Hello and welcome Everyone and anyone who has read any of my works. I am Orochi-no-Tsukiyomi and I must say it is good to be out of High school finally. I have been given all this time now, so I can produce more of my projects than usual. Also, I am happy to say Thank you to any and everyone who has found my work enjoyable, you guys are one of the reasons I continue, the other being that I just love writing these stories.

...Anyway, without further delay and distraction, I present the next chapter of Enter The Dark One: A Tale of Pain

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters, they belong to Kishimoto *glares at him* However, I do Ryatsu and Dok'Jenara, so if you want to use them in further projects of your own, ask me first, k?

"Talking"

'Thinking'

'Reading'

"Demon Speaking"

'Demon Thinking'

"Jutsu"

Time/Location Transition

Chapter 9- The Mission to Yuki, Ryatsu's Pain Revealed

Konoha, Apartment Complex- A Month Later, 4:02 am

Ryatsu rose up as he rubbed his eyes, grabbing his shades from the counter to his right and put them on. He layed back down and stared up at the ceiling, comtemplating about several things as he tended to do this. He slowly reached outward with his right hand as he stared at it. It has been so long now since he had left that past life of his behind him, and he did not regret it at all. Sure he was thrown out to die, but he survived and found his home now. He had two brothers who cared for him and he even had a girlfriend that he would protect with his life if she was in danger. He looked down and smiled as he saw Jenara coiled around his other arm, peacefully asleep. The demon serpent had became like a big sister to him, always concerned for his safety and happiness. He brought the arm close to his face as he stroke her back, getting a hiss of approval as she opened one of her emerald eyes lazily.

"Good morning Jenara-Neechan" He said softly with a smile, his shades sliding down to the edge of his nose as his grey snake eyes gaze at her softly.

"Morn..ing...Ryatsu-kun" She managed, still asleep.

He got out of the bed as he layed his hand down for her to slither off onto the counter. He moved to his closet and began to dress himself into his usual outfit. He wore a black turtle neck under a grey jacket with dark lines flowing around it in various patterns, as if wrapped around the jacket. He put on some simple, grey winter pants while he straped

His blade horizontally to his lower back. He finally placed his weapon pouch and and scroll on him before letting Jenara slither back up to his wrist.

The two crept out of the apartment as they saw him again, sitting on top of the lamp post. Every night Ryatsu would wake up and every night also, he would see Itachi just sitting on the post, staring at the moon with that dead look in his eyes. Ryatsu felt sad for his guardian, this was sort of a daily routine for Itachi ever since the massacure. Not being able to save his family and sparing his little brother from any damage took its toll on Itachi. Ryatsu sighed sadly as he jump out and grabbed the post, climbing it untill he made it just under Itachi's level.

"Itachi-San...Why don't you come inside...", Ryatsu suggested to the man he saw as an older brother.

Itachi looked down as he saw his charge sadly. He wasn't suprised to see Ryatsu up this early. In fact he figured that the grey-haired kid had sleeping problem based on just how early he wakes up, and how late he sleeps. He never asked too much Ryatsu's life solely because he had figured most of it out on his own, understanding the pain and decided to wait untill Ryatsu was ready to speak.

"Ryatsu-San...I'll go back in...in a few minutes."' He tells his young charges that he saw as a second little brother, "Just let me gaze into the beauty of the Moon alittle more. After all, the Sun will rise soon anyway, so I wish to take it in while I can."

Ryatsu nodded as he climbed back down from the post. Once on his feet, he headed to Training Feild 7, the place where He would head and just meditate for a while. Itachi's eyes followed Ryatsu's slowly retreating form, knowing exactly where he was going. Everynight his charge would leave and head for the field, do whatever he does, and then arrive back home before Sasuke would even wake up. He just sighed as he continued to stare up at the Moon. The older Uchiha brought a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small orange bottle and quickly pulled out two small red and white pills. He threw them into his mouth and swallowed, replacing the bottle back in his pocket. He had been forced by the Hokage himself to takes these anti-depressents, something about trying to suppress his recent suicidal tendencies.

It only hours afterwards did the elder Uchiha saw Ryatsu enter the apartment, giving a smile as Sasuke finally stumbled out of bed. He currently was not wearing his usual eye-patch, so the X-shaped scar over the flat lid was very visible than normal. He saw his "brother" and waved.

"Looks who finally decided to join the rest of us mortals, eh Sasuke?" Ryatsu joked in good, if not sarcastic, nature.

"Hnn?" The one-eyed Uchiha just grunted out as he sat down, whereing his usual outfit of white pants and a high collared blue shirt with the Uchiha crest stitched to the back.

"Alright you two lets calm down before you two decide to break something", The two turned around to see Itachi, who had just returned from his daily moon gazing with a slight smirk.

The three smiled as Itachi made some very simple dango that was leftovers from the other night. as he gave the two a plate he grabbed a box of pocky from his kunai pouch and pulled out a chocolate covered stick and started to chew on it. He started to become addictted to what he called the treat of the gods during his depression state. To him, they were a better coping method than thoses damn pills.

So then, I hear that Anko is finally thinking of trying to get your cell a C-ranked mission" He added as the two stared at him intently, smiling as he bit into his stick of pocky.

"You mean we don't have to chase that cat anymore?" Ryatsu seemed shocked at the use that his shades fell to the base of his nose.

"I thought you two liked Tora" Itachi teased, laughing slightly at the two's downtrodden faces.

This continued before the two Genin thanked Itachi and left the apartment. Sasuke quickly grabbed his swords and tagged after his brother. Ryatsu walked calmly to their cell's meeting area as Sasuke slowly placed his eye-patch back on. Jenara fell asleep and reverted into her statuette prison, coiled around Ryatsu's wrist like a shackle of sorts. They made it to see their other teammarte standing there already, waving at her boyfriend. She had changed how she dressed since the academy. He abandoned her pink chinese shirt for a black one with sleeves stooping at her middle of her forearms, protective bracers covering the exposed flesh. Her pants remained the same, execpt for the fact that she now carried even more pouches for her wore her hair in a low, short ponytail instead of her buns, her hi-tiate wrapped around her forehead as always. What was definately new about her was the scythe strapped to her back. It was an shaft from a willow, the blade curving subltely before making a wicked hook at the end. all in all she looked more like a reaper with the scythe than a kunoichi.

Ryatsu quickly ran to her and kissed her breifly just before their sensei appeared in a cloud of smoke.

"All right maggots!", Anko declared as the three focused on her, "Today we aer doing a mission. However, this mission is not the ever Damned D-Ranks that we have been doing. This a is a C-ranked and it actually takes us to an interesting location for sure."

"Where might that be, Anko-sensei?", Ryatsu asked first, curious by the way she spoke.

"Glad you asked Ryatsu, We are heading for Yuki-no-Kuni, The Land of Snow!", She declared, missign the looks of terror and slight resentment on Ryatsu's face, "Our assignment at the moment is to meet the client there, who will give us better details there, the client goes by the name of Getsuo Motonari"

'HIM?' Ryatsu thought venomously as killing intent leaked out of him for a very quick instant, waking up Jenara.

"Ryatsu-Kun, You ok? What happened?" She asked earnestly.

'Whats up with him?' Anko thought with a raised brow.

'that killing intent...its...it was..almost..sufficating...does he really hate that place that much?' Sasuke thought as his eye was wide with fear, trembling slightly.

'Ryatsu-kun...does that place pains you so much...' Tenten thought as she gently grabbed his hand, rubbing it with her thumb.

Ryatsu lowered his head as he headed off to the North Gate, Tenten following after him. Anko who had finally looked at Sasuke, realizing that her other students had just left. She had not felt such concentrated killing intent in one child in her life. She figured that even Orochimaru's would pale to Ryatsu's in a few monthes time.

"Whats with him? He didn't seem all that thrilled with hearing Yuki. In fact, he seemed almost murderous upon hearing the client's name. You know him best, surely you know hwy, right?" She questioned him as he just started walking after them.

"All I can tell you is this, He is from there originally. He has too many bad memories of that place, I don't know the details fully myself. But I can see that he desperately wants to leave that place and chapter of his life behind him." He explained, leaving Anko confused and dumbfounded, interested by her grey-haired student, more and more now.

"Ryatsu-kun, wait up already!" Tenten called after as she continue to chase him.

He stop dead in his tracks, his head still down. Tenten finally reached him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. She moved to see his face, only to see his shades pushed up to conceal his eyes as usual. Determined, she pulled them off of his face and stared into his grey, serpentine eyes with her chocolate brown. She immeadiately felt pain in her heart as she saw the anguish bleeding in his sad eyes. Bitter tears were slowly falling down his face as she brought him into a warm and gentle embrace. Ryatsu stared at her as his resolve had shattered, falling to his knees as he pressed his head and arms into her, crying for the first time in front of anyone. She tightened the embrace, running a hand through his messy, grey hair in a comforting manner.

"It's gonna be alright Rya-kun...Don't worry...I'm here for you.", she whispered softly into his ear as he slowly wrapped his arms around her, hugging back limply.

"Why T-t-ten-chan...w-why do I have to g-go...t-there...and t-to s-see t-that...monster of a man of all people..." He managed to say into her shirt and stomach.

"I don't know Rya-kun...I wish I could help you more...I personally do not know what happened to you or why you hate that particular man so much...I wish to help you, but I know it would be too much to ask to demand t olearn of your past.", she continued to whisper gently, rubbing his back in a soft, caring manner.

Ryatsu looked up to her sadly, his tear-stained staring into her concerned eyes.

"Shizuka-chan...", he started.

"Yes Rya-kun?" she asked gently?

"I want to tell you something, something that you deserve to know" He said sadly.

"You don't have to tell it if you fell pained by it Rya-kun, I won't mind if you don't tell" she reassured him.

"No...you..you deserve to know if anything Shizuka-chan...you need to know why I don't wish to head to Yuki-no-Kuni.", he told her simply.

"Ok then Rya-kun, if you insist. I won't stop you, I'll support you as best as I can Rya-kun", She told him, holding his hand gently, nodding as she comforted her boyfriend.

"You may or not know this, but I am came into Konohagure-no-saito as a refugee of sorts, right?", he asked.

"I heard about that Rya-kun, you passed outside the North Gate, right?" She replied, remebering seeing him when he was being shipped to hospital that day.

"Well there is a reason I came here, you see I was born and lived originally in Yuki-no-Kuni.", He said sadly.

"That would explain the clothing at least, but I can tell someting bad happened there."

Ryatsu hanged his head down as he began to tell her is tale. Of how his villiage was attacked by the Hachibi-no-Orochi on the night he was born, how his life was a total hell. He had told her of his kind mother and the elder, tears falling down as he told her of their deaths.

"My mother...she died trying ot save me, from him...Getsuo Motonari, my...father.", He stated as she gasped in horror, " He had then tried to kill me again, but he failed. Something happened and he was slumped against the wall. At first I paniced because I thought I had killed him, so I ran away. I ran away from that Hellhole that was my home and birthplace. Taking only this scroll, Jenara-chan when she was just a statuette at the time, and this blade, the very same sword that took the life of my mother."

Tenten looked at him devestated, hugging him tighter as he just cried even more. She knew that he had a rough life, but she didn't imagine that his own family would try to kill him. She leaned closer to him. He looked up sadly as she held his head, stroking his tear-stained cheeks gently. Before Ryatsu knew anything, Tenten had leaned in and kissed him gently. his grey eyes widened slightly, before closing slowly as he returned the kiss. They broke away from the kiss as she brought a hand through his hair, holding his hand with the other gently.

"Rya-kun, I feel honoured that you would trust me with your sorrow and anguish", She told him softly.

"You needed to know Shizuka-Chan" he stated, " You deserved to know the truth of my life, my tale of pain..."

Tenten gave him another hug as she comforted him, "Ryatsu-kun...I will be the person to guard you, I...I love you Rya-Kun", she gave him a genuine smile, tears gently coating her eyes.

He looked up as he offered a small smile, touched by her confession, "I love you too, Tenten-chan."

They brought eachother into a gentle embrace. They both heard a cough as the turned their gaze at Jenara.

"Tenten, I can tell that your love for Ryatsu-kun is true, and the same applies to you as well Ryatsu. I approve and offer my blessings, so long as you do whatever it takes to protect him, or I will never forgive you, Shizuka Tenten", Jenara said calmly at the two, adding abit of killing intent at the threat in the end.

"I promise Jenara-chan, I will defend Rya-kun with my life, I will make sure that if he is down, I will help him back up. If he is caged by his pain, I shall be there to spring him from that prison." She spoke to the serpent with determination.

Jenara nodded simply, she didn't have to threaten Tenten anymore, she knew now that she had Ryatsu's best intentions at heart as well. She coiled around both of Ryatsu's and Tenten's wrist, as if binding them two looked at her as she gently bit into a vein on each of their hands. She looked up and coiled fully around Ryatsu's wrist, moving up his arm to reveal something. On both of their wrist, sprouting from exactly where she had bit them. They saw what looked like a serpintine shaped tattoo slowly growing around their wrist, the serpent's maouth opening about where she had bit down. The tattoo grew to a solid black as it finished as the two stared at Jenara, hoping she could explain.

"If it's about the bites and the new tattoo on you I can explain easily. As I have told you two before, my name is Dok'Jenara. I am not only a demon serpent, but a summon. What those tattoo repersent is a..contract if you will.", She explained, sweatdropping at their blank looking faces, "Basically if that mark, you can be able to summon my fellow kin. I would suggest that it would be best if you go and talk to Anko about that at a later date, as of now Summoning would put too much strain on your body."

They nodded, staring at the contracts that was coiled around their wrist. Jenara felt like she did the right thing for them, it was the least she could do. She slithered off of Ryatsu and faced them on the ground. They looked at her as her gaze faced past them.

"You can stop hiding Sasuke, I know your there", She stated, "How much of this conversation did you here?"

Sasuke cursed silently as he walked out into the light. He sighed as he scratched the back of his head in an absentminded manner.

"Most of it, from Ryatsu explaining his life's pain", He told, holding his hands out.

"So you know then Sasuke...", Ryatsu replied as he stared down sadly, unsure how his "brother" would react to the whole news.

As if sensing his doubt and sorrow, Sasuke sighed deeply as he walked up to him, stopping at arm's length. Ryatsu looked up in a confused manner just as sasuke slapped him across the face.

"Idiot...do you think that me learning about the pain and suffering you went through in your life makes any difference?", Sasuke asked him, staring at Ryatsu's hurt face, "You think that just because I heard that, I'm just gonna run off and treat you like they do to Kitsu?"

"Sasuke...its not" ryatsu tried to explain, rubbing his cheek at the blow.

Sasuke had enough as he angerly ripped off his eye-patch, showing him the full scar covering his eyelid, "Look at me Ryatsu! When my family was killed, I lost my eye as a price for living. I almost lost it, believing that my life was nothing anymore, but you were the reason I was able to overcome it easily. We had became brothers that day in therapy."

Ryatsu stared at him, his shades in Tenten hands as he stared at his sole charcoal eye with his serpentine grey eyes.

"Sasuke...brother...I'm...I'm sorry", He managed," I'm sorry for doubting you. I should have known better, but I was just scared...I just do not wish to return to Yuki, because I have a feeling that Motonari will not be too keen to see his "demon" back in his villiage, let alone in his own house again..."

Sasuke offered him a smirk as he replaced his eye-patch back on, "Look man, thats what brothers are for, they look out for each other, no? I swear to you right now, if that man tries to lay a finger on you, He'll have to go through me and my blades first."

"Not only that, but he'll have to go past me, my sycthe, and a storm of wepons if he wishes to harm you, Rya-Kun" Tenten offered as well, determined to protect her boyfriend.

Ryatsu lowered his head as he looked back them, hsi sorrowful and sad look gone, his usual calm look back, "Sasuke-San...Shizuka-Chan...Thank you.", He smiled at them.

Tenten gave him back his sunglasses as he pushed them back on his face. Jenara smirked gently at the three. Anko stared off at her Cell without any of them, even Jenara's extra senory skills. She was impressed at just how close they were with one another. She knew that Ryatsu had some bad blood with Yuki for some reason, but the snake mistress figured that he would speak when he was ready. What she did know was she was in for quite a trip. She coughed to get everyone's attention.

"Alright everyone, now that it seems tha everyone is calm and collective. It is time we head off for the Land of Snow, to meet our client, Getsuo Motonari!" She told them as the genin all nodded, Jenara slithering back up to Ryatsu's wrist. Cell thirtenn turned to the North Gate of Konoha and leaped out of the giant open doorway, begining the long trip on foot to Yuki.

"Hijutsu: Cliffhanger-no-Jutsu!"

A long one this time. However, next time, Cell 13 begins the journey to Yuki, what will happen on their trip. Will Ryatsu's imfamoucy proceed him after all theses years, or will the mission go soothly. Join us next time in Enter The Dark One: A Tale of Pain, Chapter 10- Getsuo Motonari, Father's Sin and Black Chakra. Enjoy and reveiw

Mata Ne

~Orochi-no-Tsukiyomi