A/N: I'll bore you with the details after this chapter.
Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and sighed in exasperation. He had searched through the entire records section of the Uchiha's sizeable library yesterday and had been forced to report to Tsunade that he hadn't found the mystery demon yet. This was made all the more humiliating because Neji had reported at the same time with the exact whereabouts of the demon's hideout.
So today, while Neji and several others kept watch on the coming and goings of demons, Sasuke had delved into the rest of the expansive library. He was now looking for references to the Uchiha brothers in every history book he could find, aided somewhat by a reluctant Naruto. His partner's usefulness had its limits. Sasuke glanced over to see Naruto's asleep on an old tome. He knew Naruto wasn't used to the strains of a Hunter's schedule. They had been up in the daytime yesterday and had only taken an afternoon nap before returning to the library tonight. Besides Naruto had been set his own mission of searching the surrounding moorland for any sign that Hunter's weren't the only ones keeping an eye on the enemy. He had returned a few hours ago so he was probably suffering from magickal exhaustion as well. He had been cold and wet from being out in the fog for so long and as soon as Sasuke had seen him he had ordered Naruto to go and change into something dry while he lit the fire in the library with a spark of electricity.
Coming to a decision, Sasuke slammed the book he had just deemed useless. Opposite him Naruto jerked upright in a panic.
"W-What?"
"Enough, let's call it a night."
"Eh? I'm fine, we can keep looking," protested Naruto.
"The sun will be up in a few hours and you're exhausted," said Sasuke, setting out the books to check upon their return.
"But Hunter's are supposed to need half the sleep of normal humans; it says so in this book!" Sasuke frowned and moved to look over his shoulder.
"What are you reading?" he muttered.
"Here see, it says about the advantages magick gives us. 'Enhanced eyesight… super hearing… immunity to viruses and infections… increased healing rate… high alcohol tolerance… high metabolism' and some other stuff I'd never have realised. Like how we'll age slightly slower, that you'll never find a Hunter with a bad back or asthma. Amazing isn't it?"
"Yes. But at the risk of quoting another 'with great power comes great responsibility'. Demons exist because Hunters became too focused on their own brilliance. They couldn't see the goodness in the boring lives of 'mere mortals'. After all 'Who would want to live with such mundanity?'"
"That's not what I meant, I was just wondering; what if we are the future? Like maybe some day, everyone will have magick, there will be no reason to hide! Wouldn't that be great?"
Sasuke thought about it for a moment, but it turned out he didn't share Naruto's enthusiasm.
"No, it would be horrible. With no reason to hide there would be an all out war and it would never end because Hunter's and Demon's aren't like a couple of countries; we can't call a truce and settle our differences, we can only kill each other. As soon as people with magick become a majority the human race will be at an end. Demons will enslave those without magick at such a rate that we would be helpless to stop them."
Naruto sat in shocked silence and Sasuke wondered if he had perhaps been a little harsh with sharing his views. Still, he felt it was a realistic assessment and after all, Sasuke didn't believe in cushioning the truth.
"By enslave…"
"I mean the subspecies, yes. You have never seen interaction between a demon and their creations but any member of a viral race, that is to say vampires, werewolves, even banshee will kneel in the presence of a demon."
Naruto looked down at the 'advantages' listed in the book with a wary sadness. It was clear he didn't know what to make of the situation. Sasuke felt a pang of guilt, he didn't mean to crush Naruto's optimism but he didn't believe that kind of thinking was wise.
"Is there any hope of a peaceful future?"
Sasuke opened his mouth to tell Naruto that there would always be fighting but when his partner turned to look up at him he found he didn't have the strength to be so cold.
"Let's get some rest."
-0-
Everything was black. The ground, the walls, the sky, none of it existed. Yet he felt them, he knew that should he extend an arm he would feel the walls and of course he was walking, was that not proof that a floor existed. The sky however, didn't exist. But there was a ceiling, it was low and oppressive.
He walked and walked, taking twists and turns that he could not see, descending steps that he was prepared for. Deeper and deeper he went until gradually he slowed. Sensing that his destination was near, a feeling of dread rose like bile and lodged itself in his throat. Still he continued, he must, for that person was calling out to him and though he wished it he could not deny the summons.
'Come brother…'
A door opened at the end of the corridor and a sickly yellow light filtered from the void. Inside lay an unnatural sight. Many sleek female werewolves shifted in the shadows of an intimately sized room and sprawled across several luxurious cushions in the centre was his mirror image. Except he felt sure his own features were softer than this imposter's. He knew his skin was browned by the sun, his hair less matted, his scar's less pronounced. And most of all he was certain that his own eyes did not glow red. No, the demon before him was positively animalistic. He commanded the attention of all those present, Naruto and the selection of beasts, gifting casual touches and leering glances to the clamouring concubines.
'Do you like them brother?'
He wanted to shake his head, to shout his denial. But it wouldn't come. He remained powerless as the figure rose to his own exact height and summoned one of the willing wolves to his side. She moved forward in a form that was almost human, except that it was all wrong. Her eyes were a vivid yellow and she boasted razor sharp claws. His twin stalked in her wake as they approached and in one swift movement he slipped his arms under hers, displaying her for his guest's enjoyment.
He felt sick. He wanted to run. But he couldn't, the door was gone and his limbs were uncooperative and the other… the other him was biting down on the juncture of the shewolf's neck. It wasn't a playful bite, but one that made her howl with pain and as he drew away blood poured from the fatal wound. The demon looked at him and gave a satisfied smile as gore dripped from between his lips.
He was screaming louder than he ever had in his life. He could feel his throat protesting and as his mind rose to consciousness he saw one last tormenting image. His double knelt opposite him, grinning with that same childish pleasure as a blade moved over his face.
As Naruto opened his eyes the scream died in his throat. He was no longer looking up at the feral image of himself but a beautiful man with luminescent skin and deep, dark eyes. It was Sasuke, he realised, leaning over him in the spare bedroom of the Uchiha residence. Abruptly his tensed muscles went limp, relief flooding through him. The calming effect of Sasuke's presence was already washing over him.
Sasuke was still staring at him warily. Naruto wondered if the Uchiha thought he was crazy but then Sasuke had had his fair share of nightmares. A voice in the back of his head protested as he tried to dismiss the vivid images as a nightmare and insisted he analyse his dream further, but he blocked it out. The dream had terrified him more than he thought possible and that had nothing to do with the darkness or the gore and everything to do with that last haunting image. A shudder ran through him as that boy once again swam into view.
Naruto felt Sasuke crawling into bed beside him. He let his partner curl himself like a protective barrier around him and pull the duvet over them. As Sasuke ran his fingers through blond hair in a comforting gesture Naruto drifted towards a more peaceful sleep wondering vaguely why that last image had seemed so horribly familiar.
-0-
The next evening Sasuke pretended not to notice as Naruto slipped out of his arms. He made himself wait at least five minutes before getting dressed and exiting the bedroom. Naruto was in the kitchen stirring a pot of instant ramen rather distractedly.
"I'm going to get back to work. Join me when you've finished that," said Sasuke, motioning at Naruto's untouched ramen.
When Sasuke left the residence he walked briskly past the striking view of the starlit Pacific and headed for the library, intent on his new task. Yesterday he had been too shocked by Naruto's violent dream to question the matter further but it now occurred to him that Naruto had been unusually difficult to wake up. Sasuke had been forced to resort to giving the man a small electric shock to jerk him out of it. Even when Naruto had finally opened his eyes it had been clear that Naruto couldn't see him. Sasuke could only vaguely recall the tell tales signs of premonition but he was almost certain that last night's disturbance had been no ordinary nightmare.
The ground floor of the library was a valuable resource of books on the natural world but upstairs focused solely on the complex magickal world. It took him a moment to locate the 'D' section but Sasuke skimmed past the extensive section labelled 'Demonology' and until he stood in front of a shelf dedicated to divination. He walked along until a title caught his eye: 'Prophesy: It's in our Blood' and next to it another read: 'Prophetic Talents Through Time'. He pulled both of them from the shelf and sat down on the floor of the aisle.
The first book was highly scientific, going into great depth about which genes effected foresight. All Sasuke was able to glean from the dusty volume was that foresight was ultimately passed down within bloodlines but was largely subject to chance. Foresight in its various untried forms could skip generations, changing face and strength depending on the individual.
However, it was the second, slightly newer book of records that proved most enlightening. In it was listed a seeress by the name of Senju Chiyoko along with every prophesy she had ever made and their outcome. Her last prophesy had been spoken on the deathbed to her great grandson Namikaze Minato.
"What are you reading way over here?"
Sasuke jumped and then cringed in shame as the book slipped from his fingers and landed with a thump that sounded far too loud in the stillness of the library. He had been so intent on the mystery presented that he had failed to hear Naruto's approach. It was an unforgivable oversight. His partner picked up the book before Sasuke could formulate a reply.
"Minato…" Naruto read out, immediately honing in on his father's name.
"Born of ultimate conflict,
After one of tragic pain,
And either may tilt the balance,
Providing the other is slain.
The last of their blood,
Sealed by magick olde,
Join together or perish,
And walk a path foretold."
The muffled silence of the old library stretched between them. Sasuke wasn't sure how to break it. It could mean nothing, they were surely just old words in a book. Wouldn't Minato have mentioned something or left Naruto some kind of warning if he had any reason to suspect these words were significant. Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, the larger part of his brain excepted that it was a nonsense prediction but still… Something didn't sit right with him.
"Why are you reading this?" Naruto asked finally.
Sasuke sighed, "Last night; what did you see?"
From his position on the aisle floor he saw the shudder that passed over Naruto before he crumpled against the opposite shelf. As he slid to the floor his eyes closed and he took a deep breath. Sasuke was reminded of someone trying to breath past a bout of sea sickness.
"I saw a demon," he said quietly. "He was in a dark room, surrounded by werewolves."
Remembering Naruto's terror the night before, Sasuke was loath to push him but he had to know. Naruto had seen the wanted posters plastered throughout the coven lounge. "Is it anyone I'd recognise?"
When Naruto looked at him his gaze was haunted, "It was me."
They were silent for a long time before Sasuke shifted. He pushed the books out of the way and moved to sit next to Naruto leaning against him from shoulder to thigh.
"Try not to think of it that way. These things are often tricky. I believe what you saw was a prophetic dream, these books say it's in your blood and what I saw suggests you inherited the gift. You probably don't remember but I had to use magick to wake you up; that is one of the main signs of a prophetic state. However just because it might be true doesn't mean it is and it certainly doesn't make it accurate," he said rationally, "These things often need deciphering. Could you explain what you saw, if it was prophesy you should be able to recall every detail."
-0-
It was true; every detail of his supposed dream was vividly clear in his mind as well as every feeling they invoked. So Naruto explained, talking in a soft voice he recounted what he had seen only leaving out the terrible feelings. He knew Sasuke would pick up on them anyway. When he was finished Sasuke was quite for a few minutes and Naruto mused that he felt marginally better now he had aired the dream.
"And when you awoke, what you saw, you don't think that was part of the vision?"
"No, that part was different... familiar."
"Familiar?"
Naruto nodded slowly. He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him but said nothing else. It bothered him that the image of that boy leaning over him with a kitchen knife felt more like some long forgotten memory than a new dream.
"Right," said Sasuke, as though he had just come to some decision. "Sitting here isn't helping us find the bastard demon who broke in here."
He stood up and pushed both of the divination books back onto their shelves. Naruto groaned dramatically though he was secretly glad for the change of subject.
"More research?"
"Not for you. I will continue here but since you ate the last of our previsions for breakfast you are going to go shopping." He tugged his wallet out of his back pocket and began producing notes. He slapped them into Naruto's hand and pulled him to his feet. "Make sure you buy plenty of food, decent stuff too; not just ramen. And get fresh fruit, tomatoes and whatever else looks good."
"You are a strange man," Naruto said with a crooked smile.
"Says you," Sasuke replied before leaning in and pressing his lips gently against Naruto's.
When he pulled away Naruto found a giddy smile on his lips. He could tell he looked silly because Sasuke's eyes sparkled with mirth. Naruto moved closer again, fully intent on taking this further but Sasuke side stepped him and he found himself looking at books.
"Shopping," prompted a smug voice and Naruto groaned again, suddenly he didn't want to leave the Kikyo Castle library.
-0-
So maybe he wasn't feeling quite as composed as he was projecting, but Naruto didn't need to know that. He would only worry and he clearly had enough of his own troubles at the moment, without Sasuke getting all depressed and nostalgic.
Sasuke had remained in the library for only ten minutes after Naruto left before losing his patience. His brain felt like jelly with all the puzzles and questions crammed inside, he just couldn't concentrate. Besides it really seemed that the Uchiha's had kept wonderfully detailed and organised records of everyone except for those two original brothers. Sasuke felt like kicking himself; why had he never thought to ask about the castle's founders? Now that he needed this information it seemed incredibly absentminded of him not to have questioned the matter earlier. All his brain could provide him with were hazy memories of sitting at the window in their dungeon home with his brother.
"Nii-san, who are those statues at the gate?"
"They were the powerful brothers who built and protected this castle with their magick. Even now they watch over the gateway, making sure their descendants are safe."
"We are safe, aren't we?" asked a young Sasuke, pressing his nose up against the window to look down at the sea below.
"The safest," agreed Itachi, lifting a hand to brush his brother's hair out of his eyes.
Sasuke grinned, his eyes reduced to slits. "They do a good job!"
Considering his only knowledge of the brothers had come from Itachi, Sasuke had decided to search Itachi's room; perhaps his brother had been borrowing the only book about them? That would have been a comfortable solution but his search had yielded poor results; the only book in Itachi's bedroom had been one with complex explanations of the Olde Language, nothing useful. He had, however, uncovered a hipflask of some potent alcohol, which was why Sasuke was now sat on the floor of his living room feeling rather relaxed. He wasn't really much of a drinker which he thought explained why this strange spirit was unknown to him.
Sasuke was sat on the floor behind the largest sofa, looking out of the window from the exact position he had favoured years ago when he and Itachi had sat here looking out at the stormy seas. A shiver travelled down his spine; the broken window two panes away had not even been boarded up, they had pushed a coffee table in front of it to act as a safety barrier but it did nothing to stop the bitter winds that swept into the room. The Olde Language incantation that was embedded in the windows hung in the air, barely visible as a glimmer of silver lettering but still as strong as it was when it had been housed by the glass. It was further proof that the demon had only been an illusion; the barrier held strong even when the window had shattered. He had been dwelling almost constantly on the demon's power. It was intriguing and undoubtedly useful in battle. The man had the ability to create his own illusion and then sneak unseen upon his enemy. It bothered Sasuke that his own power would be rather useless unless he could locate the invisible man.
"It was as though he had two powers. Yes, I know that's not possible and I've been thinking on the matter. What if he were able to take his own image and plant it somewhere else? Almost like astro-projection except that his spirit part was only an illusion."
"You need to stop dwelling on this, stronger men than you would have been defeated."
"But I couldn't do anything. He was there somewhere, I know it!"
Sasuke shook his head vigorously. He didn't know where these memories were surfacing from. This latest glimpse was particularly annoying. He couldn't summon any further recollection and the speakers' identities escaped him.
He frowned and took another swig from the silver hip flask; the engraved initials revealed that it had belonged to his father. This begged a certain amount of questions as to why it was in Itachi's desk draw but Sasuke was horribly aware that he wasn't likely to ever have answers to the many questions that had arisen in the short time that he had been back in the castle.
Standing, Sasuke left the dungeon apartment. He felt the sudden urge to walk around. It was quite plain that he wasn't going to get answers sitting there immersed in memories and he only had maybe an hour before Naruto was due back. True, that didn't have much to do with his sitting there but he felt he should probably stop drinking now. Still he took one last swing before he stuffed the hip flask into his pocket as he crossed the main hall and walked out into the courtyard. The statues stood above the gateway opposite him as though they were mocking him.
"Who the fuck are you?" muttered Sasuke, well aware of how insane he sounded.
He considered returning to the dusty shelves of the library before turning in the opposite direction and heading towards the stables. Sasuke prided himself on having a well developed sixth sense and right now they seemed to be the place to go. When he was younger, the stables had been his own personal thinking space. Itachi had teased him, saying that he'd start sleeping there any day now.
"I think from now on I'll just write you messages on Getsuei's door, rather than actually bothering to find you…"
Sasuke frowned as another strange half memory floated to the forefront of his mind. They sounded oddly realistic, as though the person speaking was standing right next to him. At least he recognised who was speaking in this one. His brother really had taken to leaving notes in the stables.
Sasuke's father had bought the gelding for his 8th birthday claiming it was time that his son learnt how to take responsibility for another's wellbeing if he intended to become Itachi's bonded. It was typical of his father to turn a birthday gift into a life lesson but Sasuke had willingly risen to the challenge. He had named the horse Getsuei after the crescent shape on his forehead and spent his free time, between learning to fight and studying under his brother, looking after the animal as the stable keep had taught him.
Sasuke had picked up riding like a natural, earning grudging praise from his father that he suspected had been coaxed out of Fugaku by his ever diplomatic mother. He had once accused Sasuke of spoiling the beast but Mikoto had stepped in that time as well rebuking her husband and encouraging her son's dedication. Sasuke smiled sadly, he had never known someone as kind as his mother.
The stable door protested loudly as it was pushed open. Several Uchiha had kept mounts here, often leading riding parties over the moorland. As soon as Sasuke was able he had joined in on each of the expeditions, he and Getsuei easily keeping up with the more experienced riders. Itachi had accompanied them once, staying just long enough to demonstrate his own prowess on horseback. Sasuke had resented his brother for showing him up that time and had been quite glad when his brother conveniently announced that he preferred to spend his free time with his motorbike.
Looking around the empty stalls, Sasuke sighed. He missed his steed dearly; Getsuei had been a beautiful and faithful creature. He had sold the animals along with most of the Uchiha clan's vehicles but he would have liked to have kept Getsuei. It had been tempting to move his old friend into a stable but in the end he had decided against it. As the last Uchiha he was a prize to demons across Japan and it had been necessary to keep a low profile. Sasuke preferred to err on the side of caution and if demons could monitor when he visited his parent's graves they could certainly trace Getsuei back to him.
With a longing sigh Sasuke ran his fingers over the dark wood door of Getsuei's pen. A second later he withdrew his fingers in shock. Sasuke frowned, flexing his tingling hand. He recognised this feeling as the tell tale magick of a concealed message but more importantly the magickal touch felt familiar. Instinctively he reached for his own magick to reveal the message but was startled to find that his magick was unresponsive. It lay dormant in his blood. Sasuke fought down a rising panic and tried harder to draw some response from the magick. But it wasn't working, he could feel the power within him but, despite employing more concentration than a new Hunter, he couldn't connect with it.
In a desperate attempt to stir some reaction from the magick that had been at his beck and call for years, Sasuke drew his sword. The metal which normally conducted his electricity with such ease felt strangely cold in his hand. By this point Sasuke was having some difficulty quelling his panic, his sword had never felt cold; from the first time he had picked it up from the sword smith's it had felt alive and responsive in his fingers. Now it was as though he had lost a limb.
Reassuring himself repeatedly that he was not defenceless without his magick, Sasuke sheathed the sword, keeping one hand on the hilt. He still had his weapon even if it didn't feel like his sword anymore. Besides the castle's protection was strong; he was safe.
Still, Sasuke found himself feeling more vulnerable than he had done in years. It took all of his will to calm down enough to call Naruto. His partner was there for support, right? Well he could really do with some support right now, even if he had to swallow his pride to get it. The only thing on Sasuke's mind was getting his power back.
"Hello?"
"You need to come back to the castle right now."
"Sasuke? What's wrong?"
"My power is gone."
"WHAT? Seriously? How?" Sasuke held the phone away from his ear as Naruto continued to bombard him with one worded questions.
"If I knew that I'd have it back by now, dobe."
With that Sasuke snapped his phone shut, confident that Naruto would be rushing back to the castle. Deciding to wait for his partner right where he was, Sasuke took a seat on an upturned bucket.
-0-
As soon as Sasuke hung up on him, Naruto abandoned his shopping trolley and ran for the door. He headed for the alley next to the supermarket and closed his eyes, thought of the castle wall and transferred to the copy of himself that was closest to the castle. He recalled his other clones as quickly as possible and rushed through the small door by the main castle entrance. Since Sasuke hadn't told him where he was Naruto resolved not to think as he ran to the right. He had been experimenting with his sixth sense by playing 'Pick a Card, Any Card' with Sasuke and had found that if he didn't put too much thought into things he usually got them right. Usually.
However, Naruto had never been to the stables before so when he found himself faced with a collection of strange buildings sheltered under the south wall he picked the largest one. This turned out to be an empty garage. The next building was a potting shed and by the time he reached the stables, Sasuke was slouched on his bucket seat looking rather bored and strangely vacant.
"Sasuke?" asked Naruto cautiously when the Hunter didn't look up.
"You took your time," he said, examining a silver hipflask in his hands.
"You didn't tell me where you were," replied Naruto, a little defensive; Sasuke knew his sixth sense wasn't brilliant.
"It's all good practice. The training never really stops."
Naruto frowned; Sasuke seemed more contemplative and philosophical than he had sounded over the phone.
"Did you get your power back?" Naruto asked, figuring the disaster might have already been averted.
"Nope," said Sasuke casually.
Spotting the hip-flask in his hands it suddenly occurred to Naruto that Sasuke was acting a little drunk. For starters: Sasuke never slouched and he seemed far too relaxed about this whole situation. Naruto considered confronting him, but decided against it; best to tread carefully where Sasuke was involved.
"Do you know how you lost it?" he probed gently. After all, Sasuke was a veritable genius; he had to have some idea.
"Haven't lost anything, it's still here," he said, patting himself on the chest absently, "Just not working. The only thing I can think of is this." Sasuke stood without wavering and handed the hip-flask to Naruto. "But alcohol wouldn't usually strip a person of their powers… Still it's the only thing I can think of… I haven't touched anything else that I'm aware of."
Naruto half listened to Sasuke's rambling reasoning as he too examined the hip-flask. He unscrewed the lid and took a sniff. It was certainly potent, Naruto thought it could be vodka but it smelled weird.
"What is it?" he asked quietly.
"I don't know."
"Why would you drink it then? It could be poisonous."
"That's father's hipflask, and it was in Itachi's room."
Naruto was surprised at Sasuke's actions, but also his petulant defensiveness. He couldn't see what colour the alcohol was so he poured a little on the floor. Both of them stared at the vividly green liquid but only Naruto felt some recognition. He reached out, tilting Sasuke's chin up and leaning in close enough to see that the man's eyes were unfocused and slightly bloodshot. Naruto was still putting two and two together when Sasuke used their close proximity to plant a kiss on him. He pulled away quickly, putting a hand on Sasuke's chest as his partner smirked at him.
"You're high."
"Eh?" queried Sasuke, rather unintelligently.
"I think the alcohol you drank is steeped with cannabis."
"How do you know?"
"I've tried a few things," Naruto said with a shrug. "Would cannabis get rid of your power?"
"Told you it's not gone," Sasuke replied slowly. "I can sense my magick; it just feels sort of distant, like something just out of reach."
"Well then I guess we just wait for the drink to wear off. By the way, why are you out here?" Naruto asked, waving around at the stables.
Sasuke looked up like he had just remembered something very important. Before Naruto could ask anything else Sasuke had grabbed his hand and dragged him over to one of the stalls. Naruto let his partner press his hand to the stable door. He sucked in a startled breath at the tingling sensation that spread over his skin. It didn't hurt but it wasn't pleasant either; sort of like instant pins and needles.
"That feeling is the magickal signature of a hidden message. They're written in magick and need to be revealed by magick. Do it like you would if you were activating one of those pentacle shaped locks!"
Ignoring Sasuke's strangely curious enthusiasm Naruto thought back to the gate at the Hyuuga's home and let his magick flow into the smooth wood. Sasuke guided his hand over the door until words in a neat cursive script revealed themselves: "Find your life stone".
Naruto opened his mouth to ask what the hell that was supposed to mean but Sasuke's face stopped him. He looked shocked as he reached out to touch the message as it began to fade back into the wood.
"Itachi…"
A/N: So I'm a big liar that absolutely refuses to update regularly or at all. I had previously consigned this story to the rubbish tip along with every other creative aspect of my life but it annoys me that I never finished it. My muse completely abandoned me, that is to say inspiration was no more and it's totally my fault but I'm going to blame the mysterious muse. I kept rereading old stories in the hopes that I would miraculously be able to finish them. So I make no promises but I would like to see this through to the end. Sorry for being such a sucky author and thank you for sticking with me for as long as you did.
Yasu