Disclaimer: Look! I'm typing in italics, not bold! See, it's different! I don't own Naruto or World of Warcraft!

Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!

'Demi, you cannot do this again.'

'Oh?' she smiled, pure and beautiful. 'Are you going to stop me? Please, you must understand, this isn't something that I can question. I must do what I can, and this is what it amounts to. I'm sorry.'

'I worry,' he said back to her. 'You have done this far too often for your own good, girl. You walk those lands more than anybody should, and fight those things on your own when it isn't needed. You have seen horrors nobody else has—so why do you continue to do this?'

'Because I must,' she emphasized, shaking her head, and continuing to smile. She always did—no matter what she stood up against, she somehow managed to find time to put forth that beautiful, pure and evidently true smile that Benedictus never saw leave her face, ever since she had started training her. Perhaps he liked it most about her.

'You have taught me all you know,' she said. 'Probably more. You know perfectly well that if you weren't bound to the Church, you would be in my position.'

'If I were in your position, girl, I would attend to my family before anything else.'

'Kira is a strong girl, and I know that she is safe here. But I can't be that selfish.'

"Why ever not? You are entitled to spend your life with your daughter, girl! Not fighting Scourge with that brute and healing those you've never met and will never know.'

'I'm aware of that. But my daughter is safe here, Benedictus. Anduin will protect this place, but as a priestess of the Light, I can't! So instead, I go out and help perfect strangers, because it is the right thing to do. Compassion! Is that not one of the Three Virtues that you hold so dear?' she said with vehement determination, but no anger.

'Of course it is, you foolish girl, I've been alive a lot longer than you,' he snapped. 'But I also know that compassion does not just extend to those who are dying in ditches, or afflicted with disease or fleeing from Horde! Why not show some compassion towards your own family?'

'I am! Why can you not see what I'm doing is right?'

'What is right or wrong is not that simple, and you know it.'

'I love Kira. I love Anduin. I love Stormwind. I even love you, Benedictus! But how can I sit here and love, when others cannot?' Again, simple determination; rather like a child explaining to her parent why she did something naughty, without knowing she had done wrong.

'It is not your concern. You are not the heroine of a book, you silly girl. Just because you want to help, does not mean you can!'

'You stupid old man.' The flash of anger surprised him. 'It is my concern! I have to do this! I have to help! I can help!'

He sighed. 'You sound like a child.'

'Shut up,' she said, her eyes closing for a moment, her breathing quickening. She took a few deep breaths while he watched her.

'This is the first time I've seen you angry for quite a while,' he said, softly.

'Forgive me. I did not mean that. But please try to understand.'

He didn't speak, and just looked at her. Her eyes were still closed, but her breathing had slowed, and her face returned to its serene beauty. She looked at him again, her eyes the same as when she had closed them. She smiled a little again. 'Please, Benedictus. I have to help. I want to, more than anything, to help. This will be my last trip. I know I cannot do this forever, especially as Kira gets older.'

'You wish her to become a priestess?'

'No. I wish her…' she shrugged a little, and smiled. 'I cannot say, at this point. Whatever she wants to be, I will support her.'

He sighed, and stroked his little beard. 'Hmph. You are a grown woman. I cannot stop you from doing what you believe you must. Take the brute and go. I will never understand your obligations.'

'I do not ask you to. They are my own. I'm not even sure I understand them myself.' She smiled. 'It is in my nature.'

'Hmph. An easy enough excuse. Come as swiftly back as you can. Anduin is going to need you very soon.'

'Why?'

'Something terrible will happen. I know not what. But something.'

'Very well, I shall return as quickly as I can. Thank you, Benedictus.' She walked forwards, and planted a kiss on his forehead. 'Thank you, master.'

'Hmph. You were much better when I was still training you. I'm tempted to recall my belief that you are the only woman in the world who is not a cunning serpent blessed with everything that can destroy a man.'

She laughed. 'I am honored for that. I've never asked you why it is so. Surely I am not the kindest woman in the world?'

'You must be, to put yourself in such danger for people who don't deserve your help,' the old man grunted.

She nodded, smiling a little less. 'Thank you, Benedictus.'

'Promise me one thing.'

'What?'

'Get angry more often, gorgon.'

She peered at him, and then smiled and laughed again.

'Of course.'

Benedictus awoke, remembering his student's final smile.

"Damn you," he said, softly. "Damn you, Demi, you stupid little girl."

In only one day, Naruto had managed to break a leaf to two using only his chakra. It hadn't been easy—despite Yamato's confidence in him, and as soon as he had accomplished it, Yamato had moved him on to something much more difficult. They had one more day left, and Naruto had yet to find much practical use for the technique, other than using it to help manipulate his Kazaashi elemental technique. By using his new wind elemental chakra, he could begin to increase his speed even further, and give himself a bit more control in battle using it. But that was only a side project, which he devoted only a dozen clones to. Yamato had moved him on to something else.

"Wind chakra is meant to 'cut'," Yamato said to him the day after he had completed the task. "You know that now. Your mission at this point is to apply that to something useful."

"Like what?"

"That sword is a good thing to start with. From what you said, it draws in chakra, doesn't it?"

"For defense, though," Naruto said, pulling the sword free from its scabbard, and holding it out in front. "That's what King Magni said, at least."

"That shouldn't mean it won't accept your wind chakra, if you provide the intent. But like I said, this is much bigger. I'd give you a different task—like cutting a waterfall in half—but that won't do much good here, and it'd be too dangerous."

Naruto stared at him. Cutting a waterfall in half? This guy was more of a monster than Kakashi-sensei. He looked at the sword again. "But what do I do then? It'll take in the chakra, but how am I gonna use it like that?"

Yamato shrugged. "Figure it out for yourself. You've got two days left. I'm not a specialist in wind chakra—mine are earth and water." He turned, and walked away. The next four hours were grueling for the boy—he had little idea of what to do, other than mold the chakra into his sword. It worked at first, but he had no idea how to maintain a steady stream of it without burning himself out. But with each clone, he did get closer—however minute.

He tried his best not to get frustrated by his failures. Each one he met with an increase in his desire to get the technique down, as he needed it if he was going to get through this mission as fast as he could, and it would be even more helpful when the time came to confront Orochimaru and Sasuke. In fact, Sasuke was nearly always at the forefront of his mind when he trained; it made him get up again, despite how far he fell.

When Yamato told him to take a break, he did so happily. Yamato then got up and left the small ravine that they were training in. It was in the woods behind the Light's Hope Chapel, tucked away in the mountains so it would not only be hard for anyone to spot them, but it provided a large space for Naruto to spread his clones. The trees that hid it were mostly stripped bare from Naruto's first day of training.

In the chapel yard, he found Sai, whom he had been looking for. He was reluctant to let the boy too far out of his sight. Tsunade-sama had warned him a little of Sai's history—he was a member of ROOT, which meant that he was a potential enemy, especially if Danzou-sama was a traitor, as Tsunade-sama believed.

So far, he had demonstrated a remarkable willingness to cooperate, despite his cheek and disturbing personality.

"How is Naruto-kun doing?" the boy said, smiling.

Yamato narrowed his eyes a little. "Very well."

"He's a bit silly, I think. Did he not train with the Legendary Sennin, Jiraiya-sama? Why does he not know elemental chakra?"

Again, Yamato's eyes narrowed. He hadn't remembered telling the boy about that—and indeed, that was precisely one of the reasons he brought Naruto out away from anyone else. He couldn't risk Sai learning too much about him, or Naruto's abilities, especially if it turned out he was truly a traitor. But he answered, anyways.

"He does, on an instinctive level—he's learned some fire, water and earth jutsu. He just doesn't have a grasp on its basic fundamentals."

"It seems to me like he simply learns jutsu by their general properties. I don't think he really understands what he's doing."

"How do you know that?"

"Danzou-sama has access to many detailed files, being a member of the Konoha Council, and all." The boy closed the small black book that he held, and shoved it into his backpack, which lay by his side. "Naruto-kun is very interesting."

Yamato didn't answer.

"But I don't think he likes me very much. He must hate me, even, for bringing up Uchiha Sasuke a lot." Sai shook his head, and smiled. "I still don't understand all of that. Perhaps I'll figure it out soon, wouldn't you think? I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I think I will soon have it."

"No," Yamato said flatly. "I doubt it."

"Ah, really? Why do you say that?"

"If you have to ask, then you'll never realize." Yamato turned. "I'd get some training in as well. As confident as you may be in your abilities, I wouldn't just sit there making drawings. We don't know what we're going up against, yet." He walked away from Sai, who stared at his back from some time, before returning his attention to the forest below him, shrouded in thick brown fog, and teeming with the voices of the dead.

"Perhaps," he said to himself, and took out his sketchbook once more. "Perhaps."

"She's awake," Lord Maxwell said to Yamato, when he and Naruto descended from mountains at the end of the day. His arms were crossed, and he looked pensive. "Would you like to see her?"

"Yes," Yamato said, nodding. He looked at Naruto, who was nodding as well, to his surprise. "How is she?"

As Maxwell turned and led them into the chapel, he said, "Quite…interesting. I don't believe I've met a blood elf that has ever been so quiet in the presence of humans. She seems quite…humble."

"That doesn't sound like her," said Yamato, frowning. Again he looked at Naruto, who through his weariness was also frowning, but also looking a little pleased as well. "Has she spoken at all?"

"Very little. She is in good health, and the infusions have brought her condition under control again. She will be ready to fight in the next day or so, when you leave here," Maxwell led them down a stairwell through a door in the main chapel, where a dark, cramped corridor led them to an even darker, smaller room, which contained only a bed and a little space to move off the bed, and a single window facing the mountains. Hisari was sitting up in bed, looking more different than imaginable. Her eyes were dull and nearly lifeless, and her hair, sticking in every direction, no longer had its glittering sheen. Her skin was clammy and pale, and did not glow. No pompous, hideous sneer marred her face. She did not sit up straight like a queen, but was hunched over like a peasant after years of backbreaking toil. She was dressed in little more than a white cotton shirt, and no longer looked so fearsome without her armor and weapon.

"You look awful," Yamato said softly, after Maxwell had left. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," she said, hollowly. "Why are you here?"

"As a part of my team, I need to ensure that you're fighting fit. You play possibly the most important role, and you're talents are going to be needed in the next few days. I don't suppose Lord Tyrosus had filled you in on the situation?"

"I know nothing," she said, all the while averting her eyes from Naruto, who stood just beside Yamato (which was difficult in the small room) and was staring at her in nothing less than shock. He had never seen such a drastic change. As Yamato explained the situation, in short clipped details—all the while silently observing Naruto and Hisari's interaction—Naruto could do nothing but stare. Had this been his doing? Had he forced all the life out of her eyes? Granted, he had despised the look she had had before—contempt and superiority, with a dash of cunning, madness, and selfishness. He had hated the look on her face and the way she had spoken to him and what she had spoken of.

But he hated this as well.

Naruto could not help a stab of guilt when he saw Hisari like this. Had that been his fault? She looked like a popped balloon or a deflated soufflé, pitiful and useless; and if there was one thing that Naruto couldn't stand, it was uselessness. Of course, that implied that he believed in such a thing—he didn't. He believed, and always had, that everything had a purpose. Everybody did as well. He had had to believe it, to get through his childhood, to assure himself that he had a use in his world.

But when she was like that, she truly did look useless, like a sack of bones and blood covered in thin layer of flesh and dressed up to look vaguely appealing. But her posture, her face, her eyes, all screamed uselessness, and that was something far more disgusting to Naruto than the selfishness, the prejudice, the sexism and the drugged up power she had shown him before. She couldn't even look at him. Before, she would have challenged him glare for glare. At least she had been on a similar level with him. Now, she was so far below Naruto that she appeared nothing more than a distant speck that didn't seem to have eyes, much less be able to meet them.

"Seeing as how you're the medic, you'll be required to accompany us," Yamato finished, noticing Naruto's growing emotion as he did. He tried to capture Hisari's gaze, and failed. "Does that sound alright?"

"Yes," she said, simply.

Yamato could not help a small snort. "Are you positive?"

"I will be fine."

"What exhausted you so much before?" he finally asked. "I doubt it was the aura, or my healing. Did you use something against the Crusaders?" His eyes flickered to Naruto. "Or something else?"

"She bit off more than she could chew, taichou," Naruto said. "She did a number on some of them, and got a little over-excited." He nodded, as if confirming to himself that that was the truth. "Right?" He glanced at the girl.

She finally looked at him, with her head a little tilted, and didn't answer for a second. Yamato immediately knew Naruto was lying—it was so obvious that the boy should have felt embarrassed for even thinking of it—but he didn't say anything, and just waited until Hisari finally spoke a single word, "Yes."

Yamato nodded, deciding to leave it. He glanced at Naruto, knowing that he was covering up for her. He didn't know what, but he hoped they'd work it out soon. He turned, and said, "Naruto, we have one more day of training. Get as much sleep as possible. We start training at dawn."

When Yamato had left, Hisari and Naruto stood looking at each other for a while longer.

"Lady Sylvanas, warned me about you," she finally said.

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "She did?"

"She warned me of what you would try to do. I didn't believe it would be possible at first. Now I am not so sure. Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Cover for me. You would have had the perfect chance to expose me to him, and I wouldn't have been able to continue. You hate me, so it stands to reason that—"

"Oi, oi," Naruto said, waving a hand. "Who said I hated you?"

Hisari said nothing.

"Nobody," Naruto answered. "That's because I never did. I didn't like your attitude, but I didn't have a reason to hate you at all."

"I tried to kill you."

"Yeah, well," he mumbled, sighing. "It's not like you're alone in that. Besides…it's not like we're that different, anyways."

She looked up at him. "What?"

"You can't control yourself when you're like that, huh?" He scratched his head. In the gloom of the room, Hisari could see his down-turned face, with eyes a little glossed from memories and past emotions. "I know what that's like. It's happened to me before, and I did a lot of bad things when I was like that. I've killed people. But people have still forgiven me for doing it." He met her eyes again. "So there's no reason why I shouldn't forgive you. Or find any reason to hate you just 'cause you've got a problem like that." He crossed his arms.

"But I really could start to hate you if you didn't do something about it."

She looked at him. "Do what? Control it? I cannot. I enjoy the feeling too much. There is no way for me to not love it. It gives one such power that it's inebriating. I cannot bring myself to give that up."

Naruto glared at her. "Then I may start to hate you. Why the hell can't you just try?"

"Because even victory is never as pleasurable as the feelings coming up to it," she said. "No matter how I think about it, I will never enjoy winning a battle more than fighting it. The feelings are indescribable. Surely, if you think we are so similar, you can understand that?"

Naruto could. In fact, he often found a similar emotion running through him during battles. He had once craved fights, not for the simple feeling of battle (that had come as a side order) but for the pleasure of knowing that if he won, he'd be that much closer to his dream. He had to fight, in order to get stronger, and get closer. Though recently, he had been wondering how much he would have to fight, and how strong he would need to get.

"I guess I sort of can," he said. "But that's no excuse. I had to master it and so do you."

She looked at him. "I do not have to do anything, boy."

Naruto crossed his arms again. "Then why the hell are you feeling so bad about it? You're not sitting in here with those eyes 'cause I compared you to them, are you? Or is this just a side effect of that weird power? I don't get you. If you don't want to change, then don't, and just continue to do as bad as you are now."

She stared at him, and said nothing. He just continued to glare. "Geez, I'm really going to hate you by the end of this, if you can't even find the will to change, especially if you want to."

"What if I don't?"

"Don't give me that," he said. "You want to change, or else you'd be outside strutting around again like before. You want to, but you for some reason can't. You're probably scared."

Some life returned to her eyes. "I am not afraid."

"Then change! The best thing is to find something to work for. Find something instead of just fighting. If you fight for something, when you get it I guarantee you'll get a whole lot more pleasure out of it than if you just continue doping up on that green stuff."

Hisari didn't respond, and turned her gaze away. She didn't say any more, so Naruto, after staring at her for a few more minutes, quietly left, shutting the door and leaving her in darkness.

Sakura opened her eyes, and found herself chained to a wall.

So she decided to close them again, and slowly reopen them, wondering if somehow she was having a dream. The pain in her arms suggested the opposite, but she had heard of lucid dreams that could simulate pain, to a degree. But if this was one, she probably had no control over it. When her eyes opened again, and adjusted to the darkness, she realized that she probably wasn't dreaming. And that she was naked.

She nearly shouted in surprise when she noticed her unclothed state, but instead produced a squeal of pain when arms strained against the cold manacles that bound them. She looked around, noticing that she was in nothing less than a storybook torture room from the Continents. Chains with hooks hung from the ceilings, tables were strewn with all sorts of cutting, piercing, strangling, bludgeoning, burning and otherwise pain-inducing objects, some of which looked recently used. She saw a primitive torture device—an iron maiden—just on the edge of her vision to the right, along with a variety of barred cells and metal doors. To her left was but one room, barred by a heavy metal door with a clouded red glass window, which she guessed hadn't been so originally. The unsightly stains beneath the door were evidence of that. The room stank of decay and blood and chemicals, as if a thousand amputations had just been performed while she had been unconscious on the table closest to her (which appeared to be the worst of them, nearly black from all the stains). The wall behind her was moist and cold, and slightly soft, as if covered in a layer of moss. She struggled against her bonds again, making disgusting sounds against the slick walls.

She was alone, naked, and in a torture room, having been unconscious for an indeterminate amount of time from the violent blow of a vicious and likely insane woman. Said woman had for some reason taken her here, stripped her of clothes, and had chained her to a wall, without her waking up even once, and then leaving her to hang for some time, if the pain in her arms was any evidence. And she was trying to be rational and stay calm about it, but it was becoming quite difficult. So she did what she did best in such situations: She thought.

Benedictus had said her name—"Demi", even though she herself had announced it—twice—as Demetria. It had caused a reaction in Kira that had truly frightened Sakura. A look of shock, wonder and then—joy. She had for just a brief moment looked happy—rapturous even, that that woman had been there. But that had degenerated into shock and confusion almost as swiftly as the joy had come. Kylia's reaction had been just as strange and obvious, and even Benedictus—the old man who reminded her of a second Sandaime Hokage— had had tears in his eyes when he'd looked upon the woman.

Tears.

Whoever she was, Demetria looked like—or perhaps was—someone they all knew. And to have caused that reaction—to bring joy at the sight of your father's apparent murderer—meant that that woman had to have been very close to Kira at one point. She could only think of one such relation.

Could that woman have been Kira's mother? And if so, just what had happened to make her like that?

Thinking of Kira inevitably brought her thoughts to their final words to each other. Sakura felt stabs of guilt in her bare stomach, and felt a sudden urgency to apologize. It was not that she hadn't meant what she said—because she had—but she knew that she hadn't treated the girl fairly, and had been nasty for a while. She couldn't explain why, either. Kira was a perfectly nice and competent girl. She could easily be the queen everyone expected her to be. But for some reason, they hadn't gotten along, which was a shame in Sakura's eyes. It seemed like they had a lot in common. And when she thought of what Kira had said to her, she realized nearly all of it was true. Though she had been nicer to Naruto since he had returned, it was easy to fall back into her old routine, even if Sasuke had not returned. The guilt became more the stabs at this point, and she felt the need to apologize to Naruto as well. Naruto was just as or more important. Just as, she thought, shaking her head.

Her thoughts turned back when the woman's voice floated into her ear—"Your usefulness has increased tenfold. I cannot wait to get you back"—back where? Here? And if so, where was this place? And why had she been brought here? What possible purpose could she have for a woman from a world that she had scarcely been in two weeks? Above all, how had she known what a shinobi was?

And why had she been stripped naked? Humiliation? Or had that crazy woman done it on a whim?

Sakura had always hated questions she couldn't answer, and thankfully there had been few in her life. But this massive influx of unanswerable questions bothered her as much as her nakedness and her pained arms. She wanted to be free, clothed, and full of answers, and that required her to get out of this place as soon as possible, and then find out where she was, and why she had been taken.

So she attempted, several times, to free herself. Forcing chakra into her fists, she banged them against the wall, using only the small amount of freedom she had from the manacles. But nothing worked. The metal that made up the manacles had been fused into the walls as well, just beneath the stone. It only made a hollow thrumming when struck. She sighed. It probably would have been too easy that way. She had no other type of escape techniques, as the basics did not account for nearly unbreakable metal manacles, and she had never gone through with the complicated and often painful procedures to boost her level to advanced, which allowed her to selectively dislocated her bones to free her herself. She spared a brief moment to wishing she had learned it, before thinking on.

Maybe Tsuwabuki was taken, she thought. It was a long shot, but maybe she had. If so, she would doubtlessly be contacting Naruto about their situation. She decided she had to be somewhere in the Scarlet Crusade's headquarters, and from what she remembered, there were only three remaining ones, all in the same place; a place that Naruto was going to, or near at least. Maybe he was close by. Maybe he'd come and rescue her.

The shuffling of footsteps distantly to her right echoed in her ears, breaking her thoughts. She reflexively went limp, and closed her eyes, playing unconscious. The footsteps approached, as did the sound of fervent mutterings.

"Beautiful? Or putrid? Lovely? Vile? Sexy? Wretched? Arousing? Demonic? Demonic…and arousing? No! No! It must be demonic! Or putrid or vile or wretched or hateful or disgusting or warm, or smooth or divine or beautiful or sexy! That must be it! Or perhaps…" It went on like this, so Sakura chanced to open an eye. A thin man wearing beautiful silk scarlet robes trimmed with gold shuffled about in front of her, glancing at her occasionally, his eyes suddenly filling with perversion, before he swiftly downcast his eyes as if in shame, and stared at her with hate and fury, before switching back to the aroused look of a sexual predator. She shut her eyes immediately, her heart beating faster.

"She smells divine! No…disgusting! Like rotten shit! Or roses and cherry blossoms! Yes…beautiful…ugly! Ugly and disgusting and wretched!"

"Where am I?"

She decided to speak. It was the stupidest thing she could do, but she'd rather he did something that continued speaking like that. She had never been so scared in her life. His presence made her realize her own helplessness.

He immediately looked at her, his eyes filling with wonder for a second, and then disgust, and he shrunk back, hunching over and snapping at her.

"You're awake!" he cried.

"Yes," she said. "Where am I?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I was told to wait for mistress. You filthy…angel!" He shook his head, and averted his eyes again. "I must wait. I cannot speak or do anything."

Sakura felt a little relieved. She hadn't gotten any answers, but she was assured of her safety for as long as she and the man were alone—even if she did have to bear with his muttered insults and lecherous eyes.

"Who are you?"

He looked up, his eyes filling once again with righteous anger. "I am Interrogator Alcond."

"Is this place yours?"

As lechery filled his eyes again, he said, "I work here, yes. But I am not to harm you. It is vexing, because you are so beautiful and so unholy and impure and it is my right and my desire to destroy you, as I have had all the others. But His Holiness commands it—so I must obey."

"His Holiness?"

The man's eyes grew wide with terrible anger, and he smiled for the first time.

"His Holiness, Grand Crusader Dathrohan!"

Kira awoke with a start, and found herself in a canopy bed in a bright and richly furnished room painted the color of blood.

She shot up in bed, her eyes going wide, but clasped them immediately shut from the brightness. It took her a few moments, and in the time it took for her eyes to begin to adjust from absolute darkness to a well-lit room, she was able to gather her jumbled and hazy thoughts, and put them towards the situation at hand. She noticed that she felt immensely weak, and that the room was completely silent and smelled of fresh roses. When she opened her eyes—slowly at first—she discovered the room to be furnished in gold, red and white, with the most elaborate furniture and wall hangings she had ever seen. She was strongly reminded of Whitemane's room at the Scarlet Monastery, and with that thought, she remembered what had happened, and why she was here.

She remembered feeling a rough hand over her mouth, and then everything had turned red, and then black. She remembered the smell of the woman's breath on her back—like roses in the sun, only covered in blood and bile. She remembered everything up to that as well—from her fight with Sakura, to seeing her master's limbs broken into pieces with the snap of the fingers. And then she remembered nothing at all.

She knew she was somewhere in a Scarlet Crusade headquarters, but her only knowledge of them applied to those three in the Plaguelands. But how had she been taken there without waking up? A drug, perhaps? And had she been the only one taken?

Probably not, she decided. "I cannot wait to get you back," Demetria had said to Sakura. She must have been taken as well. Her stomach turned at the thought of Sakura, however. She remembered the heated words they'd exchanged, and suddenly wanted to take it all back. Sakura wasn't that bad. She was kind, pretty and very smart, and they shared a lot of interests. She had her problems, like anyone else. Just like her, in fact. Sakura's words still bit into her, as she realized that not one was false. Somewhere along the line she had become a pampered little princess who relied on everyone else, using only words and never actions. She had relied too much on Naruto in the past—because she had assumed he would always be there for her. Sakura had made her realize that Naruto's dream was as the leader of his village, in his world. He didn't belong here. She was too weak to deserve his help and she'd had the gall to retaliate against Sakura. Even Sakura's problems couldn't compare to her own.

She wanted to apologize, immediately.

Her thoughts drifted away soon, as she gazed around the room. Did all Crusaders live in such comfort? She suspected she was at either Tyr's Hand or Hearthglen, then. There was no way they'd be able to afford such decoration in the middle of a war zone like Stratholme. But then again, they were insane.

If she was in Stratholme, then that was infinitely worse. She was in the middle of a never-ending battle—caught between the insane Crusade and the monstrous Scourge. It also meant she was in the middle of nowhere, and even if she did escape, she'd be hopelessly lost within the Plaguelands themselves. But then again, if she was in Stratholme that meant Naruto might be here as well. If he and his team were able to come then—

She shook her head and growled silently to herself. No. She couldn't think like that. She had relied on Naruto far too much, and it was only a slim chance that he might be here anyways. Perhaps they had already completed their mission, and had left. Perhaps they had discovered that the portal had not been in Stratholme. Any number of things could have happened, and she didn't want to hinge everything on him being there. If he was, she could easily account for it. But if he wasn't, then that meant she had to get out of this place as soon as she could.

"I'd like to see you try, little princess."

The voice passed through her head, and if it weren't for its volume, she would have considered on of her own thoughts. She started violently, and looked around in horror.

"The door is unlocked now, my dear. I have many things to do, and many of those require you joining me. Now come, come, and we'll start our rounds. I am at the end of the hall."

There was a click as the door unlocked, and then silence. Kira stared at the door for a second, breathing heavily, before she got up and walked to it. Opening it revealed a beautiful and bright hallway—as well furnished as her room—lined with doors. At the very end of the hall was another door, which was slightly ajar, and from which steam was slowly creeping. She felt a moist heat in that direction, as she slowly moved down the hall, constantly looking behind her and constantly glancing at the other doors. All of them were shut, and when she checked, locked.

"Come along." Demetria's sharp voice interrupted her thoughts, and compelled her to walk faster. When she reached the end of the hall, she could feel heat from the open door, and her the sound of rushing water. Inside was the most luxurious bath she had ever seen—a large pool surrounded by luminescent marble, with four golden taps shaped like lion's heads around it, their mouths gushing hot water into the pool. Next to one tap Lady Demetria sat, and when Kira had fully entered the room, she stood up and turned to meet the girl.

Kira took a step back, both awed and horrified by Demetria's form. Her body was perfect in every form possible—long, smooth, and perfectly white legs; a trim but curvy waste; succulently plump breasts with small, pink nipples; a perfect butt and nearly every other desirable attribute a woman could possess, but one. Her skin was smooth, but hardly unmarked. In fact, it was more marked than not, covered in sinuous black designs, so black that her skin seemed pure white by comparison, and so much that all but her face were covered in the disgusting black designs.

And Kira recognized them. She glanced briefly at her own palms, both of which had a similar marking on them, black as night and as shameful as a scar. When she glanced back up, Demetria was standing next to her bent forwards slightly, her large breasts swaying. Her gorgeous violet eyes were fixed on Kira's palms.

"I've never seen one like that." She snatched Kira's hand before the girl could pull away, and looked at it closer. "Amazing, truly amazing. What did this one do, I wonder? It's beautiful…"

"What are you?" Kira cried. And the woman was completely unharmed. After all the damage suffered from Benedictus and Sakura, she had not even a bruise or scar.

"A Shadow priestess, my dear girl. One who takes pleasure in using Shadow Words; but couldn't you tell?"

Kira pulled her arm away, looking anywhere but at the woman who so resembled her mother. "Let go! And put some clothes on!"

"Jealous?" the woman smirked. "That's unbecoming. You're young. You might be as gifted as me in the end." She cupped a breast and grinned, making Kira feel sick to her stomach. Kira turned roughly away, and seeing that she was not going to be getting any more fun out of the situation, Demetria did too. She walked over to the edge of the bath and picked up a blood-red robe, which she slowly put on, as if tantalizing Kira to look again.

She did not.

"We have a very important meeting to attend to." Demetria swung around, observing the girl with annoyance. "We'd best be off now. I have other things to do."

"Where am I?" Kira asked, not moving.

"You'll find out, my pretty." Demetria grinned at her again. Kira felt even more ill. "How cute. I'd have thought you would have enjoyed being flattered." She laughed and sashayed past her, towards the door. "Come now, we don't want to keep him waiting."

"Why have you brought me here?"

"So many questions. I wanted to."

Growing frustrated, Kira snapped. "Why do you look like her?"

Demetria stopped before the door, and turned. "Like who?"

"My mother! Demi Wrynn! Why do you look like her? Why did you choose that form to take?"

Demetria regarded her, frowning. She knitted her brows in confusion, staring at Kira without saying anything, as if trying to remember the name. She shook her head, and recommenced smiling. "You too? I thought that old man was just senile. But you seem to think I look like someone else as well. Your mother, you say? Demi Wrynn? I had no idea! That man was luckier than he imagined, if she looked as good as I do. But you misunderstand." She displayed a sultry smile, her eyes narrowing. "I have looked like this since the day I was born. I have always been beautiful. I have never changed my form." She grinned. "And I'm not lying, now am I?" She chuckled, and stared for a moment to savor the last shred of hope flee from Kira's eyes. She wasn't lying, and Kira knew that much.

"Come now," Demetria said again, beckoning. "We must go. He is waiting…"

Kira followed her dumbly. She stared at the floor, because she didn't want to look at the woman who so resembled her mother—perhaps even was her mother. In hindsight, it was rather stupid—she had no idea where she was being taken, and hardly noticed the halls they passed through—all as decorated and ornate as the last, some populated by dozens of red-dressed guards with the red flame of the Crusade emblazoned on their tabards, saluting as Lady Demetria passed. She was led through a pair of white doors, and down a long, red carpet that looked like a trail of blood in a room twice as big as the great hall of Castle Stormwind, up to another pair of doors, these ones made of gold. Demetria stopped briefly before them, allowing the two guards—fearsome giants of men, their faces covered by thick, cylindrical helmets—and into a circular room bigger than the last, although it contained only one person, though for good reason.

He was the biggest man Kira had ever seen: perhaps eight or nine feet tall, sitting back in a gargantuan golden throne. He was nearly dressed in full armor, and a cape of red silk that like a sanguine river flowed into a lake at his feet, which seemed as thick as tree trunks. A sword that looked as big as two men and thick as half of one rested near his right arm, and a shield that could have covered a doorway sat by his left. His eyes were big and reddish-brown and his hair was shining gold, and he had a clean trimmed beard. He possessed no girth, only solid muscle, easily visible beneath the pristinely white tabard he wore, on which a veritable forest fire was shown. In his left hand he held a chain, which was attached to two figures Kira immediately recognized.

She could not help shouting, "Kylia! Tsuwabuki!"

Kylia's eyes shined with relief at her call, and she made to move. "Lady Kira!" she cried. Tsuwabuki yipped and started to run. But the giant man's voice froze them both, even though it was not in their direction.

"Demetria," he rumbled, his voice filling the room. "You've brought another pet?"

"Your Holiness," she said softly, bowing. "Grand Crusader Dathrohan. She is more than just a pet—she's a useful one. She is Kira, daughter of Anduin Wrynn, and soon to be queen of the nation of Stormwind."

"And our greatest enemy," the giant said.

"Oh indeed. But who has the potential to become much more, as you know." She walked behind Kira and gave her a push. "Introduce yourself, dear girl. It's quite improper not to."

Kira stumbled forwards, hardly hearing Demetria. Her eyes were fixed on the man, wide and filled with horror. He stared back, his face a massive scowl and his eyes twin pits that burned almost red. Kira saw something in him so terrifying that it left her speechless. What was this man, if he was one at all? It was not madness like the Crusaders she had seen before, and quite different from Demetria's wickedness as well.

It was evil.

"You've noticed, brat?" Dathrohan said.

Kira stumbled back from the force of the man's words. She felt herself nod.

"She's interesting. How useful could she be?"

"Quite." Demetria said. "More than you could ever imagine, Your Holiness."

The Grand Crusader smiled. Kira shuddered. That was not a smile.

"Good, good. Has it been finished?"

"I know not, Your Holiness. I know not." She smiled, and turned. "But it will be ready in time, I assure you of that. The Ghost is overseeing it, and from what he has told me, they will definitely come."

"I have been told," Dathrohan said slowly, "that they went to Light's Hope. Why has it not been exterminated?"

"What reason do we have? They are useful for recruiting new members, especially ones who are suitably trained already."

"You seem to forget your own principles."

She smiled. "I don't feel like it. But I also like their colors. Grey and gold does much more for my skin, wouldn't you say?"

Dathrohan nodded. "It would suit your more. They will be destroyed in time, I suppose."

"They must," Demetria said. "The Argent Dawn slights our name, and that of the Light. Their very presence is like a pimple, and what is natural to do with pimples?"

Dathrohan grinned. "Pop them."

"That's one way. Smothering them in disinfectant is another, which I quite like more, and suits the analogy better than what you have said…though I mean no disgrace, Your Holiness."

"You never do," he said, frowning. "I rue the day I elected you as my right hand, Demetria."

"You have not yet even begun to, Your Holiness. I shall make sure of that." She spun around. "I have other matters to attend to. I will leave the pretty one here for you to speak with, Your Holiness—I'm sure you have much to talk about. If not, then you may do with her as you please."

Dathrohan scowled. "You dare say that to me, woman? I am the Grand Crusader—it is a given."

"Of course, Your Holiness." Her eyes shifted to Kira. "Behave, little princess. I'll meet with you soon again, and we can go over all the delightful things that are going to occur in the next few days. I guarantee you're going to have a lot of fun."

"Go," Dathrohan rumbled, banishing her with a hand. "And learn some respect, girl."

Demetria was gone before he could put his hand back down. Kira, Kylia, and Tsuwabuki were alone with the giant.

"You're clever, for getting it so quickly," he began. He sat forwards, resting his chin on his hands and smiling a little. His eyes seemed to glow a brighter red, and Kira felt a chill go through her. He seemed to grow even bigger, filling the massive room with his presence so that it became almost suffocating.

Kira took a shuddering breath. "It was not hard."

"You must be wondering why you are here."

"I…" she stuttered a little. "I don't know where 'here' is."

"Surely you must have some idea."

"Stratholme," she said. Dathrohan nodded, beginning to drum his fingers against his throne, making a loud thrum throughout the room.

"Ah," she said, breathlessly. "Why?"

"I do not know," Dathrohan said. "Which makes this very conversation pointless. She acts far too much on her manic personality that is healthy, wouldn't you say? You were supposed to remain in Stormwind to my knowledge—yet she has brought you here. This could both help and hurt my original plan, but it is far too early to say one or the either. But you must have more questions—go, ask, and I shall answer."

Kira was growing ever more confused. This man…thing…what was he doing? Trying to instill some semblance of trust, or to simply confuse and scare her even more? The latter being far more probable, she took that in mind and asked, "Where is Sakura?"

Dathrohan tilted his head. "Who?"

"The other girl you took. Sakura."

"How did you know she had been taken?"

"Lady Dem—that woman said something about it."

The giant shook his head. "Quite the mouth she has. She is like a child sometimes—quite eager to tell anyone a secret that they have just found out. I would despise her but she is too useful. But I quite like her personality as well—you may not think it, but we get along splendidly. The girl is safe for the moment. Unlike you she has a use here, even though like you, she was not supposed to be taken. However, I suppose another could not hurt."

"Another what?" Kira asked.

"Shinobi," he said. Kira's eyes grew wide. He knew of them?

"You find it surprising," he said. "But it is not. That world is no mystery to my kind. And its inhabitants have always been remarkably strong, even if they are just humans. They have not had a fraction of the history of this, and even then they are more developed than your own nation, and are steadily growing stronger."

"So why did you take her?" she asked.

"Really," he said. "You must be cleverer than that—I thought it would be easier to see than my true form. I certainly take greater care in keeping that a secret, and yet you got it right away. Just think, girl. It is not so difficult to understand."

Kira stared at him, trying to work out what he was trying to say. It came to her all of a sudden, which registered as a gasp and a look of horror, which made the Grand Crusader smile so wide that it could have measured a foot across.

It made perfect sense, Kira realized. How could she not have seen it?

"You are indeed clever. Perhaps you will have more use here than I thought. But I grow tired of this—a new battle must be waged. The Scourge grows restless, and I have not yet sent some of my men to die today. Leave me," he threw the chains that he held to the ground, so that they fell in front of Kira. "Take these two. I do not like bitches."

Tsuwabuki growled at the slight, but had the foresight not to attack. She padded towards Kira, where Kylia already was, and stood beside her while Kira recovered, gave a final look at the Grand Crusader, before gathering up the chains and leaving as quickly as she could. Kylia moved up next to Kira as she walked, and whispered in evident distress, "I'm sorry I w-was too weak."

Kira shook her head, but didn't answer.

The doors of gold fell open, revealing a large man completely dressed in red armor, with a horned helm quite different from any she had seen before.

"Come along," he rumbled, before bowing to the Grand Crusader.

His voice touched a distant cord in Kira's mind. She looked up at his covered face. She knew that voice from somewhere, far off, but could not make it out. From the corner of her eye, Kylia went bone-stiff again, staring at the man with widened eyes. She blurted softly, "Highlord Fordragon…"

"You will return to your room and wait until mistress comes for you again," he said, ignoring Kylia's outburst completely.

Kira nodded absently, and still clutching the chains of her friends, walked away from the chamber of the Grand Crusader, and away from the chilling presence within. She knew the truth now, and only wished she had some way of telling the others. They were going to a trap.

And once again she could do nothing at all.

"Three days have passed. Are you prepared?" Lord Maxwell Tyrosus said, standing before the three shinobi and their odd companions. He asked this because they did not look ready—Naruto was dirty and smelled strongly of sweat and blood, but was smirking in triumph; Sai was smiling too, but pleasantly, with a brush out and moving inside of his sketchbook; Fen was cleaning out an ear with his little finger, his other arm shaking in spasms whenever he touched his brain; Hisari stood ramrod straight, dressed back in armor and possessing her sword again, but with her eyes closed and her head slightly dipped; Myrdraxxis on the contrary looked quite ready, which was typical.

"Not in the least," Yamato said. "But we don't have any more time to wait. We'll have to make do as it is." He looked piercingly at the man. "I assume you'll have medics waiting for when we return?"

"Naturally. But don't expect to return for a week at the latest. You will find it quite difficult to leave Stratholme once you enter," Tyrosus said. "You have all the supplies you will need. The disinfectant is most important, especially if you are attacked by Scourge. It will drastically reduce your chances of contracting the plague if bitten or covered in spores. But there is always a chance, there is no cure for the Plague."

"Living proof right here," Fen said. "Or un-living I suppose."

"That joke sucked," Naruto said, shaking his head.

"Agreed," Myrdraxxis and Hisari intoned.

"Then I suppose there is nothing more to be said," Tyrosus said, as Fen sulked. "I wish you a safe return—may the Light bless you in your efforts."

Yamato bowed respectfully at the gesture, and everyone else bade goodbye. They left the hill and were soon back in the forest, the Light's Hope Chapel shrouded in plague fog and soon gone as if it had never been.

"We're heading northwest from now on. But we'll stick to the northernmost mountains," Fen said. "There's one more town to avoid, as well as a few towers—but if we stick mostly to the road and try to avoid the Plaguewood, we should be fine."

The next two days were even more hellish than the first few since they had arrived. Though Hisari kept them hidden from Scourge, they were in far greater numbers than ever before, and soon they began to see evidence of much larger ones. Monstrous footprints—looking vaguely human—were found crossing the dirt road at one point, along with multiple trails of greenish gore. Sometimes packs of ravenous zombies would appear before them, sniffing and snarling and dripping fluids, but still not seeing them, and would slowly move on in search of more prey, of which there was likely little. Days of this did nothing to wear down the fear these beings created. Naruto could not look at the ones with eyes, for fear of seeing what he had seen before in them. As they continued on their way, the landscape grew ever more distorted and vile. The giant mushrooms, once trees, were now the only things that populated the landscape. The ground was soft and fleshy and bled greenish ooze when ruptured, as if it in itself was a Scourge. The sky grew darker, the brownish clouds mixing with black and green, and very occasionally it began to rain. When it first started, Fen hissed at them to find the nearest shelter, and pulling on their masks even tighter, they fled to one of the mushrooms, as the sky cried black rain.

"That's pure liquefied Plague," said Fen. "No 'vaccine' will help prevent you from getting it in that form." He directed the three humans to inject themselves with the preventative substance as soon as they could; he didn't want any of them getting the Plague, especially before they had arrived.

So for nearly four hours they had stood beneath the mushroom, amidst the falling spores, and watched as the sky belched out black, and the earth swallowed it up just as quickly. The smell—like rotten flesh only a thousand times greater, stayed with them the rest of their journey. They were stuck in two more downpours on their way. Sai took every opportunity they to draw, keeping his smile firmly on his face. Hisari took that time to brood and be unsociable, which wasn't, in Naruto's opinion, much better than what she had done before, but at least some of the life had returned to her. They hadn't spoken since their talk, but Naruto didn't care. He knew she wanted to change, but hadn't even tried yet. He didn't know why, and that was making him angry.

His lack of communication with Tsuwabuki was another. He couldn't get an answer from the fox, nor could he use the techniques Rexxar had taught him to establish control. Every time he did, he seemed to hit a brick wall. Something was blocking him off. Fen said it was probably the plague-smog. It retained traces of cursed chakra in it, and probably acted as away of sealing the Plaguelands off from just about anyone. Orcs using spirit familiars during the previous war had said as much, at least.

Fen seemed ever more uneasy, and would continually glance at the sky, as if searching for something. Naruto asked him why.

"If you see a floating building, let me know," he said, and wouldn't explain any more.

Naruto didn't, but from that point on did check the skies often, wondering what he was supposed to see. Was there supposed to be a building in the sky?

The brown fog darkened to nearly black as they neared Stratholme. The air began to grow hot and thick, as if a fire were near. Naruto could smell smoke and burning wood, and could hear distant sounds that were like cries and screams, yet were too distant to tell, and never lasted long enough for him to register them. They were like ghosts, appearing and disappearing at will, and they chilled Naruto as much as the walking Scourge, which grew ever more horrible and deformed as they neared the city, just as they grew more frequent. Soon the smell of burning flesh came into his nose, and he looked at Fen, asking if there were a fire near.

"Not for a long time," he said. "But that smell won't go away as long as we're here. Get used to it."

Naruto took a deep breath, and wiped sweat from his forehead. "Whaddya mean? It's hot as oven here, and smells like we're in one too! What's going on? I thought that city burnt down years ago!"

"Its body did," Fen said, slowly. "But its soul still does."

"Cities have souls?" Naruto asked.

"Why not?" Fen said. "If you think about it, cities are a lot like humans. They are often said as having the same emotion as its inhabitants, and they die just as easily as the people living within it. So why shouldn't they have souls? They might even be alive. This one is certainly more so than not."

"How's that?"

"It never rests, it consumes everything that goes in, and rarely lets anything come out. Its current inhabitants, you could say, represent its own "id" and "superego"—the Scourge and the Scarlet Crusade, each of whom desire to use it as they see fit. Sure its body is nearly gone, but its soul is still there, alive and probably burning in agony along with the thousands of people who burned with it, some of who still live there in one form or another. We're not going to a city; we're going to be eaten by a monster, and hope that we aren't digested before we've done what we need."

Though thoroughly confused, Naruto could tell Fen was not happy. He sped up a little to catch up with the Forsaken who had begun to take longer strides.

"We're going in there to destroy one of its two 'minds' and when and if we do, that isn't going to change anything. The Argent Dawn has good intentions, but even if we do assassinate the Grand Crusader, things are just going to get worse. The Scourge is going to rule Stratholme. That's bad," Fen said, turning to look at Naruto, who nodded hurriedly. "We might as well take out whoever is leading the Scourge there as well. Hell, we might as well go to Northrend and beat the Lich King himself. This whole mission is pointless; we should just go in and destroy the portal and leave, and screw the Argent Dawn and their stupid mission."

"We can't," said Yamato.

"Why not?"

"That's not how we work. We've taken the mission and so we'll follow it through until the end, regardless." Yamato looked back at the Forsaken. "We just do as the mission dictates—no more, no less. It is not our position to argue or think ahead—we're just the tool with which their will can be done."

"And even if it screws up Princess Kira's plans in the long run, you'll still do it?" Fen asked, coldly.

"Yes. But that isn't likely to happen, is it? The Scarlet Crusade is just as big an obstacle as the Scourge, from what I understand. We'll just be eliminating one problem before it can become an even bigger one. Whatever happens after that we'll deal with as it comes."

"Fine," said Fen, with a sigh. "But don't expect to come out of this unscathed."

"We never did," said Yamato. "No shinobi ever hopes to, especially on assassinations. Don't worry about it. We'll get by."

"Right," said Fen, and said no more.

The smell quickly became unbearable, even through the masks. The heat grew ever more stifling, as if they were walking into a furnace. The ground became charred and black, like charred flesh. Soon, they heard the distant sounds of civilization as ghostly as the screams that intermixed with them; one moment Naruto thought her heard the jovial shouts of friends to one another meeting by some chance in the street, or the charismatic bellows of merchants attempting to sell their wares to unwilling customers in a busy marketplace—but then it was gone, replaced by a distant, tortured scream or a soft whisper beside his ear or a faint breath on his neck. The fog sometimes formed shapes that disappeared when they got closer, or emaciated, skeletal faces would appear right in front of Naruto's in the blink of an eye, and be gone in the next. Sometimes he would feel a grip on his leg, which would start him violently and he would turn only to find a muddy handprint on his pant leg. Sometimes they would walk over fields of bone, crushing skulls or snapping leg bones or rib cages with each step. Naruto jumped and twitched at each new terror that assaulted them. His heart jumped with each cold voice, each ethereal form that showed itself to him, and then vanished with a quick, childish giggle, or a distant but soft sobbing that would taper off into the air as they walked. Sometimes he would feel like he was totally alone, even though Yamato or Sai would be just a foot away, it was so dark. They heard fleshy footsteps constantly within earshot but out of sight, as if something were following them. Yamato would often disappear for a while, searching the perimeter for anything harmful to them, but would always report nothing.

The horizon glowed a distant orange, as if the sun were constantly setting. Fen told them it was the city with its burning soul. It grew nearer and nearer each step they took, until finally they reached the edge of a rotten lake. It was filled with corpses—rotting and skeletal, of men, women, children and animals; some impaled on stakes, others wallowing in the sludge near the shore, the skin half-rotted from their faces, their mouths half grinning and half despairing. Naruto tried not to look at them. Their glassy, mirror-like eyes were the same as the Scourge.

Stratholme loomed before them, only an hour's distance away. The corona of orange light that surrounded it offered the only light to them at that point. It was perpetual night, from this point on, said Fen. The plague-smog above them in the sky was so thick here that it was even physically impossible to get through it without dying. So Yamato stopped them, and turned.

"We split up from here. Each group will approach the city in a different direction. The assassination team will go from the west, towards the Scarlet Bastion directly. The portal team will come in through the south, and make your way west to the Bastion as quickly as possible, without being detected, and enter that way. Find the portal as quickly as you can, destroy it, and leave. Don't do anything else, or wait for us. We'll meet up near here."

Naruto, Sai and Fen all nodded. They were part of the portal team. Yamato, Myrdraxxis and Hisari were the assassination team. Yamato saw their agreement, and gave them a quick half-smile, before nodding to his team. "Good luck, all of you. Don't die."

"Same to you," Fen threw back. Yamato's team disappeared into the black fog, their footsteps being swallowed by a series of distant cries from the Scourge. Fen turned to his two teammates.

"Well, let's go. We have the fortune of being quite close to the Scourge side, so we need to get going quickly. You guys taken your medicine yet?"

Naruto nodded, patting his weapons pouch. "That green stuff ain't medicine."

"True, but it's the best non-prescription deodorant you'll ever have."

Naruto found a little will to smile, which was killed by looking at Sai's eternal grin, before they began to run. They ran through the stretch of land that passed through the marshes in front of Stratholme, hearing the dead whisper as they passed, as they stumbled further and further into the darkness, and towards a living hell, still on earth.

"Let's just hope," said Fen. "That there aren't any Scourge outside. If we can get in without being seen, it'll be fairly simple from then on."

The gates to the city came into view a short while later. All three skidded to a stop.

Sai smiled. "I believe there's a term to be used here, is there not? I believe its 'knock on wood'?"

A monstrous figure, ten feet tall, carrying a big, bloody chain and a huge, gory meat cleaver, slowly thundered towards them, with beady eyes made of many different colors stitched together, a mouth gaping wide made of three jaws together, and a large metal rod sticking from its skull, buzzing with electricity with each step. It was over ten feet tall, and about half as wide. Each step shook its girth and spilled ichor onto the ground, which created a luminous trail back towards the city.

"It's a shame I don't have any wood, then," Fen said, swallowing.

The beast had already seen them, but it didn't change its pace. It instead raised its cleaver, touching it to the electric rod on its head. The lightning blossomed into it, creating a miniature storm above the beast, which let out the wettest roar Naruto had ever heard, spraying the ground with green ichor.

"KEIN ENTRINNEN RAMSTEIN!"

Done. Not much to say after this. I'll try to have the chapter out as soon as possible, so I can explain to those who don't know why that last line is there…which is totally original…I swear. (Everyone's probably got it. But if you can tell me specifically from what, I'll give you a cookie.)

Well, that's it. Hope it was entertaining!

See you soon, I've already started the next chapter!

General Grievous

Bingo Book:

Grand Crusader Saiden Dathrohan (Humanoid?)(Boss): No description yet.

Lady Demetria (Humanoid)(Boss): No description yet.

Ramstein das Gorger (Undead)(Elite): No description yet, other than it speaks German, for some odd reason.