Chapter 8

A persistent, pestering pecking roused Naruto from his slumber. He groaned in annoyance and tried to swat away the sound. He failed however, as the sound of pecked-at glass continued to taunt him.

He sat up then, groaning tiredly. His arms stretched over his head and a great yawn came from him. He grumbled, "What the hell now?"

"That's what I'm finding out now."

Hearing how far the familiar voice came from, he guessed that she was by the window. He finally managed to wake his mind up and called out, "Najenda?"

"Yep," Najenda confirmed as she opened her window. "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to wake up." He opened his eyes then, and the very first sight to greet him in the morning was her bright, loving smile from across the room. "You snore by the way."

"Only when I have good dreams," he quipped with another smile. "Good company certainly helps me with those."

She grinned, "I bet."

She then untied her curtains and a brown hawk flew in. The bird soared around the room until Najenda held out her metallic arm. It landed on her artificial limb gracefully and turned its back to her, showing its care package.

"Naruto," she called over to him, "can you grab me one of the treats? They're on my nightstand's lower shelf," she explained while pulling off the small box.

"Yeah. Sure." Naruto reached down and found the bag of raw meat. He then tossed one to her and asked, "More intel?"

"Could be," she answered while feeding the hawk. She petted its back once, making it trill in pleasure, and she then let it soar back out of her room's window.

Naruto got out of bed and walked over to her side. He asked with a sly grin, "So? Is it another love letter?"

She smirked playfully. "Would that make you jealous?"

"Maybe," he shrugged. "What can I say? Maybe my little pet demon inside made me a little more territorial?"

"Well then your pride is safe," she teased. She showed him the seal on the letter inside the package and said, "See? It's directly from Headquarters this time."

"Great," Naruto grumbled, his good mood fleeting. "So what's the ass down south want now?"

Her eye briefly flicked down to his still-bare lower body with a bit of mirth in it, but she didn't continue the playful banter. She instead stated, "Probably orders to return to the Capital. I'm honestly a little surprised we even got two months out here."

"All good things must come to an end," he sighed, being deliberately dramatic. "It must be pretty bad if even Esdeath's little group isn't handling it."

Najenda broke the seal and quickly read the letter's contents. When she finished she stated, all business now, "It's pretty serious. A new type of Danger Beast has appeared, and it's wreaking havoc on the area surrounding the Capital. Entire villages have been wiped out."

Naruto grabbed Najenda's arm when she made to turn away. "And what about the kid, Najé?" he reminded her.

She looked back at him and informed him, "I'm going to need every able body, Naruto. Your little prescription trip for him can wait."

He shook his head and told her, "No. He needs to do this, Najenda. He'll never be rid of those two's ghosts if he doesn't, and they'll only ever keep holding him back from what he can become."

She pulled her arm free and reiterated firmly, "He's not you, Naruto, and we're going to need Tatsumi's strength if those reports are accurate."

He grinned at her, amused, and rhetorically asked, "Are you forgetting about me, Najé? With me here you've got no shortage of manpower or strength, or would you rather run the risk of losing him when you try and take on the Jaegers?"

Najenda grunted in frustration. She sat in thought for a moment before pointing out, "When Tatsumi first left his village, it took him nearly seven full weeks to get to the Capital, Naruto."

Naruto immediately listed in rebuttal, "He'd never left home before, he traveled six of those weeks alone, and he now has a Teigu to scare off any predators. That time will be cut in half at least just by sending him with a partner. It'll take him three weeks at most to get back to the Capital once he leaves his village again."

"Who would go with him though?" Najenda eyed him and said, "We need Lubbock to set the barriers around the new base; Chelsea already has a list of assignments waiting for her; Suu isn't leaving my side; Mine would be crucial to any long-distance recon; and both Akame and Leone's fighting strength is essential for us against these new Danger Beasts. Who then could go?"

Naruto held out his hand and Najenda gave him the letter. His eyes scanned over the contents, and he then sifted through the memories of his lone clone left in the Capital. There he found a memory where he'd overheard a few guards talking about the new Danger Beasts.

Now having a more conclusive idea of what they were about to face, he answered, "Mine won't be necessary for these beasts, so she can go with him."

She asked him, "Why Mine?"

"From what I can tell," Naruto explained, "long-distance abilities aren't needed for these Beasts, as they're slow, dim-witted, and fairly large. One of my clones found out that the Jaegers captured a few of them the other day and caught a peek at them. Our big hitters, minus Tatsumi, will be more than enough."

Najenda looked unconvinced, but she relented. She sighed in exhaustion, "You're lucky I really, really trust your judgment, Naruto. Alright. If you're absolutely certain about this then I'll let Tatsumi go visit his home village with Mine as his partner.

"Mine's face is known though," she reminded him. "There might be trouble if someone on the road recognizers her and attempts to make a scene."

"Sooner or later," he chided her knowingly, "you've gotta' trust the kids to be able to handle themselves, Najé. If something happens, it happens. I trust the kid to know how to take care of himself if he runs into a stir – however unlikely they might."

Najenda shook her head, exasperated, and exhaled, "How nice it must be to not care."

Naruto immediately denied with a serious look, "Don't mistake me, Najenda, because I care a lot. The kid's gone and grown on me more than just about anyone since I met him. Heck, I feel like a damn role model for the first time in ages."

Najenda laughed quietly and quipped, "If you're his new role model then he's worse off in the head than I feared."

He grinned large, "I know, right?"

"Very well," she conceded. "I'll inform them both when I tell everyone about the new orders at breakfast."

Naruto hugged Najenda and whispered gratefully, "Thank you, Najenda."

She asked him, surprised at his action, "For what?"

"For…" he hesitated to expound. He looked her in the eye and said, "For everything. I…know how much I've hurt you over the years." His thumb came up and rubbed the cheek beneath her blinded eye. "And for that I am sorry."

Her metal hand gently removed his. "Neither of these are your fault," she reminded him softly, gesturing to her damaged half.

"No," he denied firmly, shaking his head. "They are. Even if I didn't swing the blade myself, I'm still responsible. I…let my feelings get in the way and let her live then. That eventually let her do this to you, and you have no idea how sorry I really am for that, Najé."

"Naruto," she spoke firm, holding his head even with hers. She reiterated with conviction, "These are the results from my own incompetence. After she…returned with your blade I lost to my emotions; I couldn't focus as well as I should have. Only myself and Esdeath are to blame for this. You hold no blame."

Even though he still felt the sting when he gazed upon her form, Najenda telling him those words managed to somewhat ease the burden he could still feel. He put on a smile and accepted her words, "Whatever you say."

Najenda frowned, clearly unconvinced that he was genuine. She then surprised him by leaning over and kissing him again, making him let out a shocked grunt. Through it, Naruto somehow felt all of Najenda's feelings for him.

I see, he realized, his eyes closing and him slumping in relief. She's never blamed me at all.

They soon separated again with both now showing each other their smiles once more. "Naruto," she said, "I have never once believed that you ever wanted to harm me in any way. All you have done is try to help save me pain, and last night proved it better than anything else I can think of. I know how much you didn't want to sleep with me."

"Not to say it wasn't fun," Naruto chimed in with another grin.

"But you did," she finished, her cheeks twitching in amusement. "For that, I am extremely grateful. I finally feel…like I know about…us at last."

"Najenda…" he breathed. "I…I don't know why, but –"

She cut him off, holding her hand up to stop him, "Regardless of what may have…developed, Naruto, neither of us can afford for this to become…more right now."

For some reason, those words seemed to constrict around his heart. "Na…Najé," he stammered, confused. "I thought… I thought you…"

She gave him a sad smile and responded, "I do, Naruto, and, Gods, do I want nothing more. However, we can't afford such a distraction – not now. We…need to be able…to…"

Naruto could see how hard this was for her to actually say aloud, so he nodded and told her, "Yeah. I suppose you are…right. Such a…distraction would only complicate things even more than they were before. It's just… I don't think we'll be able to go back to the way it was between us before again."

"I doubt so as well," she agreed. She lifted one of her legs up and peeled off her lone-remaining sock and said, "That's why I…" She hesitated to continue. She sighed in resignation after a few minutes and asked, "Can we just…both think about it for now? Why don't we both have a few days to ourselves? It will…help; I hope."

Naruto was never patient outside of a mission, but he could see the wisdom behind her suggestion. Let's think on just where this puts us before we make a mistake, he deduced her reasoning. He nodded, "Sure. No need to just…rush into it right after, right?"

"Precisely," she nodded, grateful for his words. "This way we…can digest just what's happened. Look, Naruto," she added when she saw his body sag slightly, "we can't just…become whatever…whatever we think we did – not us. But," she offered," that's not to say that things won't be different.

"Why don't we just…let things take their own course now? If this becomes…something more then we'll face that when we get there. Right now, we're both too emotional to be making any serious decisions like that, and we need to focus on the objectives set before us before anything else, okay?"

Naruto's eyes drifted downward. She's right, he knew, but… He shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. "You're right, Najé," he admitted. "There's no need to…rush; no need for us to…"

Najenda gave him a grateful and somewhat sad smile. She tossed his pants at him and said, grateful, "Thank you for understanding. Oh. One more thing."

Naruto pulled his pants back up and said, "Yes?"

"We need to keep…this secret from the others, okay?" Najenda walked to his shirt, picked it up, tossed it to him, and explained, "I don't want…the others to know just yet."

Naruto caught his clothing and pointed out, "You mean Lubbock."

She was still for a moment, unmoving. She sighed and nodded. "Yes," she admitted. "I…recognized how he looked at me, as it was how I once looked at you. I…never directly confronted him because I've thought that he could be…the next one for me should you truly have been dead."

Naruto hesitated. "Look, Najé…he at least should know that you don't return his feelings. It's…not right to string him along like this."

"As far as Lubbock knows," Najenda chuckled humorlessly, "I'm entirely oblivious to how he feels. Look," she turned to him again, "I know it's wrong, alright? But you don't understand Lubbock like I do, Naruto. Me spurning him like that, without him at least being able to tell me how he feels, would destroy him. As far as he knows, I see him only as a dedicated member of Night Raid – loyal to a fault.

"You've seen how competitive he's gotten with Susanoo, and he's not even human! Can you imagine how bad it would be if he found out how I care for you? He would kill himself just to try and prove how much he adores me, and I wouldn't put it past him to try something drastic.

"Please, Naruto. The only way I can possibly see him eventually moving on is if I …develop a relationship with someone else. I care very deeply for him, and I want him to be happy, but it is not with me. After last night…" She paused, hugging herself. "After last night, I don't see a way for me to one day love him like he does me."

Naruto let out a deep breath and thought about her logic. While he personally disagreed with it, he knew that he didn't know Lubbock anywhere near as well as Najenda did. He also realized that, since Najenda was willing to go against her own judgment on Tatsumi, he should trust her judgment on what's best for Lubbock.

He sighed in resignation. "Fine. I am letting my protests be known now, but I will trust you about how to handle little greenie. Is that okay with you?"

She nodded once, grateful, and said, "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do." Naruto then threw his shirt over his shoulder and said, "Well if that's all, I think it's time for me to wash up, and you need to put on some clothes anyway."

"What?" she raised an eyebrow at him. Her grin grew a little. "Don't you like what you see?" she asked while holding her arms under her breasts, purposely pushing them up.

"Oh I certainly do," Naruto assured her immediately. His eye spied a fly on the wall, and he threw a pencil at it, its point piercing the wood. The pencil made the fly leave in a panic, and he finished, "I just thought that you'd want to reserve that look just for me."

Najenda's eye widened. "Oh, shit," she realized quickly. She sighed in exhaustion and requested, "Will you please go handle this? As you said, I need to get ready for the day."

"Sure," he agreed. He made to hug her but hesitated to go through with it.

She noticed his conflict and smiled. She offered him her hand and reminded, "Let's not take it too quick."

"Agreed," he said and gripped her hand with his. Naruto then left her room, giving her one last wave before leaving.

Naruto turned down the corridor that took him outside, keeping his mind focused. He absently greeted a bruised and battered Tatsumi when they passed one another, and he told Susanoo to go to its master when he noticed it. He found the building's exit a few moments later.

He cursed his luck when he opened the door and saw Leone standing with her front to him just on the other side. She was whistling a fun tune to herself as she walked up to their temporary home.

"Yo!" she greeted merrily, a large grin plastered on her face. "Mornin' there, Root!"

He grunted a greeting and walked past her in a hurry, hoping that her senses were still dull since it was barely dawn. I'm not that lucky though, he thought sourly when he heard her sniffing.

Leone sniffed at the air thrice before she grew a smirk that made his eye twitch. She put a hand on his chest, stopping him, and told him, "Hold on there, Cowboy. Maybe you'd like to explain why you smell like –"

"Come with me and I will," he cut her off, not wanting anyone else to possibly overhear her outburst. Naruto then pushed past her and began using his own sense of smell to locate his target. There he noticed after a few sniffs. "You coming?" he asked Leone after turning towards his new destination.

Leone's grin grew further and she chirped, "You betcha'! Haven't had anything this juicy since… Huh. Whattaya know? Never." She shrugged and began prowling in his wake.

Leone proved at him while they traveled, but he refused to say anything just yet. Eventually, she huffed in annoyance and at last accepted that she wasn't going to get anything out of him yet.

"You're no fun when you're this serious, you know that?" Leone grumped.

"Shut it," Naruto ordered gruffly. "We're here." He reached down, grabbed a small rock, and threw it at a small robin perched on a tree limb above them. He found his target, making it fall to the ground.

Before the bird reached the dirt, Leone caught it. She eyed him angrily but let out a surprised yelp when the robin burst into smoke. The smoke soon cleared, revealing Chelsea in Leone's arms now.

"Ow," Chelsea rubbed at the new lump on her head. "That was rather rude of you, Naruto-san. I was only singing; there was no need for that."

"Save it," he growled. He poked her and revealed, "We both know you saw something you weren't supposed to."

"And?" she queried innocently, slightly raising one of her delicate eyebrows. Leone let her hop to her own feet and she continued, "What does it matter if I happened to be a fly on the wall in the morning?"

"If you were there then you know why," Naruto reminded her. "Najenda doesn't want anyone to know about…what happened."

Chelsea's eyes softened and she assured him, "You may rest assured, Naruto-san, as I have no intention of revealing what I might have seen to anyone else."

Leone blinked obliviously for a few moments, but her eyes lit up in understanding after a little thought. She then asked Chelsea, "So you walked in on him and the boss lady this morning?"

"Not quite," Naruto grumbled.

Chelsea smiled, "Naruto-san is correct, Leone-chan. I was curious as to where both he and Najenda-san were last night, as I wished to speak with Najenda-san about Naruto-san's…odd training methods yesterday. I was aware they had a past together, so I believed them to be together, and it turns out I was correct," she finished with a devilish smirk.

Leone giggled perversely. "I'd bet they were. Root here reeks of sex and Boss. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together." She slapped him on the back and purred, "Good on ya', Root! I'd been telling Boss she needed to get laid! She's been too wound up for the past year."

Naruto tried to fight it, but he couldn't help but grin and say, "Then let's hope she's not as much of a tight ass now."

"Don't lie," Leone waggled her eyebrow suggestively. "You like her tight ass though, didn't you?"

"Ugh," Chelsea groaned in distaste. "Can you two please not? I already got more than my fair share."

"Right. Sorry," Leone apologized.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Anyway," he stopped that avenue of conversation while he could. His face then lost all humor and he stated, "The two of you can't talk about…Najenda and I."

"Let me guess," Leone drawled. "Lubbock."

Chelsea nodded once to affirm. "Right in one, Leone-chan."

At seeing his surprised look, Leone blew her lips in annoyance. She then informed him, "Lubbock's not half as discreet as he likes to think he is. He follows her around like a lost puppy, and I figured out how he felt nearly a year ago; I'd only known him for a few weeks. You'd need to be pretty frickin' dense to not see it."

"You know," Chelsea added on almost as an afterthought. "I don't believe either Flatty-chan or Tatsumi-san has guessed yet."

Leone snorted back laughter. "Wow," she stated in awe. "How the hell haven't they? I mean, Bulat was outright gay and he noticed it almost immediately."

Chelsea shrugged with another smile tugging at her lips. "I suppose they are oblivious when it comes to matters of the heart."

"Says Miss Ice Queen herself," Leone ribbed.

Chelsea bristled at the hidden accusation. "I'll have you know that I do in fact have a heart."

Before the situation could devolve further, Naruto stepped in. "Ladies," he intervened firmly, making them stop. "All I want is your word that you'll not let this news spread any further. Najenda doesn't want –"

"Yeah. Sure. Not a problem," Leone answered dully before he could finish. "Doesn't make a difference to me who Boss decides to caboodle. Hell, I'm glad she's letting herself enjoy something for once since I've known her. She's always been wound a little too tight in my opinion."

He looked at Chelsea and she shrugged. "It matters not to me either," she told him. "So long as this escapade doesn't affect our work, I have no issue with it. Besides, Lubbock is a little too young for her in my mind."

"True," Leone nodded in agreement. "Boss is nearly ten years older than him."

"Right?"

"I know."

Naruto just shook his head in disbelief at what he was witnessing. Women, he told himself. Knowing that both of them were good for their promise, he turned away and began walking towards the waterfall to bathe alone.

Naruto walked down to the riverside and began following it upstream. He let out a concentrated burst of his bloodlust and overwhelming spirit whenever he felt a Danger Beast attempt to approach him, making it immediately turn tail and flee his presence. He arrived at the falls after a few minutes of walking.

Naruto took in a deep breath, smelling the entire collection of rare plants and animals nearby as well as the slightly salty smell the falls sent out. He set his attire on a nearby low-hanging branch and waded over to the falls.

Thousands of gallons of water crashed onto his face at once, and Naruto stood there, still, allowing the falls to completely wash over him. He tried to keep his mind as silent as his body, but he couldn't no matter how hard he desired it so.

He suddenly punched the rock wall beneath the falling water, and its force sent a long crack up the wall's entire height. What am I doing? Naruto wondered. His hand clawed at his heart. Better yet: What is happening to me?

I thought I knew, he thought to himself. I thought I knew everything about me. All those years I spent training myself. Meditating, confronting my inner fears… What good were they!?

His hand on his chest clenched tight over his heart. He remembered, I beat the Rage Demon in a battle of wills; I manipulated people who loved me without a second thought; I've murdered thousands; I've destroyed belief systems; I've even died a few times; and not once have I ever…have I ever felt such a pain.

"Why?" he at last spoke. "I know I love Esdeath, yet I have never once felt bad for sleeping with other women. Her icy grip on my heart was absolute, and I accepted that long ago, so why…

"Why did it hurt so much!?" he shouted, water cascading over his head. "Why did Najenda's words pain me so much?" He felt another twin trails of water begin to make their way down his face. He held his palm before his eyes, closing and opening it without thought. "Why does it feel like… Why do I want to…be with Najenda?

"True," he gave himself. "It's true I've know her longer than anyone else I care about, but…" Naruto's chaotic mind came to a screeching halt when his sharp senses picked up another person's presence. He closed his eyes and thought, I suppose she's come to find me. Najenda must want me back already. He then called out, "You can come out, Akame-chan!"

His former student came out from behind a bush along the river's bank. He quickly noticed that she had brought him a clean towel along with a fresh set of his clothes to change into. She set all of her gifts down next to his dirty attire.

Akame turned back to him, bowed, and apologized, "I am sorry to bother you, Naruto-sensei. I had wished to speak with you but couldn't locate you, so I became…worried and came to find you."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and asked, "Then why did you bring the clean linens?"

She glanced at what she brought and admitted, "They were Suu-san's idea. He believed you were out here and would need a clean set of clothing to change into, so I offered to bring them to you."

Naruto jumped out of the water and landed next to his protégé. He reached for the towel and asked her, "Just to be sure: You have no problems with seeing me nude, correct?"

Akame immediately shook her head and denied, "No, Naruto-sensei. As you told us: Our bodies are not something to be ashamed of as well as the most versatile weapon we have."

Naruto felt a small grin grow as he remembered giving them all that lesson. Though it was a little less romantic than I think she's remembering… "I suppose that's true," he chuckled while drying himself. He tossed his towel to the side and asked her, "So what do you wanna' talk about, Akame-chan?"

The girl shuffled her feet nervously and answered, "It's…about your request. About Kurome."

"Oh," he immediately understood. He slid on his pants and prompted her to explain, "What about it?"

"I don't quite…understand it," she admitted. "Why don't you want me to be the one to kill Kurome?"

Naruto stopped as he was sliding one arm through his shirt. He looked at his old student and noticed that she seemed genuinely conflicted about his words, and he couldn't blame her for it after thinking. Kurome was one of the Revolution's primary targets, and Akame had decided that, if anyone was going to kill her sister for all of her atrocities, it would be her to do the deed.

"Sensei – Ow!" she squealed once, holding her nose again. "Sorry," she apologized, her nose red again.

"Akame," he said gently, "does my request seem so strange? I always wanted you two to stay together."

"But, Naruto-sensei," she protested, visibly conflicted, and Naruto could tell that she was afraid to say much more for fear of possibly alienating him.

"Say what you will or don't say anything at all," he lectured once again.

"I… Of course." Akame took a moment to ready herself before saying, "Naruto-sensei, you don't know how Kurome has changed. She…never took you leaving us well, and it was even far worse than how either Natala or I did. She's beyond redemption, and I can't let her keep going down her current path. With Yatsufusa's puppets, we don't know how dangerous she can be. She…has to die, Naruto-sensei, and I need to be the one to do it; I won't let anyone else bear that sin."

Naruto could tell from his student's confident stance that she had thought about this for some time, and he was impressed by her drive and determination on this. However, he hoped he could convince Akame to change her mind about this.

Akame continued before he could say anything, "She's…not the same Kurome you remember. She's become addicted to the drugs they experimented on her to the point that she can't physically live without them anymore. Kurome… Kurome has to die, sensei," Akame hiccupped, tears staining the corner of her eyes. "And I… It has to be me."

Naruto cupped her cheek softly and gave her a reassuring smile. He requested, "Akame, come here for a minute." He led her to a pool of still water not far from the falls. He pointed down at the reflective pool and asked, "What do you see when you look at your reflection?"

"Huh?" Akame's head tilted to the side and she pointed out, confused, "I just see myself."

"No, girl," he didn't accept her answer. He waved his hand over the water and clarified, "Not what your eyes show you; what you see."

Realization of his meaning showed behind her crimson eyes after a few seconds. She then kneeled down next to the pool and scrutinized her own image. She remained rooted like that for quite some time, seeking the answers that he hoped she'd find, so Naruto took a seat next to her and waited.

She began saying after a few minutes had passed, "I see…a girl."

"And?"

"She was sold into slavery by her parents – the people who were supposed to protect her above everything else." Naruto spied her hands' grip on her dress' hem tighten. "She was very angry at the world for that, and she still is to some degree. She's been forced to fight for every breath nearly her entire life.

"She is also a very…caring person." Akame took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. "She cares very deeply for everyone around her. She would go to almost any lengths to protect the people she cares about.

"She is a killer however. To her, murder and assassination are nothing more than a mere business – a fact of her life that she's long accepted. She no longer blinks at the loss of life. She…" She stopped for a moment, her eyes now looking at her lap. She then admitted in a small voice, "She has become a monster, and she is even worse than her parents were.

"She…loves her little sister though. She wants nothing more than to…than to…than to protect her." Akame sniffed, a single tear dripping from her chin and sending ripples along the pond. "She desperately hopes to save her sister from that hell, but she can't see a way. She would gladly die if it saved her sister from her fate. She…

"She's really sad, Naruto-sensei." Akame looked up at him, twin trails falling from either eye. "I don't want to kill Kurome, sensei. I've never wanted to, but…"

"Shh," he hushed her at last, placing a finger over her lips. He pulled her into a caring embrace and told her, "It's alright, Akame-chan. You can let it all out," he consoled while gently rubbing her head.

Akame grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. Silent sobs wracked her small body as she continued to cry. For five full minutes she sobbed, finally letting out her feelings toward her sister.

Naruto's shirt had developed a large wet patch when she at last raised her head. Naruto gave her a warm smile and asked her, "Feel better now?"

Akame wiped her puffy eyes and nodded, humming, "Mmhmm."

"Good." Naruto then stood and said, "I know how much you've always loved your sister, Akame, and that's part of why I don't want you to kill her yourself. Now I know," he held up his hand to stop her protestations, "Kurome's a priority target for Night Raid. However, I want you to ask yourself: 'Can I live with myself after all this is over?'

"I know that this is going to be war, so there will always be casualties on both sides eventually. I hope that we can keep ours minimal or nonexistent, and I fully intend on trying to save as many people as I can. All I ask is that you not be the one to end your sister's life."

"But –" she tried to explain.

"I can already tell you," Naruto didn't let her say what he knew she'd convinced herself of, "that each of your comrades in Night Raid are plenty strong. Do not underestimate their abilities, Akame, as you would be surprised at their potential, and I fully intend to bring it all out. If…If Kurome must die," Naruto finished, pushing back the emotion in his voice, "let it be someone else to deliver the last blow."

"I…I can't." Akame slumped over. "No one else knows her like I do. No one else can predict her like I can. No one else loves her like I do. Can't you see?" she nearly shouted, her voice emotional. "It can only be me!"

Naruto looked into Akame's red eyes and peered into her soul. She understood his concern, wanted nothing more than for his words to be reality, but she was certain that the only person capable of stopping her sister was herself. Naruto understood her thoughts, respected them greatly even, but he knew that Akame didn't know the living Hell that walked with every kinslayer.

How could she? he realized, his face softening. Even I never did.

"Naruto-sensei," Akame said shakily, "I'm afraid I cannot fulfill your request. I'm the only one capable of…killing Kurome."

Naruto sighed, exhausted. She's just as stubborn as me and her sister. He then walked over to a nearby log and sat on it. He looked down at Akame and asked, "Do you know what that will do to you?"

She refused to meet his eyes. "…No," she admitted in a barely audible whisper. "I've long suspected that her death would greatly affect me, but I do not know how nor how deeply."

"It would destroy what little of your soul you still have left."

Akame looked at him in shock, her eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. "H-How –"

"How do I sound so certain?" he finished her question for her, and she nodded. He exhaled slowly and explained, "Because I've done something similar myself; worse depending on which religion you may follow. I know from firsthand experience that your soul does actually exist and that it can be stolen.

"I've never been a religious man, you know this, but if there's one thing most of them are right about it is the soul's existence. Your soul is affected by every action you take in your life, weighing how each decision effects you all the way down to your subconscious self. If you're attentive to them, your dreams, nightmares, or lack thereof will show you your soul's current state.

"For people like us, people whom kill to the point we're numb to it, murder stops affecting your soul's state. It's become so routine that it's no different to us than choosing which pair of socks to where in the morning. But, even to us, there is a type of murder that can shatter us to little more than soulless shells: Kinslaying.

"I once lost my soul and became such a Thing. It was not long after my first kill. Thinking back on it, it was little surprise, since I'd already had my soul crushed.

"I'd become the perfect killing machine. It didn't matter to me what my target was. Man, woman, teenager, infant…it never mattered. I butchered each and every one of them.

"I learned how to act normal though. I observed the populace and was able to act like I wasn't what I was. I never understood happiness anymore. I was incapable of laughing or caring. At least until a few people showed up in my life.

"The first one started to put me back together again. I never understood what she was trying to do, but I now realize that she was trying to restore my humanity. The next one managed to finally break the cocoon of blackness that kept my joy hidden. For what felt like the first time in eternity I felt happiness, and I absolutely loved it.

"And lastly came a group of little tikes to finish me off." Naruto smiled at the enraptured Akame. "This lot of kids brought out an emotion I'd completely forgotten how to feel: compassion. I positively adored those kids. They made me swell up with pride with every success each of them had, but there were two that always stood out from the rest.

"Those two girls succeeded in finally, fully restoring my soul. Every day they both greeted me with the biggest grins on their faces, certain that their latest prank idea would get me, and every time I laughed when I turned it back on them. Those two sisters awoke the final piece to me: Hope.

"These kids loved one another so much that they would do anything for one another. They did everything together. Eat, sleep, train, laugh, cry, it didn't matter what, because they were always at each other's side to help the other up. Watching their feelings drive them both stirred that Hope inside of me; it made me want to see the future that the two of them could bring about.

"Akame," he finally revealed, "it was the two of you that completely restored me from my own soulless Hell, and I don't want you to become like I once was." He stood from the log and walked over to her. He gripped her chin and made her look him in the eye. "Can you guess what it was that broke me, Akame-chan? Can you guess what it was that took me over ten years to recover from?"

Akame gulped and attempted to do that. "You-You're mother's death?"

He answered, "Close, but not quite." He let her go, turned from her, and informed her, "Right now you're on the precipice of losing all that connects you to your soul, Akame – just like I once was. If you go through with this, if you do kill the one you love more than all others, your soul will be forever lost, and I don't think it could be possibly saved like mine was.

"Sure," he gave her, "you'll presumably still have your precious comrades, and you may still act the same, but you'd know in your heart of hearts that you're no longer one of them. In your very own eyes, you'd be little more than an empty ghoul. You would soon come to despise the very sight of yourself, and I don't want that fate for you."

Akame looked down, contemplating his words.

"I know all of this because I have lived this way before." He turned back and she looked back into his cold eyes. "You want to know what made me that way? It was when I slew my own kin: My first kill. It was when I murdered my own father."

A/N: Not much to say this time aside from I didn't think this one would get this long. Oh well. It did, and here you go.

Enjoy.