Title; Fading

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

A/N; I thought I should point out that this story isn't about heroes and is very much a grey and grey morality affair. Sasuke in particular is a Byronic hero and will at times border on being a villain protagonist in his actions. Keep that in mind with every chapter.

Chapter - 30;

"Give me one of those flaming arrows? Hissed Hanabi. I passed her one and cringed as the low light it emitted revealed my sister's haggard state. Being encased in that monstrosity's body of broken bones had torn open her armour and cut a dozen small wounds into her pale skin.

I watched as the warrior woman growled, took a swig of our last canister of wine and spat the mouthful over the burning arrow head. A billowed wall of flames puffed out before us searing the enemies I hadn't even seen coming. I'd ask her how exactly she managed that later on, when I was certain she wouldn't spit fire on me too at any moment.

"They're getting stronger, fresher here. We're close." Hanabi spoke spitting in a distinctly boyish way I doubted she'd have done around the Uchiha. I'd bring that up…well never.

"What's the plan?" I asked wondering if it might include any more than slashing and burning her way through everything that got in her way with a borderline manic glee.

"The traditional Raider tactic, we kill our way through this ruin until its silent." Spoke Hanabi emphasis on the word silent. I realised pretty sharply that that was how the younger woman had detected those ghouls, my hearing might have been sharper from a cloistered life but she knew how to use the sense far better.

"We should treat your wounds." I offered feeling more than a little sheepish. It was sort of funny but I found keeping company with Hanabi more nerve wreaking than with the Uchiha. I wasn't sure why but when I watched Sasuke lose himself in battle it was like watching him shed a cloak, he was revealing the animal that shared its soul with my noble protector. Hanabi though, Hanabi looked like she was breaking. Somehow I thought I already knew how the story ended, she'd become like he was, a divided soul in conflict with itself. Twisted around herself.

"Find the horde, I want to know where Sasuke is." Commanded my sister eyes cold as she brushed aside my question. I didn't follow the order. I didn't need to, I'd been keeping track of Sasuke myself every quiet moment we had.

"Above us, I don't know if he's pushing them back or fleeing but there's less of them now. A lot less." He certainly was lending credit to the Wyvern Slayer myths, I guess being a Wraith helped against almost entirely magical creatures. It also explained why we'd only hit guards and no reinforcements down here, whatever way the battle was swinging the former Raider was terrifying whomever commanded the Undead. And demanding all their attentions.

From the look on Hanabi's face and the way she increased the pace I guess she bought the later theory. Not an unfair assumption, even if the Undead only had the resistance of thick air against the Uchiha with so many he was practically caught up in a whirlwind of rusted iron and jagged bones.

Warm orange light stung my eyes as we stumbled into an alcove decorated surprisingly tastefully. Plush plump couches dotted the room and works of gold framed art hung from the walls neighbours to ancient coats of arms and family crests. A woman pale and if I was being kind just a little too plump for her black silky dress sat reclined on one of the rouge seats. Her eyes though drew my attention, pitch black where they should have been white wrapped around sickly yellow irises.

"The little ones arrive." Purred the woman demurely, purple painted lips stretching into a cruel smile that couldn't have been less pleasant if she were a black widow. As I looked I could clearly see the tendrils of magic pouring out of her and into the soft earth around us, and curiously counterparts flowing from the earth into her. Life lines I suspected. This woman I knew was older and more powerful than her appearance would suggest.

"Yeah, I can see you're a big one alright." Breathed Hanabi clicking her tongue. Good, she was going to piss off the ancient necromancer sat firmly in the heart of her power source.

That was wise.

Rustling and the creak of old bones alerted us to other presences in the room. Twin corpses so fresh that at a glance I would have thought they were alive stepped away from the walls. They were of a similar height and weight but were easily distinguished by their hair colours, the one flanking Hanabi bore bright almost white platinum hair while the one nearing me was bald save for a half circle of still dark hair.

"You'll regret those words, wench." Spat the platinum corpse the ring of steel accompanying his words as he freed the short sword on his belt and unhooked the axe slung over his back. Hanabi seemed unfazed but I wasn't, that these things could talk…that was a disturbing sign.

"Wench…didn't think any full grown men were actually sad enough to use that one." Muttered Hanabi unperturbed but I saw otherwise, a slight flicker caught my eye as a rune on her bracer flared to life. The creatures too human expression of annoyance was getting to me though and I forced my eyes on to his less animated friend instead. He had yet to draw the curved blade hanging at his side, nor did he even give an indication that he intended too.

"My personal guards, Henrik and Maetreal, far more formidable than those-" whatever else she was about to say died as the combatants moved suddenly, Hanabi's dark blade cut a vicious arc tearing through the weak iron blade of the blonde and shearing through his torso. The other warrior darted forward faster than I could follow his blade flowing out of its scabbard to strike in one fluid motion.

Hanabi had predicted an attack though and the dull edge ricocheted off her small shield harmlessly before her blade curled unnaturally as she counter attacked piercing the corpses chest. There was a split second pause before black spires erupted from the body tearing it to sunders. An almost cruel smirk lined Hanabi's lips as she turned back to the woman.

"Yeah real tough." My sister seemed to be channelling her lover with her cocky open stance, her entire form seemed to whisper aggression and confidence.

"Not tough dear, formidable." The woman's voice ghosted as the falling corpses shifted their flesh and pulp becoming less solid and more liquid darting at Hanabi like some gargantuan snake. It twisted as my sister parried moving with an unnatural click of breaking altering bones. I reached for an arrow a half-baked plan in mind that involved firing on the necromancer and hoping for the best. A hand, maybe, caught my wrist before I could reach an arrow and wrenched backward twisting me into a tight embrace.

The fleshy mass around Hanabi had begun to reform into a man and she took advantage twisting far less passive than I was and driving an elbow into the thing's chest. It appeared to do damage carving a chasm into the still gooey thing's ribs but they reformed just as easily. I could pick out now in its half formed structure the much thinner tendrils of life magic bleeding into the mushy body. Whatever the witch was using to empower herself she'd also connected to her personal guards.

"You are disappointing. Only playing mage with these trinkets are we?" The chubby sorceress drifted nearer to us moving with more gait and grace than I would have attributed to her. Her fingers ghosted over Hanabi's bound wrist and the magical armlet she wore. There was cruelty in her smile as the hand holding Hanabi tight shifted shape. There was a sharp hollow cracking noise and my sisters eyes widened unnaturally her lips peeling back in a silent scream.

"You shouldn't pretend to be a warrior either dear, it's unbecoming of a lady." The hand shifted back to an almost natural shape releasing Hanabi's now misshapen broken hand. The necromancers dirty yellowed eyes turned onto me.

"You on the other hand, you've got some wonderful life in you." She complimented though I knew the words were not kind. She was referring to my Gift and I could only imagine its potential as a battery for her obscure powers. Hanabi's eyes flickered dangerously but I couldn't see what she was plotting. These creatures appeared to be the genuine article when it came to immortality and she'd already lost the use of her strong arm.

"Take the bony one to the wet land." She ordered stepping back and clicking her fingers, Hanabi struggled but was easily over powered and carried deeper into the room. I was drawn to the differences in us again, Hanabi fought long after hope was lost, I surrendered telling myself there'd be an opening later that would present itself if I feigned weakness…only I wasn't feigning so much as I just was weak in the end.

"Adul, the grave keeper. What is up there by the way…it's very disruptive." The necromancer introduced herself with fake airs of disinterest as she asked after Sasuke. The body behind me shifted unnaturally and I was pushed forward my equipment stripped away in a fluid motion.

"Hinata the um…looker girl, ah woman." The Watcher probably would have had a more ominous ring to it, though with my shaky tone I doubted anything I said was going to sound intimidating. Her eyes blinked slowly, clearly still awaiting an answer. I didn't offer one.

"Sit Hinata, make yourself comfortable. And tell me what's up there, you two didn't survive out there alone…" No we hadn't, my sight had allowed us to take the easier paths but Sasuke's immunity to magic and Hanabi's versatility had been our trump cards for dealing with the monsters out here. I took the offered sit after a suggestive shove from the remaining guard.

Now I just had to keep quiet, a single Wraith wouldn't be much good unless it was a secret.

Twice more I managed to hurt the regenerating creature but both times it reformed itself just as quickly. No matter how far we drew away from its master the effect never lessened. I was forced to abandon the hope of avoiding the 'wet land', instead I started weighing up my current condition.

My sword arm was unless and my black blade was still back in the sorceresses throne room, I still had my old weapon but I doubted I could make effective use of it with my right hand alone. That really just left my First Flame for offence and my Double steps to avoid whatever painful death awaited me. Of course, I only had about three shots of fire left and if I pushed too hard with the double step I'd exhaust my reserves and likely pass out.

Also my inability to swim might play a factor in all this.

I could smell the stink of stagnant water now and the walls around us had taken a less refined feel to them. If anything it felt as if we'd entered some underground caverns. The slow crash of waves lapping against a shore reached my ears but I couldn't help but feel they were artificial, caused by something moving in the dark depts. My escort wore a crooked grin that I recognised instinctively. It was a Saint's smile, of a sadist nearing his heart's desire.

Moon light trickled into the caverns lighting up the black waters as I was pushed forward feet dangerously close to a high ledge. I had enough time to sight the beach to the left before a shove caught me from behind throwing me forward. I curled in on myself pushing my aching wrist tight against my stomach, I didn't help that much. The water felt thicker than I thought water could be and my neck and shoulder stung on contact. My eyes and skin burned from the corrupted water but I kicked hard anyway thankful that my feet reached the ground.

I reached the beach coughing, spluttering and still burning from the water but kept going activating my Double step to throw myself forward further. Rolling onto my back I could see the water was still quiet but my instincts were ringing in warning.

I summoned up a flame heedless now of the familiar burn as I took in the cavern better. It had been more than the lighting that had given the water its dark appearance, even in the firelight the dead lake was absolutely black and the water that dripped from me was inky and thick.

The tiny amount of moonlight that trickled into the room came from a wound in the cavern ceiling far too high to reach without wings. The sand of several more beaches glittered across the opposite side of the lake unappealingly but a quick glance behind me confirmed my fears. Only a tall limestone wall stretched along the beach I'd made it to, devoid of handholds and seemingly impossible to climb.

A forceful wave hit the beach, then another and another in smaller and smaller intervals as something shifted beneath the murky water. I stretched out my sixth sense hoping to get a handle on what was happening but got nothing back, the corrupt water was brimming with its own magic and it blanketed whatever stirred beneath.

Finally two red lights flickered as something as dark as the waters rose, then two more joined the first glowing embers. I lost count as more and more Daemon eyes appeared in the dark water drifting closer to my location. After a tense moment the first bipedal creature reached the beach pulling itself ashore with some effort, rows of teeth glittered as the thing's extended mouth offered me a large predatory grin, its tail whipped high above the waves now and I estimated it was only maybe four foot in length but at least half of that was its mouth.

I wasn't surprised when the Uchiha clambered into the room, I was beginning to simply see him as my own personal saviour. No matter what happened to me, he always seemed to pull through.

What was surprising however was the ragged state he was in. He'd retained his armour this time but I couldn't help thinking it was probably the only reason the swordsman was still alive. Everywhere on the dark armour were long scratches where the Undead enemies had caught him and only their unless weapons kept the attacks from being fatal. Blood dripped from his exposed skin, in particular a deep gash over his left eye had blinded him on that flank as it wept scarlet down his face.

Instinctively I moved to get to him, the fear that had kept me passive before evaporating on sight of the damage. A hand caught my chest throwing me back into the chair and I saw the necromancers lips stretching wide as she anticipated a repeat of earlier. The Undead knight may even have stood a chance against the haggard Wraith except for its overconfidence. Once again it allowed the initial strike to connect but instead of altering its form as it had with Hanabi it begun to shift awkwardly on the glimmering blade.

I imagined if I activated my Gift what I might see, the green life magic that empowered its regeneration attempting to move to task but failing as Sasuke's Wraith effect drove all magic from its body on connection. It would have been nicer to see than the naked eyes perception, the corpse began to dry, degenerating rapidly as Sasuke stole its unnatural life away.

I glanced away to the woman, Adul, taking more pleasure than I should have to see her former confidence shatter. Fear entered her eyes as Sasuke's gaze swept the room finding first Hanabi's fallen sword and then the unguarded sorceress.

"Hinata, where?" he broke off in a fit of coughing reaching to his chest almost weakly, I gathered my equipment and Hanabi's fallen weapon hoisting its impressive weight up with some difficulty. Pragmatism had kept my worries about Hanabi quiet but now free to act they bubbled to life again.

"This way." The Raider paused for a second to eye the woman before he followed. It was risky but we couldn't kill her. It was obvious now that she was responsible for this wasteland and the absence of Daemons on it. If there was a settlement ahead of us all that kept it ironically safe was this human monstrosity.

We moved slowly and I discovered that the Uchiha was also sporting a deep gash in his right thigh. More than a little awkwardly I forced myself under his arm and we hobbled through the dilapidating corridor.

Partway through we came upon the second guard and the former Raider twisted off my shoulder and into a half tackle stabbing the confused enemy as it reached for its weapon. I spotted more of his wounds, painting the openings in his armour as I helped pull him back to his feet. I should have questioned how we were supposed to rescue Hanabi like this, but I didn't. I could tell Sasuke wouldn't even indulge the question.

Light flickered over the now cavernous walls as we drew deeper, I could hear the sounds of water crashing and something roaring. As we reached an opening there was a sudden crash and the Uchiha fell forward slipping off my shoulder. He hit the black water and so did I a moment later.

The water was thick and more disgusting than refreshing blinding me but I found the heavy swordsman in the shallow water and begun to drag him to the shoreline.

"Hanabi!" I called out hoarsely as we crested the beach. I could see the wisps of fire that could only be her moving closer to us but still half-blinded I couldn't make out much more. She was moving inhumanly fast, at almost breakneck speeds to reach us, waving her arms.

I heard a snarl and felt Sasuke shift wrapping his arms around me and pulling. Massive jaws clamped shut with a boom just where I'd been and I saw the creature preparing for another lunge as Sasuke rolled on top of me using his body as a human shield.

Orange and red burned the air behind Sasuke's back failing to hurt the Wraith but easily roasted the Daemon. For a second I was impressed by the way they interacted and wondered if Sasuke had blanketed me to protect me from the Daemon or the give Hanabi an opening. The perfect team.

It was the former.

My eyes darted to my sister as she released a bellowing cry her outstretched arm flashing a furious crimson before the light vanished and her arm…crumpled, drifting away in ashes. One too many uses to save us.

I was in the corridor again.

For a moment I thought it was the halls beneath Naru's castle but the realisation came soon enough. The oppression that surrounded me, the density that left me certain something more than man had carved and planned the path I was forced to walk.

It followed the same as before, refusing to allow me to move backwards and pushing me forward increasing the weight and pressure with each step. I passed the earthy spirit's door stronger than I had felt the first time and all at once I realised why I felt so much lighter.

My armour and weapons were missing, instead of the comforting leather and iron only a thin cotton dress kept my modesty intact. More than that though I noticed I lacked the scars I'd traced time and time again when I found myself alone and reflective. My legs were smooth, still more muscular and hard then Sakura's or Hinata's but more feminine again without the crisscrossing scars. My hands lacked the calluses from whipping a long sword around, my arm the burn marks of constant use of Chaos magic.

But not everything was gone, around my right wrist were the crimson beads of the First Flame, my left still had the Titan's arm, the Double Step ribbon hung from my waist and the Sixth sense's charm hung beside the silver one Sasuke had given me.

I heard the trickle of water and passed another room it's door pulled wide open. Rain thundered in a heavy torrent from the roof and gold runes glistened beneath the water that flooded the floor. It was empty though, even as I pushed inside I couldn't find any sign of the rooms owner.

A God was missing.

I pulled back and out of a strange respect caught the door handle dragging the heavy rusted cover shut. I continued walking noticing more doors, always at least a crack open but none completely so. The familiar door of Shadow was only half open but I could see the entity behind it grinning out at me.

The hood failed to obscure her otherworldly beauty and I was thrown back to my first thoughts on meeting Sakura. There was nothing similar in their bearings though past the seductive promising way they held their bodies. While Sakura had smiled sweetly the Shadow's scarlet lipped grin was terrifying.

I pushed on away from the minor God and its sharp knowing fangs.

There was a shift in the air, it became less dense as I entered what I suspected was an entirely different area of this world. Windows, thin and tall, ghosted the walls here and there but all I could see from them was snow white sand and in the sky above twinkling stars.

I passed several open door ways. No, not really open, rather the doors had rusted entirely and fallen from their hinges lying abandoned nearby. Within each room was nothing more than thick dust. I paused at the last one stopping as I heard something approaching. My right hand had extended, fingers splayed to throw a fireball but nothing came to life no matter how hard I tugged.

The cloaked figure paused as it rounded the corner, old deep cut blue eyes flashing in the candle light beneath its hood. The androgynous figure stumbled forward awkwardly and I drew back raising my fisted hands under my chin. Suspicion and paranoia ran easily in this place it seemed. The figure lowered its hood as I got closer revealing its sunken almost starved cheeks and deeper lines forehead. It smiled almost warmly at me.

"Come." The voice was elderly, quivering with decades maybe centuries of life but humble. It began to turn as I phrased a simple question.

"Who are you?" I had never spoken in this place before I realised my own voice trembled with a similar affect as this cloaked figures and the God I'd encountered before.

"The Guide. Now come, away from the dungeons." It whispered shooting a fearful glance behind me. Slowly the form began to shuffle and hesitantly I followed.

"You're not a God then?" I asked earning only a wheezing laugh in turn. When they spoke of Gods in Naru they always spoke of realms, entire Worlds under the command of a single God. In this place though, all the Gods seemed to be imprisoned. Except Naru, it could only be her cell that I'd found empty.

"You won't tell me what this place is then either will you, or why these rooms are empty." I asked my tone edged with my annoyance.

"The rooms are empty, because no one uses them anymore. And this…is your house." The old thing's eyes still twinkled with withheld knowledge as it stopped, offering me its candle and gesturing forward into a darker regions. I accepted the candle warily, waiting until the figure had disappeared into the darkness before I moved forward.

I shivered as everything began to grow colder and I found the first door still intact in this new area. It hung loosely on only one hinge but it was doubtless that this was where I was supposed to be as the candle light failed to pierce anything beyond it, rather it lit up nothing but this door.

Slowly I outstretched a hand feeling the cool iron beneath my fingertips as I did another hand thin and bone white darted out of the room seizing my wrist. I jumped and twisted but couldn't break the grip as a coldness began to seep into my bones. I could see the skin of my arm growing paler and paler stretching to the tips of my fingers and further up my forearm.

When the arm finally released me I fell backwards drained. My arm was numb and I watched wide eyed as the hand, meatier and more alive now gripped the door and pulled it shut.

I felt the world swimming as the candles light shimmered and vanished.

Sorry about the delay, I honestly can't believe I left it so long without updating this one but hey. Most fun I've had writing in a while. Hope you like it and haven't lost interest in the story.

Review to keep the Fading alive.

R&R