Kayz.

Disclaimer: Do I have to? Ugh. Nothing belongs to me, save the plot. And two zebra finches that I don't plan on placing in the story any time soon.

A/N: Incorrect usage of Greek mythological figures

A/N 2: All flames shall be used to sacrifice to Jashin

The Value of a Soul

Chapter 18: When Day Darkens

"Neji! I just heard!" Naruto exclaimed as he screeched to a stop in front of the prince, completely disregarding the salutes thrown at the emperor by the other five. "Where's the letter?"

A roll of parchment was lobbed to him, and he caught it and unraveled it.

Dear Emperor Neji,

I am pleased to tell you that I and the king of Persia, have camped outside the city walls. The army is itching to start, so I must tell you that we will be attacking soon, ready or not. We await your pathetic retaliation with impatience.

Lord Orochimaru of the Southern parts of Rome

"Who does he think he is?" Naruto growled, a flash of red orange momentarily flaring in his eyes, which were smouldering blue flames. "We must prepare the army as soon as possible!" Neji nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. And what, may I ask, are all of you doing here?" he directed at the others.

"I asked them to come. They will be fighting with us," Naruto assured. Neji didn't comment, but stood up, and began to head for the entrance/exit of the throne room.

Charis leaped off her spot beside the throne and padded up to Naruto, weaving in between his legs and purring.

"Good job, Charis. I'll send you back now, okay?" The serval sat in front of him, waiting, he smiled, and bent down, kissing her forehead, before pressing two fingers of his right hand on the spot. She disappeared in a puff of smoke.

He straightened, and walked over to Neji. The seven of them headed for the barracks.

"We will set up camp on the outskirts of Rome! We must make sure that the fighting stays out of the city! We must prove to them that our youth will defeat their numbers!" Naruto blinked at the centurion, who looked freakishly similar to a certain prison guard...

"Send word to all of the Roman garrisons. We need the full force with us," Neji ordered.

"I will send the message with all renewed vigour!"

"No. You are to stay here. Send one of your legionaries. And that's an order," Neji deadpanned. The centurion blinked, and nodded. "Good."

Neji began to walk out, followed by a blonde. They met with the gladiators, just outside of the barracks.

"And you will stay with the soldiers for the time being if you are to fight alongside us," Neji stated. Luckily, Hidan had enough brains to keep his mouth shut. Naruto smiled at them before walking after the emperor.

"How long will it take the other garrisons to reach here?" he asked. Neji's expression hardened.

"They know well what they're doing. At the most, at eventide," he replied. Naruto nodded.

"Ah. I hope Charis wasn't a bother to you?" Neji shook his head.

"Not in the slightest," he responded. When they reached the throne room, Naruto turned to the brunet, just as he was about to sit.

"Are you afraid, or at least apprehensive about this?" Neji tilted his head.

"What is afraid? What does it feel like? I have felt apprehension, and I must say, I can feel it. But what is this afraid?" Naruto blinked slowly.

"Have you really crushed yourself to this extent?" Naruto murmured. Neji watched him under narrowed eyes. They stood there for a few seconds, silently waiting for something that never came. Neji inclined his neck slightly, and sat down.

"Brother!" The princess stepped into the room. "What is this I've heard about Lord Orochimaru waging war on us?" Tenten stepped in behind her, and curtsied slightly.

"Hinata. Last night, he delivered a message to me. In fact, I have it here," he replied, pulling out the scroll from his attire. Naruto took it, and handed it over to the raven-haired girl.

Opalescent eyes scanned the parchment, and widened ever so slightly with each line.

"I'm sorry, brother," she apologized quietly. "In my haste...I...I opened my mouth. I'm sorry for blaming you," she said. His face was carefully deviod of emotion.

"I have overlooked it," he stated. "To move on, today, I recieved another message, saying he will attack soon. However, he does not say when." Hinata's eyes met his matching set.

"I will send Tenten with you," she declared. "You will need all the help you can get." Neji raised an eyebrow.

"She must stay with you. If they infilterate the p-"

"Then I'll go too," she said decisively. "I'll stay with Tsunade and Sakura," she added. Neji looked at her for about a minute, before sighing.

"So be it. Alert them. Tell them I want to speak with them."

Hinata bowed, and exited, the brunette following in her wake. A few minutes later, a new pair of women entered the room and bowed.

"Ave Imperator. You called for us?" Tsunade asked. He nodded. Naruto smiled. Sakura had a vein throbbing on her forehead.

"Yes. Hinata has insisted on coming with us. You are to keep her with you at all times, understood?" The blonde woman nodded.

"Understood. Emperor, if you don't mind, I need to do a checkup on Naruto," she said. He nodded, and pointed for the blonde to go to them.

"You idiot!" Naruto was on the floor, nursing his head. Sakura stood over him, pale hand brandished in a fist.

"Sakura, refrain from performing such actions in my presence," Neji commanded. She withdrew her fist.

"My apologies, Emperor," she muttered. Naruto had already healed the lump on his head, and stood still as Tsunade did a thorough check up on him.

"I still don't know who you are exactly, but something tells me you aren't human," she whispered. He stiffened ever so slightly before relaxing again. She finished her inspection, and with a last bow, departed, the pink haired apprentice following.

It was about late evening, and the sun was beginning to set. The legionaries had finished building camp, and all were in their tents, save the guards.

"So we have no strategy but to test the strength of the enemy before attacking?" Neji asked. A long-haired raven nodded.

"Indeed. Orochimaru, being from Rome, knows all the tricks to our style of battle, therefore, he also knows the best way to turn them against us. It would be useless to go out in our usual fashion."

"Then what to you suggest we do?" Neji asked.

"We have no choice but to refer to unorthodox methods," another, a one with shocking orange hair answered."

"Hm. You do understand that this would result in disarray," the brunet queried.

"We understand that perfectly, Emperor. However, all we can hope for, is that our strength is enough." Neji sighed.

"So be it. You are all dismissed for now." As they filed out, Neji swore he heard one of them muttering "Alea jacta est." The emperor frowned. The die was indeed cast, and the chances of victory were slim.

Retreating to the cushions situated in the back of his tent, he sighed, and leaned against them, musing on the praetors' 'unorthodox methods'.

"Neji, their words trouble you." Twin pearls flew up to meet sapphire. He looked away wordlessly. Naruto frowned, and sat down beside him. "Do not hide it. It makes you more painful to look at," he informed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the brunet snapped. Naruto didn't flinch or back away.

"The fact that you are hiding it so well, makes it hard to look at you without knowing that there is so much going on in your head," the blonde smoothly replied. Neji sighed.

"They knew what they were doing. First they kill my youngest sister to force me to crush my emotions, or else I'll be weak. Then they leave a span of time for me to become a monster. After, they kill my father, to make me go paranoid. Unfortunately, their plaan succeeded. I am truly weak," the brunet admitted in a tired voice.

"I will not hear that talk from you!" Naruto hissed. "Don't lower your own morale! You know very well that the optimism of the body lies in the attitude of the head! You can't act like this!" Naruto admonished.

"I know. I wish I wasn't as well. But you see, the blame lies on you." Naruto's anger faded to be replaced with confusion. "Yes you," he continued. "You see, there was a flaw in their plans. That flaw was you. They didn't know someone like you would come.

You began to light up my darkness. At first I was so angry, because I had lived in that darkness for so long, I no longer desired a light. Therefore, when you appeared, I hated you. I despised you for disrupting my darkness. But you eased in. You came at me when no one else had the courage to. You intrigue me, Naruto.

My darkness began to diminish. I thought those walls that I had worked so hard to build, would be able to withstand you. But I was wrong. You broke through them like nothing. You broke through me. And now...now I can feel again. Now I know what pain feels like. I know what apprehension feels like. I think I may even know what fear feels like. But there's one thing I don't remember. It doesn't matter though."

"I...I did all of that?" Naruto whispered. The brunet nodded at him.

"Indeed."

"Neji...Neji do you know how much it means to hear you say that?" Naruto breathed. "Do you know how much I've wanted to hear even a fraction of what you've said?" Neji gazed at him.

"Do you really care about me that much?" he asked. The blonde nodded. "Why? Why do you even care?" he asked. Naruto inched his arm closer, until his tanned hand rested atop of Neji's alabaster.

"Before, I always said it. Always. And yet you still ask me. I care because you're my friend," Naruto replied for the umpteenth time. Neji sighed.

"What does it mean to be a friend? I can't remember," he murmured. Naruto beamed at him.

"To be a friend, is to care about someone else. Well that's how I put it anyways. They don't necessarily have to care about you, but you can care about them nonetheless."

"I see..." Naruto's smile saddened slightly.

"But Neji, has it ever crossed your mind that this could possibly be our last night?" he asked. The brunet lowered his gaze.

"Yes," he simply said. Naruto closed his eyes.

"That tomorrow, we could possibly be dead?" Naruto didn't need an answer. "That I still haven't told you what has run through my mind on more than one occasion?" he barely breathed.

"The latter part, no," Neji answered. Naruto sighed.

"That I don't know if I have the courage to tell you?"

"No," was again the response. Naruto opened his eyes, and looked into Neji's opal orbs. The emperor almost gasped at all the sadness embedded in those sapphire orbs. For some reason, it made him want to know exactly what was in the blonde's mind. What he was thinking.

"That I haven't told you...I think I love you..." Naruto barely whispered into his ears. Neji stiffened.

Naruto edged backwards, and looked at him sadly. "That you'll never be able to return it. But just...please...just let me do this."

Without a warning, the blonde leaned forward, and captured the brunet's lips in a soft chaste kiss. A few seconds later, he smiled sadly, as he backed away.

"Now if I die tomorrow, at least I'll be able to know I did what I've been wanting to do all this time. Good night, Neji," Naruto whispered, before walking over to a corner of the tent, and falling into his trance-like reverie.

Short alert. Short alert. Yup, that was short.

-Jeya-