama...but I really like being Naruto. I think that name suits me best now! Wouldn't you agree?" He added cheerfully, calling to mind once more the form he had carried in the time from before.

Kurama had been a solemn man with hair the color of flame. Eyes the color of blood. That form- had been far more fitting- perhaps as close to the truth of the creature as ever would exist. But no matter the form- there was still the same bitter, mocking smile. Taunting him, every fang in his grin reminding him of the reality of their truth.

"Get out! Get the hell out!" He roared, launching forward with another mighty blow- but it was no use. There was no hope. Even though his strike was true, filled with killing intent, the boy blocked the blow easily, leaped away onto the mantle lightly with laughter. He sprawled his gangly form along the mantle, bright hair and eyes illuminated now by the dancing light of the flames from the hearth.

"C'mon now! Enough of that Hiashi." Blue eyes were sharp, dangerous, even though he 'tsked' him gently, as if reprimanding a child. "You know its too late for that. Hina-chan has already called me here. I may not have her answer- but she has already given me purpose, given me form. And you know I intend to stay until I finish what I started."

He nearly chokes on the black threatening to burst in his veins, consumed, overwhelmed by this feeling of overwhelming hatred. Against the girl, the woman, the creature, the clan and above all- himself. "You would stoop so low as to make a bargain with a child!? When that little fool knows not what she has done!? Of what you are capable of?!"

Blue eyes survey him curiously and at length before abruptly he laughs again, the sound of it bright and charming in the gloomy study. He nearly bites his tongue, clutching his side as he laughs. The very sound of it makes him taste blood again, hot and heavy in his mouth.

"Wow!" The boy called Naruto exclaims, motioning to wipe tears from his eyes. "You're so funny Hiashi! You have no idea! Now…you're worried? Now…you're concerned?" That childish voice suddenly dips darkly, lower- "How odd Hiashi! Don't you remember? Isn't that what happens? When you reach the depths of misery? This is- really fucking funny- you continue to trample the delicate flowers growing in your garden...only to hate them when they bow before the wind?"

That voice growing darker, sharper, blacker, fiercer. Blue is consumed by red, bleeding into the color of rust and blood. "Go ahead and bury that guilt of yours in self righteous fury if you want! The truth is you drove them to me. Hitomi-hime. Hinata-hime." A bitter black smile, filled with fang. Blue eyes are murky, bloody, ringed with red-"You drove them to me as your clan always has, and always will! I can go back even further if you want to play this game! To the very first-"

'No more! No longer!' It is the same old weakness! The same old curse! The same bitter truth! From the first- to the last- this bitter cycle continued without end! This cycle of torment, of misery. It is boiling over in his blood- "Silence demon! If I could but rob you of that villainous, deceitful tongue-!"

"Oh! I see!" A knowing smile. "I think I get it now Hiashi! Are you frightened?"

The sickening black of his grin, growing wider, wider, wider- "Are you frightened of what she has asked of me? Surely you don't believe she aims for your position? That she would wish to dismantle the clan? That she hates you enough to want you dead? Although all is hers should she wish it…Is that what frightens you? Knowing that the poor little fool you loathe so much- the reason why Hitomi-hime gave up her life- the one you believed worthy of nothing- now has power over you, over everything?"

He laughs, wildly. And he has never known fear, never known terror as he has known it in this moment, when he hears that laughter. Never known it as he knows it now, feeling his entire body grow paralyzed, immobile at that horrific sound like the gnashing of teeth. It is not in jest, not childish any longer- it is from the pit. It's not the bright laughter of the boy, of Naruto. It is the beast. And his blood chills in his veins, the sweat running down his brow, dampening his entire body as the sound grows wilder, darker, blacker-

"You should be frightened! You should be horrified! Don't forget Hiashi- for all that you and this clan have done- for centuries of blood, of deceit, of sacrifice! I warned you as I warned those who came before you! I warned you that there would be a price for your greed, for your selfishness! Grit your teeth mortal! Make your peace! The end- is coming!"

As if this is a waking nightmare from which he cannot escape, he remembers a time from long ago, a moment in time that had then seemed improbable, far off like a distant star-

[["-Then that is your desire?" The haunting voice of the creature of shadow, of darkness as it took form. All he could remember- was the number of it's tails, counting them in the shadow thrown across the clearing. Nine. "I'm disappointed Hiashi. I expected more from you. But just like the rest, in the end...you are just another boring human. But even so-" A smile of sardonic amusement on its face. "You'll get what you want. I'll get rid of your elder brother for you. You will be the clan leader. You will wed Hitomi-Hime. With that...you would be satisfied right? But...don't expect to be forgiven. You will suffer for this. You will get everything you want. But in exchange...-]]

The boy snaps his jaws shut, gnashes his fangs in idle amusement, as red once more returns to blue, bright and inquisitive. "Oh c'mon- don't look at me like that Hiashi-chan!" He adds sheepishly, at the expression of sickness, of agony and horror etched into the pale, haggard lines of his face. He wonders at the expression that he sees in the window, of this gaunt, haggard man with eyes wide and filled with fear. "I did try to warn you you know? But you Hyuugas' are really fucking stubborn..." He paused taking a moment to ponder aloud- "Is 'ten' too old to be using foul language these days?"

The boy is himself again, smiling almost apologetically as he idly scratches his cherub like cheeks. "In the end...don't worry about it so much, you'll make yourself sick! What Hina-chan truly desires…" He drew a finger quietly, to his lips. "Is a secret between us. But this isn't a contract! This…is a promise. So it's free of charge! " He added, as if appalled that anyone would even hint at otherwise.

"Even I wouldn't trick such a cute little girl! Hinata and I are really great friends you know. So we've just made a promise as friends! I've promised her something truly special. Something I have never offered to anyone in this world- and certainly not to a Hyuuga of all people! You should be proud! It did take a few centuries- but out of this clan finally- came something of worth. Something that really reminded me-" Naruto paused- his expression thoughtful for a moment. But then it shifts again, his mood changing abruptly, like a wild wind. "Eh guess it really doesn't matter! You wouldn't understand anyway..."

It is a moment before he composes himself to speak. But when he does- the words are quiet, pale in comparison to the steeled man he had been merely a few moments before. This moment- the time between them- seems eternal, unending. As if he has spent a lifetime, feeling the weight of his years collapsed on his shoulders like a heavy burden. How had it come to this? To this bright eyed boy calling himself Naruto? To the pale, shy creature that had called him into being? He feels as if he is standing on the edge of a abyss- and that he has no choice but to fall into the darkness, to his death. But even so-

"You and I...both know Archdemons such as yourself...cannot make such deals in this world. It is impossible. You cannot give...you cannot create...you cannot change the flow of fate...without taking something in return. You will take in the end...as you always have. As you always will. Again I ask you...What is it you want?" The words sounded as if he were imploring, as if he were begging- proud man that he was-"Do you want the riches you bestowed on this family? Our power? Our prestige? Our talent? Will it take more blood? More sacrifice? What is it!?" And then, with a sudden burst of anger- "Speak damn you-!"

He's breaking. Has broken. He can feel it. Can feel himself breaking down to his traitorous core, down to that bitter black heart that the demon knew so well. The boy waves off his questions, withdrawing and crossing his arms sullenly, as if offended.

''Oh you give me too much credit Hiashi! Do I really seem like those demons of envy to you, that I would take back all of my gifts just like that?! I just want to enjoy myself in this realm for a little while is all! It has been a long time hasn't it? Honestly...I don't think I'm asking for much...you know that once a 'contract' has been made, I cannot harm so much as a hair on her head. Even though the word contract in this case...is a little inaccurate but...Hina-chan will be safe. Per my agreement with this clan...neither will I make any move against either your clan or the capital. In fact- for the moment- my hands are kind of tied anyway." He shrugged noncommittally, "Honestly- you probably won't see me for awhile...which works for the both of us right? I'll stay out of your hair...plus no need to be such a dick about it! Jeez I'm not sure why you hate me so much." He added, scratching his chin thoughtfully. The off handed nature of the words nearly sets his blood to boiling again- but Naruto continues as if he has already forgotten them as soon as they left his lips.

"But anyway!...you know the rules. As a previous contractor yourself…you are forbidden to interfere with me and Hina-chan. The moment you do-" He pauses, surveys his face still sweating, pale and taunt with anger. He shrugs, his lips quirking again. "I guess it doesn't need to be said. But anything else is fine! You're more than welcome to keep Hina-chan as close to you as you like. But remember- the moment you try and tell her anything about the truth-" He snaps his jaws abruptly, letting the sound sink in.

"This is part of her journey, not yours. If she wants the truth- let her find it on her own. And this also probably goes without saying- but breaking any of the rules nullifies my contract with this clan. Well- at least this way you have a little more time eh?" He added with another knowing smile, before it grows softer when he thought of her. "But man- it's almost a shame I have to go away for awhile!"

His expression shifts, become rather forlorn."I wanted to be here...as Naruto...and grow up with her a little more you know? We've already had so much fun together, and made some great memories- but...it's fine! I won't forget a single moment. And by the time I get back, I know she'll be really super ultra pretty!" His smile is wide, bursting with pride and confidence. It stood to reason- her mother had also been a great beauty. And in many ways- she had inherited the same innate charm, the same delicate, fragile manner that had first drew him to Hitomi.

He feels baffled, exhausted, as if drained of energy. As if despite all things- he had been dismantled and swept up into the creature's pace. So much was said- but all without answers without explanations. The beast despite its claims had never done anything without a price- nor for their benefit. But its promises were vast, tempting- promises to give you whatever your heart desired. But in exchange...he shuddered to think of what had already been lost, of what would still be lost.

'What is truth- and what is lie?' Was it the form- the boy called Naruto- who was speaking of the girl with such fondness? The boy spoke of her easily, naturally- as if she were indeed beloved friend. But the beast had never been close to anyone. It had always appeared like a wild wind bringing chaos- only to vanish once it had completed what it came for. The form had always been a means to an inevitable end. The end had never come without blood. It had seemed to take forms reluctantly, out of necessity, bitterly as if with revulsion. But it seemed to enjoy this form- the one called Naruto was speaking as if this form were real, as if it was more than a callous illusion.

He...could not understand, could never hope to rationalize the current course of events. 'Why...did it answer her, as it did Hitomi? Both are pure of blood- but the pact has always been only with those with the right to be Clan Leader. And yet- it still answered them both! Did it not break it's own rules by heeding them? But why...? For what purpose? For what reason? Is this all...part of his plan? Is this all...leading to the end?'

"What...what is it that you want...?" He asked pointedly, but the boy only smiles as he turns to survey him, blinking his great blue eyes.

"Hmm? My reason? Didn't I tell you? I just want to be her friend. It's been...awhile since I've had one of those. Maybe us demons get lonely eh?"

The anger flares, roars to life at the creatures sheer audacity, brings color to his pale sunken cheeks. Of all that had been lost. Of all that would yet be lost. Of all that this clan had sacrificed- but all they had gained. All at the mercy of this creature-! "Stop with your lies! What could you ever know of such things?! Of loneliness? Of happiness? Of sacrifice? You damned creature who only knows how to take- all this time and you yet know nothing- you deceitful, black hearted monster!- what do you know about anything?"

The beast snaps its jaws and the fire flickers again, wavers. Blue eyes grow hard and cold again, sharp like flint. They are ill matched to the youthful face that surveys him, the bared fangs. "Ha! What would I know about you mortals huh? What does a 'monster' know? This 'monster' that you say only knows how to take, to ruin everything it touches?" Blue burns red. There is the scent again- of something burning, of ashes and sulfur.

"Tread lightly mortal. There are limits to my good humor. It is as exactly as I've told you." The mocking lilt to his words grows dangerous again, like tightly held restraint.

"I just want to be her friend...to watch over her…" He missed it in his own trepidation, his bitter hatred- the forlorn look that slitted briefly across the boy's face again, revealed itself in his eyes as they returned to blue. For a moment he looked as he appeared. A lost child. For a moment- it was almost easy to believe that he was human.

"I just...wanted to meet her is all. And in all things…the choice will be hers. You forget that Hiashi-" He murmured almost quietly, "I have always given you choice. While I walk this world in the form I am given- the choice is never mine. It was the same with all who have come before. Including Hina-chan. And Hitomi-Hime. Including you."

Every moment was merely another reminder of all that had happened in the past. And every moment a reminder of what he must do to see that it did not happen in the future. He had long known the end would come, was coming- how he had been unable to determine. But Choice? He nearly scoffs aloud.

"Was it Hitomi-hime's choice to die? Or did you make that one for her? There has never been choice- it has always been you- doing as you please. Taking as you please. But this...ends with her. She will be the last. I promised myself on the day Hitomi died...to not allow this cycle to continue."

The creature's expression shifts, returning once more so that wild grin. They squared off once again, man and beast, stared each other down with eyes filled with determination and steel. But the threat was empty and the creature knew it. But even so he humored him, allowed it.

"Ha! I don't know why I'm surprised! But that's good! That's great! After all that I've said- you're still not listening huh? But that's fine- just keep holding tight to those half assed beliefs. At least we agree on one thing. Hinata will be the Last. And good thing too! In the end- she is the only one of this wretched clan worth saving." His grin is mocking again as he rolls his shoulders.

"But do what you like, even though it isn't much! It's kind of hard to get rid of me when you can't really tell anyone why eh? But at the least...the boy Neji is growing quickly isn't he? He has a strong, noble soul. I hate people like him." He added with good humor.

"Make him her guard dog if you want! You cannot be there always- but if you train the boy well who knows? And he's really strong! He will actually be a real pain in the ass in a few years if he keeps up his training. Now if only he wasn't such a arrogant asshole already..." He sighed regrettably, almost as if in disappointment at such wasted potential.

He feels as if he is fighting a losing battle, as if the very ground was opening beneath his feet. Had anything changed? Had any ground been gained? No- this was a precursor to more, the prologue. This was the beginning- of what he did not know- only that he could feel the end. "This...is a game to you. This is all for your amusement isn't it? You enjoy this kind of farce- all to continue to torment this family, as you have done for centuries! When will you finally...leave us be!"

The boy sighs lightly, tossing his head in disbelief. "I can't summon myself you know? Inevitably in the end- all of you mortals are the same. Just like the ones before you. Your damn greed overtakes compassion, reason. I fucking love this family." The demon smiles a wicked, fanged grin. "Hina-chan most of all. But of course I don't expect you to get that you old fart. Demons are selfish right? But honestly I'm not that bad, there are others who are a lot worse! Such as- "

He pursued his lips, his brows knit with confusion as he pondered. "Hmm...what is he called these days? Was it M something? Eh...Who can remember? There are quite a few of us you know? And we've all been around FOREVER. Now this one's a sneaky little bastard! It's a funny story- I've actually been looking for him for awhile! Have a 'score' to settle as you mortals say. Now this one isn't the kind of demon a mortal should trifle with. Last time I heard- a boy from that Uchiha family rather recently made a contract with him. Sucks for them! If Hina-chan had called me just a little earlier...-" He murmured, whistling low under his breath.

"A demon like that- is far worse than I. That one's greedy. He will make everyone pay because of that boy's desire. But eh- oh well." He shrugged noncommittally, as if such a dark warning was of no concern. His expression was one of good humor as he smiled, even though they both knew the horror of such words.

"You would be able to give them some great advice eh? You know it well. The price you pay for contracting with creatures you don't understand. But maybe I'm talking too much!"

He rises suddenly, leaping from the mantle lightly, stretching life back into his limbs."It feels great to be this young again you know? And blond? I'm going to have so much fun this time definitely!"

But even so- still- he struggled to accept the reality of this creature and its improbable power. This moment is slipping away, sifting between his fingers and he was helpless to fight it, to stop it. But even still- what was there that could be done? How could anyone be saved? Its bitter- tasting his own helplessness, incapacitated by the reality that no matter the claim- there was nothing to be done. The creature could not be killed- not in this form- it would merely cease to exist in this world. It would return to the darkness for the moment- but without fail- again and again it would rise- "I-I cannot allow this-" But the words were feeble, without bite. The boy's mood shifts, burns, blue eyes blazing as he snaps his fangs.

"As if I need your permission? Mind your tongue mortal." The childish lilt dips again. Deepening, darkening, growing bleak and somber. The words are fierce, black and from the pit again, from the very mouth of the beast. Blue burns red again, the color of freshly spilled blood. The air grows warm and stagnant, like a tomb buried beneath a burning pit.

"I yet allow you breath and life because it pleases me. And as I recall- you weren't fucking complaining when I got rid of that brother of yours." The striking snap of his fangs, sharply rupturing the gloom of the chamber. His gaze was sharp, fierce, overwhelming in its force. There seems to be a burning wind whistling through the room, tossing the wayward parchment fluttering into the air like birds. The very fabric of the air seems to vertebrate, to pulse with every one of his hastily drawn breaths.

"Still haven't told your precious protege Neji about what really became of his father?" The harsh accusation of the beast was biting, scathing in its truth. The words die on his lips, rendering him immobile, paralyzed by a gaze the color of hell fire. His body seems to tremble, to shake, feeling scorched as if he is standing bare before a open flame. As if he is being burned alive- a staggering heat encases his body. Even the flames on the hearth dance wildly, casting maniacal shadows against the floor. There it is beneath his feet, in all of it's darkness, in all of its horror-

"Where was all this self righteous shit when I made you leader of this clan? And trying to marry your daughter off to Neji despite knowing the truth? A fucking bastard to the end!" -the dark, black shadow of the beast beneath his feet, and the scowling maw of the creature as it bares its fangs. As if he is being squeezed, crushed tight by a fist of hatred and loathing. He can't breathe- draws in shaking labored breaths as his head swims- but then the room stills. The heat lifts, rises and dissipates in the span of a breath as the boy returns with a laugh, tossing his hands behind his head. "But that's neither here nor there! You're not the worst by far haha!"

He cannot speak on it- dares not. He stands, feels his head ringing sharply, painfully. He is overtaken once more by a terror so encompassing it exhausts him, drains him of what little fight he has left. The truth! The beast had growled as it bared its fangs- even the staff had whispered of it, had murmured it in secret. At times it seemed the truth was known by all- at others as if it tormented him and him alone. He would see Hitomi, see Hizashi, every night he closed his eyes. He could see the accusations in their eyes, on their lips. 'Because of you- because of this clan-' But he is derailed again by the bright of his smile, almost comforting, familiar in its warmth.

"Anyway that's enough about me eh? Neji and I kind of got into it just now-" He added almost sheepishly, running a hand through his tousled mane with comical exasperation. He takes a few thoughtful steps towards the window pane, skimming the dark outline of the trees curiously.

"In fact- he's coming down the hall now. So before I forget-" He begins, his expression thoughtful again as he stands before the hearth, watching the dancing shadows of the flames thrown across the chamber floor. He bends at the waist, lowering his hand to touch the warm stone before the fireplace, gently caressing the shadows of the flickering flames. In this moment it seems as if his eyes betray him-but the boy's hand seems to sink, to vanish, swallowed up by the wavering shadows. His hand sinks lower into the floor, reaching- his blue gaze is intent, focused as he murmurs.

"Shit- where did I leave it? Maybe it's- aw dammit- or maybe-" He wonders if he has already lost what little sanity, reason remains at the improbability of the moment enfolding before him. But finally the boy raises his eyebrows, grins- "Got it! Ok so here-"

He withdraws his hand, pulls it from the shadowy pit with ease. In his grasp is an oddly shaped item, ticking away idly. It is a clock that he holds out for his inspection. It is black as pitch, carved with odd angles and slopes, the gnarled hands on its white face ticking loudly. It only takes a moment for him to reach the conclusion that it is wildly inaccurate, and running backwards as if broken.

"It's a present for you Hiashi-san!" He adds cheerfully, standing to place it carefully on the mantle. He steps back, inspecting it almost admiringly for a moment, before he turns to face him. The expression on the boy's face is curious. Open and thoughtful- but unreadable.

"This clock is going to run for awhile- maybe even years if you're lucky! But at some point- it is going to stop. And when it does- all of my previous contracts with this clan will be nullified." He feels his skin pale, his heart stop. It is as if all of the blood in his body leaves him. He staggers to a chair facing the fireplace, collapses into it weakly. He cannot think, cannot even find the strength to form words. His mind is blank, empty- all he sees is her- her smile knowing and sad-

"Yeah let that sink again eh?" The boy murmurs quietly, blue eyes surveying him again. His expression is blank, as if he too is thinking of nothing. But his eyes burn- "At that time...it will be time for this clan to reap what its sown."

His throat is dry. His hands are ashen, white in his laps. He feels as if he is standing on the edge of a dark, bottomless abyss, the cold chill of death and winter reaching for him. "What..." He wonders if she is waiting in the depths for him, has been waiting from the moment he had laid her to rest "What...does it mean?"

"...All I'll say is this." He states quietly, blue eyes still watching him carefully. "It is will go forward during The Planting. It will go backward during The Ripening. It will be true during The Crucible. And then- it will stop." That boisterous voice is now a thoughtful murmur. It is empty of either joy or cheer, of mirth or mockery. For the first time it rings with truth, with sincerity.

"And when it does...it means that I have finally received her answer. In that moment my will will no longer be my own." Quieter, softer- "Even now it isn't. Hina-chan just doesn't know it yet. This form already belongs to her more than any I've had before. Everything I am- "

It is impossible to understand, to comprehend. By the very laws of nature, by the laws of its being- it could belong to no one. This creature was incapable of emotion. All it revealed- its amusement, its joy, even the taunting edge to its words- were nothing but illusion. It twisted the nature of words, of truth, for its own benefit. To what end? That was known by none. The beast's nature as well- its truth- had long been lost with the passage of time. Why...? For all that it seemed to loathe them- to hate them- had it continued to heed them? All he knew of the creature was of its hunger, its hatred, it's deceit- and its desire to ruin, to destroy. The form of the boy before him was not real. It too was merely fabricated, a perverted delusion of the girl's truth made real.

The creature's desires were far beyond comprehension, beyond understanding. But even so- "What…are you saying?" He asked breathlessly, weakly and then, fearfully- "What do you want?" The sorrowful look always present in her eyes. "What...have you promised her?"

But the boy only smiled quietly as he said:

"Everything."

The chamber doors were thrown open as Neji entered, gasping for breath. His eyes glanced to the boy- back- but the blond haired one was gone, had vanished into thin air. Nothing remained to suggest he had ever been- if he had even been there at all. His eyes strove the room- but it is as it had been- his desk is pristine, the documents he had been tending to still in the perfectly ordered stacks where he had placed them. Nothing had changed. It had all been nothing more than a wayward dream, a passing illusion. All of it had happened nowhere but in the confines of his mind. There was nothing but the clock, ticking idly on the mantle-

"Clan Leader-" The boy began curtly, his dark brows narrowed sharply over his pale eyes. He was visibly agitated, his normally frigid demeanor now one of indignation.

"I followed Hinata-Hime. She has been spending her time idly, keeping the company of filth! I made sure the matter was taken care of but-" For the first time he seems to take in the man's form fully, acutely observing the haggard expression on his face as he faced the mantle. For a moment he pauses uncertainly, unsure of what to make of the haunted look in his eyes. "My apologies...did I perhaps...interrupt your meditation?"

He was silent, staring wordlessly into the distance, into the white face, the dark hands ticking idly. The sound fills his mind, fills the entirety of the void within him until that is all he sees.

"No...it...is fine." He murmurs quietly, as if still wandering somewhere on the threshold of a dream. "You...have done well Neji. Very well. You...have a bright future in this clan." "Continue to look after her. She…is weak, despite her blood."

For a moment his expression is curious, searching. He stares around the immaculate chamber, his sharp eyes assessing every corner of the room illuminated by the flame. He wonders if the boy can feel the ghost of its presence, the fading murmurs that remained. The boy had the blood, had the talent. And the beast himself had said it. The boy had a strong, noble soul. If it had been him- then perhaps- "Yes Clan Leader." The boy stated, affirming his compliance.

"You must be diligent every moment." The form was that of a innocent child, wild of hair and blue of eyes. The boy had looked human. His shadow...had given nothing away. Nothing. "One must never allow for weakness." But he had felt the tremors of horror, of fear, deep down in his being. He had seen blue burn red. He had tasted sulfur- "We must remain diligent." The sound of his laughter, bright and mirthful. And then darkly, from the pits. The creature had taken many forms in the times before. But never- never one like this. Never one so raw in its creation, unfiltered and bold. His words had been forward, brash and confident. And then- quiet, thoughtful. Every word, every expression- had almost seemed real, had almost seemed true.

"This is our duty, our birthright. As one of the strongest lineages in Konoha- we cannot, We will not falter."

'The truth is whatever she wills it to be-' He thought darkly as he watched the clock's hands. Her desire had transcended the limitations normally imposed upon the creature. Her wish had freed him, unchained him in a way he had never been before, in a way none before her had been capable of doing.

The creature had given many promises. It had granted much. But what had been lost- had been far more precious. It was the way of their world. They could create. They could alter fate. They could ruin men. They could weave lies and truth into reality. They could cast allusions. But in this world their power- what they could do- depended entirely on what they were given.

They could do nothing without a price. Not without sacrifice.

To the one it had promised 'Everything'- what would she lose in exchange?

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It was two years after this abrupt meeting, when the boy calling himself 'Naruto' had vanished, and Hinata was twelve summers old...that the eldest Uchiha went mad.

In one night he slaughtered his entire family, from the first to the last. He killed them all, ripped them limb from limb with his bare hands. Their corpses were mangled, as if dashed and broken with great force. Disfigured and brutalized, as if with violent emotion. What became of the eldest after this horror, none could say. If he disappeared, if he perished, if he wandered yet raving like a madman- no one knew.

He killed them all save for the youngest, the brother who escaped the slaughter by by hiding beneath the mangled corpses of his parents. Hiashi was a member of the council then, the board composed of the 12 ruling families of the capital. He was among those who heard the report when the blood was still fresh on the walls of the Uchiha estate, the corpses barely a few hours cold.

And he never forgot the chill as he remembered the boy's words.

There was something about the incidence that felt like prophecy, as if he were staring into his own bleak future.

And the face of the creature waiting for him in the darkness, as it smiled- was as innocent and boisterous as a child's.

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She dressed slowly, pulling on the modest gown, long of sleeve and length. It would be ill matched against the flashes of skin,o f thigh and breast she knew the other heiresses would be wearing. This was a great opportunity to dress lavishly, to showcase their power and prestige before one another. She knew they would not let such a great opportunity go to waste. But she also knew that what she wore wouldn't matter in the end, as she remembered the hot flash in his eyes. She shuddered. Even the exposed length of her neck and collarbone seemed too much. As she slipped the silken veil over her face and viewed herself in the mirror, she paused and asked herself who it was she would find waiting for her there.

Would it be Naruto, her childhood friend? The bright boy of laughter, of smiles? The boy who lived boldly, wildly, and with a reckless, awe inspiring passion The boy who had tightly gripped her hand? The boy who had kissed her feet and promised her the world? The boy who loved her?

She let her fingertips drift over the pages of the book, opened still to the place where she had last left it.

Or would it be...that black shadow waiting for her? That beast of burden? The creature she knew was always lurking, always watching- skirting just behind his blue eyes? She had seen him in flashes of burning red, had seen the echoes of its power, its horror in the dark beneath her feet. Something old, something ancient. Something dark and overwhelming, something that was writing to her, weaving dark tales of obsession and passion, of frightening promises still unrealized. Of what the world would be if she would only take it's hand. The beast that wanted her-

She was afraid. Which was real- and which was not? Which could she trust- if she could trust anyone at all? She did not doubt...truly believed in the depths of her being that Naruto loved her. In that same brash, straight forward, adoring way he had when they were children. But even so...was that his will? Or her own imposed upon him?...She was afraid. She was afraid. But again there is the staggering warmth of his smile, his hands as he had held hers then, as if they were the most precious things in the whole world. And the reminder that no matter what the night would bring...the choice would always be hers. But even so- she shuddered to think of it.

The man she knew, could accept and love without question despite all things. The man was, after all, her weakness. The man was her truth- everything she had wanted, everything she had longed to be.

But she couldn't help but shudder to think- what would happen- if she were to refuse the beast.

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What will I do?

You wonder deep in the depths of your being, asked fearfully in the dark of your chamber, dark words you share with no one.

What am I capable of?

Strange dark hearted being? Red eyed one born of black? The creature of a thousand faces and a thousand smiles?

Like a reflection in a shallow pond- the vision changes. But for you and you alone- have I shown the truth. To you who gave 'birth' to me. To you, who gave me life and strength. To you who gave me purpose, gave me a reason to exist.

You were the one who made me this boy of smiles, this man of joy and laughter and reckless abandon. This one that you have created- this one that lives so wildly, recklessly. Maybe you doubt my words, doubt my truth. But...I want you to believe me. Above all that I have been...above all that I have been called...truly this one...this name, this life you gave me...has been the most precious one of all.

Do not mistake me. I have lived a thousand lives. I have 'died' a thousand deaths. I have worn a thousand faces, each more bitter than the last. Each more hopeless than the last. Each more fleeting than the last. I have found...that many of these mortals are beyond saving, beyond redemption. Truly they are without hope, your kind, your people. Truly I have hated them. Every single one. From the first to the last. From the one who first called me from darkness, to the last who returned me.

Well...All but her. All but You.

This is a tragic, wicked tale they have weaved Beloved, one which you may never hear told in full. It would horrify you, pain you, wound you to the core of your being- if you knew truly of all the things they have asked of me. I have taken lives. I have ended lineages. I have altered fate. I have ruined men. I have buried cities. I have scourged lands. All because they wished for it, because they asked it of me. And because I dear one- for the moment- am bound to heed them. As to why I do...well...you will have to ask me yourself. But maybe knowing- would change nothing.

Truthfully- I am a creature beyond understanding. My existence has always ushered in chaos, called forth destruction. All of my forms have been so- because of the black hearts of the men who have summoned me. As I always was and have been I am a being of madness, of torment. Fearsome nine tailed demon from the pit- I hate, I hunger, I rage. Isn't that what you wanted to hear, to believe? That I am some dark, maniacal creature? You're not wrong. Your fears are well founded. That is all I am, all that I have been.

You were the only one who ever made me more.

And yet...you say this love cannot exist, cannot be real. That the one you love is merely a illusion, a fantasy. That this form you have created- is only so because of your own desires, your own hunger pressed upon it. Again Beloved- you are not wrong- but you are not right.

If you only knew! Of the heat that consumes me, that burns in the black of my being at the thought of you, of your scent on the wind. How much I have longed, how much I have waited, how much I have desired for this final moment, to shed this skin you've clothed me in and have you hearken unto me. If you only knew! That beneath this wild laughter, beneath this boyish grin, beneath blue is something dark and wicked that hungers for the taste of your skin. If you only knew! Of the nights I watched you slumber, of how I watched with jealous, ravenous eyes at how the silk of your sheets slid across your skin. How I longed for nothing more than to take you, touch you, to have you in my arms, my hands, my mouth, my lips- the man- the beast- loves you more than you could ever possibly dream of. Doubt all else if you like- but not this.

The man loves you, has loved you ever since a night long ago. Maybe you remember, maybe you do not- but the night you cried to that small boy- he took your hands and kissed them. He promised you the world. Before that night you were adored, loved, precious- but in that moment you became Beloved- you became the most precious thing in his world. Our world.

All the man wants is to see you smile. All the man wants is to make you happy. All this one called Naruto wants- is to give you everything.

You do not doubt the man. You believe in him- even though it is foolish, even though it is painful, even though it goes against everything you know- because it is the man you love. But that is where you draw the line dearest, the line you are so fearful to cross. You cannot have the flame without the shadow. You cannot have the man without the beast.

You do not fear the man. You love him. From the bottom of your traitorous heart you love him...don't you? Your precious Naruto-kun. The one you created. You love him even though he did not come alone.

Even though he came with me.

It is the beast you fear. It is the beast that makes your blood chill. The beast that makes your skin pale. It is the beast that you run from, have been running from since the moment you understood what you had done when you found that place and named that boy 'Naruto.'

And the beast? Wants you. I- want you. And I will have your answer.

But until then do not fret, do not worry. Rest assured dear one, as I have told you countless times before. You can no longer be saved. You can no longer be redeemed. For you- for us- it is far too late. You have nothing to fear as long as I am here- because my strength is yours and yours alone.

Like two falling stars- here we are, hurtling in unison to the bitter end. The time of Planting is over. The time is coming to reap what they- what you- have sown.

The Ripening. The Crucible.

What will that end be? Whether it be one of pain or pleasure- of madness or ecstasy- of agony or rapture- is yours to decide. Despite what you may think, despite what you may believe- this story was never mine to write, to complete.

It has always been yours.

All you have to do in the end, is the one thing you have always done without question, since those joyous nights long ago.

Take my hand. Take his. And let us put an end to this, an end to everything that was.

And together- forge all it shall be.


AN: Long chapter since its been awhile. Like super long chapter. I apologize in advance for the typos I tried to find them all but I'm a shitty editor sorry guys T_T

The shifting dynamic between Naruto x Kurama was always one of the things I found most interesting about the series- how Kurama began as this horrifyingly fearful creature, and slowly became more over the progression of the series. How they were two seperate entities, yet at times so intertwined they could not be clearly separated. A part of the fun I have with this story is exploring this dynamic. In this world the creature 'Kurama' becomes 'human' (used loosely) based on the desires of those who summon it. Hinata's desire= the kyuubi becoming Naruto .

Yet 'Naruto' seems to exist independently from 'Kurama' in a way his other forms have not, and at times seems to be a completely separate being entirely. But to people like Hiashi, there is no distinction between them, whereas for Hinata that distinction seems brutally clear cut. She thinks of them as separate entities, viewing them as 'man' and 'beast' because she still has not yet found the strength to admit that they may very well be one in the same. And even in the end for Kurama, he refers to Naruto too like he's mystified by him, as if even though they are so connected, they couldn't be further apart. They both love her dearly, but apart of her struggle is that she cannot bring herself to accept them both entirely.

Dunno if I did a good job at showcasing this last chapter, but there's also some contention between Naruto & the Kyuubi too.

Someone also pmed me and asked me why this story is called the Crucible, and I thought I would share that answer here as well because someone might find it interesting.

Crucible: a difficult test or challenge; a place or situation that forces people to change or make difficult decisions.

Echoes of what this may mean for Hinata has been hinted at now by both Naruto & Kurama. I hope you have fun trying to figure it out too.