Destroy Konoha.

She leveled a building.

Destroy Konoha!

Shiro's order echoed, and Naruto clutched her head, bending over and screaming, falling to the ground as she fought it, mindlessly punching the ground.

Destroy. Konoha.

Naruto felt her eyes transforming, her power rushing up. She extended her arms.

"Shinra -"

"Nee-san, please stop!"

Mitsuki's voice made her still. Neji was holding him back, looking pale.

Mitsuki stared at her with sadness and anguish.

"Nee-san, remember Mama's and my order! You halfta protect me!"

The one order both had echoed, Shiro having coached the little boy into doing so.

Protect Mitsuki, above all other orders.

Protect me, above any other order.

DESTROY KONOHA!

"I can't." She smiled, knowing what would happen. "You ordered me to protect Mitsuki, no matter what. Above any order. I cannot destroy the one I consider a little brother, -ttebayo."

She could see herself started to glow, and she walked over to Mitsuki and smiled at him.

"It's okay, Mitsuki-kun." She hugged him.

"You're still sad... Why?" She tensed, but then chuckled.

"Little Mitsuki, I was never sad that I left there." She released him. "I was always sad knowing I had to go back there."

Paper-like pieces started coming off of her.

"Neji... I needed to tell you." She stood up and looked a little uncomfortable. "I... Was falling in love with you when you died. When you told me... I knew that I was being selfish. I was in pain, in agony... And I wanted it to end. At least with the Rinne Tensei I could have pretended... I could have pretended I wasn't selfish."

He shook his head, his lavender eyes sparkling with tears.

"All I request is that... That you find a girl. Live with her, be happy." Naruto shook, unable to cry. Unable to express how heartbroken she was for doing this. Her arms had slipped away in those paper-like pieces, and she swallowed. "I don't want to go," she cried out, falling to her knees. Neji collapsed with her, holding her. "I don't want to leave again."

"I'll be here," Neji promised. "I'll watch over Mitsuki. Naruto -" he paused, almost unable to talk again. "I love you."

Naruto chuckled.

"I think... I love you, too."

And once more she was gone.

~:~

Kurama waited until the time was right, slipping into his host as quietly as he could. As a demon, he could bypass seals easily.

He slipped in, getting comfortable as his host body was getting ready to wake.

~:~

Uzumaki Nia watched her queen's body come up from the Fire Temple's tomb. Only the head monk, Chiriku, and his student, Sora, was there watching her.

The sinking moon fell upon the dead queen's face, and Nia felt disappointment.

"What were you hoping to find?" Chiriku questioned curiously.

"Normally, when a queen of the Uzumaki is dead, the Throne Room on Uzushio is open for all to view. Upon returning to Uzushio, the Throne Room was locked. This could have been attributed to the fact that the last member of the royal line was dead. I had thought that someone broke into her tomb and stole her hair, but... There's no hair missing."

Chiriku frowned. "What about during the war?"

Nia thought. Hair could have fallen out; it wasn't impossible.

"That's... Not the true reason I'm here. I thought that since the Throne Room was closed, her name inscribed on the katakana stone might give some clues. Each queen's name is written in katakana on a stone in the Throne Room. If her name glowed, she was still living. If it didn't, she was dead." Nia sighed. "I suppose it was a foolish hope."

She activated the seal.

It cracked; Nia gasped as Naruto's body was exposed to the elements.

Nia performed the seal again. Nothing.

~:~

Madara smiled tenderly.

Thank you, Amaterasu, he thought, brushing his little brother's hair out of his face.

Hashirama was silently watching him, his naked chest for once stirring nothing in Madara but affection.

"Now we can only hope Naruto-chan was given life as well," Hashirama said after a minute.

Madara sighed and stopped messing with his little brother's hair.

"I bet she was. She's a warrior. Stubborn as hell." He sighed. "But I only care about my little brother right now."

Hashirama snorted.

"You've always cared for your little brother." He paused. "Itama was killed by Uchiha."

Madara's head jerked to Hashirama's retreating back.

"You can't just - Hashirama, you can't just drop that revelation and walk away! HASHIRAMA!"

Madara hesitated to stand up.

His brother chuckled.

He jerked, looking at Izuna.

"Go to him," Izuna said weakly.

Madara nodded, running to Hashirama.

~:~

As the sun spilled over the horizon, the seal glowed brilliantly underneath the prone, dead body of Nia's queen.

Nia gaped as red and sun-gold crawled over the queen's colorless hair, color filling pale cheeks. Her lips were filled with color. Breath rasped passed her lips.

Nia swallowed.

"Well," she managed. "I think... I'm going to pass out now."

Nia passed out.